Breaking News: "Blazing Saddles" contains racial epithets!

MADISON, Wis. (AP) --- The University of Wisconsin-Madison has apologized to a black student who during a class last year was shown a clip of the movie "Blazing Saddles" that features racial epithets.

During a workshop for working professionals last year, an instructor showed a scene of the 1974 comedy in which blacks are shown working on a railroad. Whites call the workers racial epithets and an overseer orders them to sing like slaves.

...Department official James Campbell says it was "an insensitive error to use a video clip that included inflammatory and offensive language, and it will not happen again."

I wish we knew why the instructor chose that clip - what was the benefit to the workshop? And did he mention up front that the clip included racial epithets?

I also wish somebody would point out: the racist characters in “Blazing Saddles” are gleefully portrayed as idiots. The racist overseers in this particular scene are rather easily made to look like fools by the black workers.

But I didn't really want to say any of that. No, the only reason I'm posting this is to link to this review I wrote back in 2004: Blazing Saddles, A Parent's Handbook.

You should read it. Made my "Best of" list.