Althouse: Diversity...

June 4, 2007

Diversity...

... jelly beans.

38 comments:

Roost on the Moon said...: You know who could have a ton of fun with a bag of diversity jelly beans?

Racists! Think about it: What a fun toy for racists.; 6/4/07, 1:28 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I thought about it. Don't get it.; 6/4/07, 1:29 PM
Anonymous said...: Whom do the colors stand for? Maybe red for Native American, yellow Asian, white Caucasian, black African/African-American, and orange Latino(?)

But who is the green bean? Middle Eastern Muslims? Greenlanders? Algore and the EnviroEuromentalists?; 6/4/07, 1:34 PM
Roost on the Moon said...: A bag of little beans whose colors represent different ethnicities seems like it would be a bottomless font of racially derogatory humor for those so inclined. You could do little skits.

On the other hand, for the tolerant, not so much fun. You feel guilty for not eating the black ones.; 6/4/07, 1:35 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Roost: Did you go to the link??? The "fun" you're describing could be had with normal jelly beans. The idea is that the beans look like one thing, but have surprise flavors. They're used to teach kids not to judge by appearances. I think it's kind of nice.; 6/4/07, 1:40 PM
Emy L. Nosti said...: Yes, all I need are jellybeans that piss me off too. As if the sizzling cinnamon/cherry jellybean controversy isn't bad enough.; 6/4/07, 1:42 PM
Roost on the Moon said...: Ah! No, I didn't see that.

Now I get why you didn't get it; it didn't make sense. I thought they were normal jelly beans, just rechristened.

Now they remind me of a conversation I watched years ago on TV between Bill Maher and David Duke. When Maher asked Duke to explain why some white people are fervent defenders of the rights of non-whites, Duke responded "They aren't white in their hearts."

Duke's hatred had actually doubled back on itself, completely undermining his own racism. It's what in your heart that matters. "Ah", Duke would say, "this jellybean is not coconut in it's heart."; 6/4/07, 1:53 PM
Kirby Olson said...: All jellybeans are the same, ultimately, just as all people are homo sapiens, ultimately.

Same difference?; 6/4/07, 2:09 PM
Anonymous said...: Um, children are natural kidophiles. It's hate they require teaching.; 6/4/07, 2:13 PM
Richard Fagin said...: You all realize that the comment by a Texaco board member that got the company in a world of trouble with the racial grievance industry was, "black jellybeans...stuck to the bottom of the bag", in reference to a similar "diversity jellybean" collection. It's bad enough what was actually said in Texaco board meetings without including the made up stuff, and us having to watch the ever present TV camera hog U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee poke her nose in (again) where it doesn't belong.

You'd think the manufacturers of those abhorrent grievance candies woule be out of business already.; 6/4/07, 2:22 PM
KCFleming said...: If diversity hadn't been overtaken by the Our Lady of Perpetual Victimhood cultists who denigrate western culture and take a Marxian class-war slant on all topics, then maybe I'd think this was cute.

As it is, I find it another eye roller.

For it begs the question, when we're all just the same:

For diversity day,let's play Muslim, and stone all the gay and Jewish jellybeans, and completely cover up those girl jellybeans, for they tempt me so.; 6/4/07, 2:58 PM
Anonymous said...: I have to agree with Pogo's sentiment, if I understand it correctly. If we're all the same, what is the point in pointing out that we're actually not? Those beans aren't the same, are they?

M'thinks there's too much protestation going on in the diversity movement.; 6/4/07, 3:14 PM
Kurt said...: I have to wonder, though, about how strong or distinctive the flavors of these beans are, to get people to look past the colors. Over the weekend, I heard a 20-20 piece where they talked about suggestion and our ability to taste the food we ate. As part of the report, they tested a group of blindfolded ABC news interns with vanilla yogurt that had been flavored with some chocolate syrup. The interns were all asked about the strawberry flavor of the yogurt, but there wasn't any strawberry flavor. The interns all just imagined it, after being asked about it. And so I wonder, if we're so suggestible, we might eat a red jelly bean and still imagine some cherry or berry flavor, even though it is supposed to taste like mint instead.; 6/4/07, 3:19 PM
Drew W said...: I clicked around this diversity site for a few minutes . . . Ick.

