Obama Chia Pet…Really?

Is anyone at all concerned with this?  I know it’s caused a national uproar, but I think we need a larger one.  This is absolutely ridiculous and reeks of the  racism popular in toys and home accessories from the early 1900’s.  This sort of representational political action (yes toys and chia pets can be political) strikes at the very heart of essentialism.  I’m sure Don Imus purchased ten of them. 

If we position this toy against the historical backdrop or racist representational politics, the symbolic killing of the individual, then it appears not as a funny joke or a cute toy, but as the coninuation of a legacy that robbed Blacks of their identity some 100 years ago.  Have we not come farther than that? 

The original Chicago Tribune story may be found here. 

Stereotypes are true?

I was travelling in suburban Philadelphia this past week and was amusing myself with conservative talk radio.  Everytime I listen to conservative talk radio, it convinces me more and more to not be conservative.  I’m guessing that those radio personalities would find that appaling.  I don’t remember who’s program was on so I’ll avoid misattributing the quote, but it went something like this…

“People are too sensitive.  Stereotypes are true.  People need to accept reality.  Well some stereotypes are true.  Some stereotypes are true most of the time.  Stereotypes can be good.  It’s good that Asians have children that do well in school…”

This argument is flawed for a number of reasons, but most glaringly it is wrong because if a stereotype is not true all of the time, then it’s not really a stereotype.  Then we probably need to discuss if a stereotype has to be true in some sort of Big T truth way or if it must only be true subjectively.  But even if the stereotypes is true on a subjective basis, that is the speaker and the speaker alone believes it to be true, then how is it true if the speaker admits that it is sometimes not true?  This calls into questions meanings of truth, which I’m sure I’ll talk about more than several times in upcoming posts, but I’ll leave that discussion alone for now. 

It’s not uncommon to see folks who argue for stereotypes make these sort of arguments, but they seem to rest on dubious ground.  Stereotypes are both true and not true at the same time.  Maybe if we all stopped using them, then we could get to know each other a little better and understand the many differences that make us interesting.  In difference lies majesty.  Even “good stereotypes” are a shabby cloth in which to dress difference.

Tony Yayo and the Obama Presidency

Tony Yayo of G-Unit released the mixtape Black Friday shortly after Barack Obama was elected President of the United States of America.  On this mixtape he includes a number of snippets concerning Obama, including Obama talking of smoking marijuana, Obama’s victory speech, and most poignantly several people describing their fear of an Obama presidency.  You can find the track list here and download the mixtape here. 

The fears described by people exemplify the White fear of Black power.  Despite a growing Black middle class and an increasing number of Blacks on the national political stage, many White’s still harbor deep anxiety about Black power.  The psychological burden on White’s who are fearful of Black power will be tremendous.  President-elect Obama has coalesced racism that was previously directed at local mayors, state legislators, and other elected officials. 

Will Obama erase White fear?  It is not likely.  Unfortunately, White fear is permanently ingrained in society by a number of cultural factors.  Portrayals of the Black community on television, in our newspapers, and our music reinforce White fear by reifying Black stereotypes.  Obama will not erase these stereotypes even if he stands in stark contrast to them.  Stereotypes do not fade away into the night.  He will help to undermine them, but he will not erase the racism of the media that continues to perpetuate Black stereotypes.