Is The 'Daily Tele' Racial Stereotyping In Kanye West Piece?
News posted Wednesday, January 25 2012 at 12:00 PM.
Related: Kanye West.
Following a week in which the ABC published a somewhat sexist take on PJ Harvey’s recent performance in Perth, Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph may’ve gone one further, seemingly perpetuating that old racist stereotype about African-Americans and their supposed love of fried chicken.
According to a piece in today’s Sydney Confidential section, West inexplicably bypassed a trip to KFC like “his contemporaries” (we assume they mean “black people”, you know, like Tyler The Creator), choosing instead to spend an hour shopping in luxury menswear store Harrolds in Westfield. Here’s what they said.
“While his contemporaries tend to head out for a fried chicken feed, Big Day Out headliner Kanye West made a beeline for Sydney's fashion hub within hours of landing.”
Are the Tele actually suggesting that African-American hip-hop acts have a particular affinity for fried chicken? The subject is particularly touchy in the US, conjuring racist stereotypes grounded in the formerly segregated south. However, Australian commentators have previously described the fried chicken association as a “distinctly US issue”.
Interestingly, the Telegraph last year reported on a series of KFC ads, in which a white Australian cricket supporter wins over a predominantly West Indian crowd with a bucket of fried chicken. The ad was branded racially insensitive and removed from the air.
Sydney pop-culture commentator Pedestrian TV have already chimed in on the piece, describing it as a “racial slur” and “WTF-terrible in so many ways”.
M+N has sought clarification from Sydney Confidential’s Joel Christie.
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Some of us have been debating this already
What clarification could they possibly give?
No, we weren't racist.
Yes, we're totally racist.
maybe they could clarify what the actually meant!
What clarification could they possibly give?
One that uses the term ''political correctness gone mad'', I would imagine.
odd, i read that as 'contemporaries' being bands on a festival tour eating junk food. perhaps they should have said pizza?
*they
this is why we're seeking comment!
what has this got to do with australian music?
If they'd said pizza or tapas, it would have only been vaguely relevant rather than contentious.
my guess is it was meant to be a reference to this:
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/kayne-west-has-a-hankerin-for-chicken-wings/story-e6frewz0-1225969784888
... but someone got confused
This is by far the worst thing a Murdoch tabloid has ever done!!!! Oh wait....
if they were referencing that story why wouldn't they have put in a link?
What has your mum got to do with Australian music? OOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
If you don't see this as racist you are being completely disingenuous.
How does a reference to a story about Kanye wanting a Thai chef to cook chicken for him become a reference to his contemporaries eating fried chicken?
oh god, that gif, that's outrageous.
#ThatShitCray #AintItJay?
or you're looking too hard.
So after the KFC thing, everyone in Australia knew that fried chicken was a racism thing, but we're meant to believe that the staff at Sydney's highest circulating daily missed the memo. Racist. Next!
Those 'confidential' writers are surely on the lowest rung of the paper's hierarchy, and surely any editorial staff member would have to have drawn the short straw to go through their scribble.
I would suggest lynching Joel Christie, rather than the whole paper.
Then again, fuck that paper. When's Media Watch back?
I assume they're just goading Kanye..
''Australian commentators have previously described the fried chicken association as a “distinctly US issue”.''
If I am Australian and I make comments can I qualify as a news source as Australian commentator?
some context: ''In the Australian media, the reaction has been mixed, with some commentators accusing Americans of ''insularity''. Brendon O'Connor, an associate professor at the University of Sydney, told 9 Network News that the association between fried chicken and ethnic minorities was a distinctly US issue: ''They have a tendency to think that their history is more important than that of other countries.''
let us not forget the real victims in all this. chickens.
Is there a $250 voucher up for grabs here? If there is, I'll put my 2 cents in
a paper for the aussie mainstream casually prints sketchy remark. WHAT A SCOOP!
More terrible reporting from a 'Confidential' section reporter re Kanye
But racists wear Australian flags, not write for the Sydney Confidential, and that racial profiling's acceptable.
Public Enemy would be pretty disgusted by this. Granted, they have kfc on their rider. Kanye is nouveau riche artiste, he would've sipped champagne at Harrold's.
geez, Yeezy hates the Birdman now! goddam!
let's talk about the size of his koch.zip
I'm of the opinion that the writer isn't so racist that he or she would risk their reputation and job just to sneak this in. It sounds like the writer is suggesting that Kanye is classier than your average rapper. Which he is. And constantly makes reference to that fact whenever he can
I take it Joel Christie has been in no hurry to get back to M+M. Either that or Kanye has paid Joel a visit rendered him unable to get back to anybody.