The idea of jelly beans that cannot be judged by their color seems innocuous enough, and possibly instructive. (But don't jellybeans all pretty much have the same taste -- which would be sugar -- aside from the licorice ones?)

The diversity-safe clothing, housewares, stationery and the like displayed on this site -- usually depicting a rainbow lineup of hand-holding children -- suggests an artless pairing of Health-Tex ads with Disneyland's "It's A Small World" ride. Okay, a little bit kitschier.

But what I ultimately glean from this site is a powerful feeling of condescension: "Look, we made these jellybeans to teach you a lesson, you lousy racists! Go, buy our jelly beans and sin no more." It seems like yet another pointless exercise in liberal self-puffery and self-righteousness. Ick.

PS: I swear I once tried a real-life version of Bertie Botts All Flavor Beans from the Harry Potter books. They come in all sorts of disgusting flavors -- vomit, etc. -- just like they do in the books. Somehow I think Bertie Botts' beans send a better message than Diversity jelly beans do, although I'm not sure what it is.; 6/4/07, 3:32 PM
Unknown said...: I propose another kind of jellybean package. All sorts of different flavors, but only one color: a really dull brownish grey.; 6/4/07, 3:43 PM
Anonymous said...: Diversity™ is never just about race, anymore. Where's the racism these days, besides some payback reverse race-based animosity and exclusion? Diversity is about promoting tolerance, inclusion and even quotas of people-by-group based on "minority" creed, orientation, gender, age, occupation, status, disability, etc.

The jelly bean counters could have just as easily included the usual pink, purple and blue beans for gays, feminists and sex industry workers. Also, a gray for senior citizens, red/white& blue swirl for reviled Repubs, maroon for Pelosicrats and transparent for illegal immigrants, I mean undocumented workers. We all need love and understanding by being put into groups for political action and then by insisting we shouldn't be stereotyped by group...; 6/4/07, 3:52 PM
MadisonMan said...: Somehow I think Bertie Botts' beans send a better message than Diversity jelly beans do, although I'm not sure what it is.

The message from Bertie Bott's: Profiling is essential. (My son loves BB Beans).

And I don't care what the Diversity Jelly Bean Confectionary Manufacturer tells me....a black jelly bean will never ever cross my lips.; 6/4/07, 3:52 PM
Bissage said...: The link sells the new and improved version of the diversity jelly beans.

The first version had different colors on the outside, but they all tasted like human liver on the inside.

They were delicious with fava beans and a nice Chianti.

Ffft, ffft, ffft, ffft, ffft!; 6/4/07, 3:53 PM
David53 said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 6/4/07, 4:02 PM
Roost on the Moon said...: I like Kurt's point, and how it works as an extended diversity metaphor.

Re: Pogo's comments,

Of course, a large majority of the world's Muslims aren't violent extremists. Maybe the lesson of the Drew's vomit-flavored jelly beans could be that if you want to find some green jelly beans to despise, you'll always be able to find a handful of disgusting ones.

Ugh, that's a little Mr. Rogers-y, though.

Maybe they could be a lesson for me: Be sure to read carefully before tossing a handful in your mouth.; 6/4/07, 4:02 PM
Anonymous said...: But we all know what the jelly beans wind up as in the end.; 6/4/07, 4:05 PM
Revenant said...: Of course, a large majority of the world's Muslims aren't violent extremists.

They aren't violent, sure. But the majority of the world's Muslims are to the right of Pat Robertson on social and religious issues. They're certainly extremists by American standards.; 6/4/07, 4:06 PM
Roost on the Moon said...: But the majority of the world's Muslims are to the right of Pat Robertson on social and religious issues.

Its a fair point, but true of much of the world. Not a good reason to single out Muslims.; 6/4/07, 4:15 PM
KCFleming said...: Re: "Not a good reason to single out Muslims."

Mebbe. But if I knew that 25% of the younger green jellybeans thought poisoning me to defend their religion was acceptable, well, you know, I wouldn't much care that though most other green jellybeans tasted just fine.

