Martin Luther King Day Special: Racism is alive and kicking. (Hello, McDonald’s)
The All-Star Rodeo Challenge came to Madison, WI last weekend, and the farmer took me and my kids. I was not thrilled about going, but I try to be open-minded when it comes to stuff that is new to me that I am not ever wishing I will get a chance to experience.
I asked the farmer if rodeos are bad for the animals.
He said, “City people probably think so. But most farmers don’t.”
He told me that if I really hated it, we could leave.
I really hated it before there were any animals. Before there were animals there was the flag, rising above the dirt ring, and the announcer saying everyone should sing the Star Spangled Banner to honor “the flag that protects our troops, and our churches and our great country.”
I looked over at the farmer for churches, and before I could roll my eyes, the announcer said, “Everyone please rise in the name of Jesus and sing the Star Spangled Banner.”
I told my kids to stay seated.
The farmer stayed seated out of solidarity even though he hates standing out. It was a great moment of compromise for us.
We watched the rodeo. There was a clown. The kids did not quite know what was going on and they wanted to know why the cowboys had weird clothes. But then Ronald McDonald came out — right into the bull ring. The kids recognized him immediately, and then they realized the clown was not a cowboy; with Ronald McDonald present, the world seemed to fall into place.
Then out came the animals.
In between cowboys falling violently to the ground, the announcer would say jokes like, “My girlfriend says she wants to get married. I told her I hope she finds someone nice.”
The theme of the evening, in general, was “real men get thrown off bulls and treat women like crap.”
Until the women came out. They were acrobats on fast running horses. Sort of like the clowns, only dressed like Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. The most special time, I think, was when two girls did tricks on one horse. The girls did not share a horse because the tricks are more difficult that way, it was more like the girls shared a horse to make you think they’d be available for a threesome after the show.
Luckily, this was lost on my sons. And the farmer acknowledged that this was not a family values kind of thing.
Okay. So we stayed. And then, the clown started talking about doctors. He said there are 120,000 doctors in the US and there are 70,000 accidental deaths a year. And there are 80 million gun owners in the US, and there are 12,000 accidental deaths a year. Then he shouted out, “So doctors are more dangerous than guns! So Washington, keep your hands off our guns and our health care!”
I looked at the kids. They were concentrating on their popcorn.
Then, out of nowhere, the clown brought out a wig, that had dreadlocks, and he put on a Rastafarian hat, and he started pretending that he was Barack Obama. He said, “I feel so presidential.” And he made jokes about whether Obama is a US citizen.
Why am I telling you this?
First of all, it made me feel lonely. I have heard the doctor/gun owner argument before, but not in a stadium, in Madison, WI, which is one of the most left-leaning cities in the country. And I know there is racism in this country. But I can’t believe that not a single person in that stadium yelled out anything after a racist joke. I would expect, actually, that people would boo and hiss and throw things into the ring. But no one said a word.
I felt lonely that I live in a city where this could happen. I wish I could find a place where I feel like I fit in. I think I find it, and then I don’t. And really, how could I even think that I’d fit in at a rodeo? But I kind of thought the place would be full of people like me and the farmer. Now I think I don’t even know what that means.
Another reason the rodeo makes me sad is that McDonald’s sponsors it. My ticket stub says “All-Star Rodeo Challenge. Pre-show: McDonald’s Cowboys 4 Kids”. Somehow the whole thing is more upsetting because it’s sanctioned by McDonald’s. And they know better.
My company, Brazen Careerist, just launched a company section in our social network. The reason we did that is because according to Cone, 50% of generation Y communicate with companies through social media. And Jeremy Owyang, from Forrester Research reports that, “In approximately two years social networks will be more powerful than corporate web sites. Brands will serve community interests and grow based on community advocacy.”
Today, young people see corporate brands as an extension of their identity. This is why Facebook has been so successful with corporate fan pages — young people want to express themselves by linking themselves to corporate brands they like.
And, people who manage their careers well end up paying more attention to a company’s reputation for caring about people and community than what any given job description is. After all, a job description can change the day you walk in the door, but how a company participates in the world around it is not likely to change quickly.
Okay. So. I confess to being relatively close to the McDonald’s brand. I didn’t use to be. I never ate at McDonald’s in my life until I moved to Madison. But in Madison, it’s a long, cold winter, and McDonald’s has great indoor playgrounds, all over the Madison area. And each is different and fun in it’s own way. So we tour them all winter.
Also, now that I understand the beef industry a little better, I understand that McDonald’s single-handedly cornered the beef industry, yes, but also listened to consumer outcry over animal conditions, and meat quality, and improved both (by hiring Temple Grandin.)
So I like McDonald’s. But today, I can tell you that if I had a job at McDonald’s, I’d be lonely. Because they sponsored an event that teaches kids prejudice and hate and racism. And if companies want to attract good employees, they need to be good corporate citizens. Those are the type of companies we want to work for.
