guess who's coming to dinner?

sometimes it's sad when one person makes a whole ethnic group look bad. for instance, take stanley kauffmann from the new republic.

The New Republic Online: Woody and Wine

you need a subscription for the whole review but here's the good part:

Twice in the film young black men figure in the story, and in neither case is there a mention by anyone of race. Both of these men are attractive and intelligent, fit companions for any young woman. But none of Melinda's friends ever notes that these men are black. Her friends are civilized New York whites; still, it seems odd that none of them says something like, "That man is very nice, but does Melinda, in her present emotional state, need to add racial problems?" Omitting any mention of the men's race seems factitious, an attempt to bring into being a social state that doesn't yet quite exist. May the day soon come when awareness of race is irrelevant; but that day is not yet here. [emphasis mine]

shorter stanley kauffmann: racial harmony is still a dream so when we see black people, let's point and shout really loud!

i think that this review says more about mr. kauffmann's social state than anyone else's. clearly, if he had any friends of color he'd know how immediately he'd get his ass handed to him if anyone said or did any of this shit.

i wonder if he'd be interested in knowing that, while this world fractures into tinier fiefdoms of myopia and isolation, there exist actual pockets of interracial harmony. (mine, for instance.)

[thanks to dc media girl]