Mayor Dean Grose
Dean Grose, the Republican Mayor of Los Alamitos, California, is a real comedian. When he saw this photoshopped picture of the Whitehouse with the caption on February 24th, “No Easter Egg Hunt This Year”, he felt he just had to share it with all his friends. So He emailed it out to all of them, including Local businesswoman and city volunteer Keyanus Price.
Now Ms. Price happens to be African American, and for some strange reason she didn’t see the humor in something that played to the stereotype that Black folks just love their watermelon.
“I have had plenty of my share of chicken and watermelon and all those kinds of jokes. I honestly don’t even understand where he was coming from, sending this to me. As a black person receiving something like this from the city-freakin’-mayor — come on.”
She responded to Mayor Grose’s e-mail with:
“Hey, that’s not nice at all. Not all black people like watermelon… you should know better than that.”
Dean Grose, being the model of racial sensitivity that he is, replied in turn:
“The way things are today, you gotta laugh every now and then. I wanna see the coloring contests.”
Price said Grose’s response upset her more.
“As soon as I saw his response; that put me over the top because it was no big deal to him.”
Keyanus Price finally decided to go to the press, and Mayor Grose’s example of how NOT to behave became a national item. Grose realized it was time for damage control. While being interviewed by the Associated Press, he offered this explanation:
“There is no way that I meant anything racist in my email. I was merely criticizing Obama’s fiscal plan, which is so horrendous that it’s almost as if it were written by watermelons.”
The reporter’s response was something along the lines of:
“What? Did I hear you right Mr. Mayor?”
I’m sure he was thinking more like:
“Holy shit! Did this asshole really say that?”
My reaction after I read the mayor’s reply was a bit stronger:
“This guy is either a huge liar or a complete fucking idiot.”
Grose also claimed he wasn’t aware of the racist stereotype concerning Black people and watermelons.
Yeah, he’s a liar alright.
On February 26th, 2009, Dean Grose resigned as mayor of Los Alamitos, California, and on March 2nd, he was forced to quit his City Council seat. You can find his resignation letter here. I leave it to you, the reader, to decide if Dean Grose deserves further punishment in the hereafter.
So, Does Dean Gross Deserve Hell?
- No, he's just a moron and he's already paid a heavy price for his stupidity. (78%, 153 Votes)
- Yes, he's a racist and a dumbass. (22%, 42 Votes)
Total Voters: 195
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85 Comments »
Tasteless. It was completely inappropriate for him to send this picture to his business-related contacts. What he does on his own time is one thing, but as the Mayor of a City he should have known better than to send such a picture, as it would likely offend people. It is the same as sending out sexually inappropriate material to collegues. You just cannot do those types of things without it coming back to bite you in the ass. Especially when you are involved in politics and happen to be the Mayor.
I think he has some fucktardian in him because he should know that the picture which he sent is offensive to many people, not just those who are African-American. I don’t buy that he was unaware of the whole “watermelon” thing. If he is really that socially stupid, I am glad that he resigned. Politics aside, he seems like a real dumb-ass.
He should be the mayor of a redneck City in the south, not a City in California. Hell though? Possibly. However, I don’t feel as strongly about sending this fucktard to hell as some of the ones I have read about on this site recently….
Okay, I’m not a social dumbass or anything…but I honestly didn’t know about the watermelon thing. The cotton thing, I knew about, but not the watermelon thing. I’m white, and I LOVE watermelon…can’t get enough of it in the summer!
But still…it’s racist idiots like this that set society back a few decades or so.
I’m torn on this one. I don’t necessarily think he deserves hell, but I don’t think he has fullt paid the price for what he did. Like poptart1 said, there have been a lot worse things recently.
ha ha that was funny though, come on it was admit it. i send shit like that to my cousins all the time! shits funny the thing that makes it even funnier is because he sent it to a black lady ha ha what in the fuck lol lmao this guy is fucking HILL LARE EEE UUUSS (hilarious)!!! LOL
But he is a fuckin racist and for me I think only one person on here hasent been sent to hell by my vote so you know what im gonna say!!! TO HELL WITH HIM!!!! fuckin classic im so gonna put that on my easter cards to my family!!! ha haaaaa sorry guys been cooped up at work needed that shit!
