Editor’s note: GEORGE CLOONEY is one of the only people in Hollywood who understands the hypocrisy of supremacism and is also willing to speak out against it. For his bravery I don’t mind hyping his latest film titled ‘Burn After Reading’. That shit is another COEN brothers classic. As for GEORGE CLOONEY, most folks can’t handle the truth…
For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.
White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because “every family has challenges,” even as black and Latino families with similar “challenges” are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.
White privilege is when you can call yourself a “fuckin’ redneck,” like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you’ll “kick their fuckin’ ass,” and talk about how you like to “shoot shit” for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.
White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative
action.
White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re “untested.
White privilege is being able to say that you support the words “under God” in the pledge of allegiance because “if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me,” and not be immediately disqualified from holding office–since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the “under God” part wasn’t added until the 1950s–while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.
White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.
White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was “Alaska first,” and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you’re black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.
White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do–like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child
labor, and people think you’re being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college–you’ re
somehow being mean, or even sexist.
White privilege is being able to convince white women who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired
confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a “second look.
White privilege is being able to fire people who didn’t support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.
White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.
White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a “trick question,” while being black and merely refusing to give one-word
answers to the queries of Bill O’Reilly means you’re dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.
White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a “light” burden.
And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole “change” thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.
White privilege is, in short, the problem.
I hate the phrase “went in”, but damn DP…you really deed it mayne!!!!!!
and oh yeah…FUCK SARAH PALIN!
” I don’t mind hyping his latest film titled ‘Burn After Reading’. That shit is another COEN brothers classic.”
Did u see the film yet or are u guessin its another Coen classic? Just curious.
Well put. As a white male I have no problem acknowledging that white privilege exists. White people need to be more aware of the advantages that the color of their skin brings. The hypocrisy of the right wing never ceases to amaze me nor does the ignorance of American voters.
you took my breath away…
This is what I was talking about on the phone when we spoke… posts like these. I can’t even say anything.
Niggas should pay you to drop knowledge like this…beyond the xxl paycheck.
I was not ready for this…. damn.
Damn, this is a great article. And it sums up the whole problem behind this coming election as well as life in America in general. I never knew George Clooney had opinions like this. Im glad you brought this to my attention. I respected him as an actor, but now I respect him as a person as well. Stuff like this needs to get on the news as well(wishful thinking).
^D! Cool article, where’s the source, where’s the link?
please, tell me you didn’t write this. it was way too intelligent for the likes of you. there is no way this could be by the same person who says ye tudda was set up. seriously, be honest, someone else wrote this and you just co-signed and posted, right?
I salute its poignancy, and agree with its sentiment – however this seems to only cover the “Republican” side of the coin, lets not act like there aren’t a bevy of liberal white hustlers that try to “deny” their privilege amongst the POC’s they know, all the the while benefiting from it.
This was awesome DP! Damn. Made my blood pressure rise, cuz I was feeling the passion and getting too heated at the same time! That Repub ticket including Palin is a joke!
Thanks DP. Vee, Tim Wise is your answer.
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=106899383&blogID=432871257
So should I pass out copies of this piece at the monthly “cultural competency” trainings?
Damn.
Thank you.
About my favorite blog out there yo!!!!!!!!!! This eally hits home. I applaud you for being the voice for those of us who feel exactly what you stated. Racism is deeeeeep in this country. Watched an excellent movie last night called “Great White Hope”. The system still hasn’t changed.
Also to add on……White priviledge is not knowing how to turn a computer on and not being articulate enough to even piece together a sentence to speak to folks without having to write it down and still be deemed worthy of leading our country into the future. While if you are the black candidate who is up to date with technology and “speaks well” you are seen as uppity and elitist.
I can never pass off a Tim Wise article as George Clooney. LM spots it everytime.
Tim Wise is a writer that the mainstream media won’t touch with a ten foot pole. He speaks truth to power and constantly confronts the white elephant (puns always intended at DP.com) in the room. The white elephant is a Republican party press machine that peddles fear, hypocrisy and dissonance throughout our country.
I chose to use George Clooney as my author simply for Google searches and web traffic since he is part of this weekends hottest movie. Which I haven’t seen yet but I plan to in a day or so.
