I really don't care.

Maybe I'm too enlightened.

But mainstream media, please stop force-feeding these stories down our collective throats.
-- I don't care that Tony Dungy is black. He could be purple for all I care, he's still a very good head coach.
-- John Amaechi is gay? So what? Doesn't mean he's less talented of a basketball player.

How does someone's skin color or sexuality affect me? How does it affect the rest of us, besides the cheap jollies we get about writing these stories?

Rant over. Carry on.

 

I swear to god, when I first saw him I really didn't know that Dungy was black.

I knew he wasn't white, but he wasn't that dark.

I'm think I'm a total idiot for this. In fact, I'm sure of it. I was made fun of for it for about six hours on Sunday.

 

How long have you been aware that Dungy is a black coach?

 

I don't know. Probably a lot less time that I knew Doug Williams was a black quarterback. ;D

 

I didn't realize Dungy was black till right before Tampa Bay canned him. I just thought he had a tan from being in Florida.

 

The reason these events receive coverage is to serve as a commentary on where we are a society. Whether you think we should be more inclusive or more restrictive based on race, sexuality or other topics, it's a "state of society" moment.

I think the fact that it took 41 years for a black head coach to even appear in a Super Bowl says something about how far we have to go. I think the "don't bring the gayness" reaction to a retired journeyman NBA player admitting he's gay makes a similar sociological statement.

Media teaches. Sometimes it's pure information. Sometimes it's a status report about ourselves.

 

Thanks sportchick. I was feeling better about myself until Dr. J said, "yeah, at least she realized he was black five years ago."

 

Well said. And the uproar about the Super Bowl commercial where two guys ended up kissing after eating a candy bar, then trying to do macho things to make up for it, makes a similar sociological statement.

 

Yes, it does. Yes, it did after Magic's HIV announcement.

And I'm not trying to downplay the need of education in our society. Maybe because we are surrounded mostly by enlightened, college-educated folk every day, we miss the opinions of others.

Still, I think we've moved far enough as a society, at least on the younger end, to get beyond this.

 

I didn't realize Michael Jackson was white until the "Bad" video.

 

I didn't realize it till like the 6th nosejob, sometime after the Thiller video.

 

Ha ha ha ha

That was tight TB - totally unexpected yet major impact.

That had me laughing.

Indeed you "have the power".

Please continue.