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KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)

153. So when Leslie Calhoun (the NBC cafeteria's African-American chef) tried to do such a menu

Mon Feb 10, 2014, 10:32 AM

Feb 2014

it should be fine then, right?

Except it wasn't.

In February 2010, NBC‘s New York City office cafeteria served a soul food meal to celebrate Black History Month. ?uestlove, an African-American drummer who plays for NBC’s “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” took a picture of the soul food menu placard which listed fried chicken, collard greens with smoked turkey, black-eyed peas, white rice and jalapeño cornbread. He tweeted the photo to his million-plus Twitter followers saying “Hmm HR?” NBC soon removed the sign and apologized to anyone who was offended. Ironically, the entire menu was planned by Leslie Calhoun, the cafeteria’s African-American chef who had lobbied NBC’s management for eight years for permission to celebrate Black History Month with a soul food meal. Calhoun publicly defended the menu, and ?uestlove eventually released a statement clarifying that it was a joke gone too far, that he didn’t believe NBC’s management was insensitive and that he was simpatico with what Calhoun was trying to accomplish.

http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/lets-stop-demonizing-fried-chicken/

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Fried Chicken Is Soul Food & Should Be Honored And Embraced As Such [View all] KittyWampus Feb 2014 OP

I started to write several times the other night when Cha Feb 2014 #1

Chicken greens and cornbread... awoke_in_2003 Feb 2014 #21

Everybody eats fried chicken.. I use to until I Cha Feb 2014 #50

That is why I said almost everyone... awoke_in_2003 Feb 2014 #61

Exactly. The context was everything. merrily Feb 2014 #115

I think it's yet another symptom of Outrage Society. The_Commonist Feb 2014 #2

^^this^^ Puzzledtraveller Feb 2014 #186

I really don't know how I feel about this........... wandy Feb 2014 #3

And there are as many recipes for it as there are cooks Warpy Feb 2014 #10

Ahhhhh, so true......... wandy Feb 2014 #17

I "lost" that cook book somewhere! Lifelong Protester Feb 2014 #179

Is this more of how white people tell black people racism really isn't a problem? BainsBane Feb 2014 #4

You know, Soul Food is an interesting subject. Why close down that discussion? KittyWampus Feb 2014 #11

I do not claim to be an expert BainsBane Feb 2014 #13

I'll have to find MrScorpio's thread JustAnotherGen Feb 2014 #30

I linked to it BainsBane Feb 2014 #48

I found it JustAnotherGen Feb 2014 #120

Agreed. Sheldon Cooper Feb 2014 #32

Its political correctness run amok quinnox Feb 2014 #5

The outrage machine definitely is in full gear BainsBane Feb 2014 #6

A friend recently posted pictures of his friends at Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles in LA sweetloukillbot Feb 2014 #29

Did anyone anywhere say eating fried chicken is racist? gollygee Feb 2014 #33

Well, I attended an American festival here in Japan recently Art_from_Ark Feb 2014 #65

those foods are not used against americans in a bigoted way JI7 Feb 2014 #119

Are you sure? Art_from_Ark Feb 2014 #123

So would you agree that whopis01 Feb 2014 #156

I love it, too. Racist? Nope. 840high Feb 2014 #57

I think Whites need to back off the pseudo-"honoring" thing. WinkyDink Feb 2014 #7

Yeah, we just don't get it. Warpy Feb 2014 #9

So you think Mr. Miller only wants black people to buy or talk about his book KittyWampus Feb 2014 #16

I think you are diverting Mr. Scorpio's OP down an irrelevant alley. kwassa Feb 2014 #35

That can definitely backfire on you jmowreader Feb 2014 #94

... handmade34 Feb 2014 #127

It's one of the things my mother, who hated cooking, did well Warpy Feb 2014 #8

Here you go, from less than a month ago. ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #12

So Americans shouldn't acknowledge, talk about or eat soul food? KittyWampus Feb 2014 #14

the history of how it's been used in a negative racist way should also be acknowledged JI7 Feb 2014 #18

Where in my OP do even vaguely suggest that negative shouldn't be acknowledged? KittyWampus Feb 2014 #151

This stupidest example hit the national newswire...no scouring was needed. ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #20

