color me bad.
there’s been a ridiculous amount of media attention and internet traffic generated over the recent comments by radio shock jock don imus regarding the rutgers women’s basketball team (see how everything revolves around jersey, the greatest state in the union?) it seems like everyone is up in arms about this comment but two distinct voices, at least in my opinion, have emerged from this situation:
1) the voice of indifference – this is the voice that says “who cares, he’s a shock jock, that’s what he says, plenty of people say that everyday, there’s nothing wrong with it in the context of comedy”.
2) the voice of change – this is the voice that says “don imus must be fired. we can not tolerate these kinds of messages anymore and something needs to give.”
honestly, i am personally sick and tired of all this bs regarding racism, perceived racism, political (in)correctness and all that other nonsense. i am not commenting on what imus said or whether or not i feel his words or actions were appropriate. i am commenting on the media whirlwind and what people out there are spewing over race.
here’s the main issue, which i’ve said before in earlier posts – i don’t think this is about race, about color, about stereotypes or all that nonsense, at least not directly. this is about respect, or the lack thereof, in our society today. today’s world is a cynical, negative place where we are extremely quick to ridicule and point out others’ faults or inconsistencies but sloth to help or fix things. all we do in this society is pinpoint mistakes and transgressions and then laugh at them. the truth is there is an enormous lack of respect out there for our fellow brothers and sisters. differences in appearance only serve as a conduit for expressing such lack of disrespect.
tell me, is there a reason why we need to refer to other people with derogatory terms or horrible names filled with historical hatred? is there a reason why people’s lives must be ruined over something said whether in seriousness or jest?
this is not an indictment of “everyone else”. i am the same way. and you know why? b/c i’m a racist too. everyone is. anyone who says they aren’t is a goddam liar. everyone’s got a little racist in them because everyone harbors stereotypes and preconceived notions that they may not exhibit publicly, but they’re there. i guarantee that. anytime someone says something like “i don’t see in color”, i want to rip their heads off. then wtf do you see in? black and white? polka dots? is everyone a stick figure to you? even for all the people out there who claim to want equality and fairness between blacks and whites… i ask you this… what about the yellows? what about the reds, the browns? as an asian man, it’s hard for me to read something where someone calls for racial equality but believes there’s only two colors in that equation. but that is an altogether different issue. again, i return to my main point. this is about respect. this is about courtesy and personal responsibility. again, everyone has these preconceived notions but it’s how you deal with them that defines you. do you give in? do you tighten up when you see a black guy? do you start to laugh when a yellow guy opens his mouth? do you change the way you talk when a white guy’s around? but the best question is, what do you do when they’re not around and it’s just you?
those two voices i mentioned before? both are right. people do say the same crap imus says everyday. maybe it’s in private, maybe it’s amongst friends, maybe it’s in a public setting, but it definitely gets said by someone of each color everyday. and you know what? that does need to stop. we do need to recognize that every single person out there is a human being just like you and me. you want to make fun of someone for being a color? how about i make fun of you for being ugly and dumb?
these 3 links below should provide more color into the situation, no pun intended. if you can only read 1, read the chappelle article. he is as intelligent and perceptive as he is hilarious. and i truly mean that.
this 1st link is to an interview with jemele hill, a black female sportswriter for espn.com’s page 2. you can read the interview, which is very interesting and honest, but the real meat is in the comments where people are debating the imus issue.
the 2nd link is to an article regarding the georgetown hoyas and their relationship with race, steretypes and perceptions. it’s got incredible insight into why we identify with racial jokes and stereotypes.
the 3rd link is to an article summarizing dave chappelle’s recent appearance on oprah and what he had to say. focus on the 5th frame of the article, this is the most poignant part of his message.
in the end, i say this. you cannot understand what it is like to be black in america if you are not. you cannot understand what it is like to be yellow in america if you are not. you cannot understand what it is like to be white in america if you are not. you cannot understand what it is to be anything anywhere if you are not. but we can try. we can try to understand and build bridges. all it takes is some respect. there’s no need to close your eyes and be “colorblind”. being your color is as much a part of you as your IQ, your humor, your shoe size. but can you respect that?
