Scarlet Masque Theatre Journal New Beginnings and Fond Farewells Vol. 1 | Page 76

Maloney 13
objections down— “Sal’s Pizzaria is here to stay. . .. I’m sorry. I’m your father, and I love you,
but that’s the way it is.” To boil this scene down to Sal’s “bragging” about feeding people for
decades not only misunderstands the tone in which he said the line, but also cheats an expertly
crafted discussion about race of its care to each side’s viewpoints and motivations.
But Sal is not simply a champion of integration, either. Joe Klein’s assertion that “white
people are your enemy” does deserve to be addressed as well, as it is rooted in the climactic
scene of ​ Do the Right Thing ​ . When Radio Raheem and Buggin’ Out barge into “Sal’s” at closing
time to protest the lack of African American representation of Sal’s Wall of Fame, Sal responds
in much less sensitive terms than those used in the Pizzaria earlier that day. The following
dialogue ensues:
Sal: ​ What did I tell ya ‘bout dat music?
Buggin’ Out​ : What did I tell ya ‘bout dem pictures?
Sal:​ What the fuck! Are you deaf?
Buggin’ Out:​ No, are you? We want some Black people up on the Wall of Fame.
Sal:​ Turn that JUNGLE MUSIC off. We ain’t in Africa.
Buggin’ Out:​ Whi it gotta be about jungle music and Africa?
Sal:​ It’s about turning that shit off and getting the fuck outta my pizzeria. . .. What ever
happened to nice music with words you can understand?
Radio Raheem:​ This is music. My music.
Vito:​ We’re closed.
Buggin’ Out:​ You’re closed alright, till you get some Black people up on that wall.
[​ Sal grabs his Mickey Mantle bat from undernea th the counter and brings it down on