After the release of the first mainstream film by very controversial director Spike Lee, which was Do The Right Thing in 1989, a movie about racial tensions in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn, there were some indications and rumors that Spike Lee was a racist. If there was any doubt that Spike Lee was a blatant racist – he proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt in the latest issue of Playboy Magazine.

In the “20 Questions With…” interview in the August 2004 issue of Playboy, Spike Lee tackled a number of issues, including, as Playboy.com describes it, “50 Cent, NASCAR, Viagra and Strom Thurmond – just for starters.” While I have not read the entire interview, I did read the part about NASCAR where, in the interview, Spike Lee described the atmosphere and fans of NASCAR in the following manner:

“I just imagine hearing some Country-and-Western song over a loudspeaker at NASCAR: ‘Hang them niggers up high! Hang them niggers up high!’ I’m not going to no NASCAR.”

As a die-hard fan of NASCAR – and as a White male – I am grossly offended and completely outraged that Spike Lee would make such an ignorant statement without any prior knowledge of NASCAR or the demographics of its fans. Granted, NASCAR is primarily a Southern sport, but it is not a primarily White one. And just because most NASCAR fans are from the South and most NASCAR races take place in Southern States does not mean that each and every NASCAR race is a giant Klu Klux Klan meeting.

It drives me insane when people of any color pull the race card where it does not exist. How dare anyone paint a group of people with a broad brush simply because of something they ignorantly think. Perhaps if all racists would take the time to learn about what they fear or hate – racism would either be a very minimal problem in this country – or perhaps not exist at all.

I have never liked Spike Lee or his films, because he cannot open his mouth without saying something with a racial undertone – as the Playboy interview clearly demonstrates. But thinking that each and every one of the tens of millions of NASCAR fans across the United States are racists is as intelligent as suing a television network because you think they are trying to use your name for commercial gain. Perhaps the next time Spike Lee is ready to pull the race card, he will put as much time into thinking about what comes out of his ignorant, racist mouth as he puts into his racially motivated movies and his precious Knicks…

…then maybe he might be worthy of respect – instead of ridicule.