Don Lemon has distinguished himself once again among Black viewers, drawing widespread ridicule and vitriol when he said during his live reports last night from Ferguson that “Obviously, there is the smell of marijuana in the air.”
This observation, which was lost on television viewers, prompted a round of mocking Twitter responses from people wondering why Lemon felt the need to blurt it out–and why he didn’t first consider how Ot would sound to television viewers who couldn’t know how any smell was “obvious” through their television sets.
Lemon has been a target before of African-American critics, who have said the anchor sometimes has the demeanor of someone not accustomed to being around many Black people.
Lemon was speaking with Anderson Cooper when he reported hearing the sounds of gunfire and seeing protesters jumping on cars.
That’s when he made his observation about the marijuana smell. In the past he has drawn criticism for his commentaries on the state of the Black community, coming off as a scolding principal implying that things will get better for Black folks as soon as they learn to pull up their pants and pick up their garbage.
