Whitlock with a good article on the Riley Cooper situation

[Fat Elvis]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/w...d-learn-080113

We, the media, will blow this Riley Cooper teachable moment. It’s what we do when it comes to race. We look for good guys and bad guys, villains and heroes. We choose the politically correct path rather than the road to understanding.

Riley Cooper
RILEY'S RUNAWAY MOUTH



Riley Cooper, a receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, did and said something very, very stupid and disgusting. Drunk and partying in a sea of whiteness, Cooper apparently lashed out at a black security guard and threatened to "fight every n****r here".

A cellphone camera captured Cooper’s ignorance. It took a month, but the blogosphere unearthed the video and broadcast it to the world. The Eagles reacted responsibly, fining Cooper and forcing him to confront his mistake publicly with the media and privately with his teammates.

Watch what he said. Warning: Language is universally considered to be offensive . . .

I don’t expect the media to respond as responsibly. Too many of us will think the solution is for NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend Riley Cooper. Too many of us will think Riley Cooper in no way reflects on all of us.

Well, I’ve been young, drunk, filled with athletic testosterone and partying in a sea of blackness. I’m glad there were no cellphone cameras then. I’ve been middle-aged, drunk, filled with non-athletic cholesterol and partying in a sea of blackness. I’m glad no one recorded the foolish thoughts I’ve uttered when I assumed no one around me would be offended.

Maybe most of the people working in the media are perfect, immune to impure, biased thoughts or actions. I’m not. And no one I know is. What happens with age and maturity is we get better at combatting our biases and keeping them from spilling out of our mouths. When we intellectually evolve, we get better at seeing the stupidity of our biases and not letting them dictate our actions.

I’m extremely distrustful of anyone who claims they’re free of biases. They’re dishonest or delusional.

For the most part, Riley Cooper handled his apology flawlessly. He forthrightly expressed the proper remorse and humbly answered every question.

“This is the lowest of lows,” Cooper said. “This is not the type of person I want to be portrayed as. This isn’t the type of person I am. I’m extremely sorry.”

There’s no room for Cooper to be totally honest. The media — social and legitimate — won’t allow Cooper to be transparent. What was captured on tape is a reflection of what type of person Cooper is.

He’s flawed. He’s a product of America’s conflicted melting pot. That is not a knock on America. We have racial issues because we’re the most diverse nation on the planet. We have trouble working through those issues because dishonesty and simple-mindedness are rewarded.

Like all of us, Riley Cooper is biased. He needs to admit that to himself so he can adequately combat his biases and be a force for positive change.

I used to be proudly homophobic. I used the F-word regularly. In 1998, while sitting in the New England Patriots press box, I got in a back-and-forth exchange with Pats fans and cracked a “joke” that ended with me asking, “Drew Bledsoe gay?”

The ensuing controversy started the process of me recognizing and realizing the utter ignorance of my homophobia. I used to be offended when people analogized the struggle for gay equality with black people’s struggle for equality. I now get it and understand their struggle benefits our struggle and the overall fight for fairness.

I hope Cooper is allowed to evolve. I hope we don’t demonize him to the point that he becomes John Rocker II and more entrenched in bigotry. I hope Cooper confronts who he is. He didn’t threaten to fight every n****r because there’s no bigotry in his heart and mind. He did it because he has failed to deal with who he really is.

He’s in the same denial most of us are in. I’m talking about all of us — black, white, brown and yellow.

I want to make one other point before I finish. Cooper’s transgression isn’t much of a locker-room issue for the Eagles. There are bigots of every color on sports teams. The beauty of sports is that teams force participants to put aside their biases and work together. Working together is different from liking or respecting each other.

Cooper isn’t a coach or executive with the power to hire and fire people based on his racial biases. Cooper is a player. He’s a 25-year-old kid with immature thoughts. His teammates will move on as long as he plays at a high level.

Racial slurs fly on football fields somewhat regularly. It’s a violent game that brings out the worst in people. My junior season at Ball State, I played against a white Northern Illinois defensive tackle who N-bombed me most of the afternoon. I kept shouting at his mostly black defensive teammates about why they would tolerate such a flaming idiot. The next year, the same guy was the most courteous opponent I played against all season.

Let’s help Cooper evolve and mature. We might be surprised by the results.

[vailpass]

[QUOTE=Thatguy;9853657]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

That's not quite true.

African Americans were sports heroes represented in various sports media. There were high profile magazines for African American audiences and African Americans were well represented on TV shows like The Jeffersons, Good Times and others.

For the record. I have absolutely no issues with BET or the name. I think Mr. Johnson was brilliant for creating this network. Starz inBlack caters to African Americans as well. No issue.

