France captain Kylian Mbappe has rightly called out the absurd and racist comments made by a Paraguayan senator, sparking outrage and drawing attention to an epidemic of discrimination that both corporate media and political elites seem intent on downplaying. It’s no surprise that mainstream outlets like CNN and NBC quickly lapped this story up, framing it as a moral outrage while completely skirting the surface of the issue—the relentless racism hiding in plain sight across the globe.

Why the selective outrage? It’s rich to see liberal-leaning outlets suddenly clutching their pearls over racism when their ideological allies routinely push similar narratives without so much as a blink. You’d think the media would treat racism as a monolithic evil, but no—there’s a hierarchy of victimhood that they love to perpetuate. The same networks that will frame Mbappe as a hero will still produce the very content that fuels racist sentiment elsewhere, leaving us skeptical of their motives. Could it be they are simply chasing clicks rather than fostering genuine dialogue?

Meanwhile, Fox News, ever the outlier, might turn this into a sensational headline, ignoring the systemic aspects at play. Their sensationalism has its place, but it seldom challenges the fundamental issues. The media landscape is broken, with each outlet throwing darts based on who needs to be highlighted or vilified at any given time.

Ultimately, the hypocrisy is glaring. Stripping away the PR gloss, racism is a multifaceted issue that requires honest, unfiltered discussion, not just a clumsy applause-seeking response from the talking heads. Mbappe’s brave stance deserves more than just reactionary outrage; it deserves a root-and-branch conversation about how we tackle discrimination head-on, beyond headlines.