Schwartz: Dolphin, the Hawkeyes, and Being PC

[thehawk]

RE: 8. Put another way, it’s a long-overdue method of stripping unearned cultural power from Earth’s Mightiest Victims, straight white men, by telling them, “You don’t get a free pass to talk about me however you want without facing consequences,” and its effects on straight white men brings to mind the saying, “When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”

Someone has been worked over. I'm not sure where to start on this one. That's quite a judgement to label white males as a class as Earth's Mightiest Victims. I didn't realize that we're talking about a class of people but rather Gary Dolphin as an individual. What's this about "you don't get to talk about me..?" It was Learfield that made this call not the Maryland player. And the last bit about "equality feels like oppression," just wow... I don't see how Gary was privileged to happen to have a job as a radio announcer nor do I see how it is equality to hang the Sword of Damocles over his head if he says anything someone can misconstrue as an insensitive statement. This implies Gary has been accustomed to being able to say things as a white male that say Charles Barkley or Tony Dungy have not been able to say. Schwartz, do you even know words, bro?

 

[PCHawk]

Imagine if Dolph said "Bruno looked like a giant ape in the paint". Every single person would agree that it was bad. He didn't say that.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Imagine if Dolph said "Bruno looked like a giant ape in the paint". Every single person would agree that it was bad. He didn't say that.

I hate to break it to you: KING KONG = APE

 

[RobHowe]

I'm not naive enough to think the SOME of the media plays a part in dividing this country. I'm not ready to paint with a broad brush and say it's the entire industry.

That said, it starts with the leaders of this country on both sides of the isle. And the media and elected officials are catering to the public. This thread and the discussion on this topic show that. The public eats it up and those entities will continue feeding that appetite.

People enjoy playing the role of the victim and acting outraged. That's society now. With each passing day, the divide grows and there's more resistance to exchanging ideas no matter how much gray area there is on a topic.

Which was my point earlier. If you agree with me, you're right. If not, you're wrong. And I don't want to hear an idea or opinion that might differ from mine. That's the overriding mentality in this country.

I spoke with Jon and Dave about their columns as the publisher of this site before we ran them. I thought about all of their points with an open mind.

Do I have my own biases? Sure. We all do. It's about how we were raised and our experiences.

I'm happy to say that I saw value in both columns and they made me think.

 

[PCHawk]

Man, this thread should be turned over to a Sociology student for a thesis. With all the discussion about political correctness and it's vilification...all the old white men posting need to chill out. It's not even remotely about what they think and they have no say in it. It's about how the affected class of people feel about it, not you. There are a litany of public comments similar to what Dolph said (comparing Michelle Obama to an "ape in heels" for example), that would tell you, regardless of what Dolph's intention was, it's offensive to the targeted group...and justifiably so.

The University (Barta & Fran) using it to their benefit, well, that's a completely different discussion. What Dolph said was just ignorant period...and a poor choice of words for an experienced broadcaster. You just don't go there.

The problem is, white people choose to get outraged over things like this. If a black person gets outraged, at least it could make some sense. When that happens, someone needs to explain to that person that intent matters. Gary could have said the exact same words while jumping up and down in a mocking manner like an ape and it would have been offensive as F because the intent would have been way different.

Everyone strive to be a good person and everyone recognize intent. That's how we get better as a society. Walking on eggshells and always trying to make sure there is no way to connect some dots to race before you say something won't work because 100 people can connect dots in 100 different ways. It's impossible to know how someone might connect dots.

 

[PCHawk]

I hate to break it to you: KING KONG = APE

I hate to break it to you, but no it doesn't. At least you thinking that explains to me why you think what you do. An ape is the closest thing you could use to describe King Kong. But that's not what he is. He is his own thing. He's not a descendant from the ape species. He's his own thing. You are connecting a dot that not everyone is willing to connect.

I've got to ask, if you heard it live, would you have instantly thought "holy shit Dolph just called a black man an ape"? If so, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you have a pretty racist thinking brain. Bruno being black wasnt even something that crossed my mind the entire time. I thought we got beat by a good player. I guess you thought we got beat by a a black guy.

 

[PCHawk]

For Dolph to avoid this, he would have had to be consciously aware he was referring to a black man so he needed to watch what he said. Is that a good thing? To always be thinking about the race of the person you're talking about? Is that how we all become one and don't even acknowledge race? Sure if you're about to say something racist and you know it, you better be aware.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

Schwartz is right that the U of I made mountain out of a molehill. But, I disagree with his assertion that Dolph should have to be educated on anything. There was nothing wrong about he said....if he said it in a racist way that would be one thing. This is not the case. Dolph is 110% innocent in this case. He should have zero, zip, nadda, nothing to see here, apologize for. Dolph is the victim here plain and simple.

