OK, joke's over

Phil Gayle
guardian.co.uk
Silvio Berlusconi may be a fool, but he's not stupid. A self-made millionaire and unparalleled political operator, he started his own party and beat the entrenched interests of one of the world's most labyrinthine democracies to become Italy's prime minister. He did this while running a media empire and numerous business interests, including AC Milan, and managing to stay out of jail while fighting off several corruption lawsuits. A man who can do all of this in the country of Machiavelli is nobody's idiot.
So what does it say about him and the society from which he springs that he sees nothing wrong in mocking the skin colour of the next president of the United States, who he called "young, handsome and tanned''? His detractors should get a sense of humour, he says. Perhaps he's right. Humour is a great tool for pricking sacred cows. Oftentimes, we laugh when comic juxtaposition draws our attention to the sheer nuttiness or implausibility of a situation. But what does Berlusconi find so funny in the election of a black man to the highest office in the US?
It's hard to think that one country's leader would make such a crass statement about another, much less one waiting to assume power in US. But Berlusconi is not like other leaders. This is the man whose 1986 election campaign famously included the claim that the Chinese "boiled babies for fertiliser" during the Mao Zedong era.
Perhaps Berlusconi, while respecting the office of the president, believes that it's still OK to poke a little fun at Obama: Relax, people, it's just a joke. The guy's going to be president, but he's still just a man. That's the text. But what's the subtext? It's always the same: Relax, this guy may be a president (or bishop, football star or academic) but he's still just a black man.
Jokes like these are about status and power. George Bush gets to say "Yo, Blair" because he's president of the most powerful country on the planet and Blair isn't. Berlusconi gets to joke about Obama's "tan" because he's white and Obama isn't.
In fairness to Italy, reports point out that Berlusconi's comments received condemnation from his own countrymen. But the reported criticisms come from political opponents. Berlusconi, ever the showman, was playing beyond them, over their heads to an audience who elected him three times to lead their country.
Many reading this will happily write this off as the ramblings of another chippy black man. But it's only three weeks since Sheriff's deputies arrested two white supremacists on suspicion of plotting to assassinate the black presidential candidate. Do we expect that now his election has been confirmed, the rednecks will drop their rifles and salute? The most popular Google search at the moment is "assassinate Obama". Only a fool or a wilful optimist would believe that this is the only conspiracy out there.
Ask any prominent person of colour and they'll tell you stories of being racially abused by thugs one minute, only for the same hoodlums to turn around and politely ask for their autographs the next, when they recognise them. "Nothing personal, mate. You're OK. It's just them others." I once asked a very close white friend of mine to check over an application form I'd filled in. He did it willingly, and, having done so, asked why I'd made no mention of my ethnicity. When I pointed out that I'd done exactly what he would have, he told me that people would assume I was white and that it was therefore my duty to point out that I wasn't. When asked why it was necessary for me, but not for him, he pointed out (perfectly reasonably, he felt) that "we rule the world, Phil".
As of January 20, 2009, however, the most powerful man in the world will be black. It'll be interesting to see how many assumptions change.

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