One of the most important changes in work life is that we do not define our career by working for one company—we change jobs too frequently. Today, we define ourselves by the integrity with which we manage our career. That requires working with companies we respect. The integrity of individual companies matters more today than it used to—it affects the bottom line for those companies on both the consumer side and the employee side. We watch corporate brands closely, to see how we will use them to extend our own brand.
Finally, since it’s Martin Luther King Day, and since Psychology Today just published a study that says people feel better if they do an act of activism, I have a proposal:
We should each twitter today:
@McDonalds Racism is not okay and neither is hate. Please stop your support of the All-Star Rodeo. http://bit.ly/4AiXT1
UPDATE! Here’s a response from McDonald’s:
Hi Penelope,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This appears to be a local pre-show program in support of a local Ronald McDonald House Charities fundraiser. Rest assured, McDonald’s does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We are currently looking into this matter.
Jessica Thompson
Manager, U.S. Communications
McDonald’s USA
P: I would have felt lonely, too! And yes, it’s understandable why you or anyone else in that crowd might have booed or hissed–but didn’t. Standing up to racism and hatred and religious intolerance takes more than a lot of courage. (Especially when you’re standing up to people who loves guns!)
But here’s the thing. Making fun of someone for the color of their skin is hurtful. Forget the other words. Forget the fact that Barack Obama is our PRESIDENT, a person who is certainly as symbolic of our core values as a flag. And Religion by authoritarian means (stand up or pray in the name of MY religion–or be shamed) is as ugly as it gets and I, too, sit it out. When the crowd is forced to pray in Jesus name at my daughter’s softball games, I am equally offended (doesn’t matter what my religion is; talk about core American values being stomped!) Doesn’t matter if the flag was involved in this case–it is not an American value to force others to pray in the name of your religion and the flag would not wave for it if it had the choice!
But clearly, the real issue your blog raises as illustrated by both your experience and too many comments here…is the depth and breadth in this country of racism and hatred and intolerance–pure ignorance. We should all take note–and stand up.
It’s racist because it uses a stereotype based only on skin color to mock a black man. Why is this so hard for some people to get?
If it’s still hard, I’ll shorten it: stereotype-skin color-mock-black man
It’s racist because it mocks him on the basis of his race.
Duh!
Also, by association (skin color – Duh!) it mocks ALL black people on the basis of their race.
I was as upset by this article as many of you that I persevered and read all the comments thus far : in the end, I don’t actually care whether the Announcer did or didn’t say “Everyone please rise in the name of Jesus and sing the Star Spangled Banner.” or “In Jesus name we pray, Amen. Now please stand for the National Anthem.” – either way I wouldn’t think it very ‘diverse’ to bring Jesus into the equation for the Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists & Agnostics etc. I don’t think the Jews or the Muslims would agree to pray in the name of Jesus.
And as for the mocking of Barack – I don’t care for the holier than thou attitude, “my president right or wrong” that was encouraged under Bush – but the mocking of any minority – even the person on the gate taking the ticket money – is unacceptable – what is wrong with you people?
Thank you for blogging about your experience and the impact on you and your kids!
One important note…racism and labeling “the other” exits on the coasts as well as in the heartland (I see this as a Midwesterner now living in Boston)…the expression of this belief system just shows up differently. I believe we become “unconscious” to how it shows up in our own neck of the woods (no excuses for our unconsciousness!) Your post forces it to our collective consciousness for challenge, discussion and hopefully change. And I challenge everyone to surface the racism and labeling that shows up (differently)in our own neck of the woods whether the heartland, west coast, or east coast. It is only when we collectively call each out on these behaviors that we begin to change.
Hi Penelope,
Thanks for a magnificent post.
On such a special day as Martin Luther King Jr Day I was deeply saddened to hear of your experience of how racism is alive and kicking in the USA. I am, however, greatly lifted to hear you “speak from the heart” and to take action and encourage others in peaceful protest as Martin Luther King Jr himself would have done. Here at The Speakers’ College I encourage all people to learn to “speak from the heart” – not only is it cathartic but the beginning of meaningful change, a turning point for aspiring public speakers. I hope by encouraging others to “speak from the heart” you precipitate a change of heart in all who espouse racism. Well done and God Bless (and I mean that sincerely.)
“Then, out of nowhere, the clown brought out a wig, that had dreadlocks, and he put on a Rastafarian hat, and he started pretending that he was Barack Obama. He said, “I feel so presidential.” And he made jokes about whether Obama is a US citizen.
Is that really racism or you choose to say it is because this way you get more attention?
Really, I can see a joke here. Racism? It is a stretch.
No it’s clearly racism. As others have said, they’re mocking him on the basis of his race. Obama is not a Rastafarian – the only connection is skin color.
Absolutely right. Now, since we’re talking about ancestors: Rastafarians are Jamaicans, and descended from former slaves. Obama is half Somali, and he may very well be descended from the slave traders that devastated East Africa. That’s what a lot of Somalis did as recently as the Nineteenth Century.
So comparing a Somali to a Rastafarian is very insulting to the Rastafarian.
