Monday, June 22, 2015
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Black Like Rachel Dolezal?
She is a "wigga." It means "white nigga." Really, this is an unfunny Mrs. Doubtfire-type situation. This is a white person who has been engaged in a long scam to pass as a Negro--and, really, that's the opposite of how this is supposed to work!
Why would she do this, the media have asked breathlessly? I can only think she had an early love of black culture, and she wanted to help black people, so she figured the best way to help them was to live as one. (The NAACP has numerous whites in its membership.) The alternate explanation is that she is a dingbat. Whatever the reason, that she thought she could continue the lie in he Internet Age is what's incredibly bizarre. She started to lie, and got caught in the lie--like someone running a pyramid scheme, her only way out was exposure, death or prison. Exposure was the best way out for her.
Speaking of bizarre, one episode of Glee has the evil Sue tearing apart New Directions by pointing out how different they all are, insisting that they should be outraged. It ended with Mr. Shue pointing out that "we're all minorities." This makes no fuckin' sense. We can't all be minorities. There are numerous situations where everyone feels like "the other," but you're still NOT A MINORITY. Being a minority--whether the status is based on race, religion, sexuality or disability--is not a matter of temporary discomfort but of being permanently held apart by others. There's also the problem of whether being openly gay makes you a minority--just as there's an issue with whether spending a few thousand dollars on intrusive surgical procedures makes you a woman.
According to the US government, to be a part of a Native American tribe, you only need to be 1/16TH(!) of that tribe. Seriously--look it up yourself. You only need to be 1/16th Cherokee, for instance, to claim to be Cherokee. So your great great grandma knocked boots with an Injun? Congratulations! I can only imagine this was to keep the tribe's numbers large, but it's quit ridiculous when you think of it as a matter of race.
Race is arbitrary and often situational--and 50% dependant on everyone else's view of you as your self-image. Major productions now put out a casting call for someone who "looks Asian" (or, Asian) in order to skirt modern anti-discrimination laws. An Asian will be hired, now--maybe Emma Stone--but they must appear as tolerant and inclusive as possible. Because there's no discrimination in the entertainment industry. Outside of Hollyweird, there's wide disagreement on how to classify Obama. Generally consensus, in America, is that the President's black. The "one drop" rule makes no sense; if you're part black and LOOK black, you're black--and that's a better rule. If you can pass--pun alert!--it's a gray area. You wouldn't want to deny your ethnic heritage, but if you haven't lived your life being viewed as a black person, are you really a black person? The short answer is you're not black, no.
But how do I feel about affirmative action? My viewpoint has changed quit a bit over the decades. Racial set-asides have been illegal for awhile now, and I loathe people who imply that they're still a thing. We have been talking about a point system for awhile now, so let's raise the question: Should being a (real) minority entitle you to a leg up not given to a proud white guy?
My niece is 75% black. She certainly looks blacks. She will spend the remainder of her life as a black girl and a black woman. And I don't want my niece to lose an opportunity because some blue-eyed, blond kid who's 1/8th Navajo wants the opportunity too. ("Hey, we're both minorities!")
In summary, I no longer support affirmative action because white people--including white liberals--will cheat the system. Capitalism is the best economic system since it plays off humanity's desire to be superior to others. Conservatives have won because they're so terrible, lacking optimism in minorities or the human race in general. Good job.
Why would she do this, the media have asked breathlessly? I can only think she had an early love of black culture, and she wanted to help black people, so she figured the best way to help them was to live as one. (The NAACP has numerous whites in its membership.) The alternate explanation is that she is a dingbat. Whatever the reason, that she thought she could continue the lie in he Internet Age is what's incredibly bizarre. She started to lie, and got caught in the lie--like someone running a pyramid scheme, her only way out was exposure, death or prison. Exposure was the best way out for her.
Speaking of bizarre, one episode of Glee has the evil Sue tearing apart New Directions by pointing out how different they all are, insisting that they should be outraged. It ended with Mr. Shue pointing out that "we're all minorities." This makes no fuckin' sense. We can't all be minorities. There are numerous situations where everyone feels like "the other," but you're still NOT A MINORITY. Being a minority--whether the status is based on race, religion, sexuality or disability--is not a matter of temporary discomfort but of being permanently held apart by others. There's also the problem of whether being openly gay makes you a minority--just as there's an issue with whether spending a few thousand dollars on intrusive surgical procedures makes you a woman.
