On the NBC Commissary Menu Today…Hyper-Sensitivity
CJScalazettiRecently there has been an item in the news regarding a certain menu selection at NBC’s Corporate Headquarters in NYC, aka “30 Rock.” On February 1st, workers at 30 Rock went into the commissary to find that day’s offerings to be a celebration of Black Culture with a menu consisting of fried chicken, collard greens and black eyed peas. A small firestorm then was started, led by Questlove the drummer for the Hip Hop group, the Roots, crying out that this menu was racist. NBC, in typical corporate response, had the menu removed and apologized to those who may be offended.
Here is the ironic part, the cook who wrote the menu, is an African American Woman who has begged NBC for years to allow her to create this menu to kick off Black History Month. Asked if she understood why some people might find her menu concept offensive, Calhoun said, "I don't understand it at all. It's what I eat." (Here is the link http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/nbc_lost_soul_UM3zLz05eb8QDjm6JsbNwK#ixzz0ehJrjlNZ).
Have we gotten to the point where this country is so afraid of setting off a race war and having Al Sharpton march down Broadway that to even dare suggest that a certain type of cuisine is common to the African American culture is enough to label something “racist?”
When I lived in NYC, I would occasionally eat at establishments that served what they described as “Traditional Southern African American Cuisine.” They were also known as “Soul Food” joints as well. The owners there took pride in taking recipes from their parents and grandparents and bringing them to the masses. Amazing fried chicken, BBQ Ribs, collard greens, sweet potato pie and cornbread that was so moist and delicious I have spent years trying to duplicate it in my own kitchen with no success. Does this make the proprietors of these establishments “sellouts” for catering to the stereotype of black cuisine? Would that make me a bigot for buying into these stereotypes? This is so silly.
Much like myself and most other Italian Americans I know who have their own meatball and pasta sauce recipes, I have Black friends who have family fried chicken and cornbread recipes. Yet, why is it an insult to identify that type of food with the black community? Cuisine is something that ever ethnic group under the sun has pride in as part of their culture. “Soul Food” is, and should be, no exception.
This whole event reminded me as to why I never liked Tiger Woods even before this latest charade of him going into rehab to “cure” some bullshit sexual addiction disorder. Back in 1998, there was a huge controversy that ensued when a fellow golfer by the name of Fuzzy Zoeller wondered aloud if as winner of the Masters Golf Tournament, he will have on the menu the next year “Fried Chicken and Collard Greens.” A huge firestorm erupted and Fuzzy was pretty much placed on the same level as David Duke as an unmitigated racist. Tiger could have saved this guy (who by all accounts was well liked in the tour and was known for having a good sense of humor) by simply stating “Well, yeah, I do eat that food. What is the big deal?” Instead, Tiger said nothing as Fuzzy’s career pretty much went down the toilet for making a joke. I remember at the time thinking, what if an Italian had won that tourney and Fuzzy said “I guess we are having Eggplant Parmagian and Cannollis.” I do not think anyone would have remembered 5 minutes later. Tiger, like the rest of the knee-jerk media, bought into the belief that there is no such thing as Black Cuisine and anyone who thinks just because we share the same skin color and perhaps background might like the same food…well, then shame on you for being ignorant.
I do not, nor would I ever, question that there is still racism alive in this country. Yet, when trivial items like this come up and people brand it as “racist”, it devalues the word. I think this country has gone so far in the politically correct spectrum that it is having the opposite effect: it is breeding intolerance instead of tolerance. Forums no longer exist publically that can allow honest dialogues between different cultures. People who have access to the public are too scared to get the scarlet “R” for “Racist” being branded on them. Corporations will drop to their knees, and fire off public apologies and censors at the slightest threat of boycotts for sponsoring something that may have even the slightest connection to a racial controversial topic.
It seems that our society just becomes more fractured as the years progress with more and more labels being created: African American, Latino, Gay, Straight, Right Wing, Left Wing, Red State, Blue State, Pro-Life, Pro-Choice, Liberal, Conservative, East Coast, West Coast, Southerner, etc. Sadly, I always thought that as part of the first generation of Americans born into an integrated society that we would move farther away from being identified from where our ancestors came and closer to all of us being identified as just “American.”
Reader Comments (5)
When I was in college at La Salle, the cafeteria did the same thing and not just for Black History Month. Each culture would have its own food day. We had tacos on Cinco De Mayo, cabbage and ham on St. Patty's Day, Christmas Dinner right before the holidays, etc. I remember looking forward to these dinners more than any other day, and the Soul Food was definitely one of the best.
I agree with you that the more a term gets used, the less meaning it has, especially one like racist with the potential to ruin careers. Celebrities, the media, and everyone in general should be conscious of this and consequently, we all must strive for precision in language. For example, people now use the term "gay" to describe things they think are stupid. There are two problems with this use of the word. One it can be offensive to homosexuals, and two it leads to unclear language and lazy thought patterns. So using loaded words like "gay" and "racist" should really be done sparingly, and only in cases where they actually apply, otherwise they simply become juvenile insults or oppressive weapons of the p.c. thought police.
America is one of the best countries in the world at absorbing many different cultures into one unified nation. But I'm a big proponent of the melting pot model over the mixed salad. If we say only African American owned Southern soul food restaurants can serve fried chicken and collard greens and call it Black cuisine, then we are contributing to de facto segregation. Instead of sharing our cultures, this mindset isolates people and emphasizes their differences. Why not melt it all together? Growing up, my mom cooked us all kinds of food, mac and cheese, tacos, manicotti, pierogies and kielbasi, and I for one am glad she did. I like being able to enjoy food from all segments of this country. Rather than feeling separate from "those people" who eat "that kind of food", I can proudly say I appreciate all types of food. And isn't that just another way of saying I'm an American?