As for the notion of "White Entertainment Television", that falls under the category of the other 300+ channels not named BET.

And finally, FWIW, BET is owned by Viacom, the whitest corporation,

I have no issue with other culturals celebrating their heritage either. The reason wh you can't have "white" tv is because of the history of what that means in our society. If something was for whites only it was usually if not always at the exclusion of others: Jim crow laws for example. BET wasn't created to exclude it was created to showcase a cultural that was being excluded from mainstream pop music and television.

[9er guy]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

That's not quite true.

African Americans were sports heroes represented in various sports media. There were high profile magazines for African American audiences and African Americans were well represented on TV shows like The Jeffersons, Good Times and others.

There is a difference between shows with black actors existing and having a channel dedicated to the culture.

And the fact that you're citing "The Jeffersons" and "Good Times" as "black culture", kind of illustrates my point.

BET was founded in 1982. At the time the only popular black show was
"The Jefferson's" and again that's a comedy show. It's not really reflective of black culture.

That's like me saying "Growing Pains" is a representative of white culture.



You're right about sports. But we seemed to be relegated to that domain for quite some time.

[9er guy]

I never said BET was exclusively black from an ownership persepctive (I'm not stupid). We're just speaking on why it was created.

[OrtonsPiercedTaint]

"I'll **** every n-word here" would have been better/Hootie

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by 9er guy

There is a difference between shows with black actors existing and having a channel dedicated to the culture.

And the fact that you're citing "The Jeffersons" and "Good Times" as "black culture", kind of illustrates my point.

BET was founded in 1982. At the time the only popular black show was
"The Jefferson's" and again that's a comedy show. It's not really reflective of black culture.

That's like me saying "Growing Pains" is a representative of white culture.

You're right about sports. But we seemed to be relegated to that domain for quite some time.

BET was founded in 1980.

I understand exactly why it was founded: Capitalism. There was a gaping hole in the broadcast industry. Mr. Johnson went to great lengths to start this network and he should applauded for his insight and effort.

The Jeffersons and Good Times, like Growing Pains, represented segments of black and white culture. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a TV program or film that accurately represents every segment of black, white, Asian or Hispanic life, because that's simply impossible.

We're far too diverse as humans.

[Kidd Lex]

Awesome article from Whitlock. Thanks for sharing.

[9er guy]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

BET was founded in 1980.

I understand exactly why it was founded: Capitalism. There was a gaping hole in the broadcast industry. Mr. Johnson went to great lengths to start this network and he should applauded for his insight and effort.

The Jeffersons and Good Times, like Growing Pains, represented segments of black and white culture. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a TV program or film that accurately represents every segment of black, white, Asian or Hispanic life, because that's simply impossible.

We're far too diverse as humans.

Founded in 1980. Launched in 1982.

You make some good points and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

BET was founded in 1980.

I understand exactly why it was founded: Capitalism. There was a gaping hole in the broadcast industry. Mr. Johnson went to great lengths to start this network and he should applauded for his insight and effort.

The Jeffersons and Good Times, like Growing Pains, represented segments of black and white culture. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a TV program or film that accurately represents every segment of black, white, Asian or Hispanic life, because that's simply impossible.

We're far too diverse as humans.

Solid post.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by 9er guy

Founded in 1980. Launched in 1982.

You make some good points and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

You, too, Man!

[Setsuna]

This is a non-story. Stop talking about Gators. We don't care about you and you don't care about us.

[AdumbGuy]

Originally Posted by Maverick91579

Of course. They embrace the word, its like us saying BRO, or dude to each other, but how dare anyone not of their race say it. If you aren't comfortable saying it to anyone, it shouldn't be said period.....

Alright, I'll take a crack at this. Not a perfect analogy, but let's see if this gets everybody a slightly different perspective.

Scenario 1: Walk up to somebody and start a sentence with, "hey, shithead!" Probable outcome: Fight, dirty looks, etc.

Scenario 2: Walk up to a sibling/close friend and start a sentence with, "hey, shithead!" Probable outcome: Light hearted joking/bonding

Scenario 3: Walk up to random siblings/friends that just called each other shitheads and call one of them a shithead: Fight, dirty looks, etc. and it's probably started by the one you DIDN'T call a shithead.

One's a harmless gradeschool insult and the other's a racist slur, but both work in essentially the same way in that they can be adopted. The difference is that calling somebody a shithead is a generic insult, calling somebody a n***** evokes a long sordid history of brutality and oppression. It's like making a dead baby joke to a woman that just had a miscarriage. Sure you can make it, but don't be surprised if it brings out a shit ton of emotion.

