Michael Sylvester wrote:
> I found it interesting that one guy lost because he was not versed in
> Jazz and incorrectly identified Ella Fitzgerald as "lady day",
> when it could have been obvious that Billie Holiday would be a better
> choice. One guy did not even know that BB King named his guitar
> lucille.
> It seems that blacks and other minorities do not do well on these shows.
> Tha same could be said for Jeopardy and other knowledge based shows.
> It could be that some of the items are geared towards non-minorities.
> Comments invited.
Er, Michael,
Jazz is a form of music that _originated_ in the black community--and is
still closely identified with its roots. Every person you named above is
black and well known to most educated African-Americans. If a black
participant on a quiz show didn't know the answers to _those_ questions,
you can hardly conclude that it is because "some of the items are geared
towards non-minorities."
If I ask "Who was John the Baptist" can I safely assume that the question
is geared toward non-Christians? The principle is the same.
I agree that many areas of our society are not "fair" to minorities--but
this one was a bit of a stretch--a minority has just as much opportunity
to learn trivia (which is what these shows are about) as does a member of
the majority. It isn't a question of opportunity, it's one of
interest--and if for some bizarre reason (which I don't concede) a
substantial number of minorities _are_ less knowledgeable in this area it
is a matter of preference, not discrimination.
Rick
--
Rick Adams
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Department of Social Sciences
Jackson Community College, Jackson, MI
"... and the only measure of your worth and your deeds
will be the love you leave behind when you're gone."
Fred Small, J.D., "Everything Possible"
