Founded in 1974, the Women’s Center was established to:
Dismantle, from a feminist perspective, all forms of oppression, including but not limited to those based on ability, age, class, ethnicity, gender, race, and sexual orientation.
Advocate for an equitable environment free from violence and harassment based on gender, race, and sexual orientation.
Create an anti-racist, non-sexist, queer-affirmative space where all people can feel valued and safe.
Facilitate and strengthen connections among people across lines of difference through programming and educational campaigns.
Integrate an appreciation of Women's Gender and Multicultural Studies across the disciplines.


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The Bachelor Under Fire for Race Issue

The Bachelor is under fire again!! But this time it is for the show being "too racist" and not allowing people of color to become contestants on the show. Tomorrow a complaint will be filed in federal court by plaintiffs Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson, both Nashville residents and football players who say that they were treated unfairly in their attempt to audition for the ever popular and addicting show.
As a regular viewer, I actually did notice how every single person on the show was white but I never really thought about how disappointing this is to society. No matter where you go in life, you are going to encounter different cultures and elasticities, so why shouldn't the media reflect this part of society? The sad part is that this is not the first time that the show has been under fire for this issue. When producer Mike Fleiss was asked if the show would ever feature a non-white Bachelor/ette, he responded,
I think Ashley is 1/16th Cherokee Indian, but I cannot confirm. But that is my suspicion! We really tried, but sometimes we feel guilty of tokenism. Oh, we have to wedge African-American chicks in there! We always want to cast for ethnic diversity, it's just that for whatever reason, they don't come forward. I wish they would.
This has to be the worst response or defense to this issue he could ever give. Blaming people of color or ethnicity for not coming and trying out? I'm sure this has to be false.

I cannot wait to see where this lawsuit goes, although it will probably be settled out of court to steer clear of media uproar. However, I am glad that people are brave enough and care about this issue enough to bring it to court. There should be more people of color and ethnicity on television, and as a fan of The Bachelor, I know I would love to see those people represented on the show.

No comments:

Post a Comment