taking over the world one day at a time ([info]bispo) wrote in [info]twin_cities,
@ 2007-02-10 20:02:00
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Look what the AP News has picked up, Racially Charged Costumes Rile Campus, at Macalester College in St. Paul. It was disgusting when such events occurred at Trinity College in Connecticut and Whitman College in Washington state, but it's embarrassing that it occurred in the Twin Cities. Often, residents of the Twin Cities think of themselves as so cultured. However, along with being insular, this is the type of environment that can feed the perspective that says parties like this are acceptable. When life experiences don't show an individual the reasons why these "politically incorrect" images are not acceptable, it's understandable - not acceptable - that a party like this can happen.

My question to you: Do you feel these kids represent a bigger problem in the Twin Cities or are they just clueless rich kids?

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[info]urgewyrm
2007-02-11 02:11 am UTC (link)
More than likely? They're not even clueless. You have an un-PC party it's generally presumed that the people attending enjoy un-PC humor. It's not that they were trying to be racists, they just were trying to be funny ( and being lazy at it too. I mean, cmon, klan outfit? black face? Where's the originality? )

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]bispo
2007-02-11 02:20 am UTC (link)
There's a bigger picture here. When you're throwing an on campus party, you're representing more than just yourself. You also represent the school. You don't feel that you're giving them an easy out?

We all think this is funny, so it must be funny, right?

I can't think of anything original that un-PC, so let's represent ourselves as symbols of repression in this country for hundreds of years.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]urgewyrm, 2007-02-11 02:31 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-11 08:04 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]bispo, 2007-02-12 06:22 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-12 06:31 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]bispo, 2007-02-12 06:39 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-12 06:59 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]bispo, 2007-02-12 07:16 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-12 07:26 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]space4rnt, 2007-02-14 06:05 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-14 06:31 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bispo, 2007-02-14 06:34 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-14 09:20 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bispo, 2007-02-14 09:36 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-14 09:44 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bispo, 2007-02-14 09:48 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-14 09:57 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bispo, 2007-02-14 10:07 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-14 10:26 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bispo, 2007-02-14 10:50 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-14 11:04 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-14 11:08 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bispo, 2007-02-14 11:09 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-14 04:08 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]bispo, 2007-02-14 07:10 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-14 07:36 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]space4rnt, 2007-02-14 06:34 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]champion, 2007-02-14 07:05 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]conformity, 2007-02-12 03:15 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]bispo, 2007-02-12 03:21 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]conformity, 2007-02-12 03:23 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sarilion, 2007-02-14 05:21 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sarilion, 2007-02-14 05:20 am UTC

[info]frozenrhino
2007-02-11 02:22 am UTC (link)
TFA says it was an off-campus party. A localized infection of idiots.

(Reply to this)


[info]gloomchen
2007-02-11 02:30 am UTC (link)
no

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]bispo
2007-02-11 02:32 am UTC (link)
no, what? no they are not clueless? and no they do not represent a bigger problem?

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]gloomchen, 2007-02-11 02:39 am UTC

[info]purplesquirrel
2007-02-11 02:51 am UTC (link)
Many of the kids who attend Mac aren't from the Twin Cities.

(Reply to this)


[info]sarkathstic
2007-02-11 03:19 am UTC (link)
I think this party sounds like a lot of fun and the media is blowing it out of proportion.

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[info]wheremyarm
2007-02-11 08:21 am UTC (link)
Agreed, people hear "black-face" and "klan" and go nuts, they don't really seem to care what the context was.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]ej, 2007-02-11 08:49 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]wheremyarm, 2007-02-11 08:56 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]conformity, 2007-02-12 03:16 am UTC

[info]marciamarcia
2007-02-11 03:19 am UTC (link)
I think it's a symptom of being ignorant and growing up sheltered. It's not just a twin cities thing, it's a thing for most of America. I also think it's racist, whether or not it was "meant" to be. Part of the problem, and partly why we stay ignorant, is that we've let ourselves believe that racism is trying to kill black people and as long as we aren't joining the KKK or something, we aren't racist.

Dressing up in blackface and miming racist violence really isn't funny. It shows you don't care whether you're insulting people of color or you haven't even considered how your actions might make them feel. Both of which amount to dismissing the feelings of anyone who isn't white, which amounts to racism.

I don't think they were representing the school, though. They were being racist idiots on their own time.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]bispo
2007-02-11 03:29 am UTC (link)
TWITA

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]conformity
2007-02-12 03:18 am UTC (link)

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]searchyoursoul
2007-02-11 03:24 am UTC (link)
I hope you used the phrase "clueless rich kids" to start some sort of debate because just the way you've framed all of this is completely unfair. I am a senior at Mac and I am not clueless, white, nor rich. And yes I am from the Twin Cities.

That being said, you really can't let the actions of a few speak for an entire population. It's representative of a bigger problem, yes, but not just at Mac and not just in the Twin Cities.

It's important that Mac cares so much to make a huge deal of it. These parties occur frequently at other colleges all around the country, including schools in MN, and yet no one has made a big fuss about it until now. These other parties aren't even called "Politically Incorrect" parties. They aren't attempts at satire. They throw "white trash" or "ghetto" themed parties, people don't think much of it, and it's ignorant. I'm not saying it's necessarily better that we're aware, but it's something.

Anyway, the majority of the Mac community has come out against it and believes this needs to be opened up for discussion and not just outright condemnation. They/we are trying to handle the situation as best we can.

In sum: Lay off.

(Reply to this)


[info]ahealthystudent
2007-02-11 03:55 am UTC (link)
and just why are the twin cities the "type of enviroment" that would think this is acceptable (translation: we're a city of racist white people)?
and if you think it represents a bigger problem HERE, why is it not a bigger problem nationwide, as it happened at at least two other colleges on opposite ends of the country?

i think everyone is overreacting as well. there's racism, and then there's poor taste and clueless satire. alarmists, learn the difference.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]urgewyrm
2007-02-11 04:32 am UTC (link)
Amen

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[info]conformity
2007-02-12 03:19 am UTC (link)
in my opinion, minneapolis is the type of city that harbors and supports total dickholes like the person who made this post.


type of guy who brings a typewriter to a coffeehouse

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]underwhelm
2007-02-11 04:30 am UTC (link)
Poor taste isn't the exclusive province of any subculture.

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[info]fantom07
2007-02-11 04:30 am UTC (link)
I would agree that this was an attempt at clueless satire as many posters have commented on. At my college, we would have "ghetto mixers" and I think the parties were made up of 99% white kids who had never even seen a ghetto. Tasteless? Sure. Excuse to get drunk and make even more an ass of one's self? You bet.

I also agree with a poster who said they lack originality. I TOTALLY agree with this. I remember reading an old Doonesbury comic where they had a 60s revival party and people came as "vocal minority" and "communistic ideals." Of course, the last time I visited my college campus I was invited to "The Communist Party" so I bought a pig nose and wrote on a nametag "Snowball" and let people have fun with that. We also had a stalin and someone who made their own shirt with Che on it with the slogan "Marketing ploy" underneith.

Now I'm just babling.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]champion
2007-02-11 08:05 pm UTC (link)
someone who made their own shirt with Che on it with the slogan "Marketing ploy" underneith.

That's pretty funny, actually. Reminds me of this shirt:

http://www.thoseshirts.com/checap.html

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]conformity
2007-02-12 03:19 am UTC (link)
im pretty sure most people stopped reading once they saw Doonesbury being cited

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]billhelm
2007-02-11 05:20 am UTC (link)
I graduated from Mac in 2000, and I'm ashamed that this bullshit happened at my alma mater. I'm not sure who these kids are or where they came from, but they sure as hell don't represent what Macalester is to me, or what I think of when I think of the school.

Between this, and the problems with a marijuana legalization group planning a smoke out a few years ago that also got picked up by the media - I'm getting kind of tired of them being in the news for all the wrong reasons.

I feel bad for the 98 percent of kids who were not at that party and nothing to do with it.

(Reply to this) (Thread)
^5
[info]bispo
2007-02-11 08:57 pm UTC (link)
this is exactly the type of response i was trying to elicit.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
Re: ^5 - [info]searchyoursoul, 2007-02-11 10:50 pm UTC
Re: ^5 - [info]bispo, 2007-02-11 11:21 pm UTC
Re: ^5 - [info]conformity, 2007-02-12 03:20 am UTC

[info]surprisesex
2007-02-11 08:04 am UTC (link)
I think they do it to piss people off, and they succeed. I don't think it's an issue at all. They didn't even mention the races of the kids. I'm not at all surprised that there's a backlash against them extremely liberal atmosphere of colleges.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]surprisesex
2007-02-11 08:05 am UTC (link)
*the, not them.

(Reply to this) (Parent)

[info]lindsaylikesart
2007-02-11 08:46 pm UTC (link)
I think it's pretty funny. And I love black people. A lot.

(Reply to this)


[info]conformity
2007-02-12 03:22 am UTC (link)
if only the twin cities had some real black people on the internet who could post their opinions about this instead of the sexless amorphous blobs of livejournal

(Reply to this)


[info]ej
2007-02-12 03:53 pm UTC (link)
I think that this highlights the unfortunate phenomenon of privileged kids who think that racism doesn't exist anymore, so it is acceptable to put on Klan outfits and blackface in the name of "irony" or "satire".

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]bispo
2007-02-12 04:05 pm UTC (link)
like i said to a kid in another community, just because you didn't intend it to be racist doesn't make it any less racist.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
totally, dude. - [info]ahealthystudent, 2007-02-12 06:06 pm UTC
Re: totally, dude. - [info]bispo, 2007-02-12 06:25 pm UTC
Re: totally, dude. - [info]zenmunk, 2007-02-14 01:14 am UTC

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