*Note to DP.com readers: Being caught up on the author dissipates the message. The points raised here are profound and clearly visible IF you want to see them.
yes.
Sarah Palin uses Ask Jeeves.
Oh man Billy, you just murth that whole shit. Word up to twerkolator, you went in and you went hard (||). Mad props.
goathair,
Palin seems more like a Northern Light type broad
Inspired. Everyone should be sharing this post with their friends.
Dallas you are dropping knowledge (DMC voice), very interessant… I don’t speak/understand english very well… It’s not George Clooney who wrote that article ? Anyway the ideas you develop on that article are applicable for Europe…
Although, over the years, I’ve grown to truly respect George Clooney as someone who calls it like he sees it. After my initial read, I really thought the above piece was by him because of other shit I’ve read by Clooney. Not a stan, but dude is brave and rich and white priviledged enuff to call shit straight.
Good effin post.
I thought Palin was more of a ride or die rambler.ru/ chick.
Good looks DP, for hipping me to Tim Wise. Chea!
the best shit on the web right now!!!
and that’s the truth!
Goddamn! I say “Goddamn!” © Mia Wallace
One.
I couldn’t have found a better way to explain it ….
That’s one of the best posts I’ve read in a while !
Thanks !
aces.
The biggest problem with these sorts of discussions is that whenever theres is a point to be made it’s too often couched in some smaller, more particular argument that distracts from the real point.
case in point here is the paragraph about the pledge of allegiance/miranda rights. This doesnt actually have anything to do with white privilege its just “mcain/palin does this, and its dumb; obama does that and its not.”
but, yea, thats the problem
for another poignant and simple version of this thought line i recommend this article by Peggy McIntosh:
http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~mcisaac/emc598ge/Unpacking.html
Ultimately, White privilege is when you are allowed to call identify yourself as “White,” distancing yourself from all the other derivatives of the original Black.
There are some excellent points in this post, Dallas. This is how you keep folks thinking and paying attention. I’m about to google Tim Wise. Peace.
the thing that bother me is when other people get a pass. i know a lot of people that have been discriminated against by black people and that doesn’t get discussed. is always whites are racist and blacks are good people. be fair to both sides but that will never happen. so we get the gary sheffield’s and rasheed wallace’s of the world praise for saying bullshit. we get an election that has black republicans voting or supporting obama but that doesn’t get discussed nope because it doesn’t fit the narrative of black people = not racist , white people = racist
McCain bills himself as a patriot who puts country first, but anyone who selects Palin as a VP is clearly willing to put the future of the country at risk just to further his own career.
McCain/Palin – Bush league politicians…..
Keep fighting the good fight! I love it!
*slow clap* Damn Dallas don’t hurt em.
Good article, but it would have been a lot stronger if he resisted forcing in some contrived attacks against Sarah Palin* that have to be twisted to support the white privilege theme. If the democrats had chosen Hillary, you know Clooney wouldn’t have said or thought any of this about “white privilege,” which is really (to me) infinitely more compelling than the party politics this is really all about.
*Don’t misunderstand: I’m no Palin supporter; just saying the article he’s pretending to write is a lot more interesting than the one he really is.
This article should be concidered racist. Blacks have the same priveleges as whites and for anyone to say different is plain ignorant. It is about time that eveyone gets it through thier head that you are what you make yourself. Stop living in the past and what was. It is irritating to see that the issue of black and white will be the issue for this election. Let the best man rule our country regardless of color. It’s about time people realize that your treated the way you are not because of your color, but because of the way you represent yourself. THIS ARTICLE DISGUSTS ME.
Too bad this seems to only cover the “Republican” side? What about the Democrats? And the Undecided?…. White Privilege sees no political party, it has no boundaries.
George Clooney is an arsehat
keep dropin the knowledge bro
George Clooney hats off to you… You spoke well and the truth, U>S>A needs a change and that change is Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The real white people like you know it’s time. Put racisium to a end, it’s not about the color of the skin but who can get the job done. NO palin!, NO mccain! They are clueless. GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Some valid points but is one sided too often. Obama’s pastor of many years, not just a friend, preached that whites are evil. Obama went back for over a dozen years and never called him on it. Ironically he is half white. guess he considers his mom evil too?
