Let me be clear. I dislike this video for a number of reasons. It opens old hurts. It is like being shot with the same damn bullet over and over again in a different place. I will become angry. The bullet came to one of my safe places at the Videoblogging group and toxed up the joint.
I feel pain when a whole class of people are made a target for crude attempts of humor so that one person can gain a micro-meter of notoriety. Is fame really worth this cost? Ultimately it doesn't really matter the reason he did this - the video exists. He can't take it back.
But I also know (or figured out once I calmed down) is that Loren is the new carrier but the Bogeyman is running the show. The Bogeyman is prejudice, racism and sexism. It is also our inability to talk about those issues.
So I want to talk about The Bogeyman and how we can start to reduce the poison level. This is 11 minutes of me talking. As an alternative you could check out the links below. There is good stuff to be found.
Resources:
- American Psychological Association - Racism and Diversity primer, an excellent start to define the terms, meaning and embedded reasons why it just won't go away. We have to work on it and be aware.
- Addicted to Race podcast and Race in the Workplace blog both by Carmen Van Kerckhove going beyond black and white and expanding the discussion.
- Beacon of Freedom - From Norway, a database that contains documentation links to topics concerning censorship and the expression of freedom.
- Choosing to Participate - Jesus Colon's Little Things Are Big Video
- Compassionate Listening Project - how to speak from the heart to deal with difficult topics. Originally developed as a means to help Israeli and Palestinian people to find the tools to talk together.
- Facing History and Ourselves - Johnathan L. recites his poem about "Perceptions" where he speaks on the perceptions he encounters as a young African-American man.
- How Tolerant Are You - Project Implicit gives you the opportunity to find out your hidden truths and what you really believe.
- Tolerance.org - Speak-Up page with a link to a resource brochure on dealing with prejudiced, racism and sexist remarks.
Thanks for making this video. Loren has made some very funny videos, but the one in question was really wretched. I know that humor involves playing at the edge of discomfort, but this one went so over the edge that fell into the a deep sewage filled ditch.
ReplyDeleteThere's no doubt that this country is shot through with racism, personal and institutional. This piece was just so ugly that it pulled back the covers on the more unspoken racism that permeates the air.
I'll check out the links in your post. Thanks for researching them and sharing 'em.
Well as I said I'm done with him being the issue. There is little to no chance of me watching any of his other videos. I can't overwrite that video. Neither can he, no matter how many times he tries.
ReplyDeleteI'm just wanted to speak about what we as Americans tend to do when stuff like this happens. I'm looking for that listening skill that will help us talk through the static.
Haven't found it yet.
Well said and well done, gena.
ReplyDeleteI echo the "thanks for making this" sentiment. You are a calm, rational voice in a sea of hasty, pointless name-calling, of which I am totally guilty. I couldn't form coherent sentences about how I felt about Feldman and his mess, so I just ran to his comment section and called him an asshole. Not exactly my finest moment.
ReplyDeleteYou, madam, are my hero for being able to take a deep breath and look at the Big Picture, here.
I'm glad to see that this video has been spreading around..
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for including Little Things are Big. I just wanted to give you the correct link, as the one listed here is broken. Would you be able to update it to http://www.facinghistory.org/video/little-things-are-big and http://ctp.facinghistory.org for the Choosing to Participate site? Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteRachel