Discussion:

Discussion for article #230837

I bet these two thought they were hysterically funny. Unbelievable.

Is it possible it was just kind of a hug for the camera?

You stay classy white people.

Let me rephrase: I really hope that those people aren’t such pieces of shit as to do such a thing.

Classy with a capital K. (three of them?)

No, they were mocking the death of Garner.
Some people lack any class or understanding of the pain others endure.

She puts her hands up and makes a funny face and then sort of hits him, and they run away.

I wouldn’t call it a hug. Wasn’t funny.

I’m white, and I’m shocked and ashamed because of the attitudes of these cretins.

Oh, boy! I almost feel sorry for them because I can only imagine how Twitter and Anonymous will lay them to waste. I bet Reddit has already identified them, and Twitter’s about to go IN. I’ll be shocked if either of them have jobs next week.

The evil forces want to divide us and keep us divided and hateful. It keeps the wicked rich and powerful. The evil forces are doing just that and wicked men are getting richer and more powerful.

I’m not at all convinced that was an attempt to mock the Garner case. Had the man thrown the woman to the ground and pretended to choke her, then I’d agree. But if that were meant to be some kind of mock gesture, what was the intent? Who was being mocked? Garner? Pantaleo? There is just nothing clear about that awkward hug that suggests someone being mocked. If anything, it’s a pretend MMA battle. He grabs her, she puts up her arms and taps out at the end, and then he lets go. Much closer to a mock MMA battle than the Garner incident.

If it was meant in solidarity (like the Rams with the hands up) chalk it up as a fail. If it was meant to mock, how horrible. Either way, not a good plan.

Acquaintances of those two I expect will be ‘splainin’ life to them in ways they won’t forget. If their friends don’t they damned well should.

Yes. An awkward hug that morphed into a pretend MMA bout. That’s why she taps out at the end. I don’t think it’s a Garner reference at all.

Was it appropriate to do something like this then? Or are people so willing to get their mugs on teevee that all caution and sense goes in the wind?

People do all kinds of dumb shit when there’s a live camera. I don’t think any of it is appropriate. Here especially. I’m open to the possibility that I’m wrong and they are trying to make a political statement, but if that’s the case, I can’t tell what it is.

I can’t either. But it was a stupid thing to do. If they were standing there and knew what her segment was about, I’m going with clueless and inappropriate.

Also, the guy was a chunk. He’d better watch out lest she gives him a choke hold.

He like might totally die.

You know…today I am sad. I’m sad at the state of our country and I so hope you are exactly right. I hope they were just hugging for the camera. I know Mr. Garner was arrested many times…I know that. But he did not deserve to die like he did and so today I am sad. RIP Mr. Garner.

Live cameras make people do dumb shit, that’s for damn sure. My guess is these people thought they were being funny and clever. It’s a symptom of news being presented as entertainment in a media culture that tends to question, doubt, and mock everything, if only by presenting it as a horrow-show spectacle for your delectation, the suffering and death of innocents included. Consumption and celebrity are the only things to value. You see a camera as you’re walking, well, camera equals news equals chokehold equals har! They don’t even have to be awful people really—they might be very sympathetic if you had to put your dog down, or about something else that happened in real life. But the stuff that parades past them on the news isn’t real to them. Or to most people. People forget it’s real. It’s just flickering images that flash past and are gone, fodder for a joke for a day or two.

My exact thoughts Plucky! Next stop? The Sean Hannity Non-Apology Exclusive