Martin Luther had a small head-start on Tyndale, as Luther declared his intolerance for the Roman Church's corruption on Halloween in 1517, by nailing his 95 Theses of Contention to the Wittenberg Church door. Luther, who would be exiled in the months following the Diet of Worms Council in 1521 that was designed to martyr him, would translate the New Testament into German for the first time from the 1516 Greek-Latin New Testament of Erasmus, and publish it in September of 1522. Luther also published a German Pentateuch in 1523, and another edition of the German New Testament in 1529. In the 1530's he would go on to publish the entire Bible in German.
Racism takes on many forms and lurks around countless corners, but like sexism, it pretty much means “it doesn’t matter what you say or do, I can’t like you because of what you are. I made up my mind before I met you (and I intend to give you hell about it).” And it is everywhere. See this Facebook page from Australia. Seems reasonable, no? Hah!Of course not. This offensive, racist idiocy is acceptable to Facebook? Apparently. Everywhere I say. I guess we are just going to have to fight it one Ronald McDonald appearance, one web page at a time. Tweeting as I post….
Racism takes on many forms and lurks around countless corners, but like sexism, it pretty much means “it doesn’t matter what you say or do, I can’t like you because of what you are. I made up my mind before I met you (and I intend to give you hell about it).” And it is everywhere. See this Facebook page from Australia. Seems reasonable, no? Of course not. This offensive, racist idiocy is acceptable to Facebook? Apparently. Everywhere I say. I guess we are just going to have to fight it one Ronald McDonald appearance, one web page at a time. Tweeting as I post….
i am writing to you from Buenos Aires , Argentina. Although our cultures are very different, i did understand your loneliness and i feel sad that there are people like that (the bad jokes guy…) around …
Loved your post. As a relative newcomer to your blog, which isn’t written for my demographic (as a boomer), I find that I enjoy experiencing the thinking you provoke in readers, even if I sometimes have to put some personal “age-group” sensitivities on the back burner. Being open, learning from people who look at their reality from a different perspective than my own is an important practice, in my view, at any stage of life.
Also loved the call to action in this post, and found the continuum of comments posted…illuminating. Hopeful and depressing, all the same time. I plan on passing this posting on to everyone I know, including my college-aged daughter, and hope they spread the word and answer your call to action, so that McDonald’s has the opportunity to reconsider sponsoring this or other such thinly-veiled events in the future.
I recently took our 4H horse group on a field trip to a rodeo. The rodeo clown and announcer definitely did their share of sexist “joking.” Thankfully, the women in the rodeo were competitors, not the sex objects you described. They did roping, etc.
Here is why I am commenting: I feel lonely frequently in the same way, and for the same reasons, you described in this blog. I have assumed it was because I live in the rural south and that if I lived somewhere like Madison or Ann Arbor it would be different. So, while it’s disappointing that it’s not, it does make me feel better about where I live and a little less lonely. So, thanks for blogging!
Sorry – I can’t agree with Ms. Trunk on this one. I fail to see the racism. If anything, it’s an insult to Rastafarians. For sure, it was a lame joke. The elitism I’m seeing in many of the comments in this thread is just as disturbing to me as racism. I’m a white guy but I am in an interracial marriage so I’m surely not racist, am I? I’m not a Christian either, but I would have stood for the anthem out of respect.
Finally, the accusations against McDonald’s are unfounded and irresponsible. Ms. Trunk plays a little bit loose with the facts in order to strengthen her position. I don’t think she did it on purpose – I think she really did hear what she wrote – but what she heard was heavily filtered through her own preconceptions.
If you fail to see the racism, well then, you fail. It’s been clearly explained many times throughout this thread so I suspect that you simply refuse to see the racism.
“So, I like McDonald’s”
Please, please, please educate yourself by reading these three books and then let us know if you still like McDonalds and think it is a good idea to go there and feed your children their food.
BOOKS:
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, the China Study by Colin Campbell and Don’t Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America by Morgan Spurlock.
The best to you and your family!
-Joan
Just Tweeted. Disgusting.
“For the record”? That’s what you use to justify your comment? And I suppose that means “I can’t be racist because of my mixed ancestry…so I can say anything I want about black people”, right? WRONG.
You go, girl! I would have felt the same if I’d heard announcements (and to a non-reacting crowd, yet!) such as you describe. Kind of like I felt a few weeks ago at a white-elephant gift exchange when the “hoot” of the evening was a Hilary nutcracker that everyone else thought was hilarious. I felt like I’d been transported to hate planet. It made me sad.
I would tweet, but I don’t. But I support you in your efforts to understand the world and translate it for the rest of us.
Well done.
Coming from Oregon I can’t imagine the renowned Pendleton Rodeo being racist as Penelope found the All-Star Rodeo Challenge to be when in Wisconsin. I was startled by several things she said happened there but the part about how the “clown” dressed up as our president just floored me. McDonalds: stop sponsoring this sort of “family entertainment”
I am so disappointed that you would jump on this bandwagon of mistruths. Roger Mooney is an NFR announcer, has done almost every big rodeo in the United States. He is a professional and great rodeo announcer. Gizmo McCracken has also worked almost every big rodeo around too. The All American Cowgirl Chicks just returned from the Rose Bowl with the National FFA organization. Their spandex pants and long sleeved tops are beautiful. Their performance was as well.
