As mentioned below (scroll down) the NCAA's Executive Committee may be PC, but it has opened a can of worms with its latest attempt to "encourage" member schools from using "demeaning" nicknames. You know, like "Fighting Irish" and "Ragin' Cajuns". Got to stop slamming the ancestry of fine Americans. Right on! Wait a minute, that's not exactly what they meant?
They're really opposed to such words as "Seminoles" and "Illini" and... what? Those words AREN'T demeaning or racist or insulting? Oh YEAH? the NCAA doesn't want to SEE or even to HEAR the words "Seminoles", "Utes", "Chippewas" or "Braves" any more. You'd think there had been some mass Native American uprising against the use of these names. Not according to polling on the subject.
Check out the thorough analysis at Protein Wisdom. Jeff Goldstein has done the heavy lifting on this. The results are not so surprising. Got to love the title to his post, too: "Concerned, guilt-ridden Whiteys to Native Americans: 'WE'LL tell you when you're outraged, Chief.'"
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2 comments:
it is a minor, but positive step. using races, ethnicities, cultures as a mascot is plain ol' demeaning. same goes for the fighting irish, the ragin' cajuns, or anything else they might make up.
tradition shmadition, lots of bad things used to be ok. they're not anymore. we are a culture, hopefully we get wiser over time, and learn to be more inclusive, not more divisive.
just say no to the new york jews and the florida state seminoles.
Since no one is advocating using the "New York Jews" or the L-A (insert your favorite put-down word for people of Hispanic persuasion) or the "Detroit 'N-word's", let's get a grip.
I personally like the "Northern Colorado Whiteys" or whatever that intramural team was that was supposed to be a put-down to "shame" caucasians into "feeling the pain" of others -- and backfired, since most white-folk reaction was similar to mine. I think it's a laugh riot, seriously, because I have a sense of humor and don't take myself too seriously.
Maybe you should try a dose of self-deprecating levity. It might do you some good.
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