Recent parodies of Blacks and Asians in college newspapers in the name of satire have been met with condemnation, including journalism scholars who say free-thinking future journalists need to “grow up and put on their thinking caps.
Professor Joe Ritchie, Knight Chair in Journalism at Florida A&M University, says students want to do satire but they need to get some education in sensitivity. Although an ardent support of First Amendment rights, Ritchie says he wouldn’t sanction the students’ writings.
“But these attempts are stupid. It’s a shame that so many intelligent, young people are doing this,” he says
In December, the conservative journal of Tufts University, The Primary Source, published a series of parodies on well-known carols. One was entitled, “O Come All Ye Black Folk” sung to the tune of “O Come All Ye Faithful” and proclaims, “Born into the ghetto. O Jesus! We need you now to fill our racial quotas.”
The lyrics also say, “No matter what your grades are, F’s, D’s or G’s, give them all privileged status.”
In a press release, the editors later wrote: “The Primary Source regrets that the purpose of the carol was not clearly communicated. The carol was intended as a satirical criticism of affirmative action and was, in fact, intended as an anti-racist statement.”
