Celebrity privilege is a type of "Special treatment!" We know the latter phrase if we grew up with a sib or if nursery school or kindergarten teachers used it. Parents in the U.S. and early teachers drilled it into our heads—no special treatment, wait your turn, share toys with others. So, it's not surprising that Americans talk about privilege, discrimination, preferential treatment a lot. Preferential crim justice treatment for celebrity privilege? Celebs have long been ordered to … [Read more...]
Rape, Coverups, Bullying—Araoz, Acosta, Epstein
Another amazing week. US Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned amid the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal. Pressure mounted against Acosta as news trickled out that he'd allowed an incredibly lenient plea deal to go forward under his watch in Epstein's Florida trial years ago. And then an accusation of rape! Rape. The allegation of rape by a then, 14-15 year old girl, trumped Acosta's fall from grace. In a TODAY interview with Savannah Guthrie, included here, Jennifer Araoz shared … [Read more...]
Smollett case: enough twists that this timeline necessary.
Smollett celeb justice case has enough twists that we need a timeline. Here's the latest. The Senior DA in Chicago dropped all charges allegedly at the behest of Michelle Obama via her former chief of staff. Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a former Obama insider, and the Chief of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) were outraged and rightly so. No justice here and a total waste of $130,000 in CPD resources investigating what might've been a hoax. But just today, Inspector General Patrick Blanchard … [Read more...]
Privilege, Power, and Race — Whiteness explained.
Allan Johnson, Privilege, Power, and Race. Privilege, Power, and Race. One of my favorite sociologists, Allan Johnson, died recently. I've been meaning to pay homage to him and one of his key books. His thoughts on privilege, power and race reflect notions I've expressed here and elsewhere. The following is an excerpt from Johnson's book Privilege, Power, and Difference, 2nd edition, which deserves being quoted in it's entirety. "Individuals and systems are connected to each … [Read more...]
Celebs & CEOs are likely to beat the rap in college fraud.
As someone who got into Yale the hard, old-fashioned way, the fact that celebs & CEOs are likely to beat the rap for bribing colleges outrages me. I've blogged about bias and discrimination in favor celebs and other elites before. Most recently, here and here. The defendants are a "catalogue of wealth and privilege,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said during his press conference announcing charges.Most importantly, he also said, "There can be no separate college-admissions system … [Read more...]
White supremacy increasing. Need civil rights activist heroes.
Calling the civil rights activist — wherever you may be. We need you now. Why" To combat the rise in hate crimes experienced worldwide. Data from multiple sources suggest this is so, not just info from news accounts about egregious crimes. The latest being the terror attacks on two New Zealand mosques, killing 50 and injuring 50. We need the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr. and many of the men and women in his orbit. We know a lot about the civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, for … [Read more...]
Criminal injustice? R. Kelly & Other Celebrities in Court.
Among the big news stories this week, one's got crim injustice" written all over it in my humble opinion. Criminal Injustice R&B singer R. Kelly turned himself in to the Chicago police last night after being indicted. He did so to answer charges of 10 counts of aggravated criminal sex abuse against four victims, three of them minors. Criminal sex abuse is the term for the what's also been called statutory rape. Robert S. Kelly, a native of Chicago, is a singer, songwriter, record … [Read more...]