The Cult of Whiteness on #Oscarssowhite, Donald Trump, and the End of America by Max S
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The Cult of Whiteness On #OscarsSoWhite, Donald Trump, and the End of America BY MAX S. GORDON In this week’s Windy City Times, we are publishing the first of a four-part in-depth essay by Max. S. Gordon. “You’ve got to learn to leave the table when love’s no longer being served.” — Nina Simone “I, too, sing America.” — Langston Hughes PART ONE i It is befitting that a conversation about racism and the VOL 31, NO. 21 FEB. 17, 2016 Oscars occurred so close to Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com as it is impossible to talk about Hollywood or America with- out deconstructing whiteness. If you haven’t noticed, white- ness is currently under attack, is deeply threatened, and may be, when all is said and done, eradicated completely. (When whiteness crumbles, patriarchal dominance will be right be- hind it.) When I speak of whiteness, I am not talking nec- Max S. Gordon. essarily about individual white people, but the construct of whiteness, the cult of whiteness, while particularly onerous to people of color everywhere, on some level oppresses us all. streets sick, desperately in need, and it is estimated that For many of us, a discussion about the Oscars may seem close to sixteen million children live below the poverty level. petty and insignificant given what is currently going on in The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the this country. America, at this moment, is a country in flames. world, as the prison industry continues to turn a profit. For We have a city tricked by an indifferent governor and his ad- many of us, feeling safe and protected is part of a nostalgic ministration into drinking poisoned water, which, regardless past. We dread the terrorist who may be lurking on the sub- of his original intentions, may have had homicidal results; way car or train, or who may blow us sky-high while we’re teachers in the same state walking out of their classrooms standing by the coffee-machine at work. We scan the faces as because the ceiling was literally falling down on them; and a we board the plane, wondering if the person sitting across the mayor in another Midwestern city allegedly covering up police aisle is the enemy and this flight will be our last. Or perhaps brutality and civilian murders in order to protect his career. it will be the high school student during second period who And yet, as I write this, these men are still in office, still takes us out, and if not him, then the maniac with the assault governing. rifle who finishes us off in a movie theater while we watch We trip through life, unable to digest the grief and rage Star Wars with our kids. And now, after Charleston, there’s over one violent incident before having to face another. Tamir blood on the collection plate too, as even the church pew is Rice, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Trayvon Mar- marked as a potential crime scene. tin. Americans all, deserving of our protection and justice, In light of this gruesome reality, who the hell cares about but disregarded once out of the headlines or courtroom— a bullshit self-indulgent contest that is always an hour too like so much garbage. Black bodies swinging in the Southern long, hosted by someone who too often disappoints the view- breeze, strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. The gross ing audience and critics, then followed by media coverage of ‘CLOUT’ STANDING negligence and injustice of it all could send you half out your the millions of dollars in loaned diamonds and a debate over mind, but even insanity is a luxury now, as we still have to which color gown dominated the red carpet. Given what we Queer Clout author Timothy Stewart-Winter is feed our kids, we have to go work. Everything is backwards— face as a nation at the moment, a dinner-table conversation returning to Chicago. instead of sleeping through our bad dreams, we awake each that shifts from social welfare and justice to whether Leon- Detail from book cover 24 morning to fresh nightmares. ardo DiCaprio will finally win a best actor Oscar this year may Homeless men and women and the mentally ill roam the Turn to page 10 JACOB MEISTER #PREP4LOVE STEPHEN CONE Seeks to topple Dorothy Brown in next HIV campaign launched at event. Actor/director talks about new film, month’s elections. Photo by Matt Simonette Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party. Photo from campaign team 12 9 Photo by Photo by Janna Giacoppo 23 @windycitytimes1 /windycitymediagroup @windycitytimes www.windycitymediagroup.com “A THOROUGHLY FASCINATING, INTELLECTUALLY AND MUSICALLY RICH NEW MUSICAL.” – Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune A New Musical from the Pulitzer Prize BEGINS TUESDAY! FEB. 