You can eat it and talk about --just don't use it as a STEREOTYPE to LABEL African Americans tblue37 Feb 2014 #63

Thank you. liberalmuse Feb 2014 #83

You're missing the point Scootaloo Feb 2014 #116

So when Leslie Calhoun (the NBC cafeteria's African-American chef) tried to do such a menu KittyWampus Feb 2014 #153

"many lefties"? frwrfpos Feb 2014 #15

Noticed that too did you? Rex Feb 2014 #170

Not a fan of soul food. dilby Feb 2014 #19

they have a lot of vegetable dishes which are healthy JI7 Feb 2014 #24

I've come to the conclusion I'm the only person in the northwest who can cook Scootaloo Feb 2014 #117

Tartar sauce? bravenak Feb 2014 #125

Exactly deutsey Feb 2014 #140

and it's their damn fish! onpatrol98 Feb 2014 #190

Fuck it. I like fried chicken and when I go to a soul food restaurant I'll order it. lumberjack_jeff Feb 2014 #22

is anyone saying not to eat these foods ? JI7 Feb 2014 #25

No, but they are saying to not associate them with their inventors. lumberjack_jeff Feb 2014 #27

Nooooooo... "they" are saying, don't expect to not be called out on it when you serve a lunch of ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #36

If you have to ask... HipChick Feb 2014 #23

I think it was the overall stereotypical menu that got to people. WillowTree Feb 2014 #26

To be fair. A peak production (and harvesting) month for watermelons in Mexico is February. Luminous Animal Feb 2014 #192

Well there ya go. Learn something new every day. WillowTree Feb 2014 #193

I never really cared for fried chicken til my doctor told me that I should avoid it! TheDebbieDee Feb 2014 #28

If you're offending the people whose history and culture you're trying to honor, gollygee Feb 2014 #31

Hanging around two (awesome) black women could get me in trouble someday either way I put things. Neoma Feb 2014 #178

I grew up on soul food and love it. xfundy Feb 2014 #34

Giving up fried catfish Aerows Feb 2014 #111

There is no argument against including fried chicken as soul food! M0rpheus Feb 2014 #37

I have to say... ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #39

Jury Results: 5-1 leave. X_Digger Feb 2014 #38

Chicken 'n dumplins in a crockpot. ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #40

I cheat- canned biscuits, 30 minutes before dinner time. X_Digger Feb 2014 #42

That's chicken 'n biscuits. ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #43

I know, I know.. but it's soooo goood. (As I'm blowing on a forkful.) X_Digger Feb 2014 #44

Now I'm starving for some blackberries ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #45

Lovely soul food place near me Kurska Feb 2014 #41

What the hell is wrong with you people? M0rpheus Feb 2014 #46

Woah man Kurska Feb 2014 #53

Had there not been many many posts explaining the issue, I might be more conciliatory. M0rpheus Feb 2014 #56

First post I've ever made about this topic Kurska Feb 2014 #59

You may suggest it. Not that it makes it any better. M0rpheus Feb 2014 #60

DU is incredibly receptive to social justice issues Kurska Feb 2014 #64

LOL! We'll just let today be the example that I find very close to the norm... M0rpheus Feb 2014 #66

My 15-year-old son is more receptive to social justice issues than a lot ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #68

Perhaps if one lives in Alabama or Arizona BainsBane Feb 2014 #76

"pretending that serving chicken and watermelon wasn't an obvious racist insult." Kurska Feb 2014 #84

Oh, why don't you try doing a poll on affirmative action gollygee Feb 2014 #130

Um, we're comparing against the general population Kurska Feb 2014 #166

There might be a slight majority gollygee Feb 2014 #172

More conservative seemed to be the assertion I was responding to originally. Kurska Feb 2014 #185

I'm beginning to wonder if 'context' is a quite recent invention LanternWaste Feb 2014 #165

+1 cyberswede Feb 2014 #167

So tell me Kurska Feb 2014 #168

It is perfectly in keeping with your posts on other issues having to do with diversity BainsBane Feb 2014 #74

You don't know a thing about me. Kurska Feb 2014 #88

You don't understand the historical context, and you don't care that you don't know. kwassa Feb 2014 #77