This women twisted this into a reality show for her own personal gain.
I was of course sorry to read about your Rodeo experience Big P. but the reality of racism in the US is still a fact. It may not be as overt but it permeates our culture very deeply. Not to mention Homophobia, Classism and discrimination to anything that is different.
Corporations for the most part only care about their bottom line, that is making money. Yes, their are a few exceptions but a true corporate conscious is rare.
With our nation being in the middle of “the GREAT RECESSION” and most other common men/women like myself in desperate need of any “decent” job, we take the job that helps us feed our families and then worry about the morals of the company that is employing us. That Big P. is my truth today.
Best,
Cesar
Wow, this one really brought the cranks (and poor spellers) out. It’s pretty easy to tell the difference between regular readers’ comments and drive-bys. At least you’re getting traffic out of it!
I know the loneliness feeling that you mention. When I was visiting family for Christmas, I had to listen to a bunch of pretty overtly bigoted talk — from people who would deny that they felt any differently about black people than white, if pressed, of course, because we are a nice middle class churchgoing family and only rednecks are racist. At least you got to leave the rodeo clowns behind — I’m stuck with my dad.
It’s somewhat disturbing that people think racism can ONLY be narrowly defined as a mere “superiority complex” in regards to people of another ethnicity.
What about hatred? What about the negative stereotyping and ridiculing of people’s skin color, ethnicity and culture for no other reason than to degrade them?
Let me, guess, boo hoo hoo, right?
So I have a couple of things to say. First of all, I’m with you on being open minded about different subcultures. I try to be as non-judgmental as I can. I don’t see anything inherently wrong with living “the simple life”. But in any culture, racism and sexism (especially together) cross the line.
I don’t know, but, the collective ritual of watching the Rodeo, which is basically a spectacle of violence involving both humans and animals for sport, seems fundamentally wrong to me. The fact that you’ve indicated that this Rodeo show is more than just Rodeo—it’s an amphitheater show that mixes religion, politics, American business icons like McDonalds, and entertainment (even adult entertainment).
This is typical “Us vs. Them” mentality. Where are the grey areas? What ever happened to looking at both sides of a debate? We come from all walks of life, religions, nationalities, etc. You know the speech. Being from one or the other does not make us less human. And for those that argue that this reasoning isn’t “tough” or ruthless enough, well, you are just adding to the empty-headed machismo and bigotry that runs all too rampant in this male dominated society.
I congratulate you on teaching your kids basic morals. If every parent did that we’d have a much brighter future.
Matt– You must be new here. Penelope is an attention whore and doesn’t care who she maligns or hurts when she makes up her little stories. I seriously doubt if half the events she presents here actually happened at this rodeo.
I’m confused. What exactly was racist about the criticism of the president?
Racism:
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
2. a policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.
3. hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.
Masha – I take issue with your comment on two fronts.
1. I live in a big city (Chicago) and racism is alive and kicking here, too. It’s not limited to small towns.
2. Europe has long had a racism problem — it’s not just a recent flare up. France comes to mind.
Brigitte, thanks for your comment. I meant to say that outside the big cities in the US there are only few liberal communities. I don’t mean to confuse Republicans with racists, I just meant to say that when you grow up in rural white America and people you live with start mixing politics with religion and entertainment to create racist propaganda it is not easy to form your own (healthy, respectable) opinion.
As far as Europe concerns, racism has always been everywhere, but in recent times, especially during the recession, even the usually tolerant and open minded countries turn to old habits of blaming immigrants. Look at The Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium.
Having lived in NYC for a long time, I’m having a hard time adapting to Western Europe again, with changed perceptions about who ‘belongs’ here and who doesn’t, who’s beliefs or values are right or superior (and no longer equal) and loss of mutual respect.
I am very much enjoying the conversation in this comment section. I would argue that the more subtle or questionable an act of racism is, the more harmful it can be for our society. It’s easy to point in horror at obvious acts of racism and claim that “I’m not like that, so I’m not racist,” but much more difficult to stand up against the murky ground that Penelope brings up here.
For example, I was watching Miss Congeniality for the 20th time on TV, and I suddenly noticed all the stereotypes that were played up for comedic effect:
1. The angry black woman
2. The dumb pageant winner
3. Bullock’s character, who had to choose between being a butch FBI agent or a glamorous one. Because there’s no middle ground for women.
I’m sure there are even more…but I got so sickened that I turned the movie off.
Without the stereotypes we’re so accustomed to, most of the jokes in this movie wouldn’t have a punch line. And every time we watch movies or anything else that blindly applies a stereotype without forcing us to examine it reinforces them deeper into our collective consciousness.
This steady trickle of subtle messaging is what make the larger acts of racism possible.
Subtle messaging takes many forms.
Thank you!! Exactly
FYI I have been trying to click on links to some other posts, and on the general categories and they don’t seem to load…I just get a blank page. I’ve tried from 2 different laptops so it can’t be my browser. Help! I want to read more!
