EC doesn’t really have an academic career (courtesy appointment as a lecturer in the med school – no MD, no PhD) and will have succeeded in upping her media presence. NC’s not going to lose his professorship over this. They may be removed from House Mastership, but honestly, with good cause. They’ve been a detriment rather than an asset to the university in that role.
Literally means:
** lit·er·al·ly
ˈlidərəlē,ˈlitrəlē/
adverb
in a literal manner or sense; exactly.
“the driver took it literally when asked to go straight across the traffic circle”
synonyms: exactly, precisely, actually, really, truly; **
88% is not precisely 100%. 88% is largely, significantly, almost, predominantly. Pick one. But it is not literally. Detroit may be considered a black city, but it is not literally 100% black. That is incorrect.
According to the census, Detroit is 82% black http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26/2622000.html
@PragmaticMom It is still a slippery slope… the Pope was a big costume this year, how about if a gay indetified wore it…that could be seen as mocking to some, yet a sign of hope for LGBT inclusion for others… going further on that line how about if a group of LGBT dressed as the band the Village People and their song YMCA which has become like an anthem … they are simply honoring a musical group …yet one of the members is dressed as an indian… is that offensive? All feathers are out according to the email… so you can’t dress as a bird?
And is it just blackface paint, how about entire masks of a black person like the one of Obama and Ben Carson … I actually saw masks for famous rappers…what if a Asian person wore a Snoop Dog mask, is that offensive? A girl dressed as a piece of meat? Is that satire and ok or is that offensive…
Fairfield may be literally all white, but Bridgeport, which borders it is not, and there is a fair amount of flow between and I know that from personal, current, immediate experience. The line between Bridgeport and Fairfield may be important for tax purposes but it is not a wall and anyone living in Fairfield has a diverse experience.
I have more than a few white friend’s tell me that Detroit is all black, and I get the point they make.
“Can we at least agree there is a distinction between celebrating a culture and mocking one for entertainment?”
There’s a lot in gray in between. It’s not that binary. Is the 8 yo girl who dresses up in a kimono “mocking” Japanese culture? How does that change when she’s 18 and needs a costume for a H party? (or Purim for that matter).
How about a costume that consisted of a Donald Trump wig and suit? Would that be ok to mock him for entertainment? I bet the protesters would have been just fine with such a costume. What if a true-blue Trump supporter were offended? Or Ivanka were a student there?
Being in poor taste and being offensive aren’t crimes. Heck, Joan Rivers offended pretty much everybody and she was canonized when she died. And Kanye West sure is in poor taste and offensive – oh wait, that’s different.
I actually respect and admire this and some of his issues were very valid and some were open to discussion. But I question whether they were truly racial issues at their core.
And my problem with masters wife message, is the assumption that it’s safe to confront someone, especially on Halloween night when drinking has been involved. But, by way of background, my D has been at parties, where cowards have yelled from another room" whys the (n-word b-word) here?" Or she is “sweet brown (p-word)” Now, I ask you, would you instruct your daughter, at night, with possible drinking, to engage these folks.
The irony, is that somehow these folks put on skinny khakis, with a plaid jcrew shirt, and they say these things, they would never in our neighborhoods, because they are just plain scared and cowards…but a grouping is quite another thing.
@exacademic - your attempts to re-characterize these videos and weave a story that this incident was some conspiracy between Lukianoff and the Christakises is intellectually dishonest. There is absolutely no rational basis for you to make that claim. The videos speak for themselves. Christakis did not “draw out the conversation until he elicited the angry response.” She engaged him, he listened and then said “I don’t agree with you”. She then went nuclear on him.
You also stated that all Christakis wanted to do was “defend himself.” No. All he wanted to do was express his point of view. You don’t agree with him which is fine. But you have to acknowledge his right to voice his opinion.
The point is that someone could be offended by pretty much anything and the only way to deal with that is that if you find something offensive to speak to the person. You might learn something you don’t know and you might teach something that the other person didn’t know, but you can never proactively prevent all offense all of the time.
My son has a samurai costume (he doesn’t do Halloween, so it’s never been worn). If he had worn it and someone complained, he would explain that he did an exchange program in Japan and received it as a gift. Therefore, in his mind he keeps it (although doesn’t wear it) because it is a special memento to him and could wear it in honor of his experience. The right thing would be for someone to ask him why he has that costume and what it means to him. One also can’t assume another’s race, culture or history by looking at him or her. As I’ve posted before, we have a family friend who is black, raised in a black church and community, involved in civil rights, the name is actually well-known. Child is bi-racial. Blond, blond, blond, fair, light eyes. But genetically, historically, culturally black. No question. If some hysteric saw her dressed as her own culture, they would freak, but if they asked, they would learn that assumptions aren’t always correct. This is a thing for that family and I’ve posted it before. People who are both black and white are taken aback by her appearance and do not know what to do with her because she doesn’t fit where they want to place her.
