UPenn’s Phi Delta Theta Is Catching Heat For Including A Beyoncé Sex Doll In Christmas Picture
It’s about 40 degrees in Philadelphia right now, but the water is hot for the men of Phi Delta Theta at the University of Pennsylvania.
It started Sunday night when someone posted a Christmas card to the fraternity’s Facebook page. It features the brothers–a few guys are wearing tacky Christmas outfits, some guy is eating a fish, and there’s a ballsy dude wearing a Tony Romo jersey. Oh, and they were joined by a Beyoncé blow-up sex doll.
The brothers claim it was a gag gift from the group’s Secret Santa event, but that didn’t stifle the flames in the least.
Their UPenn classmates quickly discovered the photo and the backlash began. Many different campus advocacy organizations have issued statements on the incident and they are thoroughly pissed.
From The Daily Pennsylvanian:
“Given the larger conversations and actions taking place in the country, there’s never been a worse time to do what they did,” said College senior Keishawn Johnson, president of Penn’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
The 5B, a coalition of minority groups on campus, believe the fraternity should face serious repercussions for its actions.
“The inclusion of a racially and sexually charged object in such a flagrant fashion displays a serious and immediate need for repercussions that reflect the severity of this misogynistic, racist offense,” a joint statement issued by the 5B–the five umbrella coalitions for minority groups on campus–and the Penn Consortium for Undergraduate Women said. “We–UMOJA, APSC, UMC, Latin@ Coalition, Lambda Alliance, and PCUW–firmly believe that when an event like this marginalizes one of our communities, it marginalizes us all.”
They further stated their desire to have the fraternity’s rush activities suspended until they reach a certain level of cultural sensitivity training.
In their statements, UMOJA, 5B, and PCUW called for disciplinary action to be taken against the fraternity. UMOJA specifically called for the chapter to be fined and its rush activities to be suspended until “a council of peers deem it acceptable to resume activity after and instituted education process.” Further, the group urged the Office of Student Affairs/Fraternity and Sorority Life to enforce “mandatory cultural competency courses for all members to resume activity…” and for the fraternity’s national organization to be notified.
Phi Delt has issued an apology and claims the decision to include the doll was a bad one, and it should have been avoided.
The draft apology, signed “The Brothers of Phi Delta Theta at the University of Pennsylvania,” said the Beyoncé sex toy was “distasteful” and that “once removed from the packaging, it bore no semblance to the artist beyond skin color adding to its offensive nature.” The apology said “there were absolutely no prejudicial motivations behind the gift,” but acknowledged that “the absence of racial motivation is no justification for this act of poor judgement and the decision not to include a sex toy in a holiday picture should have been an easy one.”
No action has been taken against the fraternity as of today..
[via The Daily Pennsylvanian]
“Flagrant fashion”? I had to scan the picture for way too long to even find it, and the headline told me what to look for. I guess I’d better go warn my house to hide Black Santa.
11 years ago at 10:08 am“The inclusion of a racially and sexually charged object in such a flagrant fashion displays a serious and immediate need for repercussions that reflect the severity of this misogynistic, racist offense”
Easy there killer… Let’s put the dictionary away and talk like people.
11 years ago at 11:23 amCan someone explain to me why they’re more upset about a blowup doll that’s a gag gift being racist than they are about the picture of what looks like Robert E. Lee in the back right? If you’re going to make unfounded accusations at least do it right. Damn.
11 years ago at 2:07 pmit’s really sad that the US media is in such a state that not only is this news but also something that people are “outraged” about
11 years ago at 2:32 pmIt sounds like no one really cares other than these groups who probably have nothing better to do. Just cause they are making a fuss doesn’t mean this is legitimate. 98% of people are probably fine with it but when 2% yell at the top of their lungs and won’t stop then it makes it seem like a bigger deal than it is.
I find it culturally diverse that someone would want to have a Beyonce doll over a white one.
11 years ago at 3:00 pmWhy the fuck are these ‘multicultural’ group so sensitive? At my school too, they literally went harassing the president to make a statement about what’s been going on lately. I’m Asian and I love racist jokes. Fuck you if think ‘5 dorrar’ and ‘herro’ isn’t funny
11 years ago at 4:27 pmA. No one can see Beyonce in this picture.
2. If Beyonce has her own blow up doll, she get royalties from its sale. She’s basically her own mega corporation so if you think that her team of lawyers doesn’t include a $1000 White and Case IP Attorney from MIT who makes sure that she see’s every cent from her blow up doll’s sale, you are wrong. Even more absurd is that more likely than not her camp signs off on the dolls likeness. I had no idea Beyonce even had a blow up doll but I do now, so shes probably selling more than ever.
D. This fraternity has 5 guys of middle of Asian/Middle Eastern Decent (none of which got offended by my inability to arrive at their exact nationalities). If anything this shows the absolute tolerance and lack of racial bias within their chapter.
I hope that Keishawn Johnson remembers that the same first amendment that allows him shove his two cents in about non-issue race relations on campus, is the same one that says a group of multi-cultural frat bros can celebrate their love of Beyonce in a picture if they want to.
11 years ago at 5:00 pmThis is so not racist… Creepy? Yes. Weird? Sure… Bu it’s not racist and the whole racial sensitivity thing is going too far. Besides… No guy can resist a little brown sugar 😉 lol
11 years ago at 3:13 pmFuck this is depressing. Of all the things to complain about..
11 years ago at 11:59 pm[…] in December, the members of Phi Delta Theta at University of Pennsylvania caught heat for including a Beyonce blow up doll in their Christmas photo. The fraternity apologized for the use of the doll, claiming that it was nothing but a gag gift, […]
10 years ago at 12:12 pm