Apr 17, 2012
Print This Post
A Tennessee university is expressing regret after a photo surfaced showing a group of black boys hitting a piñata shaped like a white woman.
PHOTO FROM WMC-TV
“We want to assure our community that no racial or gender animosity was intended,” a University of Memphis spokesman said in a statement provided to Fox News.
The photograph was taken during a luau sponsored by the University of Memphis Dept. of Residence Life and Dining Services. It showed a grade school student about to hit a Hula dancer piñata.
“This was one of numerous activities which occurred during the RHC Luau,” a popular event that has been held for more than 10 years,” the statement read – noting that the hula dancer was one of three piñatas used in the event.
“The photograph taken out of context may be disconcerting, but we want to assure our community that no racial or gender animosity was intended,” the statement concluded.
However, that’s not how some students observed the activity. Some called it “reverse racism,” according to television station WMC.
“It didn’t look right, just because of the social climate we’re in right now,” university student Veronica Birmingham told WMC. “How could somebody be so insensitive and not realize this might cause an issue?”
Birmingham told the television station she took the photograph and sent it to a friend who posted it on Facebook.
FOX News Talk
Yep, if the colors were reversed, there would be some type of feigned outrage from the race whores about all kinds of "inequities" – mainly because the race whores are ***holes. And as people who know this is a tempest in a teapot, you'd be righteously indignant and deny it.
But, since they are NOT reversed, do you really want to play their part as the ***holes who get your boxers in a bunch? Are you as stupid as them?
This is not even a story. This is crap and Fox should be ashamed for playing up some populist crap for the mouth breathing crowd.
If you want to be no better than the people you complain about, then go ahead and pitch your little hissy. As for me, I'm just sad that Fox, who used to do a fine job of NEWS gathering, seems to think this kind of crap is important. They are no better than the people who they claim to counter-balance.
This is crazy! Someone had to know that someone's feelings could be hurt by this.
Here's my question…. What exactly is a pinata "shaped" like a white woman? How do you "shape" color? And do those college students look like "college students" or "middle schoolers"? They look mighty young to be college students. I know this is not relevant to the story. Oh, yeah, racism sucks, no matter who you are.
Clearly a picture of an innocent activity taken way out of context. Are we really going to get serious about kids hitting pinatas? Look, you could have glued a picture of the kid's mother to that thing. He would have gone all Chris Brown on her ass until every last piece of candy was liberated into his mouth.
Now go watch Key & Peele and see how much fun it is to take our race a lot less seriously.
not relevant to the story I know , but that's a damn skinny pinata, couldnt have got much candy in that poor kids must have felt robbed!
jesse jackson will not do anything about heck he can't even spell pinata big al wont do nothing he can't get no glory for it panthers wont do nothing heck they don't do nothing anyway but collect welfare and steal and bully people obama since it is kids maybe he can hold a root beer summit this time.
Fire up the excuse machine pronto!
Maybe it was a Sarah Palin pinata? or a Michelle "batshit" Bachmann pinata.
this is sick and discrimination is discrimination. breeding hate at such a young age wow. were is the media on this one I did not see this on the ten oclock news.
Ya but if it was the other way around those students would have been expelled and it would be all over the news. That is white people beating a black pinata anyhow.
It was a HULA DANCER Pinata at a LUAU.
It was a HULA DANCER Pinata at a LUAU.
Was the pinata wearing a hoodie? Someone ask Reverends Sharpton and Jackson their views on this incident. Perhaps a few protests nation wide should occur to end this obvious hate. I raspberry this article too.
My opinion on this is the same as the Treyvon Martin case. Tasteless, but I am sure these guys were just having fun and are not genuinely racially motivated.
The double standard is sickening, outrageous & doing much more harm to the minorities than the liberals who push it believe it benefits them.
No such thing as reverse racism.
Sharpton? Jesse? If anyone should take notice it should be White women;….whacked around by Tyrone while his friends watch until you give up the treats….
I'm sickened, appalled and horrified! I'm sure white Jesus and Daniel Tosh will have something to say about this!
You and Shay L. Hayes…..
I'm sickened, appalled and horrified! I'm sure white Jesus and Daniel Tosh will have something to say about this!
Just a few problems with all the outcry over this:
1. It's a hula girl. When you imagine a 'hula girl', you think of a Pacific Islander-type person, not a white person. If you look at the larger image on the news report, that's obviously the look the pinata makers were going for. Not 'reverse racism', as it's supposed to be a Hawaiian islander.