I had this too and got help from brazen careerist. It’s a Safari bug. Remove all cookies and if that doesn’t work go to System Preferences, Network, Advanced, Under Proxies, make sure Web Proxy is not selected (uncheck if so). If it is not selected try Auto Proxy Discovery.
Where is the racism? Making fun of Obama = racism now? You make me sick to compare that to the true racism that exists every day. It’s pathetic. Get over yourself.
Why is this racist? Because the truth is, this clown cannot acknowledge Obama as a president or a senator or a civil rights lawyer or a professor. He only acknowledges Obaba as a black man who is not supposed to be any of those things. People can say it’s only a joke and that I am reading too much into it, but I have suffered this kind of racism so much in my life that I know it like the back of my hand.
So this is not kid friendly but yelling about F*cking snow pants is?
McDonald’s sent a response! I have added it to the bottom of my post.
-Penelope
Penelope, their response is not showing up in the post yet.
I found it interesting that McDonald’s was conversing with people on Twitter who were complaining or praising their food – and asking people to follow them so McDonald’s could send them coupons.
Yet, there was an eerie silence and zero response to the numerous Tweets re: your post. I think McDonald’s needs to review their social media policies and a) respond to issues such as your blog post with lightning speed, and b) not be afraid to interact with their critics via Twitter.
@ Jeff,
Maybe McDonald’s wanted to research the facts, before responding to this serious accusation.
That at the end, the tweets went from ‘McDonald’s supports racists acts’, to ‘McDonald’s supports shows that are not kid friendly’.
Damn.
I just wish there is a copy of that rodeo show.
I am a Canadian. I ask you to please stop being offended by anyone’s exercise of their freedoms. It is anyone’s right not to stand for their anthem, not to sing their anthem, to express their disapproval of anything they find offensive.
Please remember that American (and Canadian) soldiers are dying in Afghanistan to prevent the spread of intolerance and absolutism that would deny those freedoms to everyone. Canadian and American soldiers died on the beaches of Juno, Omaha and Utah to ensure those freedoms would not be exterminated.
When did Americans get so thin-skinned and timorous? There was a time in recent memory when Americans did not recoil from foreign or internal criticism because they were confident that their basic freedoms were what made their country the strongest in the world.
Now the nation with the most powerful military in world history seems to be afraid of its own shadow and any dissent or disagreement. I am deeply sad that a good neighbour has become fearful of the very things that makes itslef strong.
Funny that a Canadian sees this comments kerfuffle more clearly than the Americans involved!
Very eloquent. I am glad to see a fellow Canadian putting clear, concise and clever comments out there (rather than the anti-American backlash that often occurs and serves only to demonstrate our own intolerance).
Thank you, Dorie. I appreciated your post and the reality check that it provided.
KarenM, all of your comments are moronic and, in some cases, coincide with a broken shift key. Penelope is taking proactive action against racism, not for her career, but for her kids and community. Besides internet bitching, what are you doing to address this problem?
Also for your reference, it’s not the act but the intent. Halloween = ok because it’s a holiday designed to amuse/scare children. Denigrating president because of race = racism. Hope that helps.
Also, by association (skin color – Duh!) it mocks ALL black people on the basis of their race.
@ Mel and @ Sparsh
One thing is bigotry; one is ignorance; one is bad taste. Yet another one is hate. You could have them together, but they are not necesarily the same.
This brouhaha reminds me of the ’08 Olympics in China. In Spain, some teams got pictures slanting their eyes, as if they were Oriental-looking.
For me, those pictures looked silly (actually, the swimming team looked kind of cute); but here in USA, sports commentators were freaking out with the pictures, calling the team “racists”; “ignorants”; and a bunch of other epithets.
Again, with the information provider by P Trunk, I do not see the Rastafarian-wig wearing, ‘Im-feeling-presidential-‘saying, rodeo clown. Really, if wearing a Rasta wig means mocking ALL blacks, then wearing a Scottish kilt, and acting drunk, is mocking ALL white (from Australia, Canada, Europe, Etc.)
And to close it: Obama’s ancestors are black AND “white”, with Dutch roots. From what you guys write, it seems that you are in fact accepting that ‘one drop of blood’ still is the rule in USA.
Bigotry, ignorance and hate can all be examples of racism. Hate is the worst but it doesn’t mean that bigotry and ignorance are not also racist.
And yes, imagine if people mocked Dubya by dressing up in a kilt and saying “I feel presidential”, when the only connection between Dubya and a Scotsman is the colour of his skin. Yes, that would be racist. Instead they dressed up as a cowboy, not because he is white but because he IS a cowboy. Obama is not a Rasta – the only connection is skin colour (not race, which is mixed as you say).
Hmmm…So what if the clown wears wooden clogs, and says “I’m feeling presidential”?
Wouldn’t that make it also racist against the current president, and mocking ALL “whites”? Even the Scotman example would be offensive for him. He is, after all, part white.
My question again is: How did you guys decided that he was black? Why not white, with some black ancestors?
