The owner of a conservative radio station in Tennessee is catching heat for comparing White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to Buckwheat.
Child actor Billie Thomas was 5-years-old when he was cast as Buckwheat in the “Our Gang” (later renamed “Little Rascals”) comedy TV series and short films in 1936. Thomas died in 1980 at age 49.
Delk Kennedy, co-host of WKOM’s “3 Dudes with a View” program, compared Jean-Pierre to Buckwheat during a recent discussion about gender-affirming care for children.
“President Biden has come — both he and Buckwheat Jean-Pierre have come out and in favor of a national law, allowing minors without the consent of their parents to have gender changing procedures,” Kennedy said to co-hosts Jim York and Clayton Harrison.
The station’s listeners – who are white conservatives – called in to say they were offended by Kennedy’s comments.
“Apparently, you calling her Buckwheat just really set these white folks off,” one of the co-hosts told Kennedy, according to the Advocate.
Kennedy argued that he was complimenting Jean-Pierre by comparing her to the “intelligent” and “admirable” character Buckwheat.
“It is a compliment because the character Buckwheat if you go back and look at the old ‘Little Rascals’ movies, is an intelligent, admirable character,” Kennedy said.
He added: “Buckwheat in ‘Little Rascals’ is not some stereotypical old song of the South Darkie. He is a very admirable, smart, capable person.”
