Posted on 03/13/2002 9:53:47 AM PST by John Jorsett
The Fightin' Whities, an intramural basketball team of American Indians at the University of Northern Colorado, has been flooded with requests for T-shirts since news broke of the team's satirical mascot protest.
On Tuesday, the student basketball team set up an e-mail account to start taking orders - even though players have not yet figured out exactly how to mass-produce their shirts.
Would-be buyers may send T-shirt requests to fightingwhites@hotmail.com. The team will send back acknowledgments and more information. The system is meant to gauge demand while the team irons out copyright issues and checks university guidelines, said Jeff Van Iwarden, 21, one of the team's few Anglo players.
The Fightin' Whities expect to charge about $20 for their shirts and will donate all profits to a Native American cause that has yet to be determined, Van Iwarden said.
In the course of just two days, as news of the team has exploded nationwide, the players have gained countless fans across the country.
Many are clamoring for T-shirts bearing the team mascot - a 1950s-style caricature of a middle-aged white guy - and the phrase "Every thang's gonna be all white!"
The intramural basketball team's official name is "Native Pride." But the team calls itself the "Fightin' Whites" - and is widely known by the more in-your-face "Fightin' Whities" - as a jab at nearby Eaton High School.
School officials in Eaton, a farm town north of Greeley, have refused to discuss the school's mascot - the Fightin' Reds - despite complaints from area Native Americans who see it as a degrading stereotype.
Eaton High School's mascot is a caricature of an Indian with a misshapen nose, wearing a loincloth and eagle feather.
The UNC team was frustrated that pleas for tolerance were misunderstood or discounted, they said. So the players decided to use some provocative humor to stir up the debate.
"Walk in someone else's shoes, and then you can make a judgment," said Ryan White, 22, a team player and member of the Mohawk Nation.
Maybe they're actually honoring Communists. Did the Native Americans ever think of that? Huh? Huh?
Or moccassins. Whatever.
BTW, I wonder if they will realize that capitalism pays while political correctness just gives you a warm feeling. Kind of like peeing in your pants.
The Fightin' (fill in the blank).....
Any links to the tee shirt site? I want to buy one!!!
Here is their current logo.
Someone from the neighboring High School that these thin red skinned wackos are protesting should rush to copyright the name. Then they could profit from these idiots., kinda like stealing their land.....
Now what? Well certainly, these college kids would like to raise the money (whether it will be "donated" or buy some nice big kegs :) that would result from selling these T-shirts. But they must have very mixed feelings. After all, many of these orders will undoubtedly come from people who want the T-shirt for The Wrong Reason: because they are white people who think it's funny, rather than because they are "multicultural" people who Are Concerned About Racist Mascots.
Here is the most intriguing line of the article:
while the team irons out copyright issues and checks university guidelines
How much you wanna bet that those "university guidelines" have some banal lines in there about nurturing a multicultural diverse learning environment, no "fighting words", not doing anything to offend based on race, etc. So, how long will it take for the administration of that school to figure out what I just did above (many buyers will want the shirt Because They Think It's Funny rather than Because They Are Concerned About Racist Mascots)? Once they do, will they apply whatever Stalinist speech codes/thought control regulations to this frat in order to stop the sales?
Ordinarily, you'd think no. Speech codes are not applied, after all, to spare the feelings of white people - only non-white people. Similarly, this is a fraternity with many Native Americans in it; you'd expect the university to leave them alone to do whatever they want.
But there's still the problem: Some people will be buying these T-shirts Because They Like Them. The result will be Actual White People walking around with a T-shirt bearing the slogan "Every thang's gonna be all white!" which came from this university.
You just know that the officials of that university will not want to allow that, if they can help it.
Predicted resolution? University tells the frat: You can sell the T-shirt, but only to non-whites, or to people who write an essay explaining their appreciation for the ironic message about "multiculturalism" the T-shirt is designed to convey. ;)
If it was "white" wouldn't it be: Everything is going to be all white?
You are absolutely correct. These are college kids. If they make a buck and spend it on a keg of beer, more power to them.
Toga, Toga...
I'm sure there are a hundred minority business consultants who would help them come to grips with this hard, hard problem.
How did these guys get admitted to college?
I love Native humor!
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