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[.GqueB.]

Not even sure how to respond to the very notion that a paranoid black person is behind all this.

There's another update on Gawker and it has been discovered that a black person IS behind this (just not a paranoid one)

After the backlash began yesterday, XO Jane managing editor Rebecca Carroll wrote this on Facebook:

OK before you all flip the f*k out — this piece on xoJane today about a skinny white woman's experience in a Brooklyn yoga studio is blowing up with hate. I assigned this piece after the author, who I know from my neighborhood, and with whom I was having a casual conversation, felt she could share this experience with me — I was impressed by her candor in telling me, a black woman she doesn't even know all that well. I told her to write about the experience. This is the result. I didn't edit or change much. This is her first person experience, which I think is very likely the experience (admittedly seeped in white privilege) of a lot of folks. For that reason, I felt it was a narrative that should be heard.

The other part of this — the fairly vitriolic comments — is about my being a black editor who should have made a better judgement call (according to them) about what constitutes suitable race content. As if I am now the official president of the Black Ethics Committee at xoJane. I have many feelings about this, and will address later. Too overwhelmed by the hate right now.

So there you have it.

Source

Rebecca Carrolls article

 

[OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather]

She made the heavy set girl's color an issue when the only issue was she was fat. It wasn't her blackness making the lesson out side of her ability, it was her size. And even then I've seen some flexible fat people so some would argue that even her size wasn't the problem. Either way when she imagined the fat black girl envious of her skinny whiteness she came across as clueless and arrogant.

Also there's a really simple solution to her deep and insightful concerns: it's not her, the student's, problem. I'd like to think someone going to a yoga class and sitting and staring is exceptional behaviour. If I were going to take a physically demanding class like yoga even being fit myself, I'd speak with an instructor before or after a class (before I've even attempted to sit in) and bring up my concerns. They may offer coaching like "this class is kinda advanced maybe you should try another class" or encouragement. I don't think one weirdo just plopping on a mat and seemingly doing nothing for herself is a good basis for a rant about how fat black women are helpless and excluded and envious of almighty shinny white.

What generates more controversy? "There's a fat person in my yoga class," or "there's a fat black person in my yoga class?" What give Pia Glenn the opportunity to formulate the perfect response to the perfect set up? "There's a fat person in my yoga class," or "there's a fat black person in my yoga class?"

 

[inm8num2]

 

[Count Dookkake]

"very likely the experience"

Hmm.

 

[lil smoke]

There's another update on Gawker and it has been discovered that a black person IS behind this (just not a paranoid one)

Well I already knew this part, but that doesn't make it fake. That's just some background on how this got out.\

Even that, makes me scratch my head tho? LOL I'm outta here before someone tried to get me banned for my opinion. Peace.

 

[.GqueB.]

Well I already knew this part, but that doesn't make it fake. That's just some background on how this got out.\

Even that, makes me scratch my head tho? LOL I'm outta here before someone tried to get me banned for my opinion. Peace.

Oh I'm not saying that makes it fake. But the background (which is probably being glanced over) is pretty interesting to me.

 

[OfWhiteSkinOnRedLeather]

Oh I'm not saying that makes it fake. But the background (which is probably being glanced over) is pretty interesting to me.

Yeah, because it shows people are getting offended over absolutely nothing. That's just how people are though. They look for reasons to get offended.

 

[pigeon interrupted]

Yoga, a beloved safe space that has helped me through many dark moments in over six years of practice, suddenly felt deeply suspect. Knowing fully well that one hour of perhaps self-importantly believing myself to be the deserving target of a racially charged anger is nothing, is largely my own psychological projection, is a drop in the bucket, is the tip of the iceberg in American race relations, I was shaken by it all the same.

Gosh. This world. So unfair. Even Yoga, last bastion of the middle class is poison.

Journal. January 30, 2014:

Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen it's true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!"...

...and I'll look down, and whisper "LOL."

Dreiberg, Veidt, Blake... huge blue cockman; trolls stuck in their cages. I hear their whispered jibes: smelly, wierdy Rorscarch. Smelly wierdy Rorsharch. Sme... you get the idea.

Show them, yes. Seen the future and it is wearing tiiight, tiiight Yoga Pants--of material containing viscous black and white fluid--my face. Ehnk. Many asses. Ehnk.

 

[Jado]

Yup. Either it was strictly for hits to the site by drumming up controversy, or to prop up Pia Glenn and gain her some recognition. Either way, it seems to be working.

Maybe not a paranoid black person, but possibly Pia Glenn's agent.

C'mon. The original article was click-bait, but as far as we know, it was indeed written by a real person who felt that way. A self-absorbed, ignorant white girl from the big city who believes that the fat/brown/poor/others are envious of her... there is nothing uncommon, mysterious or conspiracy-ish about that.

I can choose what offends me and this doesn't. Real life racism gets me. I understand the battles around perception though... I usually judge by intent and take every situation individually and this one doesn't move me personally.

I'm not saying this is fake, but yeah I can see some group doing this to force a discussion.

That's where you're wrong. This is real-life racism. The limited frameset that you appear to be working from leaves out many forms of legitimate racism that people experience in everyday life. It's not all as simple and overt as nooses and being called a racial slur. At the very least, the writer has clearly racist, belittling opinions about this woman and she put them into writing for everyone to read.

