Letters to the Editor
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Ouch
She's a nasty little piece of work, but she's a kid! I hate that she's going to be tarred with these childish, ignorant statements for the rest of her career (if she manages to have one) simply because a camera was on her at a time in her life when most of us were allowed to be idiots in relative anonymity. America's Top Model choosing to air this child's stupidity is, in my opinion, highly unethical. They should have pulled her aside, had a heart-to-heart, told her to reconsider either her ambitions or her prejudices, and then simply lost the tapes. By airing this, they're being as intolerant as she is. But they're adults and should know better.
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She's an adult
Sorry, but the girl's 18, old enough to take responsibility for the ignorant, racist trash emerging from her piehole. I say, keep it up, missy: every word just confirms what most of us already believe about conservative red state so-called Christians.
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woah.
So... according to her monologue, liking muslim people is a "liberal" issue???
Amazing.
And to the other letter writier, I don't see what was unethical about airing this. Its not like they goaded her into saying anything. She's stating her views like she's proud of them. When confronted by 3 presumably gay people, she sticks to her guns. Look, deep down inside, I hope every bigot can change. But there is no reason why she shouldn't be held responsible for her beliefs until she does. For starters, how will she change if noone ever shames her for her ridiculous beliefs.
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Shame.
Why are the beautiful ones always raving ignorant racists?
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Not on national television
Sorry, but the girl's 18, old enough to take responsibility for the ignorant, racist trash emerging from her piehole…
She's not old enough to drink. Why can't she drink? Because at 18, she's immature. And yes, she should take responsibility for what she says — we all should — but not on national TV at 18. It's unkind and exploitative. She will grow out of this ignorant racist phase, but the stigma will stay with her forever because the producers of some crap reality show needed a villain. A few months ago, sex with her would have been illegal; today the producers can fuck up her whole life with impugnity. While you're bashing the red staters remember that we bash them because we believe ourselves to be the good guys. Good guys don't prey on ignorant children.
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Will she grow out of it?
Barleymash, your compassion for this young woman is really, really admirable...especially contrasted with the fact that I found it difficult not to enjoy watching her in these difficult, squirmy situations.
However, I don't agree that she will necessarily outgrow this...and she is old enough to start experiencing the natural consequences of her actions and statements.
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Not a Youthful Indiscretion
When I was 18 I said some stupid things (some of which I have found preserved for eternity on Google's Newsgroup archives). Although I might defend them as the actions of a raw youth, all of them were made in the context of values that I maintain 20 years later, and while I might apologize for indelicacy, I stand by my intentions.
Even Robert Byrd, who joined the Klan for a year when he was 20 years old claims to have done so due to peer pressure, and not a desire to promote the Klan agenda. If this woman looks back on a lackluster career that was limited by her racism and homophobia, she doesn't deserve a consoling pat on the back and a, "We were all awful people in our youth."
We may have all been crazy, awkward and indiscreet, but we weren't all awful.
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Pretty funny
In a very ignorant way.
I will give her one point tho, and that's the A&F one. Not that it's reasonable to say she's right, but would anyone care if a white person got denied a job at FUBU on an equal level if a colored person was denied a job at A&F? Either way, it points to a certain hypocracy with typical racism vs atypical in the way we & and the media may treat said situation.
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Affirming her actions?
So, let's get this straight:
A woman who wants a job where she will be judged solely on her looks, thinks that people shouldn't get jobs based on their skin color?
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...because...
...because it sure would be terrible if certain people in society had advantages over others simply because of their physical appearance....
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she's due for an ass-whupping she so richly deserves
Stop making excuses for stupid people of any age, but especially one who's old enough to vote. She'll either grow up or she won't, I don't give a flying fuck. But she wants to be on TV and play with the big kids, so let's see if she can handle life outside of her lily-white incestuous Texas town. The sooner war, the quicker peace.
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To Barleymash...
Let's look at this from a legal standpoint. If she committed a felony, wouldn't she be prosecuted as an adult? She's old enough to vote and affect public policy. She's certainly old enough to be publicly ridiculed for her assinine statements.
She chose to be on national TV. She's proud of who she is and she's eager to get her message out. And I don't believe she would welcome your condescending and paternalistic attitude towards her.
Look at it this way: Imagine she were a vegetarian and couldn't stop talking about it. Would your response be, "Oh, she's young and doesn't know what she's saying. Someday she'll grow out of this silly vegetarian phase. In the meantime, airing her ignorance is akin to child abuse."
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To knutsworth
airing her ignorance is akin to child abuse
I never wrote that. Nor do I believe it. I said it wasn't nice. And it's not. Regardless of the valid points some people are making about 18 being "old enough" for whatever, I believe deep down we're all very happy there's no nationally televised record of our own youthful stupidity, and I think the producers could have done without cashing in on hers. Most people learn to correct their prejudices and insensitivities with help from family and friends, not from national condemnation. You see an 18 year old racist bitch. Well, so do I. She's hard to miss. But I also see vicious, ruthless producers taking advantage of a kid who doesn't yet know better. When they encountered her, they could have acted like humans and moved along. Instead they chose to act like sharks. And that's why I'll never succeed in the reality TV biz. Damn.
wouldn't welcome your condescending and paternalistic attitude towards her
Not at 18, certainly. But in 20 years, she might look back and wish somebody had turned off that camera. The funny thing is, I'm not that nice a guy. Ordinarily I'd be riding the condemnation train, too. But airing this crap struck me as extraordinarily and unnecessarily predatory.