HOS Dressed as Pharaoh for Super Hero Promo video during the month of Passover... wtf?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bored of this thread by page 4. It screams of defending those who are complicit. Get a backbone folks, it isn’t appropriate to dress as pharaoh while participating in a school auction/gala during the spring - plain and simple. The action shows lack of sensitivity, insight, and strategic thinking. It would be a deal breaker for me if considering the school...

So, would fall have been OK?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:19 pages. Wow.

It’s a lot but could have been cut in half if the school owned it.

“Hey, this wasn’t our intent, but intent doesn’t really matter what our intent was if we did things without thinking first that we were being insensitive to some people. We teach our kids accountability so we hold ourselves to the same standard. We made some mistakes and we’re sorry.”

This, if it was something against another racial group, this would have been done immediately. People are saying it was offensive even thought it probably wasn't meant to be. Acknowledge, apologize and more on and do better next time. Simple.

[Anonymous]

The school can’t win. If it apologises then parents like me definitely would steer clear as bowing to public pressure on an issue like this from a bunch of people who aren’t even part of the school community would suggest a lack of integrity. If they don’t apologise then there’s this other bunch of people who kick up a fuss. I suggest they just listen to their own community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school can’t win. If it apologises then parents like me definitely would steer clear as bowing to public pressure on an issue like this from a bunch of people who aren’t even part of the school community would suggest a lack of integrity. If they don’t apologise then there’s this other bunch of people who kick up a fuss. I suggest they just listen to their own community.

Then the school should have thought this through before having the head of school dress as a pharoh for a spring event where it could be construed as an anti-semetic action.

[Anonymous]

I’m not sure only apologizing to the community privileged enough to afford access to the apology sends a good message. Schools should be teaching children accountability to their fellow humans, and should be modeling it at the highest level. Sounds like from the post above that the parents of this community are just as bad as the HOS in that regard.

[Anonymous]

The level of hypersensitivity in this area is overwhelming. It was a generic, Egyptian pharaoh costume. There were something like 200 different Egyptian Pharaohs. All of whom are dead now. All of whom are historical figures. All of whom lived over 2000-5000 years ago. Read that again - five thousand years ago. The Egyptian pharaohs ruled for 3,000 years over 5,000 years ago.

And yet, there is about 20 pages of whining by parents saying that they are offended by a generic, cheap costume of a nondescript figure who likely lived 5000 years ago. Because somehow it still offends their sensibilities today.

There is something deeply wrong with the psyche of America today. You have to understand that sometimes people act without intent and sometimes a cheap dollar store costume is exactly that.

However, if there are any Ancient Egyptians on this thread who are offended by the cultural appropriation, feel free to speak up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.adl.org/blog/antisemitic-rapper-young-pharoah-spews-bigotry-racist-hate

Never heard of him before this thread. Why should one unknown person get to completely appropriate ancient Egypt?

[Anonymous]

There are several threads similar to this one, and I really think there is an anti-PC troll posting over-the-top PC positions on purpose to mock the real debates. Someone is literally trying to turn every word and book and costume into an issue to create controversy; probably hoping the entire movement will then jump the shark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am appalled by such a bunch of joyless, judgmental and thin-skinned posters with a disproportionate and selective sense of their own morality at a time a time of genuine suffering and need throughout this country, particularly amongst minority groups.

History is rife with oppression, subjugation and punishment based on race, religion and socioeconomic status. We can't change that but it is important we understand the past and how this affects the present. If you are going to judge everything by today's standards then at least be consistent. If you're going to ban pharoahs, then ban Roman emperors (they persecuted the Christians), Ancient Greeks (kept slaves), and definitely don't plan a vacation in Europe where you can marvel at the beautiful architecture and monuments built on the backs of empires and exploitation.

My greatest sympathies go out to people who have and continue to suffer from real disadvantage. Those people who just want to dissect history and inconsistently perceive it through today's moral frameworks, you need to check your own hypocrisy and tunnel vision, especially at a time when so many people are suffering so badly in this country and around the world. 75% of the people who have died from covid in DC are black and yet, over here in the private school forum, we have the morality police scrutinising the costume of a hapless HOS as though it's their business.