Actually as a Jewish person I completely understand food being used to denigrate people. Kurska Feb 2014 #81

Racial stereotypes don't dictate our culturul culinary traditions. kwassa Feb 2014 #188

Some of it is deliberately disrespectful BainsBane Feb 2014 #73

I know this, and 99 days out of 100 I avoid the bait. M0rpheus Feb 2014 #78

How do I access the breakdown of DUers by race? (nt) Nye Bevan Feb 2014 #85

Do you doubt the veracity of his claim that there are very few AA DUers? bravenak Feb 2014 #89

Don't even bother with that one. He's just trolling. nt M0rpheus Feb 2014 #99

I know. bravenak Feb 2014 #104

"It's like a tea party rally around here demographically." More than just "demographically" Number23 Feb 2014 #108

I try to be funny so I don't cry. bravenak Feb 2014 #109

I suppose it would be surprising to you to know that there's an AA group. M0rpheus Feb 2014 #91

Ironic that you referred to me as "boy" (nt) Nye Bevan Feb 2014 #93

Knowing your history, I could call you much worse. M0rpheus Feb 2014 #95

Back atcha! Nye Bevan Feb 2014 #96

Or maybe not ironic at all. merrily Feb 2014 #114

You were right to challenge it BainsBane Feb 2014 #90

This message was self-deleted by its author Ecumenist Feb 2014 #121

M0rpheus Number23 Feb 2014 #98

Sigh... M0rpheus Feb 2014 #100

It's going to be all right. Just be damn glad you don't have to live with these people Number23 Feb 2014 #102

I'm fairly certain that would result in a loss of freedom for me... M0rpheus Feb 2014 #105

"Fairly certain that would result in a loss of freedom for me...." Nye Bevan Feb 2014 #134

So, since he's black a loss of freedom must mean he's going to commit a violent felony?? bravenak Feb 2014 #136

Well, what do you think he meant by the "loss of freedom" comment? Nye Bevan Feb 2014 #137

There are many types of freedom as you know very well I think. bravenak Feb 2014 #142

OK, but when someone talks about "losing their freedom", without any qualifier, Nye Bevan Feb 2014 #143

Did you ask for a clarification? bravenak Feb 2014 #144

Actually I did. The first sentence of that post was a question. Nye Bevan Feb 2014 #145

No it wasn't a request for clarification. bravenak Feb 2014 #146

"I'm a nose-breaking pro". Nye Bevan Feb 2014 #147

Yep. It sad that all you got from my post. Pitiful, really. bravenak Feb 2014 #154

"The choice is not between violence and nonviolence but between nonviolence and nonexistence."-MLK M0rpheus Feb 2014 #183

You are absolutely ridiculous. Number23 Feb 2014 #191

Someone thinks that when you said loss of freedom you meant you would commit a violent felony. bravenak Feb 2014 #159

'Twas a specifically crafted sentence... M0rpheus Feb 2014 #162

I know. bravenak Feb 2014 #163

We celebrate all kinds of ethnic cuisines. Why not soul food? badtoworse Feb 2014 #47

You completely miss the point. kwassa Feb 2014 #49

Yes, and????? So we shouldn't talk about Soul Food, because of the ignorant? KittyWampus Feb 2014 #51

You are busy denying the racist connection. kwassa Feb 2014 #54

It would be better not to assume any particular food item has any particular meaning for struggle4progress Feb 2014 #52

Adrien Miller talks about the Sunday Chicken- it being reserved for Sundays and best pieces of meat KittyWampus Feb 2014 #55

Personally, I prefer Seoul food DBoon Feb 2014 #58

Well, bless your heart. scarletwoman Feb 2014 #62

I'm not quite certain I understand the point you wish to make. Jenoch Feb 2014 #67

Sometimes fried chicken is just fried chicken FarCenter Feb 2014 #69

No thank you!! bravenak Feb 2014 #70

Thank you! ScreamingMeemie Feb 2014 #71

You're welcome. bravenak Feb 2014 #72

Soulfood is delicious Kurska Feb 2014 #92

Good for you. bravenak Feb 2014 #97

I'm saying it, because I don't think it should ruin it for you. Kurska Feb 2014 #103

