DAMMMMIIITTTTTT!!!!!!

[CameronBornAndBred]

You morons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who the hell raised you!!!!!!!! Talk about collective stupidity...dumbassssessss!!!!!!!!


http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02 ... party?lite



And to make it no less worse, Moneta is about to get his ass fired. He outta be. You can't make this statement and expect to survive. Just as equally stupid.

The paper quoted Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta as saying no discipline was planned because it wouldn't resolve racial tensions on campus.

Jebus.

P.S. If anyone thinks this is public policy and shouldn't be posted, tough patooties.

[YmoBeThere]

Just goes to show that intelligence doesn't equate to self-awareness.

[CathyCA]

Does that mean that BOG's Black and White party featuring Black Russians and White Russians was racist? Because if it was, I'm in trouble. . .

All kidding aside, does Kappa Sigma not have any Asian members (who might have spoken up during the planning process)? That's disconcerting on a campus with an Asian population of 21% or more. We had Asian members in my sorority 30 years ago. Recruiting black members was difficult, but not unheard of back then. I had thought that the student population reflected more of the general population across the country now, so that racist party themes were all in the past.

Which begs the question: Does Kappa Alpha still do its "Old South" weekend?

[TillyGalore]

I'm having a hard time seeing the racisim here, not saying it isn't there just saying I am not getting it. So someone please, in a non-condescending tone - there is nothing worse than a holier than though asshole - explain to me why this is racist.

[YmoBeThere]

This edited caption from a picture in the article says it all, "Promotions for the party included depictions of stereotyped Asian speech and a spoof of the late North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il"

[TillyGalore]

This edited caption from a picture in the article says it all, "Promotions for the party included depictions of stereotyped Asian speech and a spoof of the late North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il"

Okay, that I get. What was offensive about coming to the party wearing Asian clothes?

[bluebutton]

I am Asian, born and raised in Virginia.

There are two levels on which I'm offended. First, if you look at the linked Chronicle article in the article posted http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/du ... -criticism, you'll see some pics from the party. It's one thing to have a tasteful Asian themed party, it's a different thing to wear rice paddy hats and sumo thongs. It's not an Asians-are-an-interesting-people-with-aesthetics-to-be-admired attitude. I have Anglo friends at church who wear traditional Asian clothes, but these were sent from a sibling who now lives there and they are RenFaire people. That's kind of their thing. They wear the stuff from times and places they are interested in. It's a very different attitude. Instead the party portrays Asians as these weird people who speak weird and dress funny. At the least, there is an other-ness aspect but arguably, it's just disrespectful.

And the second level of offense comes from this: could the same frat conceive of throwing a black-face, slavery party? Or a holocaust party? Maybe, but to my mind that's less likely. And that offends me too. Between the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Japanese internment, American history has some seriously ugly patches regarding Asian looking people. I, personally, do not want to be tip-toed around the way I feel some do around blacks and Jews. But I'm also sensitive to the fact that people do tip toe around other racial/ethnic groups in a way they do not with Asians. To me that speaks to the ongoing lack of acceptance of Asians as potential Americans in the way that Italians and Germans were once not accepted but today are well within the bounds of "American".

Hope that helps, Tilly. It's actually really hard to offend me. But the boneheadedness of this party was really kind of stunning. I've heard there's this new thing where hipsters can be racist because they're so tolerant it's ironic to be racist. That's the best spin I can put on this.

[CathyCA]

This article from the Chronicle is a little more detailed than what other news outlets are reporting:

http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/du ... -criticism

[CathyCA]

Oh boy. It made the Today Show this morning.

[windsor]

This just takes a particular kind of stupid.

[TillyGalore]

I am Asian, born and raised in Virginia.

There are two levels on which I'm offended. First, if you look at the linked Chronicle article in the article posted http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/du ... -criticism, you'll see some pics from the party. It's one thing to have a tasteful Asian themed party, it's a different thing to wear rice paddy hats and sumo thongs. It's not an Asians-are-an-interesting-people-with-aesthetics-to-be-admired attitude. I have Anglo friends at church who wear traditional Asian clothes, but these were sent from a sibling who now lives there and they are RenFaire people. That's kind of their thing. They wear the stuff from times and places they are interested in. It's a very different attitude. Instead the party portrays Asians as these weird people who speak weird and dress funny. At the least, there is an other-ness aspect but arguably, it's just disrespectful.