 

[Anton Sugar]

There's another update on Gawker and it has been discovered that a black person IS behind this (just not a paranoid one)



Source

Rebecca Carrolls article

I wouldn't say a black person is "behind this". The article is word-for-word from a white woman; the editor just encouraged her to write it and posted it.

Even if it is a common perspective, the editor admits the article is full of white privilege.

I think there is a place for discussing uncomfortable situations as they relate to race, but an article that focuses on white anxiety caused by a big black woman in a yoga class doesn't strike me as suitable.

 

[.GqueB.]

I wouldn't say a black person is "behind this". The article is word-for-word from a white woman; the editor just encouraged her to write it and posted it.

Even if it is a common perspective, the editor admits the article is full of white privilege.

I think there is a place for discussing uncomfortable situations as they relate to race, but an article that focuses on white anxiety caused by a big black woman in a yoga class doesn't strike me as suitable.

I think you're over-thinking the term "behind this" and seeing it as something negative. She's responsible for it existing is all I'm saying. But that wasn't my point. My point, from the beginning, was that this woman wasn't deserving of all the hate she's getting and it's overblown. This was an experience she shared with someone who thought the story was worth sharing as it related to race. It was suppose to get the conversation going instead it just devolved into senseless bashing which is sad.

But again, carry on. I don't do well in threads like these.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

There's another update on Gawker and it has been discovered that a black person IS behind this (just not a paranoid one)



Source

Rebecca Carrolls article

All this does is reveal (confirm) that the editor does indeed have questionable judgement. While I admit I have no idea what xojane's intentions are as a site, I doubt they intend to be a mouthpiece for very sheltered women.

 

[Jado]

There's another update on Gawker and it has been discovered that a black person IS behind this (just not a paranoid one)



Source

Rebecca Carrolls article

Wrong. A black person isn't "behind this," but nice try in being misleading. An editor, who happened to be black, gave the OK for the article (penned by a white person, Jen), to be posted up without giving it much thought. There is no indication whatsover that she inserted herself into the writing or altered it to stir controversy. And as the editor said, she's not some sort of Ambassador of Black People.

 

[.GqueB.]

Wrong. A black person isn't "behind this," but nice try in being misleading. An editor, who happened to be black, gave the OK for the article (penned by a white person, Jen), to be posted up without giving it much thought. There is no indication whatsover that she inserted herself into the writing or altered it to stir controversy. And as the editor said, she's not some sort of Ambassador of Black People.

I told her to write about the experience. This is the result.

Again, please stop reading into the least important part of that post. It was just a segue into posting the update and backstory.

 

[Dali]

What generates more controversy? "There's a fat person in my yoga class," or "there's a fat black person in my yoga class?" What give Pia Glenn the opportunity to formulate the perfect response to the perfect set up? "There's a fat person in my yoga class," or "there's a fat black person in my yoga class?"

Obviously the race baiting one. However based on the editor's story the racial element wasn't added after the fact. It's the foundation of this poor traumatized white girl's story. Whether or not it was not edited and just posted as a rant from a racist sheltered white girl with the full intention of just being click bait is unknown. I'm not arguing that. The only thing I'm discussing are the words of the writer not the actions of the editor or xojane.

 

[Anton Sugar]

This was an experience she shared with someone who thought the story was worth sharing as it related to race. It was suppose to get the conversation going instead it just devolved into senseless bashing which is sad.

I'm curious what kind of conversation you think this should have started, other than (rightly, IMO) calling her out on her privilege and her assumptions/preconceptions.

 

[Jado]

I think you're over-thinking the term "behind this" and seeing it as something negative. She's responsible for it existing is all I'm saying. But that wasn't my point. My point, from the beginning, was that this woman wasn't deserving of all the hate she's getting and it's overblown. This was an experience she shared with someone who thought the story was worth sharing as it related to race. It was suppose to get the conversation going instead it just devolved into senseless bashing which is sad.

But again, carry on. I don't do well in threads like these.

Again, reductive and dismissive. Maybe that's why you don't do well in these threads.

Have there been comments that are downright shitting on the writer? Yes. But many others "senselessly bashing her" have done so through constructive and rational breakdown on why her article was racist, thoughtless and offensive. The criticisms directed at her also don't need to be soft and coddling.

It's also obvious you're backpeddling when you and a couple of others latched on to a baseless theory that there was possibly more to this story (paranoid black, planted story, fake author, etc) and it turns out there really isn't. A black editor gave an OK to this girl writing her story, likely unaware to how awful it would be. These things happen. For example, a lot of people read the Dr. V/golf putter story and completely missed the transphobic tone throughout, myself included. It's easy to miss problematic elements in writing when you're simply not alert and paying attention, due to leniency when the writer may be a friend/acquaintance, or when you don't have background knowledge to notice such things.

 

[Htown]

Yeah, because it shows people are getting offended over absolutely nothing. That's just how people are though. They look for reasons to get offended.

oh, so we're back to this old chestnut

 

[Wiktor]

I don't get it. Shouldn't she be happy that some fat lady is jeleaus of her body?

 

[lil smoke]

you're backpeddling when you and a couple of others latched on to a baseless theory

I came back to lurk the last few posts, but my man. I was not backpedalling. Wanted to clean that up for ya.

 

[Jado]

I came back to lurk the last few posts, but my man. I was not backpedalling. Wanted to clean that up for ya.

"a couple of others latched on to a baseless theory" was referring to you and a few others; the backpedaling part wasn't about you.