We should close this thread at the pp's comment and call it a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The level of hypersensitivity in this area is overwhelming. It was a generic, Egyptian pharaoh costume. There were something like 200 different Egyptian Pharaohs. All of whom are dead now. All of whom are historical figures. All of whom lived over 2000-5000 years ago. Read that again - five thousand years ago. The Egyptian pharaohs ruled for 3,000 years over 5,000 years ago.

And yet, there is about 20 pages of whining by parents saying that they are offended by a generic, cheap costume of a nondescript figure who likely lived 5000 years ago. Because somehow it still offends their sensibilities today.

There is something deeply wrong with the psyche of America today. You have to understand that sometimes people act without intent and sometimes a cheap dollar store costume is exactly that.

However, if there are any Ancient Egyptians on this thread who are offended by the cultural appropriation, feel free to speak up.

+1 when even the French intelligentsia is making fun of American woke, that's saying something!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school can’t win. If it apologises then parents like me definitely would steer clear as bowing to public pressure on an issue like this from a bunch of people who aren’t even part of the school community would suggest a lack of integrity. If they don’t apologise then there’s this other bunch of people who kick up a fuss. I suggest they just listen to their own community.

So you are saying the school shouldn’t try to appeal to people outside the existing school community? And that anyone who apologies outside of an existing community lacks integrity?

Odd stance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The level of hypersensitivity in this area is overwhelming. It was a generic, Egyptian pharaoh costume. There were something like 200 different Egyptian Pharaohs. All of whom are dead now. All of whom are historical figures. All of whom lived over 2000-5000 years ago. Read that again - five thousand years ago. The Egyptian pharaohs ruled for 3,000 years over 5,000 years ago.

And yet, there is about 20 pages of whining by parents saying that they are offended by a generic, cheap costume of a nondescript figure who likely lived 5000 years ago. Because somehow it still offends their sensibilities today.

There is something deeply wrong with the psyche of America today. You have to understand that sometimes people act without intent and sometimes a cheap dollar store costume is exactly that.

However, if there are any Ancient Egyptians on this thread who are offended by the cultural appropriation, feel free to speak up.

Do you put the “fun” Civil War photo shoot in the same category? That was 160 years ago, but indeed racism is alive and well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school can’t win. If it apologises then parents like me definitely would steer clear as bowing to public pressure on an issue like this from a bunch of people who aren’t even part of the school community would suggest a lack of integrity. If they don’t apologise then there’s this other bunch of people who kick up a fuss. I suggest they just listen to their own community.

Then the school should have thought this through before having the head of school dress as a pharoh for a spring event where it could be construed as an anti-semetic action.

Only a very stupid person would think this was anti-Semitic.

I cannot be convinced that there is not a ton of trolling on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bored of this thread by page 4. It screams of defending those who are complicit. Get a backbone folks, it isn’t appropriate to dress as pharaoh while participating in a school auction/gala during the spring - plain and simple. The action shows lack of sensitivity, insight, and strategic thinking. It would be a deal breaker for me if considering the school...

+1 THIS

all of these posts saying to calm down and stop judging the HOS dressed as pharaoh is ludicrous. I agree with PP above. Those defending the “amiable” HOS are absolutely complicit in furthering insensitive cultural actions such as this. Poor taste, poor judgement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bored of this thread by page 4. It screams of defending those who are complicit. Get a backbone folks, it isn’t appropriate to dress as pharaoh while participating in a school auction/gala during the spring - plain and simple. The action shows lack of sensitivity, insight, and strategic thinking. It would be a deal breaker for me if considering the school...

+1 THIS

all of these posts saying to calm down and stop judging the HOS dressed as pharaoh is ludicrous. I agree with PP above. Those defending the “amiable” HOS are absolutely complicit in furthering insensitive cultural actions such as this. Poor taste, poor judgement.

ALL of this could be calmed with a simple "our bad" from Congressional. They clearly know they had some missteps - they pulled the content.

For those connected to the school, any insight on why a simple acknowledgement hasn't happened?