And the second level of offense comes from this: could the same frat conceive of throwing a black-face, slavery party? Or a holocaust party? Maybe, but to my mind that's less likely. And that offends me too. Between the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Japanese internment, American history has some seriously ugly patches regarding Asian looking people. I, personally, do not want to be tip-toed around the way I feel some do around blacks and Jews. But I'm also sensitive to the fact that people do tip toe around other racial/ethnic groups in a way they do not with Asians. To me that speaks to the ongoing lack of acceptance of Asians as potential Americans in the way that Italians and Germans were once not accepted but today are well within the bounds of "American".

Hope that helps, Tilly. It's actually really hard to offend me. But the boneheadedness of this party was really kind of stunning. I've heard there's this new thing where hipsters can be racist because they're so tolerant it's ironic to be racist. That's the best spin I can put on this.

Bluebutton, thank you for your response it does help. I have a few follow-up questions, they are not meant to criticize or belittle your points, to to point out the inconsistencies with society.

You feel it is disrespectful to wear rice paddy hats and sumo thongs to a party, though both are worn by Asians in Asia, granted the rice paddy hats more so than the sumo thongs. Should we be outraged when at ballgames fans participate in a sumo wrestling match - two people dress up in big sumo suits and "wrestle"? This is done often at Durham Bulls games. Should we be outraged when wearing "toga's" to a toga party? Should we accept toga parties in the realm of themed parties? Is that not disrespectful to Greeks? Should we be outraged that people wear "Hawaiian" clothes to Hawaiian Luaus? What we all know as Hawaiian clothes are in fact not something native Hawaiians wore before the white man landed on the islands. Hawaiian clothes as we know them are a rather recent thing to the islands.

As someone of Irish descent and Catholic, it bothers me that St. Patrick's day is promoted as day to drink beer and get drunk. St. Patrick's day is a holiday in Ireland, or it used to be but it is so secularized that even they don't honor it the same way they used to, to celebrate St. Patrick for a) pushing the snakes out of Ireland (folklore) and b) introducing Christianity to Ireland. I've seen people of a variety races wearing Irish gear on St. Patrick's day, including "Kiss me I'm Irish" pins. To me the Irish now look like drunks and easy. Why is there no outrage there? For a long time the Irish were consider second class here in the states. Often times in the late 19th and early 20th century you would see signs in windows reading "NINA" - no Irish need apply.

I would imagine, though I cannot and should not speak for Mexicans, that they may feel disrespected on Cinco de Mayo day. There are advertisements galore around May 5th to have beer and other alcoholic beverages at your local restaurant to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Do those guzzling down said drinks even know the significance of Cinco de Mayo?

I feel we as a society are selective with our outrage over stereotypes.

BTW, I find the term Anglo offensive as an Anglo is English. The English invaded Ireland, among other countries, and beat the natives into submission, perhaps not literally. For someone from Ireland to be called Anglo could be insulting. I live with it as there are more important things in my mind I'd rather spend my time "fighting." Not trying to imply that anyone else shouldn't take up the charge to break stereotypes.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

FWIW I'm a 71-year old grandmother who's earned the right to be grouchy once in a while. I think I'll go picket Hallmark and make them feel guilty about Maxine! I could also throw my German heritage into the mix and complain about a LOT of those stereotypes as well.

This was not about discrimination. This was about insensitivity. My point is that whether a person or group has been insensitive and insulting or not, we all need to lighten up a little. Have whatever opinion you want of the jerks, but nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.

We've got much bigger problems than this to solve. Grow up everybody.
Love, Ima

[CathyCA]

I'm not Asian, but what I saw as offensive was the stereotyped Asian speech, "Herro Nice Duke Peopre" on the invitation to the party. Clearly, this was a swipe at Asian people.

This is very different than a party which celebrates a culture by offering up the culture's food, drink and music, and I think that the kids who threw the party must have known that their party theme was going to piss some people off.

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

I don't know why that in particular, but that was the part that gave me pause, too.
Love, Ima

[YmoBeThere]

Bluebutton, thank you for your response it does help. I have a few follow-up questions, they are not meant to criticize or belittle your points, to to point out the inconsistencies with society.

You feel it is disrespectful to wear rice paddy hats and sumo thongs to a party, though both are worn by Asians in Asia, granted the rice paddy hats more so than the sumo thongs.

Generally, they aren't worn to parties, they are functional for those that wear them. I'm never seen a relative of mine wear either. But then none of my relatives work in a rice paddy nor practice sumo. At least the one's I've met.

