Do white men really get a break?
A Move To Amend friend and colleague just emailed me the article titled “When White Men Mess, Up, All Is Forgiven.” The article was not meant to be insensitive to the untimely passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was not meant to diminish Peyton Manning as the great quarterback that he is. It was not meant to detract from good men of all races who have failed at something at some time.
It is an articulation of a fact that many feel uncomfortable talking about. White men are a privileged class. The article explores a few recent events.
On entertainers Philip Seymour Hoffman and Cory Monteith
Philip Seymour Hoffman, a respected and talented white male actor, succumbed after a long battle with heroin, aka “smack.” He allegedly died alone in his apartment with a needle in his arm. A few months ago, one of the stars of Glee, Cory Monteith, overdosed in a Canadian hotel room. And though you don’t hear of many black men on smack, we are often exposed to images and statistics to show that black men are disproportionately abusing drugs or serving time for it.
Yet the reporting on these stars is more often than not tinged with sympathy over their angst-ridden struggles with rehab and relapse, a romantic longing for the lives they lost and the turmoil they lived. One died in a pricey hotel room, the other in Greenwich Village.
Does anyone forget the coverage Whitney Houston got? The kudos she received for her great singing capabilities were always framed by all of her troubles throughout her life. While it was treated like a sickness for Hoffman and Monteith, Whitney was just an addict.
On Congressman Michael Grimm
Last week we saw one of the most boorish displays of bullying by a white male politician, Michael Grimm, who also earned his “thug” stripes for threatening to physically injure a reporter. Contrast that with the boisterous response of Seattle Seahawk Richard Sherman, whose name has now become synonymous in some circles with thuggery. Sherman will likely be hounded forever for his isolated “crime of passion,” but Grimm’s impropriety is already forgiven and forgotten in the annals of history.
The author of the article missed a better comparison that is much more obvious. President Obama has lived a model life of discipline, self-control, competence, and intellect, yet the media has allowed fallacies, all debunked to enter the narrative to describe the man as just another ‘thug.’
On Quarterback Peyton Manning
there was a considerably poorer display of offensive skills shown by Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium during Super Bowl XLVIII. Manning was obviously out of sync with his team on Sunday night, and Seahawk Russell Wilson outwitted Manning every time he got the ball.
However, on Monday morning, the game’s narrative was more focused on Manning’s stellar legacy and his fifth MVP win, with not one major media outlet challenging his intellect or dexterity over such a woeful loss. And this is as it should be in an ideal world, but had the tables been turned and Wilson had lost, he and his team, including Sherman, might have suffered a tongue-lashing similar to what Donovan McNabb had to endure after Super Bowl XXXIX, when he could not lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a victory. His loss was only by 3 points, 24-21, yet immediately after the game, the criticisms flooded in from all angles, with little or no attempt to find his many redeeming qualities. Even McNabb himself admits that he is probably the most criticized quarterback in NFL history.
It was not necessary to wait for the next day to see coverage bias. Even while Peyton Manning was getting his clock cleaned with bad decisions and poor performance, the black Seattle Seahawk quarterback was referred to as a “team manager” more so than a quarterback leading the team. Wilson played a near flawless game with accurate passes, yet the few Manning good plays received massive real time kudos.
On a personal note, a few months ago I wrote the piece “I was Trayvon Martin the day I came to America.” The Trayvon Martin case and many other black men feel naked and vulnerable. I got a lot of pushback when it was posted at CNN.com from those who claimed “respectable black men,” “professional black men’s,” worries were some sort of paranoia. After all we are post racial. We even have a black president. REALLY?
In 1991 I had a good friend, a white guy that ran with me attempting to form different business ventures we were trying at the time. He decided to go the direction of selling long distance calling cards and needed a loan for computers. I went the real time communication software development route. We both went to the same bank, each seeking a $40,000 loan. Neither of us had collateral. We both had great credit. I developed software for several oil service companies as well as NASA. He was a salesman. I had previously partnered with two other engineers and was successfully building an oil well logging system for a Chinese firm on a contract worth more than $1 million dollars.
My friend went into the bank. He was given an audience with the VP. He got his $40,000. My friend was a visible coke user for those who were willing to be observant. When I walked into the bank requesting an application and the VP, I was asked if I had collateral. I did not. The man smirked and told me I could fill out the app but it would be a waste of time. I built my business on 21% credit card interest. My friend attempted to build his on 8% interest. Privilege?
I have many similar stories, my own and those of many friends. Many times we sit down and laugh about it. We rose above it. What does make many angry is to deny the existence of this reality.
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