If McCain’s spiritual confidant and pastor spews that blacks are vile he hears about it, I’d say. McCain as a prisoner of war that is tortured every day vs. Obama’s middle class or better lifestyle? You choose. There are double standards but the truth often lies somewhere in between.
Most politicians are self serving and go back on promises. McCain was almost the demo v.p. it seems. Bush certainly doesn’t care much for him. His choice of Palin and her ulrta conservative style is discouraging.
Hillary was the best choice. These finalists are disappointing. Obama has been on the extreme liberal side of congress and is a novice. McCain has sacrificed his independent Maverick ways to appease hard-line Republicans. I expect a long four years whichever candidate triumphs.
A friend sent me this article and I’m so glad. I happen to like George Clooney and after reading this article, I like him even the more.
It’s understood that it will be hard for many whites and others of different cultural backgrounds to accept a president of these “united” states who does not look like them; but for people like me, who are black,and proud to be black it is absolutely awesome to have someone in office who finally resembles CHANGE inwardly and outwardly!
Not only does he look like me but he is true to himself, intelligent, formerly educated (even according to “white” standards, and like any other candidate past, present and future he will learn how to do what he will be voted in to do. I declare that not only is it time for change, but destiny won’t have it any other way. Welcome President Barack Obama- the White House awaits you!! Don’t worry, I’m sure the “White” house will remain white- at least outwardly.
dallas! i find this article 100 percent correct for what i stand for and what i “preach” to my fellow citizens. But i have been put in the perfect scenerio for this to be a greater post. let me explain:
my writing teacher wants us to write a paper on any topic that we want to. now i think this is the perfect chance for me (also you) to spread the word. i want to ask you for permission if i can re-write this post for a more suitable “essay” paper.
let me know asap since the paper is due this tuesday.
your boy, kg!
Oh brother whereart thou! I agree with the comment that in principle we all have the same privilege. However when the controlling factors have for many years been wealthy white male (and still are look at the board of major hospital,university, utilities ect) conservatives who believe your shit stinks not theirs then all people are not at the same starting point . Mccain should undergo physcological testing for his veiws on war & Sarah Palin is an embarrassment of a female canidate.
I don’t care who wrote it I LOVE it. It is true and white people need to stop telling black people to get OVER it. There is nothing to get over. We didn’t ask you all to come steal us rape us or sell us and leave more than half of us so FUCKED up in the head that we DONT know WHO WE are!!!! So look at next president if you want Palin who the FUCK pays 6000 dollars for glasses when you are going to have another mouth to feed in your home. Oh my bad that is the taxpayers money. How about YOU PAID FOR that shit and you can’t buy yourself a damn pair!!! I am PROUD to be a BLACK WOMAN bezause WE are STRONG people and WE STAND when white America fail again. We will be the people you come to get your asses out. This COUNTRY was built on the BACKS of MY ancestors. So next time you really want to tell us black people to get over it DONT lock your door, grab your purse, tell your kids not to listen to our music or better yet when your daughters and sons come home with their girlfriend or boyfriend don’t get PISSED cause THEY LOOK LIKE ME!!!! Sorry not a racist just a person with feelings. My white friend or family as my mother calls them HATES the “N” word more than I do and will fight you for the THOUGHT! They are no longer friends with her white friend CAUSE OF THE COLOR OF MY SKIN. Now you get over thinking that there is NO RACIST in AMERICA! They are still in the closet unlike the gay people THEY are ASHAMED of who they ARE!!!!
[…] After sitting back and watching this farce, this is one of those times when I will speak through the voice of someone else and voice my opinion. Pastor Jamal Bryant speaks to the heart of the matter concerning what America looks like in the video below. George Cloony also has a blog that he wrote titled White Priveledge. http://dallaspenn.com/weblog/?p=2845 . Check It Out! And Decide For Yourself And Tell Me What You Think! […]
Right on target!!!! I could not have said it better myself. If George Clooney were near me I would kiss him!!!! Thank-you, Thank-you,Thank-you!
AAC, you said it right. Hillary was the best choice. There is truth in this piece and there is untruth. Palin is a joke. McCain is a cop-out. What Obama believes in and what he can actually do to fulfill promises are two different things. It takes a hard head and a good heart together to do this job. Hillary has both – I hope to God she gets given some good work to do to help this next four years.
“Batman. Result in he’s a standard boy. ”- Greene