Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Controversy
Is a Simple Halloween Costume Worthy of Such an Uproar?
Nov 4, 2009
Halloween costumes come in all shapes and sizes. Some people take simple routes and become cops or super heroes. Other people decide they want to be celebrities for Halloween. That’s exactly what Whitney Isleib did this Halloween.
Photos of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader were posted on Facebook on October 31 dressed as Lil’ Wayne. So of course, somebody found them and eventually let the media know about it, or in this case the popular sports blog Dead Spin.
Dead Spin re-posted the photos along with a short story and chaos ensued. Every body’s up in flames because a white woman should not be dressing up as an African American. However, Isleib should not be condemned for what is just a Halloween costume.
Isleib Did Nothing Offensive
To say that someone dressing up like a person of the opposite race is offensive is ignorant. If an African American person wanted to be Eminem for Halloween, the majority of white people wouldn’t care if they powdered their face and wore their pants too low.
In fact, there is one popular African American comedian that dressed up like a white person all the time on his comedy show. His name is Dave Chappelle. On numerous occasions, Chappelle would powder his face to lighten the color of his skin. Was that offensive? Absolutely not.
Instead, most people, African American or white, found that incredibly funny. If you are going to act the part, why not go all the way and match the appearance of what you are trying to be? Isleib was not dressing up as an African American, she was dressing up as Lil’ Wayne, who happens to be African American. If she had decided to dress as her view of a stereotypical African American with no specific person in mind, then that would be worthy of controversy.
Isleib Should Be Commended
There’s no doubt that the Dallas Cowboys organization is going to punish Isleib in one way or another. However, she should not be punished, but commended. She had a really great costume. The costume would not have been as good if she had left her skin color white.
The people that are most likely offended by these photos are in fact white people that think they should be offended. The photos of Isleib show other African Americans appearing to be enjoying the party. They don’t seem to be offended at all. So why should some ultra conservative white people care about this if other African Americans don’t?
In the end, the main reason Isleib should not be punished is because it was a Halloween costume. It’s one day of the year where you can dress up as anybody you want. There was no message or protest behind it. She just had a great idea for a costume, and made the most of it. No harm no foul.
