What do we think?
Blatantly racist or just some stupid college kids having fun?
(You'll have to copy and paste the whole link into the address bar instead of clicking on it. OR, you can click on the link to get the first part of the link in your address bar and then just copy the second half of the address and copy and paste that onto the end.)
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/
0125071mlk1.html?link=eaf
4 comments:
Ok I must admit during my college years, I went to some "white trash" parties where I wore my favorite mullet wig. Which I am sure some would find offensive.
I have also seen many green leprechauns on St. Patty's day. And I love green beer, however I am not Irish.
But, these pictures make me cringe. It just doesn't feel funny, because I feel like they are a bunch of white kids mocking what they think it means to be black. And having the part on MLK day just makes it worse.
MLK day is a tribute day, not like St. Patty's day which as long as I can remember means party. What would be saying if they had thrown a party on September 11th and dressed up like airplane pilots, flight attendants and hijackers. I personally think the party was disgusting. It just shows how far we are from MLK's message.
Wow.. I am really going now. I must admit, I am a little hot about this. I didn't even know I had that much in me.
Is there a difference between being stereotypical and racist, or is stereotyping inherently racist?
(damn, I'm getting all deep AND using big words.)
Because while I think these kids were obviously pulling out pretty much ALL black stereotypes, I really don't think they MEANT to be racist. But like JH said, maybe the fact they were thinking that way at all shows their true colors, so to speak.
Maybe it's different, but I think stereotypes CAN be funny--like when a black comedian "acts" like a white guy. That's usually hysterical and I laugh my ass off. Should I be offended? Maybe, but I'm not at all.
But again, they're college kids and every holiday is a "party day" for them. Something else to think about, perhaps, is that they weren't around when King was, they didn't SEE the true racism and segregation--I mean, obviously, racism still exists, but in their lifetimes, blacks have never (outwardly) been denied job opportunities, entrance to a resturaunt, equal education or access to facilities based on their race. Does that make sense? I think, in a sense, MLK Jr and what he stood for is merely a story to a history book to them and so they're able to do things like this and "not really think about it" because they just don't SEE it that way. Just like--and I'll be honest here--the anniversary of Pearl Harbor doesn't hold nearly the same significance for me as the history of 9-11. One I lived through and experienced, one I just read about.
This is bottom line, racist. How can you possibly say that you're celebrating MLK Jr., by playing into common stereotypes? There was nothing tributary about this. If nothing else, it was a slap in the face to Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr. and the entire civil rights movement that the day is meant to honor.
I have to agree too, that stereotyping, can be funny. But when it's being done in a disrespectful manner, then it's not funny at all.
Lastly, ignorance is not a justifiable reason to demean a holiday (or anything else for that matter). If these students didn't care enough to learn what MLK day is about then they shouldn't have used it as their excuse to party. I can't stand it when people celebrate days/holidays and they have no clue what it's even about (St. Patrick's Day, as mentioned, is a perfect example).
I understand your point Jen, in saying that 9/11 means something more to you because you were alive when it happened. BUT, in 60 years from now, if a student were to throw a party in honor of 9/11, make a mockery of the day, and then say "oh well, we weren't there, we didn't know". Does that make their ignorance okay?
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