The "Compton Cookout" (I'm not posting a link because the race-fail is just terrible) debacle is week-old news by now. I knew what the "Compton Cookout" was and for those who don't know, several fraternities at UC San Diego thought it would be a cool idea to have a party that made fun of Black stereotypes in the spirit of Black History Month.
I wonder what these people were thinking when they came up with this concept. It sounds like a good idea if you're an ignorant dumb ass. Let's have a party to dress up like ghetto Black people and be stereotypical with ghetto clothes, grills, and all the stereotypes of being a Black person. I quote the suggestions for girls, since it's more relevant (at least to me) and longer.
For girls: For those of you who are unfamiliar with ghetto chicks-Ghetto chicks usually have gold teeth, start fights and drama, and wear cheap clothes - they consider Baby Phat to be high class and expensive couture. They also have short, nappy hair, and usually wear cheap weave, usually in bad colors, such as purple or bright red. They look and act similar to Shenaynay, and speak very loudly, while rolling their neck, and waving their finger in your face. Ghetto chicks have a very limited vocabulary, and attempt to make up for it, by forming new words, such as "constipulated", or simply cursing persistently, or using other types of vulgarities, and making noises, such as "hmmg!", or smacking their lips, and making other angry noises,grunts, and faces. The objective is for all you lovely ladies to look, act, and essentially take on these "respectable" qualities throughout the day.
WTF? What. The. Fuck. Seriously, I don't know where this person is getting their information from. They aren't many Black people living in San Diego and those that probably do don't fit this stereotype. In fact, many Black people I know personally don't fit this stereotype. Believe it or not but very few Black people fit this stereotype. Even the people the appear to fit the stereotype don't act like that all the time. The stereotype is bastardizing certain aspects of the African-American culture and it's sad. Besides, as a woman of any race, whether Black, White or anything inbetween, why would I flaunt myself around like a fucking idiot making fun of Black people? Why would you walk around like an idiot making fun of any particular ethnicity. That shit's not funny. It's stupid, especially when you know that Black people don't act like this.
I'm so perplexed I can't even feel offended (like that time my roommate asked me if I liked watermelon). I'm so surprised at the level of stupidity that is in the world. It is a mockery of Black History Month that is justified by stating We virtually make fun of everyone, we're equal opportunity. No one is discriminated when we decide to discriminate and use stereotypes. Now they are trying to state that their freedom of speech is being violated. Things like this do not work in reverse. You can't hit someone first, then punish them for telling on you. It just shouldn't work this way, but it does.
This would have been a perfect opportunity to uplift a community. How cool would it have been if someone came dressed as a Black person who has done something positive? It might have been lame, but it couldn't been any lamer than the idea they came up with. I mean, people probably don't know about Benjamin Banneker or the ancient civilizations(Kmt- google it) in Egypt that were far more advanced than we've been taught to believe. At the very least, people could have people dressed up as Jay-Z or Diddy or even Tupac or Biggie. Wouldn't it be a little bit cool and a little less offensive(but still offensive in a way) if girls were told to dress up like Oprah, Halle Berry, Tyra, and countless other Black females that make a difference in the world(I'm ashamed that I can't name more), not the Shenaynay stereotype?
Or better yet, just apologize instead of getting defensive. People make some seriously stupid mistakes and this was a HUGE mistake. Some people are ignorant idiots who just need to be taught a lesson. I'm not saying to go butt fucking crazy and beat these people down, but to try and get a dialogue going where people just talk about the issue, people explaining why they were offended, people thinking why they don't think it's a big deal, and maybe hearing a little bit of what these people were thinking when they came up with this stupid idea.
Racism still exists because people don't own up to their mistakes and get defensive, instead of seriously trying to learn what they did wrong. Another reason why racism continues is because people are afraid to talk about it because of the tension. Maybe these people clearly didn't think they were doing anything wrong or rather, they knew but didn't think anyone would mind or even notice.I think outrage is an appropriate reaction to this. Nothing is going to get solved with dismissal. People seem to think that we live in post-racial society because we don't talk about race. Racism depends on the fact that people don't say anything and that those who fuck up don't take responsibility and say "Hey, you know, we fucked up. We're sorry. What can we do to make this better somehow?"
