Brown Is the New Whitergate: Comments From the Blogosphere
25 July 2007, 1:20 PM. By Carlos Posas
Yesterday’s response to the most offensive shirt in the world was, to put it lightly, overwhelming. (The guy at right doesn’t recall having an opinion either way.) The story in general has caused some loaded reactions to boil over elsewhere on the internets. In the tradition of Fox News‘ notoriously unbiased approach, we present ‘fair and balanced’ coverage of said reactions. The first one comes from Liberty Post, a decidedly conservative news forum:
Pretty dam revolting! The fact that Macy’s would even consider such a shirt is an affront to every white American. [...] They clearly show their attitude toward those who made them rich….and that would be whitey. I’m tired of it. There will be consequences.
On Michelle Malkin-founded Hot Air, some backlash from the Hispanic camp came in the form of a haiku:
new naco T-shirt
macy is the new migra
Chinga la macy.
Now, check out a theatrical treatment of how the decision to pull the product went down. (Also courtesy of Hot Air.)
Macy’s Cultural Sensitivity Rep: “That T-shirt is Racist!”
Corporate Flak: “Pull it off the Shelves, NOW!”
Macy’s Cultural Sensitivity Rep: “Uhm, it seems as those [sic] the shirt is racist towards White People”
Corporate Flak: “Uh, I didn’t think that was possible, but lets get it back on the shelves then!
Macy’s Cultural Sensitivity Rep: “The Hispanics are the ones complaining!”
Corporate Flak: “But, but I thought the shirt meant that the Browns were taking over!? Oh the hell with it, we can’t afford to offend them, let’s PULL IT OFF THE SHELVES!”
Macy’s Cultural Sensitivity Rep: “Now, the Black people are complaining that they’ve once again been marginalized by being left completely off the shirt!”
Corporate Flak: Head Explodes!
Video: Macy’s pulls t-shirt for fear of offending Hispanics [Hot Air]
Macy’s Pulls Potentially Offensive T-Shirt [Brown Is The New White] [Liberty Post]
Earlier, Covering the Coverage: Fox News Will Not Stand For Ironic Latinos
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The nugget that’s going to emerge from this is the fact that the black-brown coalition ever having been a functional enterprise was an utter miracle. The Afro-American (generalizing, here) has just about as wary an opinion of Latinos as Anglos. Such is a product of their essential Southern-ness. Insularity & fear of the “other” is born into them. Now, as the Latino numbers increase, but especially in areas of former Anglo-Afro dualism, the backlash will come.
(Not that the (apparent) brown-on-black gang violence in sections of L.A., et. al., is helping matters. But for another time…)
i only wish i were brown enough to pull it off. when does the “pote ‘e leche is the new white” tee come out?
Biggie, not sure I agree with your generalizations that border on stereotypes. To assume that African-Americans are “southern” is like saying that every Latino in this country is an illegal immigrant. I do, however, agree on your minorities-coming-together as a miracle construct.
However, since the subject is a T-shirt sold by an evil, white corporation, it is my duty to report that Macy’s was also the company that took down a gay pride window display in Boston after some lunatic religious fanatic complained that the mannequins had “enlarged breasts” and were generally offensive (according to his crazy ass). Macy’s took down the display during Pride week, never replaced it, and never issued a statement of apology. Desperately seeking new customers, of which they lose a lot of every year, is what drives this company head-first into so many PR nightmare shitshows.
I see your point. “Generalization”, which is a positive (in predicting future outcomes based on previous results), hues close to “stereotype”. I wouldn’t agree, though, that emphasizing the distinct regional character of Afro-Americans is the same as saying “all Latinos are undocumented”. I’d rather think of it as equivalent to the “cowboy” aesthetic of many Latino males.
As is, I shall try to limit my forays into quasi-racialism. I knew my post would prolly trigger a negative response, but I put it out there. Why? My job has me in a majority Afro-American workplace, where we also come into contact with many non-English-speaking, (sometimes) immigrant populations — namely, Hmong/Lao & Mesoamerican — & I have witnessed a visceral disapprobative response to them on the part of my Afro-American co-workers. “If you’re going to come to our country, speak English” — & beyond that, please refrain from the Spanish when you’re around people that don’t speak Spanish. Anecdotal, still, sure, but I think indicative of (at least) a certain strain of thought among Anglo- & Afro-Southerners.
Biggie: “generalization” is not necessarily a positive, as it’s often just a nicer term for “stereotype” (as in selecting traits which apply to a some individuals and attributing [generalizing] them to an entire population)… Kinda like your comment about “the ‘cowboy’ aesthetic of many Latino males.” Also, just out of curiousity, do your co-workers actually refer to themselves as “Afro-Americans”? I’m just asking because I have a pretty extensive circle of close friends and colleagues who are African American and refer to themselves as African American or Black, but never as “Afro-American” because the term is so outdated. Just wondering…