Jon Stewart took issue with the media spin put on a seemingly innocent picture of Minneapolis mayor Betsy Hodges with one of her constituents during Wednesday night’s episode of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. In the picture, she and the African-American man are standing side-by-side and pointing their fingers toward one another.
It’s basically the classic go-to gesture for pointing to the person next to you like “Look who I’m standing next to” or “Can you believe it’s this guy/gal?”
But not according to local police, and thus the local media. “[Law enforcement sources] want to know why the mayor would take a picture with a convicted criminal while he and the mayor flashed gang signs,” said a news anchor on Minneapolis’ KSTP 5.
“All this time I’ve been the lead-in for a notorious gang member,” Stewart said flashing up a picture of Stephen Colbert making the same gesture. KSTP’s original story stirred up a hornet’s nest on social media, generating the #pointergate hashtag and accusations of racism.
Hodges’ camp tried to insist the two were just pointing at one another. Stewart suggested the root cause may have more to do with Hodges taking a hard stance on corruption in the police department.
In conclusion, he decided that pointing had to be added to his extensive “list of innocent things black people do that look suspicious.”
Higher quality video will be added when it becomes available. For now, you can watch the clip below.
“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” airs Mondays through Thursdays at 11 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.
9 Overnight Internet Sensations: From 'Alex From Target' to 'Hot Mug Shot Guy' (Photos)
Alex Lee, a 16-year-old bag boy at a Dallas Target store, became known simply as "Alex From Target" after a customer snapped his picture and posted it on Twitter. Lee became an overnight Internet sensation and landed a one-on-one with Ellen DeGeneres.
Alex Minsky went viral after his modeling shots hit the web. An Afghanistan vet, Minksy lost a leg after his Humvee ran over a roadside bomb. Instead of hiding his prosthesis, Minsky flaunted it on camera. His pictures became so popular, the California native was invited to New York to sit down with the ladies of "The View."
Chris Crocker, the boy in front of bedsheets tearfully begging people to “Leave Britney (Spears) alone!" got his big break after his video garnered an astounding 4 million views in two days. The YouTube clip inspired dozens of parodies by big-name celebs. He signed a show deal with Logo TV and has since proudly made a transition into gay porn.
Antoine Dodson was interviewed by a local TV crew after an intruder attempted to rape his sister. The interview became an Internet sensation and even got its own auto-tuned song by The Gregory Brothers which sold thousands of copies on iTunes.
Jeremy Meeks became "The Hot Mug Shot Guy" after he was arrested on gun and gang-related charges and his mugshot was posted on the Stockton, California police department's website. Women swooned, and Meeks made the news and reportedly signed a modeling contract worth $30,000.
Sean Kory hit it big after his own mug shot hit the web. Kory was arrested in Santa Cruz, California in November for allegedly assaulting a man dressed up as a Fox News reporter at a Halloween parade.
Chris Kohrs, also known as "The Hot Cop of San Francisco," became a global obsession earlier this year after a stranger on the street snapped his photo. A Facebook page started by one of his fans garnered an eye-popping 50,000 followers in less than a week.
EJ Johnson, son of Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, went viral after paparazzi caught him coming out of a West Hollywood restaurant clutching a Birkin bag while holding hands with a male friend. Johnson landed a lead role in E!'s "Rich Kids of Beverly Hills."
Tardar Sauce, better known as "Grumpy Cat," became a Tumblr sensation, soon landing the feline its own movie.
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Teen Alex Lee became a star after an off-the-cuff photo became a social media phenomenon. Here’s TheWrap’s list of people who rode the wave of viral popularity.
Alex Lee, a 16-year-old bag boy at a Dallas Target store, became known simply as "Alex From Target" after a customer snapped his picture and posted it on Twitter. Lee became an overnight Internet sensation and landed a one-on-one with Ellen DeGeneres.