It's killing us. It tastes delicious. Eaten every day it will kill you. bravenak Feb 2014 #107

Well, the author cited in the OP differentiates between three different "periods" in the making of KittyWampus Feb 2014 #150

Oh, am I not allowed to chime in on 'your' thread? bravenak Feb 2014 #155

Fried Chicken is Southern Cooking. Skip Intro Feb 2014 #75

Yeah, that's what I thought. Trillo Feb 2014 #110

Grits, too. Trillo Feb 2014 #112

There's many regional variants there... Scootaloo Feb 2014 #118

It's *also* fodder for offensive stereotypes, and should be addressed and critiqued as such. fishwax Feb 2014 #79

!!!!! M0rpheus Feb 2014 #80

Thank you.NT bravenak Feb 2014 #87

"It's *also* fodder for offensive stereotypes, and should be addressed and critiqued as such" etherealtruth Feb 2014 #126

Yes. Very well said, ty. n/t MerryBlooms Feb 2014 #132

And yet how many DU'ers repeatedly "hammer" those offensive stereotypes and totally IGNORE KittyWampus Feb 2014 #148

But fried chicken AND WATERMELON is just an ugly stereotype. Gormy Cuss Feb 2014 #82

NBC also had to apologize for a menu that included fried chicken and collard greens Major Nikon Feb 2014 #106

It wasn't the menu, it was the sign that caused the stir. Gormy Cuss Feb 2014 #173

The controversy started with a tweet Major Nikon Feb 2014 #187

Sure, it should be... TreasonousBastard Feb 2014 #86

Is it racist to serve Tacos and Tamales to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? demosincebirth Feb 2014 #101

depends on how it's done, but it hasn't been used in the bigoted way against mexicans JI7 Feb 2014 #122

First, not all African Americans have their roots in the old US South. merrily Feb 2014 #113

Anyone of any heritage who has trouble seeing that just doesn't get it. etherealtruth Feb 2014 #124

"Anyone...who has trouble seeing that just doesn't get it" handmade34 Feb 2014 #129

I fear they actually "get it" etherealtruth Feb 2014 #189

Irregardless if it is called soul food or not, I love fried chicken liberal N proud Feb 2014 #128

The problem I see with honoring black history month with the meal they chose Arcanetrance Feb 2014 #131

I can't stand much of what passes for soul food myself MrScorpio Feb 2014 #139

All I know is CFLDem Feb 2014 #133

Well Fiddle Dee! JustAnotherGen Feb 2014 #135

When racist whites stop using soul food as a negative stereotype against blacks... MrScorpio Feb 2014 #138

Throw the mic MrScorpio! JustAnotherGen Feb 2014 #157

So, people were just honoring Obama's heritage with this image? Capt. Obvious Feb 2014 #141

I love soul food, but it doesn't love me. chrisa Feb 2014 #149

What I think people are missing is that when this recently happened, the Black Student Union at stevenleser Feb 2014 #152

This guy I worked with, would go to a place he calls soul food. Xyzse Feb 2014 #158

Yay racial stereotypes! Vashta Nerada Feb 2014 #160

This is probably one of the more disgusting titles I've seen on DU Oilwellian Feb 2014 #161

kickin for Chicken and soul food! Puzzledtraveller Feb 2014 #164

Fried chicken for the soul Pretzel_Warrior Feb 2014 #169

As a white man Rex Feb 2014 #171

What do you think about White Food Historians or Anthropologists? el_bryanto Feb 2014 #175

Yes I was thinking a cultural anthropologist might have some legitimacy to discuss it. Rex Feb 2014 #176

Planet Taco - A Global History of Mexican Food by Jeffrey M. Pilcher el_bryanto Feb 2014 #174

I'm going to be as brief as I can and spell it out... Blue_Tires Feb 2014 #177

I like your idea about it being used as a teaching moment. Quantess Feb 2014 #181

Yeah, something like that... Blue_Tires Feb 2014 #182

Learn something new every day! I did not know that. Quantess Feb 2014 #184

I never thought of it as anything different. Arkana Feb 2014 #180

I think the Soul Food argument is misplaced, imho cinnabonbon Feb 2014 #194