23 – MAR. 6 and Tony Award-winning creators of Next to Normal, and the producer of Wicked. | 800-775-2000 | Groups 10+: 312-977-1710 1.577 pt 2 Feb. 17, 2016 WINDY CITY TIMES Brian had his HIV under control with medication. But smoking with HIV caused him to have serious health problems, including a stroke, a blood clot in his lungs and surgery on an artery in his neck. Smoking makes living with HIV much worse. You can quit. CALL 1-800-QUIT-NOW. #CDCTips HIVHIV alonealone didn’tdidn’t causecause thethe cloggedclogged arteryartery inin mymy neck.neck. SmokingSmoking withwith HIVHIV did.did. Brian, age 45, California WINDY CITY TIMES Feb. 17, 2016 3 WINDY CITY TIMES INDEX NEWS Trans health; column 4DOWNLOAD Scalia’s death sets up epic battle 6 THIS ISSUE Circuit owner apologizes 7 AND BROWSE THE ARCHIVES at CCHR announces changes 8 “Cult of whiteness”—part one of four 10 WWW.WINDYCITYTIMES.COM ELECTIONS 2016: Jacob Meister interview 12 Profile: Phil Burgess 14 In the Life 15 The Cult of Whiteness Views: Hunt, McNaught 16 On #OscarsSoWhite, Donald Trump, and the End of America BY MAX S. GORDON In this week’s Windy City Times, we are publishing the first of a four-part in-depth essay by Max. S. Gordon. “You’ve got to learn to leave the table when love’s no longer being served.” — Nina Simone ENTERTAINMENT/EVENTS “I, too, sing America.” — Langston Hughes PART ONE Scottish Play Scott i 17 It is befitting that a conversation about racism and the VOL 31, NO. 21 FEB. 17, 2016 Oscars occurred so close to Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com as it is impossible to talk about Hollywood or America with- out deconstructing whiteness. If you haven’t noticed, white- ness is currently under attack, is deeply threatened, and may Theater legend Anthony Rapp 20 be, when all is said and done, eradicated completely. (When whiteness crumbles, patriarchal dominance will be right be- Max S. Gordon. hind it.) When I speak of whiteness, I am not talking nec- essarily about individual white people, but the construct of whiteness, the cult of whiteness, while particularly onerous Knight: Henry Gamble’s..., 4th Man Out to people of color everywhere, on some level oppresses us all. streets sick, desperately in need, and it is estimated that 22 For many of us, a discussion about the Oscars may seem close to sixteen million children live below the poverty level. petty and insignificant given what is currently going on in The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the this country. America, at this moment, is a country in flames. world, as the prison industry continues to turn a profit. For We have a city tricked by an indifferent governor and his ad- many of us, feeling safe and protected is part of a nostalgic ministration into drinking poisoned water, which, regardless past. We dread the terrorist who may be lurking on the sub- Interview with director Stephen Cone 23 way car or train, or who may blow us sky-high while we’re of his original intentions, may have had homicidal results; teachers in the same state walking out of their classrooms standing by the coffee-machine at work. We scan the faces as because the ceiling was literally falling down on them; and a we board the plane, wondering if the person sitting across the mayor in another Midwestern city allegedly covering up police aisle is the enemy and this flight will be our last. Or perhaps brutality and civilian murders in order to protect his career. it will be the high school student during second period who Timothy Stewart-Winter’s ‘Queer Clout’ And yet, as I write this, these men are still in office, still takes us out, and if not him, then the maniac with the assault 24 governing. rifle who finishes us off in a movie theater while we watch We trip through life, unable to digest the grief and rage Star Wars with our kids. And now, after Charleston, there’s over one violent incident before having to face another. Tamir blood on the collection plate too, as even the church pew is Rice, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Trayvon Mar- marked as a potential crime scene. NIGHTSPOTS 27 tin. Americans all, deserving of our protection and justice, In light of this gruesome reality, who the hell cares about but disregarded once out of the headlines or courtroom— a bullshit self-indulgent contest that is always an hour too like so much garbage. Black bodies swinging in the Southern long, hosted by someone who too often disappoints the view- breeze, strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. The gross ing audience and critics, then followed by media coverage of ‘CLOUT’ STANDING negligence and injustice of it all could send you half out your the millions of dollars in loaned diamonds and a debate over mind, but even insanity is a luxury now, as we still have to which color gown dominated the red carpet.