Sent into a tailspin by ‘insensitive’ chicken
Have you ever read a story about something that seemed so ridiculous, so foolish that it just had to be from The Onion or some other satirical publication or website, only to find that, no, it was an unfortunate reality? That’s life in these United States in 2015.
Such was the case with a recent story – published in The New York Times, no less – that detailed complaints by some students at ultra-progressive Oberlin College in Ohio who are in high dudgeon because – and we’re not making this up – efforts at multicultural cooking on the campus are falling well short of expectations. According to the Times report, the students are “accusing the campus dining department and Bon Appetit Management Co., the main dining vendor, of a litany of offenses that range from cultural appropriation to cultural insensitivity.”
The report goes on to say that earlier this month, members of the school’s black student union mounted a protest outside the dining hall of the Afrikan Heritage House – which Oberlin’s own website describes as a “designated safe space for residents and students of the African Diaspora” – because, according to a story in campus newspaper, The Oberlin Review, “demands for more traditional meals, including more fried chicken, went unmet.” Again, we’re not making this up.
The Times cited another Oberlin Review story from November about “instances of cultural appropriation carried out by Bon Appetit.” Students reportedly were discomfited by “a soggy, pulled-pork-and-coleslaw sandwich that tried to pass itself off as a traditional Vietnamese banh mi sandwich; a Chinese General Tso’s chicken dish made with steamed instead of fried poultry; and some poorly prepared Japanese sushi.”
Steamed chicken in the General Tso’s?! How can students be expected to learn in the face of such an affront to civilization?
Did the head of the food preparation outfit at the college tell these spoiled drama kings and queens to get a life and maybe focus on things that are really important? Oh, no. Michele Gross, the college’s director of dining services issued a statement that said “in our efforts to provide a vibrant menu, we recently fell short in the execution of several dishes in a manner that was culturally insensitive.”
Bonnie Powell, communications director for Bon Appetit, also climbed on board the mea culpa train, saying, “We appreciate the feedback we have received from Oberlin students. Our chefs are working hard to offer culturally sensitive menus that will appeal to the Oberlin community.”
Added Gross, “We have met with the students to discuss their concerns and hope to continue this dialogue.”
According to the Times, all of this was too much for one Fredrik deBoer, an academic who wrote on Twitter, “When you’re defending the cultural authenticity of GENERAL TSO’S CHICKEN, you’re a living ‘Portlandia’ sketch,” referring to the IFC television series that skewers Oregon hipsters.
We agree with deBoer. When you’ve reached the point on a college campus at which “dialogue” has become necessary to resolve angst and anger over Chinese chicken, political correctness has hit a new low.
Someone needs to tell these youngsters to eat what the dining hall is offering or, if those dishes are an affront to their tender cultural sensibilities, head to an off-campus fast-food joint. And maybe they should climb down off their high horses and spend a little more time cracking the books. That’s still why kids go to college, right?