In the aftermath of NBC cancelling Megyn Kelly’s show after her comments of growing up with black face costumes, the controversy continued over on CNN after CNN political analyst Kirsten Powers declared that the feelings of white people are irrelevant in barring the use of Indian and other costumes as cultural appropriation. When commentator Kris Paronto (who is famous for his role in guarding the CIA annex during the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi) criticized Powers for saying the feelings of white people “didn’t matter,” Powers responded by calling Paronto and others criticism her “racists.” The exchange is an example of how little dialogue is actually occurring despite the focus on this issue. I have been critical of university efforts to ban certain Halloween outfits, but I can see the objections raised over their depiction. The problem is that no discussion is possible when maintaining an opposing view is instantly and conclusorily dismissed as racist.
The latest Halloween flare up occurred after Powers tweeted, “Dear white people who are upset that you can’t dress up as another race or culture for Halloween: your feelings don’t matter. The only feelings that matter are of those who feel disrespected/mocked by you appropriating their culture for entertainment. Show some common decency.”
Paronto responded with an insulting picture from “Game of Thrones” with the caption “How Kirsten Powers sees herself after complaining about white people dressing up as other ethnicities for Halloween.” The picture showed Daenerys Targaryen, the white queen of dark-skinned Dothraki tribe being carried by the tribe in adoration. You can find the scene here.
Powers was understandably insulting and there were other such criticisms in response on her Twitter account. However, Powers responded by charging racism: “Sorry racists, but people of color don’t need a white savior. But they need white people speaking up about racial discrimination and no amount of harassment by crazy racists online is going to stop me from doing that.”
The insults capture perfectly the problem that we are having in the United States in discussing race. It is not true, as is often stated, that we do not discuss racial issues. We actually talk a great deal about race and always have. The problem is that we talk past each other — tossing insults and attacking the speakers rather than address the underlying issues.
There is no room in our politics for a recognition that the other side may have good-faith reasons for their views. The Powers-Paronto exchange shows precisely why you can have a roaring national debate on race with little actually being said.
I agree with getting tired of the political correctness yet I understand some of it.As a black woman i grew up wearing braids/cornrows and have always had a big butt. Both of these things were mocked in the white community until Kim K bought herself a big butt and Farrah F was on a poster wearing cornrows. Now big butts are in and so is cornrows. And the funny things is(are sad ) whats makes other races mad about other races stealing their culture is because they take the credit for it. Cornrows were called Farrah F hair. Most people think Miley Cyrus invented twerking. Give credit were credit is due. Also it is hard to see someone wear something when you made fun of it or killed entire families because of something they had no control over. On a side note wouldn’t be cool if for just one night, like on the Simpsons, everybody turned into their on costume.
Maxwell….I see what you’re saying, but why do the majority of famous black women in society straighten their hair? Michelle Obama, especially…..and Oprah, and popular black actresses….etc? I don’t care at all. It looks pretty, but why do they not want to look more authentic and true to the natural look of their race? That’s attractive, as well.
And I ask this question about white women who cover up their gray hair, Why? Why not look natural? Why not look your age and be proud?
80% of US voters despise PC. Liberals have run out of foots to shoot, they are now shooting their own torso.
Nick;
They never could shoot straight or do anything straight for that matter.
“…foots to shoot.”
Damn straight!
You go, Nick!
Who’s Kirsten Powers and why should we care about her Twitter tantrums? She’s neither interesting nor cute. The pundit crowd thinks themselves infinitely relevant to everyone. They aren’t and so long as they stay out of my lane, they can bleat their stupid ideas and won’t get run over.
PC will force us all to use only sign language and all conversations will end with the center digit.
Paul:
I like the concept but wouldn’t ignoring these fools drain them of their notoriety.
WAR IS PEACE.
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY.
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.
_______________________
“Newspeak is designed to diminish the range of thought.”
– George Orwell
_____________
People must adapt to the outcomes of freedom.
Freedom does not adapt to people…
dictatorship does.
– U.S. Constitution
All societies that engage in open trading w/other societies exchange dress, hair styles, jewelry, etc. For example hand loomed Navajo blankets take a really long time to make. Natural dyes are difficult to produce and sometimes fade. These are pieces of art. When aniline dyes became available from trade w/Europeans, they were adopted by hand weavers. They were much easier to use and produced colors that are not achievable w/natural dyes. They were prized by weavers and more beautiful hand made pieces of art resulted!
Finally, machine made blankets by Europeans were used in Navajo society. Hand made blankets are beautiful and special. There is nothing like them. But it is really nice to have a ready made blanket if you need one!
Now let us examine a very thorny case of cultural appropriation. Venetian glass beads were highly prized in many African societies. These beads served as trade beads and were even used to purchase slaves between one tribe and another. Many of these trade beads were brought over by Europeans to Native tribes who also prized them greatly. Now people all over the world wear trade beads.
It would thus take a very long time to work out who is currently a racist for wearing trade beads.
Cultural appropriation is actually another way of saying that when cultures come together they adopt each others clothing, hairstyles and ideas. Human beings have engaged in trading prized and utilitarian objects since we existed as proto humans. At this point, that makes all of us racists, so I am ceasing to concern myself with this “problem”!
There is real racism in this nation. I will concern myself with that.