2. It would still be a huge problem if it was a Hate Native Hawaiians party. But it wasn't. As was said multiple times, the photo was taken out of context. These were little kids hitting a tacky pinata. Had it been a Dora the Explorer pinata and not misidentified as white, it (the out of context photo) still would've been bad. (anti-Hispanic) Had it been a pinata of a black person, it still would've been bad. (Recreating lynchings) Anthropomorphic pinatas probably aren't the best idea in general because nobody wants to identify with the thing that's getting the candy beat out of it.
3. "Had it been a black pinata and white students, heads would've rolled…" Right! Because where on earth would you find a black pinata in the first place? You'd have to have that specially made for the occasion, and you would probably deserve to get in trouble. Here's a Hawaiian pinata because it's a hula theme. There are Disney Princess pinatas out there because that's a theme. There are Dora pinatas because that's a theme. What theme WOULD a generic black pinata have that wasn't completely awful?
Trust me, if this had been a Little Bill pinata I would be saying the same thing, so don't think I'm taking sides. ("Little Bill? Who's that?" Exactly. That's why we're not having the reverse controversy right now. Not to mention they probably would've preferred that if they'd been able to obtain one.) As a pro-everyone individual, I suggest we all stop looking for excuses to call each other out and just collectively agree to quit purchasing living-thing-shaped pinatas. Let's hit flowers and stars and junk instead!
Just a few problems with all the outcry over this:
1. It's a hula girl. When you imagine a 'hula girl', you think of a Pacific Islander-type person, not a white person. If you look at the larger image on the news report, that's obviously the look the pinata makers were going for. Not 'reverse racism', as it's supposed to be a Hawaiian islander.
2. It would still be a huge problem if it was a Hate Native Hawaiians party. But it wasn't. As was said multiple times, the photo was taken out of context. These were little kids hitting a tacky pinata. Had it been a Dora the Explorer pinata and not misidentified as white, it (the out of context photo) still would've been bad. (anti-Hispanic) Had it been a pinata of a black person, it still would've been bad. (Recreating lynchings) Anthropomorphic pinatas probably aren't the best idea in general because nobody wants to identify with the thing that's getting the candy beat out of it.
3. "Had it been a black pinata and white students, heads would've rolled…" Right! Because where on earth would you find a black pinata in the first place? You'd have to have that specially made for the occasion, and you would probably deserve to get in trouble. Here's a Hawaiian pinata because it's a hula theme. There are Disney Princess pinatas out there because that's a theme. There are Dora pinatas because that's a theme. What theme WOULD a generic black pinata have that wasn't completely awful?
Trust me, if this had been a Little Bill pinata I would be saying the same thing, so don't think I'm taking sides. ("Little Bill? Who's that?" Exactly. That's why we're not having the reverse controversy right now. Not to mention they probably would've preferred that if they'd been able to obtain one.) As a pro-everyone individual, I suggest we all stop looking for excuses to call each other out and just collectively agree to quit purchasing living-thing-shaped pinatas. Let's hit flowers and stars and junk instead!
I do not understand how could you guys take this simple picture and turn it into racism. I was there that day and those kids were well-behaved students. They did not choose which pinata that wanted to hit, they were innocent children having fun, and you guys are turning it into RACISM? What kind of foolishness is this? Those boys are clearly just having fun on a field trip. So, what only pinatas black people can hit is black pinatas, or any race for that matter? Are you kidding me? You people are sick and need to get a life!
I do not understand how could you guys take this simple picture and turn it into racism. I was there that day and those kids were well-behaved students. They did not choose which pinata that wanted to hit, they were innocent children having fun, and you guys are turning it into RACISM? What kind of foolishness is this? Those boys are clearly just having fun on a field trip. So, what only pinatas black people can hit is black pinatas, or any race for that matter? Are you kidding me? You people are sick and need to get a life!
This is effing stupid. If it had been a turtle pinata, nobody would say the same thing about it teaching kids to abuse animals… This Veronica Birmingham and people that think this is racist make me sick… I know the people who planned this out and it was in front of the dorm. They honestly just wanted to let the kids have a good time and get some candy… If she was honestly offended, maybe she should have let one of the workers know so they could try not to offend this moron.
poor RHC.
It is just an unfortunate coincidence that the pinata is surrounded by black kids. I'm sure it was struck by white kids, too. Although, if someone had been dumb enough to make the pinata's skin tone closer to an accurate Hawaiian complexion I'm sure there would have been opposition from other parties.
This is effing stupid. If it had been a turtle pinata, nobody would say the same thing about it teaching kids to abuse animals… This Veronica Birmingham and people that think this is racist make me sick… I know the people who planned this out and it was in front of the dorm. They honestly just wanted to let the kids have a good time and get some candy… If she was honestly offended, maybe she should have let one of the workers know so they could try not to offend this moron.