America 1982-Chapter 353 - 32: Clues That Don’t Connect_2
However, he then took a deep breath: "Welcome to ’Today’s Nig...,’ no, ’Today’s Black News.’ Of course, if you’re watching this and your eyesight is fine, I hope you’ll first confirm whether your skin color is the same as mine. If it’s different, I suggest you change the channel because... white people are not interested in black people’s news. 3, 2, 1, okay, white people or others should have switched channels by now. Let’s look at today’s first news item about the niggers."
"In Tallahassee, Florida, two years ago, city council candidate Mike Barnes narrowly defeated his white opponent Horace by a slim margin of one vote to become the city’s first black councilman. At the time, Horace accused Mike Barnes of cheating on the ballots because, as a black man, he received far more votes than the pre-election polls had shown. Horace requested an investigation and now, two years later, the investigation is finally over. There’s good news and bad news. The bad news is, my black brothers and sisters, I must announce with heavy heart that that white man Horace didn’t lie, there was indeed election fraud two years ago. The good news is, the evidence from the investigation shows that the ones cheating on the ballots were Horace’s supporters, those bastards who voted for Horace using the names of their deceased relatives. Even with cheating on the ballots, they still couldn’t beat a black man. Mr. Horace, next time you run for election, why not use this as your campaign slogan? Maybe a lot of white people will give you sympathy votes because of your misfortune and stupidity."
"From this news, we can see that it’s very difficult for us niggers to take charge in America. If we beat the white man, they accuse us of cheating. In reality, they are the clowns with dirty asses. This kind of cheating that just requires counting votes took two long years to come to a conclusion, of course, because the guy is white. If it were a nigger, I bet, you cheat in the morning, and you’ll end up in jail by the afternoon. Let’s move on to the second news item, from New York..."
After Martin read the news on the whiteboard, Tommy looked at Rick: "Notice something? For the lower-class blacks, it has to be more colloquial. Don’t go for an elite vibe, they’re not interested. Our host should be like a loudmouth from their own community, approachable, using a playful tone to tell them what significant things their black brethren in America have done today that are worth their attention."
"..." Rick looked at Tommy with a troubled expression: "News should be more serious."
Tommy ignored Rick’s expression and continued: "The host should ideally be a fat black man who loves to crack jokes. If we can’t find a suitable host within the news programs, cast the net in the sports shows, then find a few editors to rework the daily influx of black news stories. Don’t go for depth, don’t be stodgy. Even the news commentary should be simplified so that uneducated lower-class blacks can understand it, without big theories."
"Although I’m not very familiar with news programs, from what I have learned since joining BT Television, news requires fairness and balance, not just ratings. Moreover, news requires scripted writing, which will bring criticism from news commentators. Scripted news isn’t news, it’s a talk show," Rick seriously advised Tommy.
If the boss liked to mess around, Rick suggested, let him do so with variety shows, but news programs should remain serious because they carry a social responsibility. If even the style of news leaned toward the vulgar or frivolous, it could easily make the television station lose the trust of its audience.
"No one dictates that the angle for presenting the news has to be neutral, Rick. I believe news commentators won’t bother us because they are watching those broadcasters with White House press credentials, looking for mistakes in serious news. There are no black people in the White House, and ’Today’s Black News’ probably won’t qualify for White House press credentials for many years to come. News commentators won’t care about a show that’s only fit for the lower-class blacks to watch. We need ratings, the ratings of all our programs," Tommy said to Rick.
Seeing that Tommy was determined, Rick shrugged: "Of course, you’re the boss, what you say goes."
"That’s settled then, do it my way. I won’t be working late tonight; there’s someone important waiting for me." After saying this, Tommy stood up and walked out.
...
Dorothy stood by the kitchen, flustered and petrified, watching Tommy put on an apron and personally serve the dinner he had prepared, dish by dish, onto the table. This made her wonder if it was a sign that her employer was about to fire her.
"Don’t worry, Dorothy, Tommy won’t fire you." Susan, who had returned from Canada after completing her real estate license exams, wearing a dark blue women’s suit and sitting at the dining table, noticed Dorothy’s nervousness and spoke with a reassuring smile: "He just likes to use this cozy approach to cozy up to his friends as a sign of intimacy. It’s pretty hypocritical, right? But everybody loves to be pampered this way. For instance, right now, I know for a fact that he’s going to line up a ton of work for me that will keep me busy, but seeing this bastard painstakingly cook a meal with his own hands, I can’t help feeling happy."Tommy brought the soup to the table, then took off his apron and sat down, pouring red wine from a decanter and speaking discontentedly to Susan: "This isn’t hypocrisy, Susan. Hypocrisy would be using this approach on everyone, but in reality, only three women have ever enjoyed my cooking: my aunt Melanie, Ottelia, and then you. Of course, if my mother were still alive, she’d definitely want to try it too, but unfortunately, she’s gone, so you’re the third one."
