Poor Judgment?

[Unkotare]

Duke Kappa Sigma party ignites firestorm of criticism | The Chronicle



Was this 'theme' party racially motivated, or just a really stupid decision? Are people with such poor judgment really going to be the doctors, lawyers, and business leaders of tomorrow? Scary thought.

 

[jwoodie]

Get over it.

 

[AmyNation]

An Asian themed party. So what?

 

[Unkotare]

So what do you think?

 

[Noomi]

I read the article, but I have no clue at all what the problem is. It was a party, but that's as much as I understand.

 

[JoeB131]

Duke Kappa Sigma party ignites firestorm of criticism | The Chronicle



Was this 'theme' party racially motivated, or just a really stupid decision? Are people with such poor judgment really going to be the doctors, lawyers, and business leaders of tomorrow? Scary thought.

Honestly, they sound like the future of the REpublican Party... You must be proud to be part of that.

 

[JoeB131]

I read the article, but I have no clue at all what the problem is. It was a party, but that's as much as I understand.

You know, during Octoberfest, a lot of people wear Liederhosen when they aren't even German. And they drink beer out of steins.

During Cinco di Mayo, people wear sombreros and drink Coronas, even though they aren't even Mexican.

And don't get me started on St. Paddy's day.

College is a great place to act stupid and get upset about people acting stupid.

 

[jwoodie]

So what do you think?

I'm sooo offended! How about you?

 

[martybegan]

Seems like nothing more than a case of progressive butthurt.

 

[RightNorLeft]

Making mountains out of molehills just causes unnecessary grief. It was a party not a KKK meeting

 

[blastoff]

What's the worst that can happen? In an hour you might feel like having another party, big deal.

 

[Pogo]

On the surface it would seem poor judgement. But get real, mocking somebody's accent ("Herro Nice Duke Peopre") has nothing in the world to do with racism.

Sorry, let me rephrase that-
Get lear. Nothing to do with lacism.

 

[Unkotare]

Whatever you think of the 'theme' (or what you might think had it been applied broadly to another 'racial' group) these kids would have to be as stupid as JakeFakey, matthew, and yidnar not to foresee what the reaction and likely consequences could be.

 

[Bill Angel]

The images in the article could be taken to suggest that the students were not simply portraying Asians but Asian prostitutes. Perhaps a better term would be Asian "sex workers".
That would make the caricatures more offensive to the Asian students I should think.

 

[Bigfoot]

Bonzai!

 

[Unkotare]

Oh, you're still stupid? Got it.

 

[Pogo]

I'm not sure I can find a racial element here. I see a lot of lampooning of cultural aspects, but culture is not race.

 

[Esmeralda]

I'm not sure I can find a racial element here. I see a lot of lampooning of cultural aspects, but culture is not race.

Hmmm....I am surprised at all the comments dismissing this incident. If they were wearing blackface and their poster ridiculed mocked the way some black people talk, I think people would see it as more of a racial issue.

What troubles me about this party is the mocking and ridiculing of one culture by another by young people. I wouldn't be happy if my kids did something like that, and they would get a thorough dressing down if they did. I'd be very upset to think I'd raised human beings who would behave in such low way. It's the kind of way poorly educated, untraveled, provincial types behave.

What's wrong with their behavior is that it is a fraternity associated with an American university, so the university must answer to what goes on within it's parameters. If this were a private party, that would be one thing, but it isn't.

And, yes, I think it is highly insensitive. University students should be more aware and have a broader world view.

 

[Pogo]

I'm not sure I can find a racial element here. I see a lot of lampooning of cultural aspects, but culture is not race.

Hmmm....I am surprised at all the comments dismissing this incident. If they were wearing blackface and their poster ridiculed mocked the way some black people talk, I think people would see it as more of a racial issue.

What troubles me about this party is the mocking and ridiculing of one culture by another by young people. I wouldn't be happy if my kids did something like that, and they would get a thorough dressing down if they did. I'd be very upset to think I'd raised human beings who would behave in such low way. It's the kind of way poorly educated, untraveled, provincial types behave.

What's wrong with their behavior is that it is a fraternity associated with an American university, so the university must answer to what goes on within it's parameters. If this were a private party, that would be one thing, but it isn't.

And, yes, I think it is highly insensitive. University students should be more aware and have a broader world view.

I'm really not dismissing it, but defining terms. If the mode of lampooning is speech or dress, which is what I gather, those are not racial characteristics but cultural ones. This thread hasn't really gone there, but the linked article suggests "racism" and "racial stereotypes" eight times, and that just looks intentionally and unnecessarily incendiary.

I'm more concerned with the overall abuse of the term racism. It's thrown around too carelessly IMHO. For instance I was recently excoriated (by two different posters, although I suspect they're the same person) of "racism" because I noted that the audience of Fox News was predominantly white (!). Seems to me that a proper definition of "racism" must involve some belief that one or more races is superior/inferior to others. Highlighting differences in culture, if it's not done mockingly, is just not the same thing.

For instance there is no racial characteristic that requires a person to speak with one accent or another. That's cultural surroundings entirely. Of course if one actually believes that that accent is a limitation of race, then that would be racist.

This event may be poor judgement, it may be cultural insensitivity, it may be both, but I'm not sure I can find how this party could be called "racism" and that suggestion peppered through the linked article, smacks of sensationalism and obscures, even poisons, what may otherwise be a valid and needed dialogue.