Notice anything about this photo? Go ahead, I'll give you a minute. This is the starting lineup for the upcoming NBA All-Star Game. If you notice a "lack of diversity," you may also be interested to know that only one out of 50 nominees to even be on the ballot was Caucasian American, Cleveland's Kevin Love. With tens of millions of white fans across the country filling stadiums and buying jerseys, how can that be? And I thought America's entertainment industries were horrifically racist, run by stodgy, old, white billionaires who don't care about promoting talented black performers. What is going on here?
With all of the controversy over this year's Oscar ceremony (which I satirized in a column last week), even renowned intellectuals are getting in the mix. One of the most respected American economists, Thomas Sowell, wrote in his article this week that the Oscars are not representative of the population at large, but simply a representation of people's cultural and career choices.
As Sowell explains (and he happens to be black himself, by the way), to assume that there will be equal representation in each facet of our lives is not only illogical, but impossible. Nowhere in history has such a thing occurred. By such lunacy, we would expect more black hockey players in the NHL, more white R&B Grammy winners (which there has never been one by the way), more women running crab boats in the Bering Sea, or more men running daycare centers. All for the sake of "diversity." People are influenced by the culture around them, their innate talents, and their subsequent individual decisions.
Why are there so many more superstar black athletes than superstar black actors? Choices. Somewhere along the way, those folks decided they had more fun, made more money, or had more talent in sports than in other fields like acting. Why did Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and P Diddy become zillionaire record producers instead of NFL linebackers? Choices. Why do so many more women become third-grade teachers than men? Choices. When I was first hired as a public school teacher, the gym teacher, the head janitor, and I were the only men in the entire building. My principal, vice principal, and every other teacher of every other grade were female. Was my school sexist against men? No, those results came about because of individual career choices people made.
Should we have more white NBA All-Stars for the sake of diversity? Heck no! That would be an insult to those players for being included when they may not have deserved it, and a clear repudiation of black players' talent and the meritocracy of the NBA. Should we forcefully include more minorities into Oscar categories? If so, we must keep in mind that doing so would detract from the greatness of Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman. And if you're comfortable doing that, be my guest.
For celebrities (Will Smith and his wife have been the most visible) to complain about some malevolent undercurrent of discrimination in a nation that has provided them with more fame and fortune than any of us mortals will ever experience is not just laughable, it's offensive. Economics continues to show that racism is bad for business. Last I checked, Will and Jada Smith and others boycotting the ceremony aren't exactly having a hard time making their car payments. As comedian Steve Martin famously said, "Be so good they can't ignore you." And remember that silly awards don't mean that much anyway. Take the advice of this actor: "Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings, and emotions."
Who said that? Will Smith.
With all of the controversy over this year's Oscar ceremony (which I satirized in a column last week), even renowned intellectuals are getting in the mix. One of the most respected American economists, Thomas Sowell, wrote in his article this week that the Oscars are not representative of the population at large, but simply a representation of people's cultural and career choices.
As Sowell explains (and he happens to be black himself, by the way), to assume that there will be equal representation in each facet of our lives is not only illogical, but impossible. Nowhere in history has such a thing occurred. By such lunacy, we would expect more black hockey players in the NHL, more white R&B Grammy winners (which there has never been one by the way), more women running crab boats in the Bering Sea, or more men running daycare centers. All for the sake of "diversity." People are influenced by the culture around them, their innate talents, and their subsequent individual decisions.
Why are there so many more superstar black athletes than superstar black actors? Choices. Somewhere along the way, those folks decided they had more fun, made more money, or had more talent in sports than in other fields like acting. Why did Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and P Diddy become zillionaire record producers instead of NFL linebackers? Choices. Why do so many more women become third-grade teachers than men? Choices. When I was first hired as a public school teacher, the gym teacher, the head janitor, and I were the only men in the entire building. My principal, vice principal, and every other teacher of every other grade were female. Was my school sexist against men? No, those results came about because of individual career choices people made.
Should we have more white NBA All-Stars for the sake of diversity? Heck no! That would be an insult to those players for being included when they may not have deserved it, and a clear repudiation of black players' talent and the meritocracy of the NBA. Should we forcefully include more minorities into Oscar categories? If so, we must keep in mind that doing so would detract from the greatness of Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Morgan Freeman. And if you're comfortable doing that, be my guest.
For celebrities (Will Smith and his wife have been the most visible) to complain about some malevolent undercurrent of discrimination in a nation that has provided them with more fame and fortune than any of us mortals will ever experience is not just laughable, it's offensive. Economics continues to show that racism is bad for business. Last I checked, Will and Jada Smith and others boycotting the ceremony aren't exactly having a hard time making their car payments. As comedian Steve Martin famously said, "Be so good they can't ignore you." And remember that silly awards don't mean that much anyway. Take the advice of this actor: "Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings, and emotions."
Who said that? Will Smith.