Thing if the matter is, some people just don’t laugh about that shit. If you get it and keep it to yourself and want to laugh, I could care less. Some people just don’t find that shit funny, and as a Mayor especially, you’re supposed to be sensitive to others feelings. He says he didn’t know the stereotypes, but I’ll throw the “bullshit” flag all day.
This country is spiraling downward with the onset of political correctness.
People should lighten up.
Amen
you are a very very smart person
she started light about it, he should have replied with “sorry, didn’t mean to offend” and it would have died there, but not noticing she was offended by it and not even caring, he’s an idiot.
lol thats the fucking best part about it ROFL oh shit this was fuckin great!!!
This is just stupid. He is an idiot for sending this stuff. Guys like these are not the racists. It is the person telling me that because of my color I need someones help to find a job. It is the polite feel good type the bug me. This guy is just insensitive. Life goes on. Why is there always a “price” to be paid for crap like this. If there was a price to be paid he has more than paid. People need to get off their high horse on this one.
No hell. But he really needs to have his head examined, lol. As Poptart says, he is a prime example of a Fucktardian and has no business in any kind of political position.
Ignorant asshole.
The picture in itself would have been no big deal if Mayor Fucktard decided to send it solely to his personal friends. The fact that he sent this in city correspondence, to city contacts, as the Mayor, is just not appropriate for the legislative setting. Especially in California where most people are minorities. So we have to think about *why* he would have sent this. What were his intentions? Was he that ignorant in the twenty-first century as a Mayor in California to not think that this picture would have offended people? All of us couldn’t send this kind of a picture at our jobs without having to pay a huge price.
Exactly!
We all know that there is only one meaning for the watermelons on the white house lawn. I personally think it’s kind of amusing in a satirical way. My husband actually showed that pic to me last week, and I can assure you he hasn’t a racist bone in his body, but he has the kind of personality that can see the humor for humor’s sake. Sort of like sniper kitty. (which he also sent me about a year ago, lol)
The thing is you have to KNOW your audience, and you have to KNOW that they have a twisted sense of humor before you send something like this. For a politician to send it, especially sending it to people he doesn’t know very well, is political suicide, and the guy deserves to lose his job just because he is too stupid to be a mayor.
Mazzi, exactly. It is all about reading your enviorment. Who knows, maybe this arrogant fucktard just thought that he was above you or I as far as what he is able to get away with in a work setting. That wouldn’t surprise me either, being that he is in politics and all.
Oh God. Who cares….everyone is so freakin uptight. There is more reverse racism that goes on everyday…Call Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton…get them ready for their 4 day long string of interviews. I am no where near racist…but really, hell worthy? Everyone has stuck their foot in their mouth at one point or another. Everyone acts so holier than thou when it comes to hate, verbal abuse and racism.. it’s never right…but it tends to be human nature from time to time in everyone. It was a stuipd e-mail “forward”.
Sorry..that annoyed me this is actually a story on this site.
It’s here to start a discussion, not because I think he belongs in hell. I also thought the whole thing was kind of funny, so I tried to write it with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. I was just carrying on a tradition, started by the founder of PYSIH, of posting lighter stories with a little humor in them, just to break the tension. Too many Justing Thurbers and Davon Crawfords will break anybody, even yours truly, and I needed a change of pace.
I’m probably going to hell for this myself but I cannot help but do a Don King impersination at this time (seriously not racist so don’t start the bs): *ahem*
This discrimination and clear hater-ization is an abomination to this fine nation. Only in America!
My God what is wrong with everyone like the guy says lighten up stop being so uptight did he kill anyone did he hurt anyone then why make such a big deal. Sounds like a bunch of kids that want attention. “mommy, Mommy, MOMMY He’s making fun of me” why doesn’t every one just grow up and stop crying when some one says something stupid.
I don’t like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton because their charlatans. Their nothing but race hustlers. And for the record, I abhor racism because it makes you look stupid.
Theres no such thing as “reverse racism”. Let’s iliminate the word racism from the dictionary and call it hate. That way the extreme-ness of the word can be conveyed correctly.
You know what I meant obviously…so let’s not split hairs. Just a quicker way of referencing. I’ve had many African Americans tell me black people cannot be racist…So call it what you will.
yeah, I know what you meant…that’s why I said get rid of teh word and use hate. Black folk can hate white folk, white folk can hate black folk and we can all hate each other equally. :D
Pretty stupid especially the fact that he did on their business time, not his own. Hell worthy, no.