1) the voice of indifference – this is the voice that says “who cares, he’s a shock jock, that’s what he says, plenty of people say that everyday, there’s nothing wrong with it in the context of comedy”.
2) the voice of change – this is the voice that says “don imus must be fired. we can not tolerate these kinds of messages anymore and something needs to give.”
honestly, i am personally sick and tired of all this bs regarding racism, perceived racism, political (in)correctness and all that other nonsense. i am not commenting on what imus said or whether or not i feel his words or actions were appropriate. i am commenting on the media whirlwind and what people out there are spewing over race.
here’s the main issue, which i’ve said before in earlier posts – i don’t think this is about race, about color, about stereotypes or all that nonsense, at least not directly. this is about respect, or the lack thereof, in our society today. today’s world is a cynical, negative place where we are extremely quick to ridicule and point out others’ faults or inconsistencies but sloth to help or fix things. all we do in this society is pinpoint mistakes and transgressions and then laugh at them. the truth is there is an enormous lack of respect out there for our fellow brothers and sisters. differences in appearance only serve as a conduit for expressing such lack of disrespect.
tell me, is there a reason why we need to refer to other people with derogatory terms or horrible names filled with historical hatred? is there a reason why people’s lives must be ruined over something said whether in seriousness or jest?
this is not an indictment of “everyone else”. i am the same way. and you know why? b/c i’m a racist too. everyone is. anyone who says they aren’t is a goddam liar. everyone’s got a little racist in them because everyone harbors stereotypes and preconceived notions that they may not exhibit publicly, but they’re there. i guarantee that. anytime someone says something like “i don’t see in color”, i want to rip their heads off. then wtf do you see in? black and white? polka dots? is everyone a stick figure to you? even for all the people out there who claim to want equality and fairness between blacks and whites… i ask you this… what about the yellows? what about the reds, the browns? as an asian man, it’s hard for me to read something where someone calls for racial equality but believes there’s only two colors in that equation. but that is an altogether different issue. again, i return to my main point. this is about respect. this is about courtesy and personal responsibility. again, everyone has these preconceived notions but it’s how you deal with them that defines you. do you give in? do you tighten up when you see a black guy? do you start to laugh when a yellow guy opens his mouth? do you change the way you talk when a white guy’s around? but the best question is, what do you do when they’re not around and it’s just you?
those two voices i mentioned before? both are right. people do say the same crap imus says everyday. maybe it’s in private, maybe it’s amongst friends, maybe it’s in a public setting, but it definitely gets said by someone of each color everyday. and you know what? that does need to stop. we do need to recognize that every single person out there is a human being just like you and me. you want to make fun of someone for being a color? how about i make fun of you for being ugly and dumb?
these 3 links below should provide more color into the situation, no pun intended. if you can only read 1, read the chappelle article. he is as intelligent and perceptive as he is hilarious. and i truly mean that.
this 1st link is to an interview with jemele hill, a black female sportswriter for espn.com’s page 2. you can read the interview, which is very interesting and honest, but the real meat is in the comments where people are debating the imus issue.
the 2nd link is to an article regarding the georgetown hoyas and their relationship with race, steretypes and perceptions. it’s got incredible insight into why we identify with racial jokes and stereotypes.
the 3rd link is to an article summarizing dave chappelle’s recent appearance on oprah and what he had to say. focus on the 5th frame of the article, this is the most poignant part of his message.
in the end, i say this. you cannot understand what it is like to be black in america if you are not. you cannot understand what it is like to be yellow in america if you are not. you cannot understand what it is like to be white in america if you are not. you cannot understand what it is to be anything anywhere if you are not. but we can try. we can try to understand and build bridges. all it takes is some respect. there’s no need to close your eyes and be “colorblind”. being your color is as much a part of you as your IQ, your humor, your shoe size. but can you respect that?
posted by Dunce at
12:01 PM
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