The problem I have is that the thought of as being "different" is automatically correlated to being bad or inferior. I like being different, i don't necessarily like being in the majority of what people think. And at this time in our nation's history, the Black experience of living here is different, for the most part, than that of the caucasion experience. 200 years from now, this may be an irrelevant point...and I am pretty confident in saying so. My point is, that because it is different, why should it ignored that it is?
In light of this dialogue, I want to throw out a situation I was recently involved with and see what you all thought:
While describing a particularly difficult customer of mine to another customer I used the word "slavedriver." This is not one of George Carlin's 7 dirty words, nor is it a term that if it was aired on primtetime TV would even get one phone call to the station from outraged listeners. I am pretty certan that most who visit this site has probably used the term as well describing a teacher, trainer, boss, etc. However, I said the word in front of an african american customer I had. A second after I uttered it, I immediately regretted using that term though my customer did not seem to notice nor care.
I thought about this alot the past day or so and tried to figure out why I felt so weird ater saying it. I was not a slave owner, nor was my customer a slave. This is not a word that would be banned anywhere for being a slur. This day and age I find myself self-censoring alot. Nick, you brought up the word "gay." It seems that alot of what were homosexual slurs more or less now are used to break someone's balls who are unwilling to do something. I do not think that alot of time when people use those terms the do it to outright mock someone's sexuality, they morphed almost into other meanings...however, it is where the words originated from.
This is a post with a very familiar ring to it.
Maybe ?uestlove is being, as you say, "hypersensitive." I identify drinking in a pub as an Irish way of being, but I don't appreciate it when people label pub drinking as typically "Irish" when I think that they don't understand the Irish-American experience. But maybe I should relax. Fine. Point taken.
But as with many perspectives in such a spirit, you begin painting with a very broad brush for such a diverse society. The reason why Zoeller's comment was problematic was because Woods was cutting a new path for people of color in a sport that had been (and continues to be) so intensely and proudly white. Just ask minority applicants to country clubs in the South. I don't suppose Woods saw himself as a pioneer, but by picturing Woods' menu that way, Zoeller chose to categorize Woods in a very specific manner that was about Woods' race, not his talent, especially at a time when Woods was on the rise. It may have been a joke, but it was a public one. In a country as complex as ours, one has to know the background behind what one does and says. It's not about not being funny or not being free; it's about being smart when you have a public forum. And Fuzzy was at the end of his career, anyway. It didn't ruin him. He apologized, and he should have. He's still popular and successful as an older hand of the game. Our country has a short memory, and sometimes that's good.
You furthermore label Woods with "some bullshit sexual addiction disorder?" Really? Look, I don't know or care about what his problem is, but your willingness to talk in such hyperbole is systematic of your argumentation. I'm not being sensitive here. I've been an adult long enough to know the difference between things that victimize the feelings of others and things that shouldn't be taken quite so seriously. I just know I live in one of the most miraculously complex societies on the face of the Earth, and I shouldn't be surprised if the way I view things doesn't make sense to someone else whose experiences are remarkably different from mine and yet are also "American." I never lose sight of our nation's motto "E Pluribus Unum," out of many, one. But I do not presume to always know how that "many" in the motto should look like to others.
Martin,
I probably should have ommitted my commentary about Tiger's recent problems for another post. I do not have a background in writing and lot of time I get thoughts jumbled. That is why, as I reread this post, I seem to have some tangents that go off.
You are correct that just because you are Irish, does not mean you necessarily like Irish Food. Just because I am Italian does not mean I like the mafia. I also have the mindset that very little really offends me. If I walked into a commissary that had Italian Heritage Day and they served macaroni, torta and cannolis, I would not think twice about it. And I certainly would not think someone is stereotyping me or my ancestry because of it. My whole point is why is this considered racist if someone is doing a tribute to Black Culture and this is the cuisine they chose? Nick said it earlier that society is quick to throw around the "Racist" term and once it it is thrown on someone, it is very difficult to take off. You mentioned Zoeller is fine now, however, I guarantee you that in any documentary or bio of his life...that one firestorm that came from that off the cuff joke will still be brought up no matter how many mea cuplas he has done. There is true racism out there, but focusing on nonsense like this under the umbrella of a broad stroke trivializes it completely.
Thanks for the post. Great subject for a lunch break. I went away to school and it was there that I had anything different than Italian food or cheese steaks. I learned there that there was Mexican food and LAtino Food and Puerto Rican Food, Vietnamese Food and on and on representing every mixed up kid who ended up there. I also learned about Southern food that the black and white southern kids loved. There was a difference between Bronx Food and Alabama southern food, but the southern kids did perk up when the cornbread would come out, and the fried chicken would be placed on our plate and they talked of collared greens and okra and gritz. I learned diversity there and appreciation for other people's food and I try to expand that every time I get a chance. It was one of the most wonderful experiences in my past.
I also want to thank Virginia. She was a black cook who cared for us as if we were her boys. She was from North Carolina but lived in Trenton and made the best fried chicken in the world. She would always be there to give us a piece with her silver tongs saying, "you enjoy now, you hear, and come on back for another." She was a big woman with a bigger smile and was loved by us, way before we knew anything about appreciation, or history, or differences other than the ones we were taught. I would do anyhing for her chicken and smile. I don't know if she knew how important she was to us, but I kind of think she knew.
Thanks for the post and helping me remember Virginia and if she is out there reading this, I would love to take you out to dinner. Just email Dugan on the site.