Easy Caricatures Becoming Reality Before Our Very Eyes

I can think of no better way to lose the American public than by telling them that race has something to do with their dislike of you. America is a country in which Race is a hugely touchy subject. Many white Americans realize that we have had racial problems in the past... and that it is therefore a very bad thing to be called racist. If you ever have a discussion in which you mention that they might see particular individuals as belonging to ethnic or other groups with certain negative characteristics, well, they'll flip they're shit. You can tell how unacceptable it is to be a racist because even the most extreme of characters will begin sentences "I'm no racist, but..." I think people put way too strong a point on this and that staunchly defending yourself from charges of racism is actually pretty counterproductive and leads to more racism and talking past one another, but it's the world we live in.

So when LeBron says things like this, I grimace. Right or wrong, that is something that many in this country will not abide (many think it is unfair that minorities can blame things that don't go their way on race, it's all in my forthcoming book Wu-Tang References, White America, Dinosaur Shaped Persons, and You). I don't blame LeBron too much, he made a stupid decision, both in terms of basketball and in terms of how he announced his stupid decision, but he's also a victim of ridiculous expectations and the slow news cycle of midsummer. What makes me grimace, however, is that all the silly caricatures of LeBron that began this summer -- in which he's a villain and what not -- are likely going to come true now. Making this race comment is a pretty sure fire way to continue the enmity with which LeBron has been met, and I can easily envision that going forward LeBron will view this bitterly. He'll think he gave them the winning team they thought they wanted, and they spat on him; so, why not become the villain they say he is? And he likely will. I can see it now, just like North Korea eventually became the 1950s American Caricature of itself.

Of course one day, if he wins, LeBron will be forgiven. You just have to look at the fawning coverage "folk" are giving to Vick while offering their dogs up for him to sign to know that LeBron will also one day enjoy more fawning. This is America, land of comebacks (and overly loud protest to accusations of racism, again, read my book). But I'm pretty sure that said fawning will come too late; LeBron will already have been the villain for too long, his mind irredeemably warped. Which is too bad. As we've seen with Rodman and Artest, the villain can be a fun guy to watch, but in the end his story is pretty sad. At least my evil LeBron James Halloween costume will make some sense this year, but not as much as it will make next year, and the year after that.