@Melissa I already answered that in the comment above. Did you actually read it? The part where I said they were mocking him on the basis of skin colour.
Obama is mixed race, however his skin colour is not white.
Obama doesn’t share a skin colour with the stereotypical kilt-wearing Scotsman (though in fact there are black people in Scotland).
It seems the people who performed the skit decided he was black. They decided that his skin colour was enough to link him to Rastafarians. That’s racist.
It’s not my job to take you in hand and educate you. Google “racism 101” if you want to explore these ideas further.
Your reprisal of the events at the All-Star Rodeo have created quite a stir among folks with whom I am well acquainted. In the spirit of finding common ground with your observations, I too have found myself cringing with disgust at the alleged humor of a few rodeo clowns. And, having grown up in the Northeast, the whole rodeo genre appeal was lost on me. However, just as there are racists, red-necks and riff-raff in urban and rural settings, liberal or conservative, of all nationalities, religions and races — the rodeo world is no different. I would suggest to you, however, that I have met some of the most generous, hard-working, family-oriented people I have ever known in my exposure to the western way of life. I loved horses — initially, that was the only thing I could find to love about rodeos until I met some people who routinely appear and compete in them. Specifically, I am speaking of the group of girls you refer to as Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader types. I met this group about 6-7 years ago. It was started by a mom and her daughters who wanted to raise money for a local little boy with a rare type of cancer which caused him to lose his eye and nearly half of his face. Several other moms and daughters joined the group and developed some fast-paced, synchronized drills on horseback. They took their “show” on the road to local rodoes around their hometown in north Texas. Stock contractors who provided the stock for those rodeos would pay them a little money for performing their drills between events. That money was given to the little boy’s family for his medical expenses. It was nowhere near enough to even make a dent in the mountain of bills — but lifelong friendships evolved, moms and daughters found common ground (not always easy with teenage daughters!), young girls — some from broken homes, some with behavior problems, some with physical challenges (one young team member is blind) joined the group through the years and found a way, through horsemanship and sportsmanship to turn their lives around and, more importantly, inspire others looking to do the same. This team has been in existence for nearly 15 years now. Little girls, moms, young women — some have come and gone — but the root purpose of the team still exists — to provide thrilling entertainment to rodeo fans and horse afficionados, while paying tribute to our military families and raising money for various cancer charities. Therefore, I would ask you to recant your comments that the girls trick riding on one horse were somehow creating an illusion of a “threesome” (which for the life of me, I don’t see the imagery at all). This entire team of ladies deserve better — even from someone who obviously has no idea what they do, how hard they train, the sacrifices they make to travel around the country on very little, to inspire young girls to turn their lives around through horsemanship and the western way of life. Incidentally, many of the horses have been rescued from certain death — another noble cause of this team. Again, Ms. Trunk, I would respectfully ask that you reconsider your comments about these girls. After all, I am the mother of one of them — one who has comopletely turned her life around and has grown into an accomplished, goal-oriented, college student — having learned perserverance, patience, and purpose, and who is seeking to inspire others as she hangs perilously close to the pounding hoofs of a half ton of animal.
@Jill I can understand why you and your daughters are upset as it must feel like a personal attack. However I think there is another way to interpret Penelope’s comments. She didn’t say that the girls would be available for a threesome, she said the act conveyed that impression. She was critiquing the performance, not the performers.
@ Jill Carolan,
I also found demeaning the comment of the girls available for a threesome. Sexual freedom is fine (ok, you may not agree with this one); but my issue is, that the comment converted them into objects, ignoring their athleticism.
Let’s give Ms Trunk the benefit of the doubt. I don’t think is cool supporting/branding sexism as the new post-feminism.
(I’m now I’m back to work :))
Jill, your words have resonance. I remember back in -oh- I think it was the 90s or so – and a summer Olympics was on TV (U.S. Women’s National Team at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games). The women’s soccer team – it was the year Mia Hamm played w/ a sprained ankle – was on the cusp of a gold (as I recall) and both my teenage girls were avid soccer athletes/one was the goalie on a state championship team. But do you think for the life of us we could watch the game as it was played live on TV? No, it wasn’t covered (as I recall) but what was covered? Female sand volleyball with girls in bikinis. Go figger.
educate yourself on the uniform please. Not remotely close to a bathing suit unless you wear a long sleeve full length bathing suit!
SAND volleyball, Susie. SAND volleyball. The kind they play during the summer Olympics – the kind that gets broadcast on national TV. They’re in bikinis, honey, NOT long sleeve full length bathing suits. Long sleeve full length bathing suits wouldn’t draw the kind of TV audience (think t&a) that girls in bikinis do. Do you get this now?
To address the question are female volleyball players sexualized? Are you kidding me? Just about everything that gets broadcast in one form or another involving females is sexualized. Wake up and pop that beer can.
Sexualization is a huge issue in our culture – and it's alive and well in the workplace.
