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Very recently, Joel Johnson decided to conduct a social experiment. The writer for Gizmodo, which is primarily a tech site, realized that he didn't know any black women and decided to follow one on Twitter. Here are some of the results from his study of the animal species of the African-American woman:
Sometimes I find her faith charming; other times it is frustratingly childish. "Thanks Lord for letting me see another day!" can be followed by a retweeted "God is THE MAN!" All that can be followed by jokes about someone being a "squirter" in bed. I try not to extrapolate about her culture from just one person's Twitter stream, but that's also sort of exactly what makes following a random person so interesting. Are black Christians more open about their sexuality? Young people? Northern people? I've just got this single data point, but it's more than I had before.
While the theme of his post seems to be coming more from naivete and ignorance than bigotry, Johnson does what a lot of people -- perhaps during a twinge of white privileged guilt -- do at some point: They stop peering at their own navel and realize that, yes, there are other people that do not look like them who actually live in the world. Perhaps even in the same neighborhood! And they walk upright, can talk, read, write and eat the same food as they do!
And just like an uncomfortable number of people, Johnson seemed to be under the assumption that by following one Black woman, he was able to solve one of the great mysteries of the world -- oh, and also, that all Black women (well in this case, all Christian Black women) must think and behave the same.
Done. Finished with the experiment.
Not surprisingly, some people were outraged. But many -- some who have probably not been unfairly judged and lumped into a racial/sexual stereotype that can (and probably does in one way or another) hinder their careers, professional and educational pursuits and other opportunities many of us take for granted -- felt that the people who questioned his logic were being "too sensitive." From a commenter:
What feeble minds! What racism? Is he trying to f-ing lynch her or something? If anything, it's you all who's accusing him of being racist who's going out to cyber-lynch. I'm a minority and I do recognize the rampant and persistent spread of racism in American culture, but it's not like those so-called racially discriminated are not racist themselves. Seriously, life is not fair and you will never live a day when all races get along with each other as if we are all brethren. Just get over it already. You all need to get brainwashed with endless episodes of Chappelle show and Mind of Mencia. America is paradise compared to other countries in terms of racism. If you don't like it go live in China you cowards.
Johnson followed up with his post "So this Hipster Tech Douche Stalks a Sexy Black Woman on Twitter" by saying that yes, you people didn't understand what I was trying to say and you are blowing it out of proportion:
Some antagonistic responses to the piece spent a lot of time constructing ornate deconstructions of things I never actually said. Many used the term "exoticization" after I acknowledged that I found this particular woman attractive. A few said I had a "black fetish", as if that were damning in and of itself.
Sorry to disappoint, but I copped to nothing of the sort. It may be a cliched, horndog thing to say, but if I have a fetish, it's a woman fetish. There's nothing the least bit "privileged" about looking at a picture that someone's put online and saying, "Yup. She's hot." If you disagree you must find the grocery checkout magazine racks harrowing, let alone spending time around actual human beings. And to toss around a term like "privilege" because a white male mentioned
