Our colleges and universities are populated by vegetables…
or at least by those who imbue them with too much meaning. A group of students
at Cal State San Marcos’ “Annual Whiteness Forum” believe the Christian
children’s cartoon “VeggieTales” promotes racial stereotypes and labeled it “dangerous.”
One
female student claimed that, by humanizing vegetables, the popular show’s
creators were really using the animated cartoon to promote stereotypes by
making the villains racial minorities. She made a poster titled “Children in
the Church” which reads, “When supremacists aim to taint the way children think
of people of color, it will work.” Her “work” also states: “Whiteness in the
Bible isn’t just seen as ‘power’ it’s seen as ‘good.’ When kids see the good
white character triumph over the bad person of color character they are taught
that white is right and minorities are the source of evil.”
Biblical
“whiteness” stands for purity and righteousness, Ms. Marple, not racial
discrimination.
The
forum is an adjunct to Professor Dreama Moon’s (!) class titled “The
Communication of Whiteness,” in which students also called various other things
and people racist, including the NFL and women who supported Donald Trump. If
the NFL is racist, it’s reverse racism, as about 70% of those in the league
today are black. (And 100% of them are wealthy, at least by any objective
standard). As for female Trump supporters, they voted against a woman, not a
person of color. Maybe they’re not racist, but not sexist, either? Maybe they
think for themselves, not as others tell them they have to think. Maybe they
like Trump’s policies. Or maybe they just like his hair.
But, I
digress.
Each
episode of VeggieTales ended with Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber saying,
“Remember kids, God made you special and He loves you very much.” It did not end with them saying, “Remember white kids, God made you special and He
loves you very much.” Neither Bob nor Larry are white. They are, in fact,
vegetables of color. Larry is green. Bob is red.
As should be the faces of those labeling
VeggieTales racist or dangerous.
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