 

[tksirius]

I hate to break it to you: KING KONG = APE

Actually, King Kong is a step above ape if we're going to be technical.

 

[skinnykilmer17]

Man, this thread should be turned over to a Sociology student for a thesis. With all the discussion about political correctness and it's vilification...all the old white men posting need to chill out. It's not even remotely about what they think and they have no say in it. It's about how the affected class of people feel about it, not you. There are a litany of public comments similar to what Dolph said (comparing Michelle Obama to an "ape in heels" for example), that would tell you, regardless of what Dolph's intention was, it's offensive to the targeted group...and justifiably so.

The University (Barta & Fran) using it to their benefit, well, that's a completely different discussion. What Dolph said was just ignorant period...and a poor choice of words for an experienced broadcaster. You just don't go there.

WELL SAID. I suspect a great number of these posters give a rat's ass about Dolph. They are projecting. He sucks at his job and has for awhile and when I listen to him I can't help but wonder if some sort of dementia hasn't set in?

If the story is true that his tickets directly ended up in the hands of Wisky's fans that heckled Mrs. Mac then that is another lapse in judgement and Fran has a right to be pissed. See dementia. Or intentional?

And no question Barta is ridicously ill-suited for certain aspects of his job. It could have been handled better. But guess what? I too am a white male and I don''t get to decide what is insensitive to minorities. Such as blackface for instance. Still can''t get over the ignorance of some who don't see that as racist. Educate yourselves people.

And who is old enough to remember the references to Patrick Ewing as a gorilla while at Georgetown? Google that sometime.

 

[HuckFinn]

I think this summary of the events around Dolph by David S. Is very well reasoned, sensitive, and illustrates that he is knowledgeable about the nuances of language as a huge influence in our society. Thanks, DS.

 

[99topdawg]

I wonder what Hayden Fry would say to this jerkoff.

“That’s Danan,” Hawkeyes football coach Hayden Fry said at the time. “He thinks he is King Kong.”

Of course, he also referred to Tim Dwight and other players of his as King Kong.

 

[Glass1/2fullguy]

I hate to break it to you: KING KONG = APE

King Kong also equals unstoppable beast. And this is obviously gary’s Intent. If you see otherwise then I feel sorry for you as a human being.

 

[HaydenHawk56]

Who's wrong?

I'll tell you who's wrong: That rat bastard Mario. Kong is up there chillin' with his gal and here comes this arrogant prick wielding hammers and whatnot trying to kidnap her.

Keep the barrels coming, big guy.

Only if Donkey Kong built a stronger wall instead of wasting his time throwing barrels.....he might have kept Mario (and probably his brother Luigi) out of his and his women's space.

 

[mrolympia]

article is complete crap on so many levels. Schwartz might as well bow down to communism as far left as he comes off in this garbage piece.

 

[dahlhawk]

Forgive and forget seems to no longer exist in this world.

Pop cultural references is the language of our culture, not to be confused with a thought out belief system. If everyone useing them stopped we would have very little to say to each other, especially to a diverse audience.

 

[GotTimDodge]

HN columnist shares his opinions on Iowa radio voice's suspension:

LINK

This doesn't read like an opinion.
It reads like Dave is telling us he is right.

At least Jon mentions in his article he welcomes counter-opinions, and is far more insightful and well written.

 

[RobHowe]

This doesn't read like an opinion.
It reads like Dave is telling us he is right.

At least Jon mentions in his article he welcomes counter-opinions, and is far more insightful and well written.

*Forehead slap emoji.

 

[tksirius]

This doesn't read like an opinion.
It reads like Dave is telling us he is right.

At least Jon mentions in his article he welcomes counter-opinions, and is far more insightful and well written.

How many people do you know in the PC crowd that has admitted he, she, or (whatever pronoun the person prefers) was wrong?

 

[mrolympia]

shouldn't dave face the same consequences as Dolph for #7 and 8 in his article as dolph did? Oh, right, it's ok (and openly encouraged) to be racist towards whites if you are a far leftist because you believe you can't be racist towards white people. Thus why #WhiteGenocide is considered an ok thing to tweet. Thinking like this leads to South Africa or Germany in the 1930's. Perhaps Schwartz needs a history lesson.