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City pulls diversity training video

By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 28, 2007 at 12:30 a.m.
Updated November 28, 2007 at 11:59 a.m.

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Denver is shelving a diversity-training video that portrays a white man as the sole racist, sexist and homophobe among a cast of blacks, Hispanics and women.

The decision to pull the video, Laughing Matters - Think About It, comes after Dennis Supple, a white man who works for the city, complained that it was racist and violated his civil rights.

The video about inappropriate humor in the workplace follows the antics of a bumbling bigot who is a white, blue-collar worker.

"Make way! She's backing up!" the actor yells when an overweight woman's pager goes off. "Hey, somebody get the license plate of that truck!"

In another scene, he pokes fun at gays and jokes about "more fairies than a Shakespeare play."

Supple said he didn't find any of the vignettes funny.

"It's not a fair portrayal of white male trades workers," said Supple, a heating, ventilating and air-conditioning mechanic. "This is just like treating white male trades workers like Stepin Fetchit, like we're all a bunch of drooling, stupid fools. Well, that's not the case."

Councilman Charlie Brown objected to the video after he was contacted by Supple, who lives in his district.

Brown said the video makes a "mockery" of whites.

Brown said that Supple and other white men had to sit through a diversity training class with their colleagues staring at them and thinking "you're the cause of all evil."

"We all have these issues - all races do - and that's not reflected in the video," he said.

Kathy Maloney, a spokeswoman for the Career Service Authority, said last week that the city was going to continue showing the video until a new one was shot next year or in 2009.

"Following (an article in the Rocky Mountain News), we've had a number of other employees now voice their concerns and actively engage us, wanting to participate in the re-creation of this video. And, of course, we encourage that dialogue," she said. The city will "suspend the use of the video" until employees have a chance to weigh in at an upcoming summit, she said.

Supple said he is happy that the city pulled the video. "That's half of what I wanted," he said. "The other half - and I still want this - is for them to apologize to all the white male trades workers who had to watch the video."

Comments

  • November 28, 2007

    6:43 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    RL writes:

    It's funny, because we're talking about a diversity video; it's going to have to have a good guy and a bad guy. It's not insensitive to show these situations if it's being used to educate someone on the rights and wrongs of bigotry and racism. "Logically" it would be much more effective to show a black man and an asian man making fun of an hispanic woman...right? I think that would keep the fragile emotions and psyche of any Anglo man safe.

  • November 28, 2007

    6:57 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    RL writes:

    You have got to be kidding me if you think these white men need any kind of apology. The simple fact of this country is that white people are the "majority". There is no true way for a minority group to "one up" a majority group whether its a situation like this or one like we're going to face next year when we have to choose between a Woman, a Black man or the "usual" suspects (we all know it's going to be the same face we've seen for a few hundred years now). As progressive as we've become in many parts of society; the basic makeup is still the same and it's absolutely hilarious to see the "majority" calling for racism in this situation. Unfortunately, that's how it "really" is; there isn't a white man I know that feels like he's "less" then any minority, if anyone knows of one please come forward!

  • November 28, 2007

    10:05 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Ricochet writes:

    Sterotypes are not appropriate at any time regardless of the use.

    This video as described in the article is someone's poor attempt at humor addressing a very serious issue using stereotypes and as result a person has taken offense. The video itself is an example of inappropriate behavior in today's society and is a contravention to the very goal it was meant to meet.

  • November 28, 2007

    10:09 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Jeff writes:

    I say, good for this Supple guy to stand up for his rights. Whenever a white man (as I am, BTW), screams that he's the REAL victim of racism, the majority of the time I think it's ridiculous. However, I think the Supple fella has a good point, here. In the whole diversity-awareness industry (which is a giant scam, but a strangely successful one), there is no limit to the negative portrayals of the Evil White Male, what with his insensitive remarks and blue-collar bumbling idiocy. Although I haven't seen this video, from the description it sounds like the blue-collar-white-male is the source of all the "no's" behavior. What if, say, a black male was shown as the one making fun of the overweight woman? Would it still be "educational" if ths shoe was on the other foot?