Another thing I want to point out is the very natural human reaction you'll see throughout this thread. The idea that it's unfair, that it's hypocritical for black people to be able to call white people a name with no repercussions. That it's unfair that a black entertainment channel is fine, but a white entertainment channel would cause public outrcy. I never did anything to black people, so why can black people do something that I, a white person, can't do. Congratulations, you have just experienced a small sliver of what it's like to be a black person. Except the things a black person can't do in the same way as a white person can are significantly more problematic. One of my good friends from college - a goofy looking 160lb. six figure earning lawyer in pittsburgh told me about some woman at the grocery store not only pulling her purse tighter, but moving her cart obviously in between her and him. Or my friend from Cameroon finishing up his grad school work leaving a fancy restaurant late at night, waiting 20 minutes while every cab passed him by until he finally gave in, came back in to get our blonde friend that he always had to enlist, and then promptly caught a cab to go home. And the coup de grace - Levar freakin Reading Rainbow Burton has a routine just to ensure he doesn't accidentally get shot by police because he gets pulled over so often.

I don't think Cooper is a racist simply because in my experience, most real racists generally have only minimal or strictly professional contact with other races. But he did do something incredibly stupid. He used a word that essentially encapsulates for black people all of that frustration and all of that anger in all of that time of not being able to do the same things everybody can else can do.

I like what whitlock wrote. He is a contrarian and this is the perfect time to be a contrarian. Cooper did an incredibly stupid thing, but he should be forgiven, most certainly. But that might take some time. In the meantime, to insist that Black people "just deal with it" would be as ridiculous as everybody in this thread that displayed the normal human reaction of disliking hypocrisy, being told to just shut up and deal with it themselves. All we would do is stoke further pointless division.

We need to come together, and all together hate Peyton Manning and the ****ing Broncos.

[Setsuna]

I heard Stephen A. talk about this story and said something like "the bruthas in the locker room..." and I was like wth is this? I'm not your brother. You don't know me. Dude needs to talk objectively, not like an idiot. Man that dude is a joke, along with the network that employs him. Makes me so angry.

Also Dane don't dare call me an African American. I'll go Zulu on your ass.

[tecumseh]

Good article. Good to have these conversations. In the end, we're all individuals that happen to be...

[Easy 6]

I'm proud to call Jason one of ours, he was called up to the bigs for good reason.

[Mav]

Originally Posted by ThaVirus

A poster here, I think it was Micjones, actually dispelled that argument a while back. MLK Jr used the word himself, in jest, toward other blacks.

Of course he did. He wanted to dispel the use of words as weapons, and learn to embrace each other for who we were, and not the color of our skin.....Listen carefully to the I HAVE A DREAM speech, you will see what I mean.

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I don't condone the use of that word, ever, but this shit has completely gotten out of hand.

Michael Vick killed dogs. Donte Stallworth killed a human being. Both played in the NFL afterward and neither were a distraction in the locker room.

Killers. Felons. Not a distraction.

But a drunk guy says the "N" word and he's on the verge of losing his job, forever, because he's now labeled a "distraction"? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.



Riley's biggest mistake was saying "n****r" instead of "n***a". If he had said "n***a", it would have all been "okay", which makes this situation absolutely absurd.

I have talked with a couple of black folks today here and while they both are like he was stupid, neither think that it was this big of a deal.....Ignorant, but earth shattering and career ending? No, that's stupid.

Originally Posted by Halfcan

If the word brings back 300 years of pain and suffering to African Americans- then why do they perpetuate the word even more and glamorize it in movies and rap lyrics?

Sorry I don't call my friends "cracker" lol "Hows my cracker doing today?" "You Crackers ready to party?"

LOL, half can, this might be my favorite post in this thread, well done sir.

Originally Posted by Discuss Thrower

Devil's advocate on this, but if he's too ****ing dumb to not keep his mouth shut as a high profile person, then he's too ****ing dumb to be playing professional football.

Discuss..........First, what he did, wasn't even a law, and falls under the freedom of speech act. So even if he is a walking racist, he cant be discriminated against like this. How can one say that he is too dumb to play football, when Mike Vick, convicted Felon, and dog KILLER, Plaxico Burress, who not only is a convicted felon, but has to live with the stigma that he got his felony, from shooting himself in the leg, and Donte Stallworth, killed a man, DRUNK in Miami. THese three guys deserve to earn their millions, but Riley Cooper a fringe NFL guy doesn't? That really doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Again, not condoning his actions. he was stupid, liquored up, and had to know better. everyone has a damn smart phone. But, to lose his entire career?

Who has me pissed off is Shady McCoy. There is no way, that he hasn't in his entire life made a derogatory comment towards a white guy that he was playing with, while in uniform. So for him to take this high and mighty approach, is sickening.