Students Complain African Themed Dinner Was Racist

[naomi24]

//A Cambridge University African themed dinner has been branded racist because the invite used language from the Lion King and was held in a hall 'filled with portraits of white people'.//

//The university has come under fire over a controversial themed May Ball and has joined a long list of cultural appropriation accusations at the university this year. In March, it was reported that Pembroke College cancelled their Around The World in 80 Days party, which was met with complaints from students who said that the that the decision 'could encourage cultural appropriation' while other students said it 'restricts freedom of expression.' //

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3584688/Cambridge-University-race-row-students-complain-African-dinner-racist-using-Lion-King-language-reducing-entire-continent-three-courses.html

Whatever happened to innocent fun? What a sour, dour, joyless, miserable bunch!

[agchristie]

You can always count on the jungle drums to whip up ill-feeling.

[waterboatman]

what a load of nonsense!

[Svejk]

Why does anyone listen to this constant whinging?

[Jackdaw33]

That's why the clever people go to Oxford.

[naomi24]

Svejk, I have no idea. Perhaps it's time they were told in no uncertain terms to put a sock in it!!

[Hypognosis]

Oh? If we imitate them, it is cultural appropriation but, if we imitate ourselves, it is "exclusion" or "so white".

We cannot win, with them, whatever we do.

[naomi24]

It’s a sad mentality that is intent on seeking the negative rather than acknowledge the celebratory positives.

[Old_Geezer]

Of course it was racist. The courses should have been proper food as eaten by white skinned people, not foreign stuff !!!! For shame !

[jomifl]

Of course going to university isn't 'cultural appropriation'?

[andy-hughes]

Part of the pleasure, and indeed the purpose of a university education, is to ensure that you learn to discover and express your views as an adult.

Because levels of maturity vary greatly at the age of the average student, this means that large numbers of young people are still carrying around vaguely formed ideas dosed with large amounts of self-righteousness, and the time to indulge in both for vast amounts of time.

This leads to high-profile fretting about things which people in the adult world, with jobs and children and mortgages, have either simply never had the time to think about, or have thought about them and placed them in their correct place in the scheme of things - as of little or no real importance.

The two worlds clash constantly, as students attempt to find their way, and think about loud.

We should simply allow them the room and time to grow their ideas and conclusions, and the inevitable aspect of that, which means making huge amounts of fuss about things that are really not that worthy of the time and effort they receive.

[Old_Geezer]

PS They're students. Of an age and free from the family home. What do you expect ? They (some) feel the need to find something to protest. Almost anything will do.

[TheChair]

There have always been irrational whingers like this.
The difference today is that it's much easier to get publicity for their ridiculous arguments.
And media like the Mail and the Guardian scour to web for just such nonsense to use as click-bait for their sites.

[Svejk]

Yes, AH, we should ignore them. Trouble is, some so-called grown-ups indulge them.

[naomi24]

^And indulgence is why they're getting their way.

[Hypognosis]

I think it is basic in-group/out-group behaviour. Politically correct hipster gets the girl; Un-PC Answerbank acolyte gets a date with the palm sisters.

Not enough to just be PC. Have to be visibly/noisily so.

[Togo]

If I fancy a Chinese takeaway or a lovely Rogan Josh, or indeed knock together a Sphag. Bol. am I being racist now or appropriating the culture of other Countries? No one quite takes offence as effectively as they who would, by choice, like to be offended.

[naomi24]

Togo, Sphag. Bol? How very dare you! Some of my best friends are Italian!!

[Togo]

Haha no more "Scotch Eggs" with a picnic, and forget all about Irish Stew.

[sp1814]

Oh for goodness sake...

Someone complained and someone else countered that complaint saying that the former was being over-dramatic.

People have different point of view.

[jno]

reducing all of Africa to The Lion King doesn't sound like engaging with African culture in the slightest. Is that really the level of Pembroke students' knowledge of a whole continent? Doesn't say much for Cambridge.

I don't see what they could have done about portraits of white people on the walls, though.