Racist trouble for Miss Viking

www.aftenposten.no ^ | 12 May 2006, 12:42 | Aftenposten's Norwegian reporter Elisabeth Rodum - Aftenposten English Web Desk Jonathan Tisdall

[Kurt_Hectic]

Controversy simmered in Poulsbo, Washington, a US town founded by Norwegian immigrants in the late 1800s, after this year's Miss Viking turned out to be untraditional.

Jasmine Campbell, 17, won the honor on the strength of a combination of talent and a successful audition, but her blend of African and Latin American blood caused some temperatures to rise.

The pageant organizers decided to go public after receiving a series of offensive, racist e-mails in reaction to Campbell's appointment, including sentiments like 'How dare you put an African American in there?'. The incident attracted attention after it was publicized by the Seattle Times.

Campbell, who is adopted and grew up with a Swedish-Norwegian mother, has top grades, sings in a choir and choreographs dance for her church. She wowed the jury with her audition performance on lutefisk, which included this joke, delivered in a well-rehearsed Norwegian accent:

"What do you do if you have rats in your house? You throw lutefisk under your porch. In a couple of weeks, you'll be rid of the rats, but you'll have 10 to 12 Norwegians living under your house."

After the story became known via the Seattle Times the residents of Poulsbo have made a strong show of support for their 'Viking queen', and police believe racist groups from outside the tranquil town are behind the trouble.

Lloyd Cleven, a former president of the Sons of Norway Lodge, told the newspaper that he and his fellow members would like to see one thing - Campbell trying lutefisk for herself.

Campbell said that she would be more than happy to sample the legendary Norwegian dish of cod pickled in lye, noting that she had already won an Xbox by eating an entire pig's tongue at camp.

[Kurt_Hectic]

Anyone who want's to eat lutefisk is a bonafide viking in my book...

[Kurt_Hectic]

Link to the article in tha Seattle Times:


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002986345_vikingqueen11m.html

[neodad]

What do you do if you have rats in your house? You throw lutefisk under your porch. In a couple of weeks, you'll be rid of the rats

If only it were that easy.

[Tijeras_Slim]

African and Latin American blood

Hey, vikings got around.

[John Robertson]

It's okay for a non-Norwegian-blooded person to represent Norwegians, of course. It's fine. It's multi-culti, it's diverse, and aren't we all exactly the same anyway?

And yet...someone here tell me there would NOT be a great hue and cry, a great outrage, a demand for justice and correction, were ANY caucasian person to represent him- or herself as African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American or any other aggrieved minority in some symbolic role.

Waiting....

[Fairview]

She seems like a nice girl. I hate racists whatever their color.

[SamuraiScot]

She sounds charming, and fully in the spirit of a Viking Queen. Not like naming a cross-dressing girl Homecoming King or something.

I'm guessing that the NAACP and Jesse's Rainbow Grifters would not be nearly as chill if a white girl were named Miss Black America.

And wasn't there outrage when a high-school scholarship or something for "African-Americans" went to a white boy who was born in South Africa?

[PeteB570]

Eat lutefisk, it's the other white meat (if it's not too old).

Good song about lutefisk steaming up the kitchen and house at Christmas.

Hey us Vikings can take all the lutefisk and Ole' and Lena jokes you can throw this way.

[jude24]

And wasn't there outrage when a high-school scholarship or something for "African-Americans" went to a white boy who was born in South Africa?

In high school, I knew a very fair-skinned, blond, blue-eyed guy with the last name Rodreguiez. He was always amused the way colleges aggressively recruited him over the phone and in the mail, and were more than a little shocked when they met him.

[GreenLanternCorps]

"adopted and grew up with a Swedish-Norwegian mother"

THAT makes her a eligible in my book.

[MBB1984]

I don't think it is "racist" for Miss Viking to be required to be of true Scandinavian heritage. I would expect a Miss Black America winner to be an African American and people should not be offended by that. But, if there's not a heritage requirement mandated in the rules, no one has a legitimate complaint that the girl doesn't' fit the bill.

[RichInOC]

Why can't there be a black Miss Viking? I mean, those guys got around back in the old days...

[Hoplite]

Intolerance will not be tolerated.

And neither will posting stories without including any pics of the hotties being discussed.

Have you no respect for rules? For common useage and tradition?

Fie! I say.

[Theoden]

I am tall, fair skinned, blonde haired, and blue eyed, and I am STILL waiting for the NAACP to make me one of their officers. For some reason, they keep telling me that I don't represent African Americans. Go figure...

I simply love the double standard of our society. It's A-OK for a non-Norwegian to represent Norwegians, but not acceptable for a Norwegian to represent a minority group. If one simply says they have a problem with that, they are seen as intolerant, and branded as a racist. I have a problem with this. I would have no problem if the role was for an American princess, or a non-ethnic role, but this crossing the line IMHO.

(Please note, I don't have a racist bone in my body, I simply believe that ethnic groups and symbolic ethnic roles should only be represented by a person of that group.) It only makes sense. Otherwise, it's like having Hillary Clinton being crowned the "Princess of FreeRepuplic".

[Ranxerox]

[Hoplite]

Jag Takar! (Thanks!)

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Actually, I do it all the time on surveys and applications. It's simple, you check "African-American".

If they call you on it, you sue them for racist practices.

[Kurt_Hectic]

My shame is only surpased by my total incompetance in posting pics on FR *shameful now*

[somniferum]

My Western Civ professor said that there were black Vikings. Africans captured during Viking raids who were set free eventually, and then decided to take up the profession themselves.

Not sure how much of that is fact vs speculation, but it was pretty interesting none the less. I loved studying the Viking Age =)

[Heatseeker]

I remember chatting with a black guy in a bagpipe band I met at the Scottish Festival they have every year in Alexandria VA. I asked him if anybody ever gave him any grief over it and he said no, pointing out "actually I fit in fine: our band tartan is Black Douglas". ;)