Jill – I remember an interview with a member of the Sioux tribe wishing to go back to the olden days when he could hunt buffalo from horseback with his rifle. Then he stopped a second and thought. Crap! We got all that from the white man. 😉
Paul, and US founders got ideas for our Constitution from the Iroquois Confederacy. Europeans got plant medicine and would not even have survived on this continent w/out help from the native people. Europeans did not understand what to grow here. Germans brought the tumbleweed to the west so you can only use that as Southwest decoration if you are a German! Go figure!!!
Jill – Chandler, Arizona will be devastated. Their city Christmas tree is made from tumbleweeds.
Well Paul, someone needs to go there and take everyone’s blood sample. If they are not Germans they cannot celebrate around this tree.
Jill – the city workers get the tumbleweeds and they are very surly about it. I am not going to check them. It is all on you. 😉
>> There is real racism in this nation. <<
Perhaps. But not to the extent over-educated white liberals are obsessed by it. There are lots of interesting poll data and research out there. The data that show racism remains a problem get all of the attention. But there are contradictory data that show the problem is less serious.
For example, the poll I like is the one from Gallup in 2013 that showed 87% of people say interracial marriage is fine. But just because 13% oppose interracial marriage, it's not fair to conclude those people "hate' other races. Or think other races are inferior.
https://news.gallup.com/poll/163697/approve-marriage-blacks-whites.aspx
The most interesting research is centered on first and second generation blacks who freely chose to immigrate to America. There is no way to distinguish between, say, a second generation Nigerian-American and a black American whose ancestors five or six generations ago were slaves by looking at them. So "systemic racism", to the extent it exists, ought to affect them equally. But the Nigerian-Americans, as a group, tend to far exceed native born blacks. They have higher incomes, attend college, and pursue professional degrees and careers in law, medicine etc. at much higher rates than native born black Americans.
Skin color is not holding Nigerian-American immigrants back. It looks like the culture and values they bring with them (self reliance, valuing families, commitment to education, etc.) as well as the traits we select for in the immigration process, may be far more important factors in predicting success than skin color. "Systemic racism" is not holding them back.
Megan got fired because she employed the tern: “Hollow weenie”.
“Nationalist”. What is that? Someone who favors their own nation over another, like say Venezualia? And if you are a white person and a nationalist then some dork will just put the two together and make it seem like you are a bigot for being in favor of the United States. This is some of the BS going around on the media about the President of the United States. I am glad that he is a nationalist. He may be part pocohontus or something but if he is white is it irrelevant.
When the hell are we going to pass a law that makes people grow thick skin! Oh boo hoo.
Boy has that word been overworked. You can’t counter what someone has said call them a “racist”. If your easily bullied it works every time. Powers just picked the wrong guy. “Tanto” and his buddies didn’t backdown when Hillary left these guys out on a limb. Did Powers think he would backdown from her. As for Kelly I wonder what she thinks about leaving Fox now. I wonder if she’ll call Fox for a job doing weather.
While the left is consumed by the negative, accusatory thinking reverse racism, the right is basking in the relative comfort of a postracial mindset. It’s pretty obvious which way the winds of history are blowing. Positive always prevails over negative.
I think Halloween costumes should be left alone and people should dress how they like. Call it “Freebie Night” if you want. People need to lighten up.
There is no shortage of drama queens on the Left! Why must EVERYTHING be turned into a crisis?
Why don’t they want to just embrace life, enjoy and appreciate what they have?. It’s called counting your blessings!
And, we all know that racial discrimination in America exixts only in their minds…..except of course the obvious and insidious discrimination against the white race, which doesn’t count.
These self-absorbed Aunt Pittypats are exhausting! Yes, Miss Pitty, there are Yankees in Georgia! Deal with it and move on!
What about going as Al Jolson in black face? Mammy
These twits are alarming, increasingly intolerant in the name of tolerance. The loony left at their finest.
Has anyone bothered to ask the children if they feel they are mocking an Indian by dressing in an Indian costume or feel proud being dressed that way. Same goes with Mr. T from the A Team. My guess is that they all feel proud and in no way are mocking the costume they are wearing. This political correctness has gone crazy. Also Megyn Kelly’s discussion on this subject: in no way did she say it with any malice. But the fascist network of hate does not accept a viewpoint that is different from theirs. This was all lost in the aftermath. Is what Megyn said racism. No. Is what MSNBC did, bringing color into a subject when it was never there by the children who wear costumes of a different culture, yes – there is where your racism lies.
Jerks gonna jerk. They should be ignored. In a just world, they’d be removed from positions where they supervise anyone, but all of our corporate institutions nowadays seem to be dominated by jerks. Its the Age of the Jerk. And they all vote Democratic.
AnyTime I dressed in a Halloween Costume or a Costume of any sort…
It was in admiration of the Costume
It was SomeThing or SomeOne I wished I could be!
🎃 hApPy haLLoWeEn 🎃
These people need to get away from their computer screens more often.
Consider the source – Kirsten Powers used to date Anthony Weiner, and later became a born-again Christian when she claimed that Jesus visited her during the middle of the night when she was in a hotel room in Taiwan. She’s a nut job that CNN keeps on board because she spews party line PC drivel.
When she woke up In that hotel room in Taiwan I wondered if “Jesus” had epicanthal folds? Maybe it was room service and not Jesus.
Zambini – I have no idea who he was or what he did, nor why she needs to pretend he was Jesus, lol, but he certainly turned her world upside down!