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| A new survey by The Hollywood Reporter/Morning Consult found that nearly half of the 2,201 adults questioned felt NBC's decision to cancel "Megyn Kelly Today" was "too harsh of a consequence" for Kelly's comments on blackface. |
What a wasted opportunity |
| By Annafi Wahed |
| Megyn Kelly asked on her now-canceled show, "But what is racist?" She continued, "You do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface for Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid, that was OK just as long as you were dressing as a character." |
| She apologized the next day, stating, "I was wrong and I am sorry. One of the great parts of sitting in this chair is getting to discuss different points of view. Sometimes I talk and sometimes I listen, and yesterday I learned." |
| NBC canceled "Megyn Kelly Today" and negotiated an exit from the network. Problem solved, right? |
| Yeah, not so much. In 2015, the majority of white Americans said it's acceptable for a white person to wear blackface makeup for Halloween. I'm willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that's still the case. |
| Banishing Kelly might feel good in the moment, but it's yet another example of us as a society conflating ignorance with ill will, and not seizing the opportunity to educate both Kelly and her audience. Yes, as a TV show anchor and political commentator, Kelly should have educated herself on the topic long before Halloween 2018. And I agree that this isn't the first time Kelly has made ignorant comments. |
| Here is the uncomfortable truth: Kelly was voicing the thoughts of tens of millions of Americans, and banishing her from polite society doesn't answer their question. |
| Let's be honest, there's almost no overlap between people who regularly read Vox or The Guardian (which have both explained why blackface is problematic) and people who don't understand why blackface is problematic. Those cheering NBC's decision and those baffled by the controversy live in different worlds, both physically and digitally. Last week could have been a real opportunity to have an honest, long overdue conversation across the divide. |
| Despite Kelly's tense relationship with President Donald Trump, she continues to have clout with conservatives from her many years at Fox News. Her recent work covering the #MeToo movement had also earned her the (begrudging) respect of many liberals. Maybe that's why a full 45 percent of people in the survey said NBC canceling Kelly's program was "too harsh of a consequence for her comments." |
| Kelly could have dedicated a full show to explaining the racist history of blackface, hearing from minority groups, and urging the anti-PC crowd to be more reflective. She could have saved the few individuals who do interact with people who disagree with them the emotional labor of having to explain why words and actions cannot be divorced from their historical contexts. She could have been a shining example of how a misstep can be an opportunity for learning and personal growth. |
| Instead, we did what we do best. Shame her, shun her, and take her off the air. Where's the good in that? |
| Annafi Wahed is founder of TheFlipSide.io, a daily digest of liberal and conservative commentary. You can follow her on Twitter: @AnnafiWahed. |
What our readers are saying |
| Megyn Kelly was thrown under a bus by NBC and the news media since Day 1 because she came from Fox News. Yes, she made some bad choices, but the liberal media never gave her a break. Very unfair! |
| — Malcolm Brooks |
| Thirty-eight million dollar cash liquidation. Kelly's crying all the way to the bank. Her remarks were insensitive, and canceling her was a business decision. |
| — Steven Arnold |
| Come on, people! It was a discussion on costumes and she meant nothing malicious. How is that racist? Unless you have that as a mindset, she meant no harm. The mask from "Scream" movies was white. Should that be considered racist? |
| — Amy Danselmi-Cunningham |
| Seriously, NBC, have we gotten to the point of "political correctness" where a controversial comment, which stimulates conversation, requires a cancellation? I think she was doing a great job, and I found the show to be very entertaining. |
| — Cynthia Gribben Downman |
What others are saying |
| Melannie Denise Cunningham, The (Tacoma, Washington) News Tribune : "Because the painful history of blackface is not addressed in schools nor discussed intelligently in the mainstream media, Megyn Kelly's comments reflect a widespread ignorance about social, political and cultural implications of minstrelsy that needs fixing. ... I frequently tell my friends, especially those who are white, that the best way to understand difference is to intentionally seek out people who are different from them and form new relationships." |
| Roxanne Jones, CNN.com : "I get that underground racists feel emboldened by a president who declares on national TV, 'Absolutely I am a nationalist.' They think they can now push the boundaries of what it means to be a racist. They think they can redefine the meaning of racism by arguing that they don't believe in being PC — which to me means that they want to be free to deny the humanity and equality of others who are not like them. What they don't get is that we will not allow the clocks to be turned back to a time when the only thing right was white. Too much blood has been shed in the fight for equality." |
| Catherine Ramirez, The (University of Texas-El Paso) Prospector : "Racism is still a sensitive topic and society is done with racists, so Kelly's justification for defending blackface today is irrelevant and makes for a foolish comment. ... Now, if (kids) wants to dress as their favorite characters like Miguel from 'Coco,' Mulan, Aladdin or even Moana and Maui, let them. They're kids and all they want is to be their favorite character for a day — they're not trying to be offensive. For the adults, you know the rules, so play by them, don't be ignorant and do something that might affect your job status." |
| To join the conversations about topics on USA TODAY or provide feedback to this newsletter, email jrivera@usatoday.com, comment on Facebook, or use #tellusatoday on Twitter. |
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