Sunday, February 21, 2010

A second Compton Cookout is planned

See all posts about UCSD's "Compton Cookout"


Would someone please invite Mike Radazzo to a party? He's never been to one that wasn't about making fun of someone.

What's fun or funny about denigrating a group of people? Of course, it is possible to tell a funny ethnic joke, but that involves some subtlety, some thought. Humor requires the juxtaposition of the unexpected, and it's best when it involves some insight, perhaps poking fun at someone with pretensions. I'm Irish, and I always liked the one about the Irish priest who refused to say a mass for a dead horse until he heard the sum of money that the horse's owner was offering. "Why didn't you tell me your horse was Catholic?" the priest then asks. Good ethnic humor is merely a clever insight about human beings wrapped in the trappings of a given culture.

It doesn't sound like the Compton cookout involved any actual humor, just put downs intended to make the party goers feel superior. Mr. Radazzo doesn't understand that the target of fun has to buy into the idea or it's not fun, it's harmful.

Here Mr. Radazzo justifies his efforts to have another Compton cookout:

"If your intent is to make fun and not to harm anyone, and you really aren't trying to hurt anyone's feelings, then it's different from trying to cut someone down on purpose," Randazzo said.

He claims he has never been to a party that was not a mockery of something.

“On Cinco de Mayo, we have parties making fun of Mexicans; on Veterans Day, we make fun of veterans (yes, the same veterans who uphold our rights to free speech); on St. Patrick's Day we make fun of the Irish. Everyone gets made fun of out of jest now, not hate,” the invitation read.
--from Channel 6 Sam Diego



'Compton Party Part Deux' Organizer Defends His Actions
Racial tensions boil at UCSD
By MICHELLE WAYLAND
Feb 21, 2010

The racial tension at UCSD is boiling over for many and it may get worse.

Another invitation has surfaced on Facebook to an off campus "Compton Party Part Deux" party encouraging partygoers to “come to this party in honor of your favorite cultural stereotype.”

"We pretty much want people to just choose a culture and harmlessly poke fun at it," Mike Randazzo told NBC San Diego...

7 comments:

Montana said...

You real can't take these uneducated UCSD white trailer trash anywhere. This is what happens when more than one of these guys puts their minds together.

Anonymous said...

The Compton Cookout protestors are a mix of both fools and opportunists who either have a victim complex or are trying to make something out of nothing so as to either make themselves feel good or to cash in on it personally.
There is no racism at UCSD. Whites are actually a minority at UCSD as they are only 26% of the student body even though they are 42% of the California population. There has never been a racist attack against any Black student at UCSD. No black has been denied entry to UCSD due to racism, no black has been denied a job or promotion at UCSD due to racism, & blacks actually enjoy preferential "victim" status at UCSD, as the University bends over backwards to appease the Black Student Union whenever they yell racism or demand anything, no matter how absurd the demand.

In addition, No Fraternity held this party -- It was actually organized by a Black Comedian who calls himself "Jiggaboo Jones" to launch a new DVD.

There is real racism in the World - such as the Palestinians being repressed by Israelis; or Blacks in the South of Sudan being killed and enslaved by Arab Moslems from the North, or the Kurds suffering oppression by the Turkish & Iranian regimes, etc... and so on. In contrast to this real racism in the outside world the UCSD fracas is a pathetic joke.

Maura Larkins said...

Dear Anonymous:
You have a long list of statements that you can not possibly know to be true. Many of your statements are clearly wrong.

You say whites are a minority at UCSD, as if that proved white students could not be racists. Whites are an even smaller minority in South Africa--less than 10%--but no reasonable person would argue that South Africa has been free of racial oppression of blacks. A small group of people with weapons and the will to use them can do a lot of damage, as has been proven by terrorists.

It's interesting that you complain that the white student population is 60% of the white population percentage in California, while the black student population is only about 10% of the black population percentage in California. Do you see how I might think you are an incredible whiner with a victim complex? I submit to you that black kids get poorer schooling throughout grade school and high school than white kids, and that this is due to de facto racism, and this does indeed deny many black kids entry to UCSD.

I am curious. What makes you believe that not one single protester is honestly interested in making the world a better place? It seems clear that you have no interest in communicating with any of the thousands of protesters about the Compton Cookout. When someone is not interested in talking to members of a huge group of people, a group that he has stereotyped as either fools or opportunists, we call that prejudice. If the group of people is defined by race, we call that racism. I am afraid that you are proof positive of racism at UCSD.

I'd rather be gray said...

Hey y'all I go to UCSD and I feel like the reaction to these events were exciting.There was lots of yelling people. Overweight women publicly letting our there insecurities about not feeling accepted on campus, crying, and more yelling.

I enjoyed the spectacle of riots, as you probably would if you were in a mild earthquake, thunderstorm, or in a safe building while a tsunami passes the street below.

Let's all try to remember here; this is not the 50's. The authorities aren't dominating the blacks, they're dominating the dissenters. Label them hateful or ignorant as you will. The reaction of the black union is against smaller powers LABELED racist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGfFSZ2kcRg

Check out what "Jigaboo Jones" has to say. Don't get me wrong, this foo ain't no dave chappelle, he ain't no comedic genius. He's actually pretty lame, but he just want's you guys to maybe lighten up a bit considering nothing has happened other than public display of controversial symbols.

In my opinion your interpretation for this event is whatever your body INTENDS it to be right now. Your interpretation is whatever your body WANTS it to be right now.

Maura Larkins said...

Dear I'd rather be gray,

Before I respond, could you help me understand what this means:

"In my opinion your interpretation for this event is whatever your body INTENDS it to be right now. Your interpretation is whatever your body WANTS it to be right now."

What part of the body are you talking about? Honestly, this last bit makes you sound like a nut case.

Anonymous said...

How about mind your own fucking business? If somebody wants to have a theme party and you are not invited what business is it of yours? If somebody wants to mock a culture that is their right to do under the first amendment.

People are so quick to try to curb the behavior of other people. You are never going to to squash every insensitive act in this Country, but more importantly we in this Country have the right to act insensitively.

Maura Larkins said...

Dear Anonymous:

You say, "If somebody wants to mock a culture that is their right to do under the first amendment."

I'm mocking your culture.

Yet you have a problem with that. You think it's fine for you to mock other people's cultures, but not okay for other people to mock your culture.

Man up, kid. If you can dish it out, you should be able to take it.