Pink Underwear on Prime Time?

Posted 12/02/08 at 09:38pm

joe dreams of hollywood It's official. Self-proclaimed "America's Toughest Sheriff" Arpaio has finally made good on the American Dream. That is, Joe's landed his own reality television show.

That's right, come December 27th, Paris Hilton may not be the only one parading around in pink underwear on prime time. (Arpaio has made a practice of dressing his inmates in pink underwear and forcing them to sleep in tents in the Arizona desert, among other questionable tactics).

An infamous media hog, Sheriff Arpaio has developed a "tough spot" for immigrants. According to a recent NPR story:

Arpaio finds creative ways to arrest illegal immigrants — using state law intended on human smuggling to charge them with smuggling themselves — something no one else in the state has attempted.

This latest FOX "reality"TV series will serve to give an even louder megaphone to a public official known for hisanti-immigrant antics and racial profiling of Latinos. Smile! You'reUnder Arrest will celebrate the slimy depths Sheriff Joe has been willing to sink to in Maricopa County, Arizona.

America's Voice has compiled a new fact sheet detailing the Sheriff's record to date. Some highlights:

2,700 lawsuits have been filed against Arpaio
Prioritizes immigrant sweeps over felony arrest warrants
Discrimination against Latinos found in Arizona Republic study
Staged a phony murder plot against himself

The bad news?

Fox's newest star has a history of promoting virulently anti-Latino policies that leave tough police-work behind in favor of blatant racial profiling.