This is my first time posting on a site like this--I've considered myself a feminist basically my whole life, but it's only been recently that I've let the rage out. It's a good feeling. Anyway, back to my point.
I am a senior at the foremost Catholic university in the country (I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post the name of it. The last thing I need is someone crawling up my ass right before graduation, but you'll probably be able to guess it from this post) Every year, the university hosts a giant 5 on 5 basketball tournament that raises money to help underprivileged youth in Jamaica. Great--so much fun, good cause, shouldn't be a problem.
The teams are allowed to submit their own team names. They are subject to review and censorship from the university, but usually only if they reference drugs or alcohol or are obscene. The commission also releases a "Top 10 Funniest" team names every year. This year, as I sat at the captain's meeting listening to them, my "feminist" rage just about started to boil over.
How does the team name "Unlike Rihanna, We Put Our Hands Up on Defense" sound to you? As someone who has been working with victims of domestic violence for the past three months, my initial reaction was to puke a little. Seriously? Is the name really implying that Rihanna didn't try to protect herself and that's why she got hurt--but don't worry, the team will be great? Another one that made the list--Chris Brown's Best Hits. Yeah, hilarious.
They released the entire list of names yesterday. With over 600, luckily I had very little to do today (I love being a senior) but go through them. I counted almost 20 names making light of the Chris Brown and Rihanna domestic violence scandal. I'll post some of them here:
More Physical Than Chris Brown
If We Don't Beat you, Chris Brown Will
Hits Like Chris Brown
Chris Brown Beat Down
We Get Beat Worse Than Rihanna
We Will Beat You Down Like Chris Brown
Okay I really don't think I'm being oversensitive here. Domestic violence is definitely not something to take lightly. It's joking around like this that perpetuates beliefs such as domestic violence isn't a real issue or that it's the victim's fault. Some of these team names are essentially equating being good at basketball with beating up your girlfriend--same thing, right?
Oh, and there are two other team names that caught my eye. There's a group on campus that's called Men Against Violence--does really good work, brought Jackson Katz to campus, that kind of stuff. This year, one team named themselves Men Against Men Against Violence, and another Women Against Men Against Violence. So taking out the double negative (yes I learned something in high school English) that equates to Men/Women For Violence? Sounds like fun right?
Anyway, that's my rant. I'm sick of people joking about things like domestic violence. Yes, Chris Brown and Rihanna are a public couple and that opens them up to public scrutiny. But this is domestic violence we're talking about. When I brought this up to the Commissioner of the basketball tournament, here was the response:"There are no rules about popular culture references. This means that we get harmless jokes about Snuggies all the way up to Heath Ledger, Plaxico Burress, Chris Brown and their respective incidents.... We feel we cannot adequately divide crimes like these on a scale into what's allowable and what isn't."
Yes, because beating up a woman is JUST the same as a Snuggie. I'm totally mollified now, thanks.
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George Carlin!
I don't understand how a private incident of domestic abuse and the tragic accidental death of a talented man are "popular culture references."
Let me walk your commissioner through this: A bad Anchorman joke is a popular culture reference. A sneezing baby panda is a popular culture reference. McLovin is a popular culture reference. Anything that involved a celebrity and the police might be part of the popular consciousness, but that doesn't make it funny or appropriate. Do they get stuff like "We Jump as High as Robert Downey Jr. was in the 90s?" Did they get any "popular culture references" that related to white people's suffering? (e.g. Heath Ledger)
And now for my arbitrary rule: It is too soon for Heath Ledger jokes. Way too soon.