OP-ED:Failed satire does not reflect author's views on race or humanity

By: Jonathan Rubinger

Posted: 5/1/07

The crucial element in satire is to put the offending words in the mouth of someone who is clearly of questionable moral fiber-a famous example being Archie Bunker, the star of classic television series All In the Family. Archie was known to spout a racist or otherwise insensitive comment in his day. It was clear from the context, however, that he was not to be taken seriously or considered the voice of his writers.

Where Gravity Magazine's "BlackJerry" advertisement failed was in not making its targets -the BlackJerry company and their advocate, Chris Washington-look overtly foolish enough. Washington should be seen as irresponsible, oblivious and generally dim-witted for the material to work. He is described as being late for a flight, doing 120 mph down the Mass Pike in an obviously stolen car, stoned out of his mind from the joints his BlackJerry rolls. However, the wording used to describe this situation is insufficient in that it provides only subtle clues as to Washington's dubious nature. Even the hint that Washington is a pornography producer is rather subtle: he is named as the CEO of "3X Media" (3X media; 3x for XXX). These clues are too easily missed when the first thing one notices is a black man and a list of stereotypes that seem to apply to him.

So the "advertisement" fails in its purpose, which was to place stereotypes in the mouth of an obviously ludicrous racist, by extension saying that the stereotypes themselves-and all stereotypes, all racism, etc.-are similarly ridiculous.

Everything seems less funny when you flesh out how the humor operates. Try it with one of your favorite jokes sometime.

There may be those who question my analysis of the material. I can assure you that I know what the author intended, as I know him better than anyone.

This being the case, I offer the following: To anyone whose feelings were hurt or who felt victimized by the BlackJerry advertisement, I am truly and deeply sorry. The intended target of the ad was racism itself, and I did not make this adequately clear. There were several rewrites, and it is easy to forget that a person seeing the final edition for the first time does not have the advantage of seeing how it came about-he knows only what is directly in front of him. The final product did not clearly convey the message I was trying to send: that stereotypes are really, really dumb.

I am not a racist. I am, in fact, a humanist-I am of the opinion that people do not choose their circumstances, and that all human beings deserve a measure of compassion, if for no other reason than the fact that we're all in this together-humans, I mean. The belief that any human is superior to another for any reason-genetic or lifestyle-does not fit into this construct, and so the accusations of racism that are swirling around me at the moment have hurt me a great deal and continue to do so.

Many people have confided to me that they found the material funny for the intended reasons, but are afraid to admit so publicly for fear of being branded as racist. If you fall into this category, you have my sympathy; it is unfortunate that you are silenced by this very reasonable worry. While I wish I could count on your public support, it would be too much to ask you to expose yourself to the same ire that has been directed at me over the past few days.

If, on the other hand, you found yourself looking at the ad, laughing at the expense of black people or the black community, I have nothing to offer you but disdain.

It is my hope that we can work out our differences of opinion through civil discussion. I continue to stand by the joke I was trying to make about the ridiculousness of stereotypes, and I apologize for my oversight of what could easily be misconstrued as an attack. Know that it was not my intention to hurt feelings, but rather to induce laughter and promote an increased understanding of the ludicrous nature of black, racial and all stereotypes. If anyone is planning to refer to me in the future as a racist, I hope you will reconsider. That is, far and away, not who I am.

Like all humanists, I am very much on your side, and I fault no one for his point of view. As a humanist, I respectfully submit that you consider as individuals or in groups the role that humor can play in easing racial tensions.

Like all humans, I am prone to making mistakes. As a human, I humbly request that you forgive me for mine.

My best wishes to all.

The writer is a member of the Class of 2008.