Well, I sent him to hell. But then, I’m in Alabama and have to put up with this sort of idiocy all the time. Of course, when George Wallace finally died I called my brother in law in San Fran and said “I’m pleased to report that George Wallace has gone to hell.” So, maybe I’m a little mean.
ICan’t stand this some people just can’t take a joke. I hear minorities making fun of whites all the time and no one makes a big deal about it they just give them TV shows and all the smart people just laugh about it or ignore it. There is no more real racism. What I classify as real racism is when the stupid as KKK would go around and kill or hurt the blacks for no reason and set their houses and churches on fire. Now a days you just got stupid people that say stupid things. I would say people that commit hate crimes are racist not some dumb ass trying to be funny. People throw around that word so easily now a day but don’t know the real meaning. Like this if you say black man that means that I am a racist for saying that. I have had a guy say that to me that I was racist for saying that and not saying his name, but I have found out that I am stupid as many of you will say to my posting but I don’t care. I am going to work in another country were everything isn’t based around race like it is here in America most countries there is only one color and that is green (money to all you people who don’t know what that means).
I disagree ryan. I think it’s very easy for a white person to say Ms. Price overreacted to Mayor Grose’s email, but if some one had been making jokes about you liking fried chicken and watermelon all your life, you might not think that picture was so funny. The thing I try to do in situations like this is to put myself in the other person’s shoes – in this case it was a no brainer. Black president, watermelons field on the Whitehouse lawn – how is that not racist? And how would it not be offensive to another Black person? What Mayor Grose was lacking, and frankly, what you, holla and Andrea are also lacking, is something called empathy – the ability to feel what another person is feeling. This incident isn’t about political correctness, it’s about treating each other with respect, the kind of respect you would want to be treated with yourself. Anyway, that’s how I see it.
Is what Dean Grose did a hellworthy offense? No, I don’t think so. But he started to get pretty close with the idiotic excuses he came up with. He wasn’t aware of any stereotypes involving Black people and watermelon? Oh come on now, that insults my intelligence. Nobody like to be lied to Mr. Grose. If he has just apologized from the get go, we wouldn’t even be talking about this.
**not brown nosing I swear it!!**
Max, I really like you a little more everyday :)
Thanks Kenny, I appreciate that.
and I prefer butt kissing to brown nosing – LoL
That’s the bad part Max – the lame-ass excuses he came up with.
Now, about being on the receiving end – I am a blonde-haired woman from polish descent. I heard all the stupid blonde jokes, and all the stupid Pollock jokes pretty much my whole life. I guess I could have chosen to get all huffy and offended by the jokes, but I know that I am not stupid, so why would I take it personally?
Sure – there may be some morons out there who believe that all blondes are airheads, or all Poles are stupid but that’s their problem. The jokes are still funny.
I have to agree with you on being Polish… I am as well.
As a Pole I have seen real racism – one day I am “in” and the next day I am “out” and the only thing different was someone learned my last name….. That is a sign of a real racist when someone treats me different after learning a simple fact like that. I would understand being treated differently if someone learned a dark secret, but even with my lousy handwriting, my last name is still scribble SKI.
Also my wife is sometimes asked if she was born Polish or is “Polish by injection”…. how many other races get asked that question?
I think everyone has to put up with stuff like this at some point- even if it’s just being a woman- there are a LOT of people out there who seriously think that women are lesser people. I work with all men, so I hear my fair share of it- and not everyone is being funny. I have had many people tell me in all seriousness that I should not be doing this job because I am female. If I took that seriously, though, I would be miserable all the time. I fail to see how that is any different than racism.
As far as the Polish by injection- never heard that one, but I’ve had a lot of guys ask me if I want a little more Irish in me, lol.
If he wasn’t aware of the watermelon stereotype, why would he think it was funny and send it to everyone in the first place? He’s a fucking racist liar and I’m glad he resigned.
I think this was thrown way out of proportion. Unless something was said along with the picture then there’s no reason an image containing watermelon could be seen as racist by any normal person. Why so much shit could hit the fan over a simple fruit is beyond me.
There was a caption – “No Easter Egg Hunt This Year” along with the picture. I can’t believe how many of you don’t see the racist implications of this picture. Where have you been for the last 200+ years of American History? The image of watermelons growing on the Whitehouse front lawn while we have a Black president is incredibly racist.
It wasn’t just the picture. It was the guys total lack of acknowledgement that it was offensive. She told him, “this offends me” and he just laughed it off. That’s where the issue comes in.
