<p>cobrat,
As much as you would like to be, you are obviously not an expert on acceptable attire and behavior at every school in America.</p>
<p>^ ^</p>
<p>Pizzagirl,</p>
<p>The safety concern was that the chains may get caught accidentally in operating shop machinery and cause the wearer and/or his/her classmate serious injury/death. Not in the perceptions of their being used as dangerous weapons. </p>
<p>If that were the case, the school wouldn’t have been ok with students leaving them secured in lockers or in their pockets.</p>
<p>Duke has a remote site in Kunshan, China. Asians are now all upset at this “racist” behavior (forgetting for the moment that Asians tend to be the most overtly racist of all ethnic groups . . . ). Duke has to respond, as “racism” and “diversity” are the third rail of university politics and psychology. So, Duke admits more Asians this year and in the future in order to prove that it is not racist towards Asians. Groan . . . Duke is becoming ever more like its Ivy counterparts: admission is based on politically correct groups, not underlying merit and potential.</p>
<p>cobrat,
This was a small, private K-8 school. They did not have the same concerns about 11 year olds using neck chains as dangerous weapons or getting them caught in machinery. Sheesh.</p>
<p>Asians are often the most qualified group regardless.
So…</p>
<p>Also, with all the backlash that dressing a certain way has on minorities (Trayvon Martin, anyone), why would someone allow their child to dress that way? Just…why?</p>
<p>So I guess a ‘Big Bang Theory’ party would be out of the question. After all, that would insult Jewish men (racist), Aspies’ (mental health discrimination), Indians (racists again, but only for those from the Continent, not as in native American), and of course the height challenged. But, the subject always works as a nice ‘shiny object’. (wait…is that an ‘ist’ of some kind???)</p>
<p>Don’t forget Greek themed parties.</p>
<p>And Greek life in general. </p>
<p>And what of parties with mostly elite attendees? Way to bash the poor.</p>
<p>While it may sometimes be hard to decide if a particular thing is offensive or not, sometimes it’s easy. In the Duke case, it’s easy. This isn’t about a couple of kids wearing conical hats–it’s about a party with a racial theme, insulting language in the invitation–and then continuing with the party after saying that they weren’t going to. It’s nowhere near the borderline of difficulty. As I said upthread, it’s obvious that this particular party was designed to be provocative.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that jerks think offensive stuff is funny. They may never learn that it isn’t funny, but they might learn not to do it if the consequences are severe enough.</p>
<p>
This is the kind of rhetoric that’s often used in this kind of discussion. I guess it’s a “slippery slope” argument, but it’s a pretty weak one. It’s an attempt to defend the indefensible by imagining that somebody would also condemn something that’s not as bad.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Because neither the boy, his parents, nor the school saw it as offensive. They saw it as an 11-year old expressing his identity. Why do you get to decide that it was inappropriate?</p>
<p>Eh, the kid could be imitating Eminem. That’s not a very good example</p>
<p>Duke should simply say that it doesn’t like or condone this stuff but that should be the end of it. Duke has no “responsibility” here. When the Chinese stop killing Tibetans, then I will be open to argument that few stupid Duke brothers can cause havoc and “racism.” Even if they are racist, so what? Racism is not official Duke policy last time I looked, although it is official policy in Japan and China. . . . The Asian at Duke should get a life . . .</p>
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</p>
<p>Well, the great thing is, it’s not as though there aren’t plenty of great colleges in the US to apply to, if Duke and / or the Ivies aren’t your cup of tea. This is only a “problem” if one is unsophisticated enough to believe that Duke and / or the Ivies have some magical formula for success that simply can’t be gotten anyplace else.</p>
<p>
They have one. They just decided that they wouldn’t put up with crude insults by a bunch of yahoos.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s an interesting point. The characters on BBT do indeed play out a lot of stereotypes - the Jewish character (who is unhealthily enmeshed with his mother) and the Indian character in particular. </p>
<p>So does Jersey Shore, for that matter. I wonder whether a Jersey Shore theme party would be seen as insulting to Italians / Italian-Americans? Good thing I don’t plan on wearing a Snooki costume any time soon …</p>
<p>I actually don’t disagree that the subject party was wrong and intended to be racist, because they called it a “racist rager” didn’t they? But I think it is important to flesh out this issue, because people jump to a lot of inaccurate reactionary conclusions sometimes, and that can harm a lot of people.</p>
<p>With our country becoming more diverse, the demographics are changing. People who once felt oppressed will not be able to be victimized much longer, nor will those with the current racial “power” be able to be held to a different standard if they lose their numerical place. A consensus that works for everyone now would be best.</p>
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</p>
<p>Many parts of black culture do celebrate gold chains / hoes / rap music / fast cars. Who are you to say what constitutes black culture when you aren’t black?</p>
<p>In any case, the party aftermath did turn out to be a rager after all…'cept it was for the Duke fraternity chapter and its members after being suspended by their national organization. </p>
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</p>
<p>Now now…yahoos don’t deserve to be insulted by being equated with the just suspended frat which threw the party. </p>
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<p>Many Italian-Americans in the tri-state area…especially New Jersey publicly protested the show when it first went public. They most likely would take umbrage at having themselves and their cultural heritage associated with that show through Jersey Shore show theme parties and the like.</p>
<p>
Actually, it was the people protesting it who called it a racist rager on their flyers. But it was clear from the invitation what the party was.</p>
<p>I understand your point, but I think at the least groups should avoid being deliberately offensive. In this case, for example, there was really no reason to have this theme except to be offensive. And groups should be sensitive enough to stop and think, “Gee, maybe if we want to wear sombreros, we should ask a Mexican person if that would be offensive in this context.”</p>
<p>I laugh at Big Bang but do feel uncomfortable with finding the stereotypes humorous. My kids tell me I don’t understand humor and that seems true. In my too-much-time-on-my-hands empty nesting I sometimes compare/contrast Big Bang and Seinfeld. Is the humor different? How is something really funny when we laugh at someone rather than with them? no clue whatsoever.</p>
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</p>
<p>[Theories</a> of Comedy](<a href=“Catholic University of America - Washington, DC | CUA”>Catholic University of America - Washington, DC | CUA)</p>
<p>My favorite definition of comedy comes (I think) from Mel Brooks: “When I get a paper cut on my finger, it’s tragedy; when you fall through an open manhole and die, that’s comedy.”</p>