Berkley students protest affirmatie action with pay by race bake sale

[GracieRuth]

I thought this was kind of funny, but the whole POINT (that affirmative action is innately unfair) appears to have been lost. The FACEBOOK PAGE that originally launched the satire stated a "pay by race" bake sale in order to "ensure the fairest distribution" in participants.

 

[arbygil]

I predict this thread will become a hornet's nest in 3...2...1--

This...infuriates me for a whole different reason. Mostly because what they did was pretty racist, and it does nothing to change the problem. It simply blames those who worked hard to get to where they should be who suddenly get slammed for "getting the position due to their race." Again, people who don't understand the entire issue are deciding they know what's right for all - and then they don't understand why people get mad at them for "telling the truth."

The problem is, and always has been, equal work for equal pay - and equal opportunity for equal pay. There are companies that wouldn't hire a person of color unless they had to, while some companies struggle to find qualified candidates of color. The answer is not to sell baked goods in a racist way. The answer is to find a way that works outside of the framework. It's a difficult fix because it hits the heart of poverty and public school systems.

 

[Peace]

It got the issue some notice which I think is about all the good that could have come from this endeavor. This sort of oversimplifies the issue since it does not address the disparities faced by racial minorities. If we assumed that the money that every person had in their wallet was reflective of only how hard they had worked to earn it then this might have been a fair analogy, but complex socioeconomic factors are at play.

 

[Feelings]

I suppose that's the problem with affirmitive action. Sometimes it levels the playing field, sometimes it gives minorities an unfair advantage. That's the nature of the one size fits all approach. Arby wins with

There are companies that wouldn't hire a person of color unless they had to, while some companies struggle to find qualified candidates of color.

So to oppose affirmitive action wholly and ridicule it through the bake sale satire shows a gap in understanding of the issue.

I personally found the bake sale satire pretty funny. But the message behind it is definitely problematic. I don't like the message behind it. If they were just trying to be funny, and being jackasses for shits and giggles that's one thing. But these people were really trying to convey a message based on their misunderstanding.

 

[InvisibleJim]

I thought it was funny.

 

[arbygil]

No, it's not funny.

It's about as funny as fraternities wearing KKK bedsheets for Halloween costumes or fraternities thinking it's funny to celebrate Black History Month by wearing blackface and emulating thug culture at a cookout. It's as funny as fraternities perpetuating Hispanic stereotypes with "run for the border" parties. Or the New York University Republican Club hosting an "immigrant hunt."


And those are not isolated incidences.

It's as funny as the Republican group that had bystanders dress in orange shirts that said, "Illegal immigrant" on one side and "catch me if you can" on the other side, then handed out candy to the winners. Sure it may have been protesting illegal immigration, but they did it in a very racist way.

Just because there aren't enough people to complain about it doesn't make it right.

There's a difference between satire and racism, but if it doesn't hit you where you live you may never see it or understand why it's wrong in the first place.

I think this is decent satire, though it has nothing to do with the original post. But the examples above aren't satire. They're demeaning and these types of protests usually elevate one group while lowering another.

 

[GracieRuth]

Oh my gosh. What am I supposed to do when someone doesn't understand what satire is? In satire, you make fun of what you hate. Thus, the bake sale was ridiculing (percieved) racism.

 

[barbad0s]

So does that mean I pay $1.75 for a cupcake?

Or maybe, according to affirmative action, being biracial gives me an advantage in life. Maybe they would charge me $2.50 for a cupcake. I'll take that.

 

[arbygil]

Oh my gosh. What am I supposed to do when someone doesn't understand what satire is? In satire, you make fun of what you hate. Thus, the bake sale was ridiculing (percieved) racism.

Like I said, there's a difference between satire and racism. Satire isn't making fun of something you hate. It's exposing something you think is foolish. The problem is a communication situation: Satire is only good if it's funny. If it ceases to be funny because it's mocking a particular group, then it's not satire. It's now offensive. To me, the very nature of what they're trying to do isn't spoofing anything; they're singling out specific people groups and putting value on them based on their own criteria. It's not funny to many people.