Are you retarded?
Above comment was for Nissa btw
Again…if being stupid were criteria for hell…it would be overcrowded in a day. so no, no hell…you freaking idiot!
Max, i think you hit the nail right on the head, and not to be rude, but anyone who acts like they don’t know what is so racist about this picture or his comments, is in the same league as that dumbass. you are either really, really stupid or just plain ignorant. And if you are that ignorant, then you really need to be under some kind of supervison for the mentally impaired. ANYONE WITH ANY COMMON SENSE knows that was bullshit and it was very inappropriate for him to send that email to colleagues. Friends, sure, if you are so inclined, but at work!? He deserved everything that he got. Thanks for bringing this to the light Max, you learn alot about people without ever meeting them just by reading the bullshit they respond with!
Okay… I am really upset here… My 5 year old happens to love watermelons, in fact she once made me go get a trailer and fill it with watermelons from a road side stand because she insisted they were “…all my watermelons…” and that girl was not leaving without every last one of them…
Can you imagine what I’d be hearing if she sees this picture? Damn, I’ll never get out of her wanting me to plant the whole front yard with them…
As far as the Mayor goes, he needs to pull his head out of small intestine that he’s shoved it so far up and take a good long look in the mirror… Racism is no longer tolerated here in America and it’s time that people start standing up to take responsibility for their actions, if it was an honest mistake (which I doubt) then he should of started apologizing immediately….
This is not a case of people needing to “lighten up” or needing to “laugh a little in these times”, unless you mean “laugh a little at black people trying to be president”. There is nothing to the image that was sent unless it is read as it was intended, to make fun of black people in one of the most classic slanderous ways possible. That’s not political correctness and overreaction. That’s continuing to fuel a negative stereotype. But it’s also cowardly. It’s completely offensive while playing it safe. Not playing it safe: The picture floating around of the new Air Force 1′s tail number.
I’d love to see this Mayor flown to the White House for a meet and greet with the new president. I’d just like to witness him trying to explain that email to President Obama’s face.
Or to Barack’s two little girls – Now that would be a ha-ma-na, ha-ma-na, ha-ma-na moment, would it be?
All racist shit bags deserve hell. It’s so much worse when turds like this hold positions of authority.
What an idiot. I liked this part “There is no way that I meant anything racist in my email. I was merely criticizing Obama’s fiscal plan, which is so horrendous that it’s almost as if it were written by watermelons.” Nice explanation there, Mayor. When you are in a position like this, you are held to higher standards than others. I think justice has been served in this case- this guy’s political career is over.
That said, everyone on this board has said or done something offensive at one time or another. Every time you say RETARD, there are people out there who’s feelings will be hurt. I will be the first to admit that I sometimes tell offensive jokes. I genrally don’t get in line with racist jokes, but there are other offensive things out there to joke about. I’m a woman working at a fire department. Guess what kind of shit I hear all day? I am not going to get riled up everytime someone tells me to get my ass back in the kitchen as a joke. I guess I am on the fence with this issue. This guy did something very stupid, no doubt- but the reason it was so stupid was because of the position he held in the community, and the shameless way he went about it. Other than that- I’m not ashamed to say that sometimes things done in poor taste can be HILARIOUS.
Oh, I agree – poor taste can be hilarious. But there is a time and place. This moron can’t tell the difference and then pleads ignorance? I say we send him to hell just for fun.
Absolutely. That a personal choice that you need to make. No one can make it for you buddy. LoL
Can’t argue with that, Miwist.
He lost his job, his nice salary, his position of power, and his reputation. Also, now everyone knows he’s a butt head. I think that’s punishment enough. I don’t think he’s hell-worthy.
Can I at least kick himin the shin? He’s a dumbass – he needs to be picked on without mercy.
Miwist, you have my permission to shove a watermelon up his ass.
Ha Ha Ha!
How dare you….
waste a perfectly good watermelon
yeah how dare you i love watermelon
(haha a black joke towards myself)
So what? He has a 1st amendment right too.
The First Amendment doesn’t apply to private correspondence, you ignorant fucktard.
FYI, some things that hypothetically could apply, although not in Dean Grose’s case of course, are harassment and stalking laws, plus hate crime legislation.
Now he can sit at home and excercise his First Amendment right, all day, every day.
To Adrea – I agree that people are too politically correct and uptight these days, but if he offended someone with a racially charged joke, it would just be respectful and courteous to acknowledge that.
It seems to me that he was given an opportunity to redeem himself of a thoughtless joke, but instead chose to hitch himself quite firmly to that cart by disregarding her email. Good for her for calling him out.
Some things are funny….some things aren’t. Some things are tasteless, but funny anyway. My own sense of humor is pretty ridiculously offside sometimes, but I would never knowingly offend anyone and if I do I would apologize sincerely and immediately.
He doesn’t deserve hell, but he did deserve to lose his job.
This guy is definitely a fucktard, and I must ask what other stupid things has he done?
But at the same time does anybody remember Jesse Jackson calling New York City (probably spell wrong) “Hymietown” or the fact that he thought it was funny when he spit into white people’s salads as a teen?
Jesse needs to leave the public spot light as well if there is ever to be true equality
Jesse Jackson is a joke. I mean, did you see him crying when Obama won the election? Melodramatic little bitch is what he is. What a fucktard.
Unfortunately some people follow him and Obama like they were John The Baptist and The Messiah.
If Jesse were white and conservative he’d have been out of the picture a long time ago, but black and liberal makes him sacred!
Who exactly are Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama “sacred” too? Just womdering???
Rolling Stone magazine?
okay so where the fuck did we get on to jesse jackson? Always gotta throw a fuckin black person in there when a white person fucks up huh? Personally they can both suck baws!
Okay, I am going to say that yes this joke was done in poor taste but at the same time he wasn’t using the n word or really being all that disrespectful. If the joke had cracked on Obama’s white side nothing would have been said. What if this joke had a picture of George W. Bush and him holding a box of Ritz crackers? What if there was a saying underneath that said would you like some cheese with these? It would be okay to call him a cracker. The only jokes that are pc are blonde jokes, polish jokes, jew jokes, irish jokes, women jokes, white jokes, and men jokes. I just find it dumb when no one can laugh at anything.
now that shit would of been fuckin funny i would pay to see that shit but ow wait we will never huh riiiight doesn’t work that way now does it!
I think it’s funny, funny, funny.
I’ll take “things the doctor said when you where born” for $500 thanks Alex.
Since when a bad sense of humor grounds for eternal damnation?
On that note, I chuckled. :)
Not hell worthy. This was blown way out of proportion.
Yes yur right it was blown up but fuck it he still gets the HELL!!!
Those worthless ******* just need to stop playing the **** **** on everything, watermelons come the fuck on no other **** does this and for the record what age of atrocity have we entered a ****** for a president what a shame and there are still ******* *******out there with the nerve to play the **** **** they need to just sit back shut the fuck up and do what they do these ***-***** are taking over we need to build a bridge to ****** and blow it up when they are all on it
POWER TO THE ******
**** ****!!!!
congratulations joker, you’ve joined allah fubar on the probation list – that means i have the right to heavily edit any or all of your comments as I see fit. racist and homophobic language will not be tolerated on pysih. EVER.
-editor
And think about using a period once in a while. Periods are you friends
Yeah, periods mean no damned paternity tests….again.
You are such an embarrassment to white people everywhere. Damn, I wish our race as a whole could put you up for adoption. Ignorant, illiterate and stupid. Way to represent dipshit.
now, this was in very poor taste … it like saying “hey, you’re white, so you can’t dance, huh?”
ohh wait, people do say that, nevermind
ha ha thats funny what about the guy from step it up he’s white he can dance. Or wait i think hes polich (wink)
I thought it was pretty funny… I like watermelons…
um….
I actually have never heard the racist stereotype concerning Black people and watermelons.
No serioulsy, I haven’t.
Wow, maybe I should get out a little more.
AND…
I’m from South Africa
LOL Ada… girl you do need to get out more. It is a very well-known stereotype, at least in the US. There are even images associated with it. Not sure where it’s derived from, but very commonly known.
Personally, I found it to be tasteless but I don’t think he deserves hell. He just needs some cultural sensitivity training. I do, however, question how/why he was elected in the first place.
Ada, it’s an American thing.
AHA! Thanks, now I don’t have to sheepishly crawl under a watermelon.
I guess I don’t get the joke, since Obama is not black, he’s bi-racial.
SUCK IT UP LADY..EVERYONE HAS BEEN THE BUTT OF A JOKE SOMETIME…