Nobody really wants to talks about it – it profits men to make women think they're crazy when they bring it up. "That's your imagination – your perspective – your slant," they sneer. Most women shut up at that point and some even drink that Kool-Aid: trivializing the problem (is this a lock-step response to curry favor w/ the boys?) with remarks to "just ignore it" but what this accomplishes really is to keep the facts covered over and simmering on the back burner. The "myth" is profitable to those who hold the reins of power. You see, in this world, women do the majority of the work, own a small percent (and I mean small – you'd be shocked to learn the actual numbers!) of the world's wealth and receive a small fraction of the world's income.
And (most) men like it like that. You see, it profits them.
Remember that word. Always follow the money. It profits men to hold the position they do in the world. Work/income/wealth. If you can get someone else to do most of the work, receive a fraction of the income and possess an even tinier fraction of the wealth – then what have you? A world inhabited by happy men and overworked, frazzled and unhappy women.
And that pretty much explains the intersection of life and work, which is what this blog is supposed to be about.
And what does this have to do w/ sexualization? The women reading this blog might ask themselves why do they allow these things to happen? Why do they willingly put on those bikinis and "bounce" around in the sand after "bouncing" balls? Why put on Dallas Cowboy outfits and do gymnastics on the backs of horses? Why wear high heels (did you know a high heel emulates the position of a woman's foot during orgasm?) and go through all the other machinations of appearing desirable in our society? Why do women show décolletage in the workplace?
I'll tell you why. Because it profits them to. They're willing to trade their wares for the small amount of coin it brings in. And the really sorry fact? Most of the small coin goes to the men around (most) of them.
And before you slam Penelope for ringing out her heart-felt emotions that cause issues like these to come up before the eyes of the world, consider this: Do you have the balls to do it?
Penelope does and for that I salute her.
Who's your daddy now?
Interesting to note that Penelope was once one of those bikini-clad volleyball players.
Having gone through the comments… I also find it interesting to remember that P was a volleyball player herself. Perhaps she could address this issue, are female volleyball players sexualized? Because I know from my male friends that they are…
@Jill Carolan
That is admirable and I am glad that you took the time to thoughtfully defend and clarify the aspects of the act that many may not be aware of, and I want to be clear that my comment should not be taken in any way to minimize the good things you all have accomplished. If the Rodeo had introduced the act in the same manner you did, perhaps the reaction would have been different. In the same light, perhaps the thought of how some in the audience may perceive or react to the act itself and the participants may not have crossed your mind.
I think it’s clear that Ms Trunk was commenting on one specific portion of the act and it’s message in regard to the entire context of her experience that day. You can’t deny that there are sexual connotations in these, and many other acts of this nature (Vegas shows as one example). If not, they would be wearing Wrangler jeans like Brett Favre and his Minnesota Vikings teammates (Who dat? We dat!), or some other acrobatic costume, not something similar to a bathing suit.
That said, it is a bit disingenuous to criticize someone for making a stereotypical sexual comment about these performers when the nature and performance of portions of the act invites that. If it were an all female rodeo I don’t think they would be dressing quite the same…although on second thought, if it were actually an ALL female rodeo, they might enjoy it just as well I guess. Better said, if it were a predominantly female audience – the costumes and nature of the performance might change.
One more thing by the way. I was at McDonalds yesterday getting fat-ter, and I saw that Ronald McDonald fella. I punched him in the arm for this. He looked confused, but I could tell he knew what it was for. I felt better! -Peace
Thank you!!! My daughter is a part of this team & I am so angered & broken hearted for the two girls she referenced!!! Very well written!
Dear Penelope,
I am not outraged. I am not pissed off. But rather, I am completely disheartened that you could make such slanderous and hurtful comments. I am a trick rider myself and the trick that you speak of is a beautiful Liberty stand combo-ed with it’s dangerous opposite, the Tail Drag. To make such slanderous statements as to say that the girls were soliciting some sort of threesome is not only proposterous, but also very hurtful. These girls ARE dressed like COWGIRLS, not cheerleaders or hookers however you want to make them sound like. Spandex is a must for trick riding because of the dangerous manuevers and the chance to get caught up in anything baggier- just like swimsuits, which I’m sure you probably have one of those. Does that make you a Cowboys Cheerleader wannabe or a stripper or anything else of ill-repute??? NO. So the next time you go to the beach- watch out, because some blogger might think that you are trying to proposition their men for a roll in the sand and write about it. Just so you know, I didn’t take offense to the ridiculous jokes the clown made about women, but your words cut deep into my heart. They made me feel dirty because of my athletic build and ability to perform dangerous feats atop a running horse. You, yourself hurt women. I am agast and in disbelief at the disgusting manner in which you described this innocent sport.
Also, I hope McDonalds get’s on-board with your anti-American, self-despising, false patriotism. The fact that the Star Spangled Banner and the praise of the courageous Americans that do what OUR (that means you too) government asks of them made you so utterly disgusted immediately, should be key enough for any large corporate sponsor to throw your plea of support right out the window like some stale, two day old fries.