    On another thought: Why in the hell would it have to be put in a video that it's inappropriate to make fun of overweight coworkers? Who doesn't know that, and if they do that sort of thing, is some stupid video going to make them see the error of their ways? Oh, well, I guess in a bureaucracy there's not point too obvious to spend ample time, money and resources to make.

  • November 28, 2007

    12:48 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    BradS writes:

    This doesn't surprise me coming from a government beaurocracy in this P.C. mad society.

    What ever gave them the idea that you defeat racism and sexism by becoming a racist or sexist yourself?

    Some of the comments by RL are ludicrous. The words "majority" and "Minority" mean virtually nothing anymore. I can go to MANY cities, towns or districts across America and the percentage of white people is less than 20% and yet they're still called "the Majority", it doesn't make any sense.

    In America today you're not allowed to hate any individual or group of people because of their skin color or gender, unless their skin color is white and they're male that is, and this racist film just propagates that distorted mindset even further.

    If they wanted to be fair/neutral, why didn't they portray some "minorities" making the racist/ sexist comments as well, since many "minorities" and women do make racist and sexist comments, and attack the negative behaviour rather than one particular race and gender?

    R.L.'s comment about a "majority feeling less than a minority" is ludicrous as well. I've travelled all over the World and The most arrogant and racist group of people I've ever met is American blacks followed by American Asians.

    The P.C. left in America today wants to take the example of a small percentage of white guys getting priveleges in hiring because of nepotism etc and paint every white guy in America as having the same privelege as the chosen few.

    The fact is, that with affirmative acction etc. "minorities" get more breaks coming up than the average white guy.

    I never got any breaks like that and neither did any of my friends.

    Same thing in the military. I made a career out of the military and every unit I went to was not only approx 60% black but most of the senior NCOs were also black and they were in charge of the white troops as well, and the blacks got promoted faster than the whites even though they were not better soldiers.

    Again, in the military the most racist group was the BLACK soldiers. Oh, but no one is allowed to call THEM racist!

    Not my family nor any of my ancestors ever owned any slaves, in fact many thousands of northern whites died to free the slaves yet I'm still called a racist and blamed for what some whites (not me or my family) did to other blacks (not them or their family) a couple hundred years ago (slavery). It's ludicrous.

  • November 28, 2007

    12:53 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    bookwerm writes:

    You know, it really comes down to the fact that this video had the APPEARANCE of being a "diversity" video without the reality of it! It was just poorly poorly done, and whoever did it should get a new day job. I have seen all races be prejudiced, and a QUALITY diversity video would not just focus on the blatant idiot stuff, but the more subtle sides, and show racism and prejudice that does exist in so so many, not just whites. So for me the issue is not that it ragged on white men, but that it was just a very very bad diversity video, and we paid for it! duh.

  • November 28, 2007

    2:20 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    daveindenver writes:

    Historians studying political change call this "political economy" I believe: the way minorities, groups and even individuals often exert the dominant force in a society. It flies in the face of the concept of democracy, but it's something we all have to deal with, because no one gets to stay "on top of the pile" for long if that's how things are done. As each racial group yells "victim," the wheel turns, but racism does not get eliminated. In the end, the people who produce and show the video will have to identify with the people who see it, and not claim the greater wisdom or privilege.

    We're all human, we're in this together. If they can change the video from "laughing at" to "laughing with" it would be a big step forward, and I don't mean by telling people that's what they should be seeing in it. They actually have to humble themselves and make a decent video.

  • November 28, 2007

    5:57 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Alive writes:

    Well, well, well. They pulled that pathetic video. Score one for fairness and truth.

    Gawd how this must anger "progressives". They seem to be all for anything EXCEPT white males.

    Last time I checked ALL humans have EXACTLY the same insides and brains. That means ALL humans have the capacity to be aholes.

    "Sorry I got in a fight in the middle of yo' Black Panther Party."
    -Forrest Gump