In case you were wondering what Charles Grodin thought about Post columnist Phil Mushnick's Jay-Z-Brooklyn Nets musings ("Why the Brooklyn Nets when they can be the New York N------s? The cheerleaders could be the Brooklyn B----hes or Hoes."), today is your lucky day. The actor writes in his Daily News column, "I know Phil Mushnick. He is a friend of mine, and he is the opposite of a bigot. He is a satirist and satire can easily be misunderstood."
Mushnick was complaining about the new Brooklyn Nets logo and brand identity, which was designed by Jay-Z. His full quote was, "As long as the Nets are allowing Jay-Z to call their marketing shots — what a shock that he chose black and white as the new team colors to stress, as the Nets explained, their new “urban” home — why not have him apply the full Jay-Z treatment? Why the Brooklyn Nets when they can be the New York N------s? The cheerleaders could be the Brooklyn B----hes or Hoes. Team logo? A 9 mm with hollow-tip shell casings strewn beneath. Wanna be Jay-Z hip? Then go all the way!"
While his column was shocking, Mushnick insisted, "Such obvious, wishful and ignorant mischaracterizations of what I write are common. I don't call black men the N-word; I don't regard young women as bitches and whores; I don't glorify the use of assault weapons and drugs. Jay-Z, on the other hand.....Is he the only NBA owner allowed to call black men N***ers?"
Grodin takes up Mushnick's cause, "Contrary to what some might assume, Phil Mushnick is not a bigot. He is a champion for equal rights and equal dignity for all, and he writes about this more than anyone I’ve ever read. If the people attacking Phil Mushnick were as outstanding a humanist as he is, the world would be a much better place." Still, Michael Richards's n-word-filled rant was supposedly comedy, but he apologized.
Previously, Grodin has used his column to discuss his love of Blimpie's sandwiches.
