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Post by Auroranorth on Jun 1, 2021 16:34:58 GMT -4
I kinda feel like the reaction to this is...I don't know, a bit much or naive? I'm not saying it's cool, I'm just saying that absolutely no one should be surprised that a wealthy white family, especially from a Southern-ish state (I know Missouri is one of those states that is kinda Southern, but also kinda Midwest) that still has their daughter participate in debutante balls in 1999 is involved in a group that has racist roots. I mean, look at just about every country club in this nation. I don't think she should be "canceled" over this - she was 19, this is probably just "what was done" in her family without anyone really thinking about what it meant, and doesn't seem to reflect her current beliefs (now, if she got her child involved in such a ball, then...yeah). I'm hoping most of the surprise is coming from people not realizing she came from a wealthy family. Because this still absolutely still goes on and has gone on since this country started. Agreed. If she was doing this today, that would be worth some outrage, but if we're canceling for this, then we need to cancel everyone who ever belonged to a country club which was restricted- which was pretty much all of them except those that were created for the people who were restricted out. |
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Post by seat6 on Jun 1, 2021 17:14:38 GMT -4
At first I was shocked and then I realized I was falling for click bait. I’m sure if we looked at Reese Witherspoon we would find a similar ball in her background.
Obviously, crap like this needs to go away.
I think it’s a good opportunity for Ellie Kemper to make a strong statement that reflects her current beliefs.
I’m assuming she’s not pro-segregation.
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Post by Ginger on Jun 1, 2021 17:23:53 GMT -4
At first I was shocked and then I realized I was falling for click bait. Places like Twitter and Oh No They Didn't are going to permanently remember her as "being affiliated with the KKK...or something like that." Even after ONTD spent many pages determining that the organization was not affiliated with the KKK. I would say she's in quasi-cancelled territory with Chris Pratt, where she will be perpetually denounced by people who can't actually remember the reasons why. |
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Post by seat6 on Jun 1, 2021 17:28:23 GMT -4
Yeah, it’s going to take a PR guru to help her and a lot could go wrong.
Today I got an email alleging that a bunch of Grammy winners and members of various Halls of Fame (Rock, Country, Bluegrass) were members of the KKK and for more info watch this video!
I didn’t click on the link.
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Post by Ladybug on Jun 1, 2021 17:34:28 GMT -4
I kinda feel like the reaction to this is...I don't know, a bit much or naive? I'm not saying it's cool, I'm just saying that absolutely no one should be surprised that a wealthy white family, especially from a Southern-ish state (I know Missouri is one of those states that is kinda Southern, but also kinda Midwest) that still has their daughter participate in debutante balls in 1999 is involved in a group that has racist roots. I mean, look at just about every country club in this nation. I don't think she should be "canceled" over this - she was 19, this is probably just "what was done" in her family without anyone really thinking about what it meant, and doesn't seem to reflect her current beliefs (now, if she got her child involved in such a ball, then...yeah). Yes, I agree. It sounds like it was a local debutante ball with racist origins the group didn't want publicized in 1999 and she likely didn't know or pay attention to at 19. When I was a college freshman one of my best friends was a debutante and invited me to her ball. I was way more concerned with getting a ball gown and asking my crush at the time to be my escort than looking into the history of the organization that was putting on this archaic event (just looked up the society and they still put on deb balls as recently as 2019). My friend didn't really want to do it either, but her older sister did it and her mom basically said "you're doing this." Mama wanted both her daughters' names and pictures in the newspaper. There was so much family drama that she just wanted to get it over with and I bet that is common with a lot of the girls who participate in these things since the concept of "entrance into society" isn't really a thing anymore. The whole concept is outdated, but people like clinging to traditions (which is part of the problem). I think it shows how embedded racism is in our culture and that we're not even aware of most of it. It goes back generations, but as time has progressed social organizations like this and country clubs, etc. have had to open up their membership and they try to make everyone forget their past racism. It's too easy to blame it all on just the KKK. |
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tanyak
Blueblood
Posts: 1,803
Feb 26, 2007 1:29:22 GMT -4
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Post by tanyak on Jun 1, 2021 18:10:30 GMT -4
I understand that country clubs and related deb balls have unsavory beginnings, but I don't know if I care all that much *now.* I also don't think I would care if Kemper put her own daughter in one today.
If they make a true effort to right the wrongs of the past, that's somewhat enough for me. I understand that some make more of an effort than others (and it's usually obvious which ones do). I also understand and respect that folks believe it should all be shut down.
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pachengala
Landed Gentry
Posts: 818 
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Post by pachengala on Jun 1, 2021 23:11:55 GMT -4
At first I was shocked and then I realized I was falling for click bait. I would say she's in quasi-cancelled territory with Chris Pratt, where she will be perpetually denounced by people who can't actually remember the reasons why. I’m pretty meh about this, feeling kind of wait-and-see, but I will never, ever forget why I hate Chris Pratt with the murder-wasp heat of a fresh-born volcano. Fuck that guy. |
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Post by Ladybug on Jun 2, 2021 9:51:40 GMT -4
What got me about this situation was the very sudden Twitter pile on. The information was not a secret, she's talked about her privileged upbringing and being a deb. The Atlantic article about the origins of this club was published in 2014. Someone just put it together, labeled it KKK and linked her to it on Twitter and suddenly she's "cancelled" for something that she probably hasn't thought about in years.
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wixy
Lady in Waiting
Posts: 486
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Post by wixy on Jun 2, 2021 10:45:05 GMT -4
I loved Ellie on The Office, and had zero idea she came from a rich background like this. This story is literally WTF levels of random information.
That said, this whole cancel culture nonsense needs to die. It's exhausting, inconsistent and dictated by the mood of Twitter. Cancel who you want to cancel - boycott their movies, music, businesses but also exercise some common sense.
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Post by Ginger on Jun 2, 2021 10:54:29 GMT -4
If Ellie follows the advice of her friend Tina Fey, she will just ignore this and move on. She's not cancelled in any real sense. She's not going to get fired from anything and her comedy friends are not going to dump her. The story was corrected and the headline was deemed misleading within a few hours. What is going to follow her is just the incessant, irritating, unproductive negativity of the internet that deems her problematic. I’m pretty meh about this, feeling kind of wait-and-see, but I will never, ever forget why I hate Chris Pratt with the murder-wasp heat of a fresh-born volcano. Fuck that guy. LOL. I'm thinking of Oh No They Didn't, where they have to ask each other why every time. "Didn't he...?" "No, but he...." "No, actually, he didn't, but he did..." "Oh, that's not what I remembered..." |
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