" Interestingly, in Kyoto this summer, women paid to dress as a geisha and walk around in costume all day"
And women in Times Square walk around with no shirt on, with only body paint, and they are paid to take photos with tourists. So what is your point about a geisha girl costume? If someone gets paid for it, it’s okay?
“Literally all white” ignores multiracial people. Many surveys do not ask for more than one race, so many people have to pick.
Regarding this comment:
" Should the email have said “If you are a white male and think its funny to dress as a pregnant, blackface nun with a Tomahawk and a Geisha fan, think again.”"
would it be okay for a pregnant, African-American and Native American woman to dress as a geisha? When do we think racism is okay, when the person can prove they are what they are mocking? Can a minority get away with humor a majority person can’t?
I ask you - if a Yale student showed up dressed as Hitler, would that be okay?
“we would hope that people would actively avoid those circumstances that threaten our sense of community or disrespects, alienates or ridicules segments of our population based on race, nationality, religious belief or gender expression.”
Mocking sexuality, physical appearance, and disability are okay to Yale apparently…
I love the ending:
“We are one Yale”
Toe the line or else…
There is no “sustained effort to blur the lines”. Sounds like a straw man argument. I totally agree with those here who say it seems that some times people look for things to be offended by. Gee, back in the 80’s we used to attend tacky parties (dress in ugly orange polkadot polyester outfits, bring Hostess pink snoballs on toothpicks as appetizers, and show up early). Perhaps all the truly tacky people should be offended. Ditto for those who have tacky christmas sweaters. Time is near for those celebratory events too.
"Oh, is there one prescribed way all people of color should think, or do think? And is it more “authentic” to be a black person from the places you listed, versus, say, the black student from a middle or upper middle class suburb
Actually, even upper/upper-middle class Black students are often treated very differently even in their suburban hometowns and in the course of their daily lives. "
Well no (kidding) Sherlock, as they say. That isn’t what I asked. I know perfectly well that upper middle class blacks have indignities. I asked a different question. Is it more “authentic” to be black from the 'hood versus a nice suburb. Are those from the hood more in a position to speak for most, or are people just allowed to have individual opinions these days?
We don’t assume adults will act like adults in the real world. That’s why anti-harassment policies exist. Why assume 18-22 year-olds will act better without similar policies/guidance?
We don’t expect women to “work it out” with the men who offended them by posting indecent images on their cubicle walls or ask them to fetch the coffee at work. We don’t expect adult workers to “ignore it or look away” when someone makes an insensitive racial/ethnic joke in the cafeteria or when their similarly-timed religious holiday is mocked as a war on Christmas. We expect employers to create policies to prevent or punish such behavior. Why is it wrong to expect colleges to do the same?
I suspect many of the adult offenders in the work place were once the kids who thought their fraternity’s geisha theme party was a great time and anyone who didn’t get that had no sense of humor or is “too sensitive,” a “social justice warrior,” a “precious snowflake.” They were allowed to continue to think their behavior was “free speech” or to continue “boys being boys.”
Zinhead: Thank you for posting the footage.
I see what exacademic is seeing. It is surprising to me there is a different interpretation. If one of these students were my child, being filmed by a guest of the college and university under those circumstances, I would be extremely angry. I would be ballistic. To me there is a HUGE difference if this had been filmed by another student and posted.
Jonri; thank you so much for giving us the context
The grey area is where this all falls apart. My brother has a kimono from the years he lived in Japan. He has worn it on Halloween. Is he appropriating the culture? Mocking? Would an actual Japanese person care? There are some costumes all agree are offensive, but many others that most would find acceptable, but a few would find offensive.
Agree boola. Confronting someone surrounded by a group of his (or her) peers at a Halloween party is usually not a good idea. That advice was totally useless in the real world. NOT because it creates a hostile environment (where did you ever get that PG?), but because it will never happen. One on one in a classroom or dorm, perhaps, but not at a party.
Of course the young woman was wrong to scream and curse at the professor, regardless of her level of frustration. As were the adults at U Missouri trying to stop journalists from taking photos in the “safe space”. It is scary that the concepts of free speech and freedom of the press seem open to interpretation - it is only allowed if I agree with what you are saying.
Who are these folks?
Lady Gaga considered it satire, or a fashion statement-
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/956399/lady-gaga-explains-her-meat-dress-its-no-disrespect
Rhandco,
I think you misread. The women weren’t paid to wear the costumes, THEY PAID to wear the costumes. Wonder what would happen if a male wanted to pay to wear a geisha outfit… hmmm…
Oh, and the body painted women are in Vegas too…
To me #2 is the most telling video posted in @Zinhead’s #499. Christakis and the students seem to be engaging in some meaningful dialogue, then the student simply demands an apology - which is really just saying “admit that you are wrong.” Another student jumps in and basically reiterates the demand for the apology and then pushes the issue by saying she is going to leave if one is not forthcoming.
These students are not interested in meaningful dialogue. In their minds if you differ with their view of things there is no discussion. There is no finding common ground with this sort of approach.