'Wait, that was racist?' Halloween edition

[LongTimeListener]

http://www.dailycal.org/2012/10/30/fraternitys-halloween-decoration-prompts-outcry/

UC Berkeley frat hosts haunted house for charity. Decorations include zombie hanging from third story by a rope attached to his neck. Zombie's head was "dark grey." Imagery of lynching not seen as all too hilarious on college campus.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

Maybe none of the frat boys have taken a history class yet.

 

[Mark2010]

I'm guessing this was some sort of stuffed dummy they hung. Ok, seen that 100 times.

Not a big fan of Halloween, but that's political correctness run amok.

On a not-so-related topic, I just had a gradeschooler come to my door dressed as a Wheaties box with a hockey mask sprinkled with red paint. After a few guesses, I was informed: "Cereal killer"

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

I'm voting not racist on this one.

 

[joe]

Outcry from people looking for something to outcry about.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

I don't think it was intentionally racist at all. Still, you can't hang a dark-skinned body as a decoration. You just can't. Too loaded with ugly historical meaning.

On a college campus -- and particularly THAT campus -- something like this is going to get blown out of proportion. The problem was pointed out to them and they took it down, which is how it should work.

 

[Armchair_QB]

I don't think it was intentionally racist at all. Still, you can't hang a dark-skinned body as a decoration. You just can't. Too loaded with ugly historical meaning.

On a college campus -- and particularly THAT campus -- something like this is going to get blown out of proportion. The problem was pointed out to them and they took it down, which is how it should work.

Except is wasn't a problem - or it shouldn't have been. It was a ****ing Halloween decoration.

 

[YGBFKM]

When they came for the dark grey zombies, nobody was left to speak up.

 

[Shoeless Joe]

People need to stick a finger in it and get a ****ing life. QUIT BITCHING! It's a damn Halloween decoration.

 

[Armchair_QB]

When they came for the dark grey zombies, nobody was left to speak up.

They spoke up but all they said was "uuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh"

 

[Inky_Wretch]

WTF, how stupid are those frat bros? I mean really, that's got to be the dumbest thing I've seen this Halloween. Friggin' morons.

Everybody knows hanging a zombie won't kill it.

 

[Captain Obvious]

I don't think it was intentionally racist at all. Still, you can't hang a dark-skinned body as a decoration. You just can't. Too loaded with ugly historical meaning.

On a college campus -- and particularly THAT campus -- something like this is going to get blown out of proportion. The problem was pointed out to them and they took it down, which is how it should work.

Except is wasn't a problem - or it shouldn't have been. It was a ****ing Halloween decoration.

When I burned that cross on a lawn, that wasn't designed to intimidate people, but honor the Lord.

 

[Armchair_QB]

I don't think it was intentionally racist at all. Still, you can't hang a dark-skinned body as a decoration. You just can't. Too loaded with ugly historical meaning.

On a college campus -- and particularly THAT campus -- something like this is going to get blown out of proportion. The problem was pointed out to them and they took it down, which is how it should work.

Except is wasn't a problem - or it shouldn't have been. It was a ****ing Halloween decoration.

When I burned that cross on a lawn, that wasn't designed to intimidate people, but honor the Lord.

No.

 

[Dick Whitman]

"It was just a Halloween decoration," alone, is not a good argument against this. It's how people justify racist or sexist actions or comments all the time: "Can't you take a joke?"

That said ...

In this particular case, it seems like the imagery was meant to invoke suicide, not lynching, right?

Like someone said: The potential problem was pointed out to them. They took it down. Everyone can go home happy.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

"It was just a Halloween decoration," alone, is not a good argument against this. It's how people justify racist or sexist actions or comments all the time: "Can't you take a joke?"

That said ...

In this particular case, it seems like the imagery was meant to invoke suicide, not lynching, right?

Like someone said: The potential problem was pointed out to them. They took it down. Everyone can go home happy.

Agreed...

I don't think they did anything wrong. But it is Berkeley, where the greek system has an incredibly volatile relationship with the rest of the student body and the locals and has for decades.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I attended an IFC conference when I was in college and they showed us some of the "theme parties" that had gotten fraternities in trouble from around the country.

There was some stuff there that would have caused anyone's jaw to drop.

There have definitely been tons of things that are worth getting worked up over... This deal at Cal is definitely not one of them.

 

[fossywriter8]

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