Oh, and your comments about racism. I ask you to look the mirror, because racism’s first cousin is stereotyping. For you to make broad statements about the whole of rodeo being ANYTHING you have judged it as by your ONE experience makes your more than hypocritical. Each person should be held responsible for their actions, NOT AN ENTIRE SPORT OR AN ENTIRE RODEO. If the clown was out of line then, fine call him out. Keep it in perspective- I’m not going to hate ALL black people just because of one bad experience, because THAT is STEREOTYPING and THAT is RACISM!
All in all, your blog made me feel lonely. It made me feel as if the over-dramatized words of one very judgemental, small-minded blogger could get the full support of an organization that obviously can be easily controlled by any slanderous media. It made me feel like I should be ashamed of the beautiful sport that I love and my own body, that was so crudely misrepresented and absurdly likened to prostitution. It made me feel like I was being judged harshly and looked down upon because of your own experience in Madison, WI. Because if I could walk up to you today and say “Hi my name is Abigail Petersen, and I am a Trick Rider,” what would you think? Would you think that I am looking for the nearest street corner? Would you just simply do what any racist would do: carry your opinions of one performance and associated with me?
Penelope, you have written some very powerful words in your MLK day special, but furthermore you have shown your true sentiments- that of a woman hating, small-minded, judgemental person.
P.S. Cowboys wear “funny clothes” because it is what is used in ranch work and rodeo. Next time, it would be good for your kids sake to take a moment to actually find out a little bit more about things that you are so ignorant of.
Just to be fair I re-read your article again, to make sure that what I had said was relevant.
I see now why you didn’t stand for the national anthem because of your religious beliefs. I do sympathize with the fact that you didn’t want to stand in the name of Jesus, who you don’t believe in. So I respectfully retract those statements, due to my own misinterpretation when I first read it.
Frankly, I don’t understand the requirement that somebody stand for the flag/anthem. The very people who make tremendous sacrifices, for these ideals, by serving in the military are also being abandoned by the government that sent them off to combat. They were routinely being discharged for the wrong reasons, as the government attempted to weasel out of their legal requirements for the care of the wounded, forcing them into lengthy legal battles that few of them could afford to engage in. That’s just one of the things I think about. It surprises me that any veteran, who presumably knows this has been going on, would bury their head in the sand about it and seemingly have more rage for those who don’t go through the motions of singing songs and saluting flags.
I dont even know where to begin or if I should even respond!!! My response is personal, so for all of you fathers & mothers who support this collumn, shame on you!!! Have your political views, religious views but when you allow someone to speak so disrespectfully about someones daughters, that is where my problem begins! My daughter, who is 9, is a part of the team in which Penelope is referencing as having a threesome! Heartbroken, is the words I would use!!! So next time your child is riding his/her bike with another child on the seat, or doing gymnastics in her leotard, remember there might be some sick person who can turn it into something sexual! So for the two smart beautiful,athletic girls that she was referencing, who raise money for cancer patients everytime they ride, who proudly lift up the American flag as they are riding there horses (that they rescued & saved from abusive homes) Im sorry for such stupidity on the side of this author!!! Penelope, atleast educate yourself on who you are accusing of having a threesome!!! Oh ya, Im sorry for your children too. It must be hard to live in a home with such negativity!!!
I read this comment (an ironically negative comment complaining about negativity) instead of listening to Durnigan’s Law: “Don’t read the comments.”
Doing your Presidential Rasta-man bit all over the country does not validate it. Asking people to pray/stand in the name of Jesus all over the country does not make it appropriate. These are actions of a majority group that seemingly have little concern for the effect it may have on minority groups, and yet somehow the rest of us need to get over it.
I’m glad at least McDonald’s understands that what Penelope described was an act of discrimination. I don’t understand how a person imitating Obama by putting on a Rastafarian hat is not racism….what do Rastafarian hats have to do with Obama? That he’s black? Yes he is (half-black, for your information)….and what does being black have to do with being the President? This is a pretty basic line of reasoning that leads to a racist message, but some of you are having a hard time understanding that, apparently. I am appalled.
I think some of you need to finish high school before you start defining what racism is and what it is not.
Just a couple of comments/questions. First, not sure exactly what was racist about this – anyone care to explain? It was a lampoon – stupid, yes, but racist? Second, how was the farmer staying seated in any way a moment of compromise? I think it was great that he supported P, but since a compromise involves both sides giving up something, what exactly did P give up here? Third, how did one stupid joke about marriage turn into “The theme of the evening, in general, was "real men get thrown off bulls and treat women like crap."? Maybe there was more that got left out during editing, but it seems a bit sketchy to me. Lastly, “The girls did not share a horse because the tricks are more difficult that way, it was more like the girls shared a horse to make you think they’d be available for a threesome after the show.” Really? How did you come to that conclusion? I’ve been to a few rodeos and somehow missed that whole orgy vibe – guess that just makes me sexually clueless, eh?
I will agree that the reference to Jesus was out of place, but it seems that the response is a bit overboard – reminds me of the overblown David Delliman incident.
Maybe Penelope’s compromise was going to the rodeo in the first place?
As for the racism, re-read this thread as it’s been explaining clearly several times by now.