Iris' speech was very powerful
And really relevant where people use "free speech" as an excuse to be racist.
shareOh, child. No. This is just whiny political correctness, nothing more.
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MovieChat Forums > Switched at Birth (2011) Discussion > Iris' speech was very powerful
No... because neither me or any other black person I know would ever find that offensive. And it was just the ra, but she was making it seem like the Dean did it or something. This episode was actually kinda offensive because it makes it seem like black people are overly sensitive and petty about dumb *beep*
shareI know. It shows the American people to be over sensitive and weak, not just black people. And THAT is really offensive. The writing is pure, refined BS.
shareit was totally ridiculous and going way overboard. People and I mean all people are looking for reasons to be offended. Just because someone looks your way doesn't mean they are being racist. Some times people are being way too emotional and Iris seemed that way. She needs a safe space from life and that is sad that this is where our society has gone.
Oh and dressing like a celebrity who over does his look to look like a clown is not the same as dressing up like a mexican with a lawn mower. I cant believe they used those 2 things as a comparison. Plenty of non italians Dressed up like the idiots from Jersey shore and no one especially Italians got mad at it. Its a costume nothing more.
While I agree Iris' reaction seemed over sensitive BUT when you heard all of the racial undertones she had experienced at that college, you understood her reaction a lot more.
She was more offended because it came from someone she trusted and the fact it didn't seem Daphne even slightly understood what was happening.
But that's the thing, its like she was looking for these undertones or thinks things were being racial because shes being overly sensitive for no reason. Its like finding an issue where there aren't any.
Everything isnt racial or racist even when things are about race. I know that sounds odd to say but everyone looking at a black person during a discussion of crime doesn't mean they are looking at you to insinuate that "you are black so this is about you". People look around the room and some times they at you directly even when they aren't mentioning or directing a comment directly at you.
Daphne understood perfectly what was happening. Iris was just being ridiculous and not understanding how racist she was being. If Mingo was black, this wouldn't have been an issue. He wasn't making fun of Little Wayne or mocking black people. Apparently, Iris thinks a person of one race can only dress as some one from their own race regardless if they're even being offensive. She's ignorant and I hope she comes to realize this later on in the season. Regina was also ignorant too. Mingo wasn't calling himself black as she pointed out she'll be offended if a non-Hispanic person dressing up in Hispanic clothing is calling themselves Hispanic. Who said anything about "calling" themselves a race? They're only calling themselves who they're dressing as.
shareI agree that it makes a lot more sense once you learn everything that's happened to her and I don't grudge her for being angry in the fm first moment she saw him.
But I feel the next day she should've saw that he was dressing up as a singer and not a race. That really nothing was offensive about it.
After Iris's speech, I definitely felt compassion for what she had been through but her anger at Mingo was misdirected. What he did was not offensive. A lot of the examples she gave were forms of intimidation and she should have brought it to the attention of the RA and the administration. But she tried to justify her anger by making it seem as if Mingo made her feel unsafe or what he did was some form of intimidation. Just because he dressed up like a black rapper, does not mean he wouldn't have been sympathetic to complaints of actual instances of racial harassment. So that's why I think her anger was unjustified.
If you can't dazzle them with you wits, wow them with your tits
It was powerful, but targeted at the wrong people since I don't Mingo did anything to warrant such anger.
shareI didn't have a problem with her speech per se. My problem is that that's ALL it was: talk, and then she just ran away from the problem instead of DOING something to correct it. TALK to Mingo; say to him what she said to Daphne. Write an article of her own. Don't run away and hide. That will never change things
Iris may have been through a lot. But she can't expect the world around her to tread on egg shells just because she has been through a lot. She lacks basic maturity and common sense to differentiate between harmless fun and racism. If you are looking to get offended, you will indeed get offended. The annoying part is the guy never meant to be racist, he was just dressing up as his favorite rapper and nobody gave him the benefit of doubt. What about poor Mingo? He is being penalized for no fault of his. The writers using cheap tactics like this for a story is really pathetic. This is simply encouragement for kids and young adults to get easily offended and pick fights for useless causes.
But the writers might've come up with some other incident to set off the debate. Hard to see how a white guy dressing up as a rapper at a costume party could really be accused of being racist.
I also believe that all the free speech arguments are disingenuous. Of course we "have the right" to offend others. But once we're told that we've offended, how do we react?
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