Some malakatude is venal and some is rooted in cluelessness, stupidity, and ignorance. This week’s honoree seems to fit snugly into the stupid category. That is why Kristi Capel is malaka of the week.
Local teevee anchors aren’t always known for their intelligence, especially morning show people. Kristi Capel of WJW-TV in Cleveland looks good on camera, has a twinkly smile, and a limited vocabulary. You’ve probably heard about her dumbass, racially clueless comments about Lady Gaga on the morning after the Oscars:
The look on co-anchor Wayne Dawson’s face says it all. His raised eyebrow and nervous smile sum up the situation quite nicely. Btw, is it just me or does anyone else think he resembles Duke Ellington? I suspect that Ms. Capel has never taken the A train to Harlem and probably has no idea who Duke Ellington is. Ignorance can kill ya.
Pleading ignorance, Capel has apologized:
“I just want to take a moment to address a comment that I made yesterday that got a lot of attention,” Capel said at 6:45 a.m. Tuesday. “It’s important for me to let you know that I deeply regret my insensitive comment. And I truly did not know the meaning of the word and would never intentionally use such hurtful language.”
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“I sincerely apologize for using that language and promise to learn from this, and I hope you will give me that chance,” Capel said Tuesday morning.
Her co-anchor showed the class of Duke Ellington and confirmed that her use of an esoteric and venerable racial slur was based on dumbassery instead of willful malakatude. She’s been suspended for 3 days for being as stupid as this:
I realize comparing anyone to Porsha Williams is unkind but that’s what this feature is all about. Besides, I’m going easy on Kristi Capel, I haven’t even called her Crapel until now.
Here’s the real lesson of this sorry episode to people who do live television: NEVER USE A WORD IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS. Ms. Capel failed to check the Urban Dictionary and that is why she’s malaka of the week.
I’ll give Duke Ellington the last word:
In some ways, the “apology” was worse than the offense. I presume Ms. Capel earns what many would consider to be a rather hefty paycheck for appearing on camera and reading off cue cards and teleprompters, occasionally venturing into extemporaneous territory. Is she given to making random sounds and using unfamiliar words? Because that would seem to be a problem considering what she does for a living.
Luckily for Ms. Capel, spouting off-the-cuff racist crap isn’t something her employer is likely to discipline her for.
Local news people typically don’t make the big bucks nor does she deserve them. Not the brightest bulb in the lamp.