NBC celebrates Black History month....

[CathrynRose]

...with a special commissary menu.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/04/nbc-serves-fried-chicken_n_449821.html


What in the hell were they thinking????

 

[Imzadi]

I don't get the big offense?

Oprah had a diabetes episode yesterday. She focused on a church group down south where this type of menu IS mostly the favorites of African Americans in the south. They stated how certain foods, clearly were a cultural thing to them. It would be like taking baklava away from Greeks. Both her trainer, Bob Greene & her former chef, Art (forget his last name,) both concentrated on making these food choices in healthier versions since these women would continue to eat them.

 

[AshleyW]

From thegrio.com:

It may have seemed like an innocent tweet. But when you have more than a million followers, it's never that simple.

Questlove, the drummer for the Roots - now the house band for The Jimmy Fallon Show - was grabbing a bite at the NBC commissary Thursday, when a certain lunch special caught his eye. He snapped a photo of the sign, and tweeted it.

Underneath the picture he included the caption "Hmm HR?" - signaling that he may have been offended by the idea that Black History Month should be honored with fried chicken and collard greens. Some of his 1.3 million followers agreed, posting comments like "They wrong...Somebody get Al Sharpton on the phone" - while others didn't see the big deal, writing "It is a representation of Black food historically."

Within minutes the sign was gone from the commissary - though the meal continued to be served - and NBC posted a tweet of their own, saying "The sign in the NBCU cafeteria has been removed. We apologize for anyone who was offended by it."

One person who doesn't understand how offense could be taken: Chef Leslie Calhoun. It was her decision to select the menu items and create the sign. TheGrio caught up with her minutes after the tweet fiasco erupted and she seemed genuinely upset by the whole thing. Calhoun is an African-American and employee of Flick, a catering service that runs the NBC commissary. She said that for the last eight years she's been seeking approval from Flick management for a special Black History Month menu, and had finally been told that every Thursday for the month of February, she could serve whatever she chose.

"I don't understand at all. It's not trying to offend anybody and it's not trying to suggest that that's all that African-Americans eat. It's just a good meal," she said, adding, "I thought it would go over well."

As for Questlove, he's opted to give tweeting a break. About two hours after posting his twitpic, he typed "i think I need a twitter break. i done started something. and now I must put out fire." Looks like for now, he'll go back to using his fingers for drumming.

This isn't the first time this year that fried chicken and collard greens on a menu have created a stir. Last month, Denver Public Schools experienced a backlash after announcing they would serve fried chicken and collard greens in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Link w/interview of the cook: http://www.thegrio.com/news/nbc-cook-defends-fried-chicken-choice-for-black-history-month.php

She said in another interview:

"All I wanted to do was make a meal that everyone would enjoy — and that I eat myself. Questlove, who I serve every day and who enjoys my food, requested the neck bone [cooked in] the black-eyed peas and fried chicken, then got off the line, saying, 'This is racist.'

"The next thing you know, people were taking pictures of the sign and asking all the other black people in the cafeteria if this was racist. They said that it wasn't."

Just trying to show both sides of the story. Personally, I don't think it's a big deal. An african-american cook wanted to celebrate Black History Month and cooked a meal that she likes for others to enjoy. I don't see the harm in that.

 

[ead79]

The cook who chose that menu is an African American woman herself. She had asked for years to serve a special menu once a week during Black History Month and this year they approved the request. She says she doesn't understand the offense because she picked food that she enjoys figuring everyone else would too.

I don't see the offense here personally.

 

[diesel]

UPDATE II: NBC has removed the sign from the cafeteria and apologized if it offended anyone.

The chef, Leslie Calhoun -- who is black -- said she has been trying to institute a special Black History Month menu for years and was allowed to do so for the first time this year. She said doesn't understand the controversy.

"I don't understand at all," she told NBC partner site TheGrio. "It's not trying to offend anybody and it's not trying to suggest that that's all that African-Americans eat. It's just a good meal. I thought it would go over well."

 

[happygirl]

I don't see the big deal. I don't find it offensive at all

 

[DizBelle]

I don't get it either. Can any black folks on the disboards chime in. Do you like and eat the foods listed on the menu?

 

[lillygator]

I don't see the big deal. Seems like people want to make somethign out of everything!

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Political correctness run amuck...again.

 

[LoraJ]

It offends me more that they get their water included with the special and we don't over here across the river.

Although, ours special is priced cheaper.

 

[punkin]

Sounds delicious.

 

[Imzadi]

So for Chinese New Year, which is coming up, is the NBC commissary going to be forced to serve hot dogs, hamburgers and apple pie instead of authentic Chinese dishes?

No more serving Guinness on St. Patty's Day either.

 

[minniebeth]

Sounds delicious.

That's what I thought...

 

[Argent]

I don't see what the fuss is about. Certain ethinic groups like certain foods. Are they not allowed to serve burritos on Cinco de mayo? If colored folks like that food I don't see the big deal.

 

[Topper]

What in the hell were they thinking????

"They" was the African American chef who requested a special menu for Black History month. Did you read the entire article? It makes me laugh when some white folks get all uppity offended for no reason.

 

[eliza61]

I don't get it either. Can any black folks on the disboards chime in. Do you like and eat the foods listed on the menu?

Resident African american gal here and I definitely can't understand the offense. That is pretty much a standard menu in every African American household. Any time you walk into my house you'll find some type of collard green.

Big time "much ado about nothing"

Who knows, some time I think we spend more of our energy on trying not to offend "some" group then we do on trying to solve real problems. Jeez


I did see the Oprah episode yesterday and she was right on the mark. Diabetes is a huge problem in the Black community. I have a horrible habit (I'm trying to break it) of fried foods. Fried fish, fried chicken, pork chops, you name it, I fry it. LOL

 

[Golf4food]

Nothing Italian on the menu for Italian history month.

No Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo.

No turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving - you know... in case it offends any Americans.

I live in the South. This menu isn't black, it's Southern. Everyone - white and black - that ain't imports from out of country or somewhere in Yankeedom eat fried chicken, greens, cornbread, etc. My mostly white church has a fellowship meal of fried chicken once a month, and there is often collard greens for a side! How racist of us!

Certain people will find a way to make themselves be offended at just about anything - only for the sake of being offended.

 

[terri01p]

 

[glitterkittyy]

Someone had better tell the movie "Soul Food" that they were being racist because they served everything on that menu in that movie!

Seriously, the menu sounds delicious.

 

[Ricklg3]

The guy from the Roots works on a late night funny show he was making a joke and as a joke its funny.

Yes are most of those foods including Fried Chicken culturally important in the African-American community yes. However, if your from the deep South AL, GA, Miss,arkansas, the carolinas, foods that are historically black people food in all other parts of the country are just what everybody eats in the South.

My experience I live in the chicago area, is many not all white people here dont know what collard, kale, mustard, or turnip greens are, but i don't think I have ever met anybody white or black who is from and lives in the deep south that does not know what those are. Take grits, not a big northren food, huge in the south. I joke with my yuppie friends who are like what are grits, I say you call it Polenta.

I think alot of this is coming from Fox News they were really trying to make NBC look bad yesterday. It's not a PC issue its not a racist thing its we as Americans don't know enough about our great country's regional and cultrual differences . They say only 15% of the pop. can name the 3 branches of government. So how many know about our cultural nuances.

Take care I will be in Disney in 19 days