According to the US government, to be a part of a Native American tribe, you only need to be 1/16TH(!) of that tribe. Seriously--look it up yourself. You only need to be 1/16th Cherokee, for instance, to claim to be Cherokee. So your great great grandma knocked boots with an Injun? Congratulations! I can only imagine this was to keep the tribe's numbers large, but it's quit ridiculous when you think of it as a matter of race.
Race is arbitrary and often situational--and 50% dependant on everyone else's view of you as your self-image. Major productions now put out a casting call for someone who "looks Asian" (or, Asian) in order to skirt modern anti-discrimination laws. An Asian will be hired, now--maybe Emma Stone--but they must appear as tolerant and inclusive as possible. Because there's no discrimination in the entertainment industry. Outside of Hollyweird, there's wide disagreement on how to classify Obama. Generally consensus, in America, is that the President's black. The "one drop" rule makes no sense; if you're part black and LOOK black, you're black--and that's a better rule. If you can pass--pun alert!--it's a gray area. You wouldn't want to deny your ethnic heritage, but if you haven't lived your life being viewed as a black person, are you really a black person? The short answer is you're not black, no.
But how do I feel about affirmative action? My viewpoint has changed quit a bit over the decades. Racial set-asides have been illegal for awhile now, and I loathe people who imply that they're still a thing. We have been talking about a point system for awhile now, so let's raise the question: Should being a (real) minority entitle you to a leg up not given to a proud white guy?
My niece is 75% black. She certainly looks blacks. She will spend the remainder of her life as a black girl and a black woman. And I don't want my niece to lose an opportunity because some blue-eyed, blond kid who's 1/8th Navajo wants the opportunity too. ("Hey, we're both minorities!")
In summary, I no longer support affirmative action because white people--including white liberals--will cheat the system. Capitalism is the best economic system since it plays off humanity's desire to be superior to others. Conservatives have won because they're so terrible, lacking optimism in minorities or the human race in general. Good job.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Okay, but Caityln Jenner does not look like a woman, right? (Or "She look...like-a man.")
What is unfortunate is that the ESPYs are giving Caitlyn Jenner their annual courage award, not the little girl who raised money for cancer victims. Of course, there's no better way for a little girl to learn the ropes of America than to get cheated out of something by a rich old white guy. (Oh, and Bruce Jenner won those Olympic medals fair and square. Rapists can keep their medals--transgender people can keep their medals too. Only cheaters should be stripped. And, believe me, no one wants to strip Jenner. Zing!)
Meanwhile, the Republican Jenner has benefitted from California and the news media's liberalism. Orange is the New Black actress Laverne Cox has claimed that calling a transgender person by the identity of their DNA, not the one of their choosing, is a "hate crime." No, Brandon Teena suffered a hate crime. Calling someone who is genetically a man "he" is just one belief system, but at least it's a belief system based on science, and some activists are trying to get us to ignore common sense, which I can never support. Laws can be passed to force us to let people choose whatever gender they feel like, and we should all follow the laws until they become too persecutorial, then civil disobedience will be called for, which neither side is ready to do.
Getting a sex change is not heroic. Bruce Jenner was an accomplished Olympian, businessman and motivational speaker--these things are at least interesting, if not necessarily heroic. Caitlyn Jenner is kinda a bitch who has accomplished nothing except showing fake tits. Caitlyn will have a few decades ahead to establish Caitlyn as a person of quality, but right now Caitlyn Jenner wants the limelight on Caitlyn Jenner. I will not entertain anyone in the Jenner or Kardashian family as an important person unless the title is for world's biggest fame whore.
So, is anyone in the media going to talk about Kylie Jenner's relationship with a grown-ass man? Is anyone going to talk about the possible case of vehicular manslaughter that Bruce caused JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO!?! (My controversial pet theory is that this change of assignment is to escape criminal charges, but I'm no lawyer.) Because GOOD JOB, MEDIA!
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