But go ahead.
Trust the green ones.
3 out of 4 are safe.; 6/4/07, 4:29 PM
Galvanized said...: I think it's a fresh, simple idea. It is a great aid for a kids' lesson, too, as well as a good reminder for us all :) However, is it just me, or is the word "diversity" getting old?

Plus, they could have had some fun with the name -- like indivijellies...or jellybeings...or nonjudgybeans. LOL ;); 6/4/07, 4:40 PM
Galvanized said...: mcg said: I propose another kind of jellybean package. All sorts of different flavors, but only one color: a really dull brownish grey.

LOL -- yeah, I agree, since it's going to represent about three-quarters of the population in about 20 years, my kids included. ;) We'll just mix up the flavors a bit.; 6/4/07, 4:44 PM
Tim said...: http://www.icelebratediversity.com/indexnew3.htm = platitudes proving the buyer's moral superiority for sale.; 6/4/07, 5:05 PM
Ann Althouse said...: The linked site really is saccharine and horrible. I just thought diversity jelly beans were pleasantly absurd.... but not evil... except on the teeth.; 6/4/07, 5:14 PM
Adrian said...: a lot of people actually do look to candy for metaphors about diversity and identity (seriously!). you (at least, I) often hear the demeaning terms 'oreo' and 'twinkie' to describe blacks and asians, respectively, who are judged to be acting 'too white' (i.e. 'white on the inside').
it's a shame to see that jellybeans may be getting in on the action. but as long as they keep their hands away from my dearly beloved Orange Milanos, I'll be okay.; 6/4/07, 5:20 PM
AllenS said...: America needs to move beyond jelly beans, and get back to what America was founded on: Cracker Jacks. Hell, you even get a mystery prize with each box. Just a minute, I'm going to apply my tattoo.; 6/4/07, 6:16 PM
Tim said...: "The linked site really is saccharine and horrible. I just thought diversity jelly beans were pleasantly absurd.... but not evil... except on the teeth."

Yeah, sorry about that - file this under "no good deed/thought goes unpunished" - but the purveyors of that kind of stuff are damned irritating.; 6/4/07, 6:42 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Tim: It's not like I didn't notice all along. I thought the horribleness of the site was funny. There's no lesson in this for me. I knew what I was doing.; 6/4/07, 6:44 PM
George Grady said...: A quote from the website:

This candy is just like people--you cannot determine what is on the inside by simply looking at the outside.

But isn't the lesson that we get from universities' diversity pushes just the opposite? When universities apply diversity reasoning to admissions, don't they basically say, "we're going to judge people differently based on their outsides"? If it were only what was inside that mattered, race wouldn't enter the picture.; 6/4/07, 8:02 PM
ricpic said...: What's next, diversity suppositories?; 6/4/07, 8:07 PM
Anonymous said...: recpic -- Thank you so very friggin' much.; 6/4/07, 9:19 PM
Anonymous said...: ricpic -- And, by that I mean, ew.; 6/4/07, 9:20 PM
Fen said...: When universities apply diversity reasoning to admissions, don't they basically say, "we're going to judge people differently based on their outsides"?

And why do univerity admins come down so hard on Affirmative Action Bake Sales? Isn't that what they practice?; 6/4/07, 11:30 PM
tris1969 said...: as far as the univ. admissions goes, I'd have to agree that they continue to make judgments based on appearances. I myself have never found a box to check on the ethnicity data form that accurately represented me. I am a caucasian/middle-easterner, and believe me, there exists a lot of animosity toward arabs these days. Why are arabs lumped in with "White"?
I remember the last politically correct lexicon was "equality". Well, that went down in flames, because it completely discounts what ethnic groups have written about themselves, and robs them of a national identity. Because we have since understood that the notion of "equality" is bogus, "diversity" has become the buzzword...And it is perfectly fine to celebrate diversity, as long as whites don't presume to assimilate a cultural identity. There is no white pride--such a term is deemed racist. Yet it is fine for illegal immigrants to rally on state campuses in the name of "la raza" and verbally attack the institutions founded by european immigrants. There is a hypocrisy inherent in any policy that favors one group over another for any reason. We are living the great apology, except I never owned a slave.; 10/10/07, 6:31 PM