I'm not trying to put you down for what you said, [MENTION=4576]GracieRuth[/MENTION], but I emphatically disagree with you. Disagreement is fine, but I don't have to like what was said.

 

[barbad0s]

they're singling out specific people groups and putting value on them based on their own criteria.

It's not their own criteria. It's the criteria affirmative action typically uses. Therefore I do not consider it the students being racist. It is not based on their own opinions of people groups. They are satiring AA's opinions.

 

[Feelings]

[MENTION=442]arbygil[/MENTION] That you do not find something funny is not sufficient to state that it is "not funny". Humor is very subjective. Some of the other examples you cited about fraternities doing certain things may be considered tasteless and offensive, but again, your personal opinion, and even the opinion of many, is not sufficient to qualify something as "not funny".

Satire and racism are not mutually exclusive. Something could be characterized as both. Just because something is considered demeaning, racist, or offensive to some does not disqualify that from being satirical. I'm sure that any unconventional idea is offensive to SOMEONE out there.

You are entitled to your opinion, but you overreach to presume that your opinion is the only valid one.

 

[InvisibleJim]

No, it's not funny.

No, it is funny.

Because it is pointing out the double standard of racism and sexism inherent to affirmative action which disadvantages white middle class average males for being born.

This type of funny is called irony.

 

[arbygil]

And I am saying it's my opinion - I don't find it funny. I'll say what I want to about it, but no it's not funny to me. What frustrates me is that these types of things perpetuate and it's ignored. The point never gets across in a positive way, and there are other ways of expressing such points than by calling out specific groups of people (whether AA or not).

I do recognize that others find it funny; to me it's not. Sure, I could have clarified that, but I'm not going to weaken my position on it. A lot of people ignore it, and that's fine for them. Me, I'll still have my opinion about it. Some people may be just as angry, and there's something to be said for their opinions as well.

 

[this is only temporary]

I also thought that protest was tacky. They should have done it in a way that was not hurtful and belittling to their fellow students, who also worked very hard to get to that university, pass the classes, pay the various costs, etc. Why can

 

[Soulful]

It's not their own criteria. It's the criteria affirmative action typically uses. Therefore I do not consider it the students being racist. It is not based on their own opinions of people groups. They are satiring AA's opinions.

I thought they isolated AA criteria. Aren't there more categories than sex and race?

The fact that these are young adults about to enter the world is a troubling thought.

AA isn't ideal but neither is the privilege granted to various members of society. There are many more productive and respectful ways in which the issue could be addressed that could more realistically address the situation and be less likely to belittle the entire context of AA. It could even possibly lead to a meaningful discussion around the issue without distraction from the approach. Imagine that.

 

[InvisibleJim]

That's some very nice systematic racism and sexism you have there... ssssss

I demand that we 'hide' contributions from members to infjs randomly based upon the following factors:

Males - 0.5

White -0.5
Asian - 0.6
Latino - 0.85
Black - 0.95

Thusly, an Asian male has a 30% chance of having their posts viewed by other contributors.

This isn't racist though - It's affirmative action to correct the privilege of social groups because they use the internet more.

Honest.

 

[arbygil]

That's some nice pride you've got there ssssss....

Pffthp.

 

[InvisibleJim]

How ironic. Based upon your earlier determination not to apologise for an explicit error on your part I don't consider your viewpoint remotely relevant when you attempt to use pride as a negative label.

Importantly we have established that you support institutional racism!

*winkity wink*

 

[arbygil]

How ironic. Based upon your earlier determination not to apologise for an explicit error on your part I don't consider your viewpoint remotely relevant when you attempt to use pride as a negative label.

Importantly we have established that you support institutional racism!

*winkity wink*

No, actually I'm just making fun of you.

PS: You got your apology aaages ago. You just didn't like it.

 

[Korg]

meritocracy > racism