As someone of Irish descent and Catholic, it bothers me that St. Patrick's day is promoted as day to drink beer and get drunk. St. Patrick's day is a holiday in Ireland, or it used to be but it is so secularized that even they don't honor it the same way they used to, to celebrate St. Patrick for a) pushing the snakes out of Ireland (folklore) and b) introducing Christianity to Ireland. I've seen people of a variety races wearing Irish gear on St. Patrick's day, including "Kiss me I'm Irish" pins. To me the Irish now look like drunks and easy. Why is there no outrage there? For a long time the Irish were consider second class here in the states. Often times in the late 19th and early 20th century you would see signs in windows reading "NINA" - no Irish need apply.

Why don't Irish groups speak out about this? Or are they on some level profiting from this? At least some among the Irish community? This creates a very different scenario than what occurred at the party.

I would imagine, though I cannot and should not speak for Mexicans, that they may feel disrespected on Cinco de Mayo day. There are advertisements galore around May 5th to have beer and other alcoholic beverages at your local restaurant to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Do those guzzling down said drinks even know the significance of Cinco de Mayo?

Same questions and comment from above.

[windsor]

I'm not Asian, but what I saw as offensive was the stereotyped Asian speech, "Herro Nice Duke Peopre" on the invitation to the party. Clearly, this was a swipe at Asian people.

This is very different than a party which celebrates a culture by offering up the culture's food, drink and music, and I think that the kids who threw the party must have known that their party theme was going to piss some people off.

Absolutely!

If those of Irish or Mexican or German heritage are offended by holidays or stereotypical potrayals they need to speak up. I reject completely the notion that if Octoberfest makes all Germans look like drunks and that is apparently 'ok' it should also be OK to imply that all Asians wear rice paddy hats, bow incessantly and say 'Herro'.

...and Maxine is my hero. I want to BE Maxine when I grow up.


... I am 1/2 Hungarian - the other half is Dutch/German/English with a dash of Swedish thrown in. Take your best shot

[CameronBornAndBred]

I'm not Asian, but what I saw as offensive was the stereotyped Asian speech, "Herro Nice Duke Peopre" on the invitation to the party. Clearly, this was a swipe at Asian people.

This is very different than a party which celebrates a culture by offering up the culture's food, drink and music, and I think that the kids who threw the party must have known that their party theme was going to piss some people off.

Absolutely!

If those of Irish or Mexican or German heritage are offended by holidays or stereotypical potrayals they need to speak up. I reject completely the notion that if Octoberfest makes all Germans look like drunks and that is apparently 'ok' it should also be OK to imply that all Asians wear rice paddy hats, bow incessantly and say 'Herro'.

...and Maxine is my hero. I want to BE Maxine when I grow up.


... I am 1/2 Hungarian - the other half is Dutch/German/English with a dash of Swedish thrown in. Take your best shot

That is 5 halves. Apparently Hungarians suck at math.

[windsor]

[... I am 1/2 Hungarian - the other half is Dutch/German/English with a dash of Swedish thrown in. Take your best shot

That is 5 halves. Apparently Hungarians suck at math.

Two words...first word sounds like "duck"

[CameronBornAndBred]

[... I am 1/2 Hungarian - the other half is Dutch/German/English with a dash of Swedish thrown in. Take your best shot

That is 5 halves. Apparently Hungarians suck at math.

Two words...first word sounds like "duck"

[devildeac]

I'm not Asian, but what I saw as offensive was the stereotyped Asian speech, "Herro Nice Duke Peopre" on the invitation to the party. Clearly, this was a swipe at Asian people.

This is very different than a party which celebrates a culture by offering up the culture's food, drink and music, and I think that the kids who threw the party must have known that their party theme was going to piss some people off.

Absolutely!

If those of Irish or Mexican or German heritage are offended by holidays or stereotypical potrayals they need to speak up. I reject completely the notion that if Octoberfest makes all Germans look like drunks and that is apparently 'ok' it should also be OK to imply that all Asians wear rice paddy hats, bow incessantly and say 'Herro'.

...and Maxine is my hero. I want to BE Maxine when I grow up.


... I am 1/2 Hungarian - the other half is Dutch/German/English with a dash of Swedish thrown in. Take your best shot

Maternal grandparents immigrated from Russia late 1890s or early 1900s. Paternal grandparents were English and German. I greatly enjoy swilling cheap wodka (sic) and vast quantities of beer with my pierogies, borscht, potato pancakes and sausages while wearing goofy looking furry hats and lederhosen. Have a party about that combination!

I just can't imagine that insensitive, uncouth boors could even conceive of such garbage, but, then again, that's why I chose those words. I guess sub-primates like that could think of just about anything. F*ing cretins.