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Why “Well-Meaning” White People Like WTAE-TV’s Wendy Bell, The White Privilege Turducken
Wendy Bell is a lead anchor for WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh’s ABC affiliate. I’ve never met her in person before, but I know many people who have. And she’s generally regarded as a pleasant, kind, and professional woman.
And, like many otherwise pleasant, kind, and professional White people, Wendy Bell is utterly clueless about race, White privilege, and how her privilege contributes to her tone deaf myopia in regards to race. This was made clear earlier this week, when the anchor took to Facebook to share her thoughts about the massacre in Wilkinsburg.
Now, before I continue, I want to note that what I’m doing today isn’t coming from a place of outrage. I am more exhausted and sobered by this than angry or offended. I do not wish for Bell to be fired. Plus, if possessing White privilege and existing unaware of that possession was just cause for termination, the White unemployment rate would be 394%. America has a unique talent for mass producing Wendy Bells like they were sheet metals or hot dog buns. Instead, I’m just using her words to articulate how virulent (and damn annoying) this particular strain of back-pattingly well-meaning Whiteness can be....
Oh boy. This paragraph is so perfect — so emblematically, contextually, problematically, and specifically Privileged Ass White American — that I want to kiss it. I want to take it out for a nice seafood dinner and never call it again. I would drink this paragraph’s daddy’s bathwater. With a straw.
And, like many otherwise pleasant, kind, and professional White people, Wendy Bell is utterly clueless about race, White privilege, and how her privilege contributes to her tone deaf myopia in regards to race. This was made clear earlier this week, when the anchor took to Facebook to share her thoughts about the massacre in Wilkinsburg.
Now, before I continue, I want to note that what I’m doing today isn’t coming from a place of outrage. I am more exhausted and sobered by this than angry or offended. I do not wish for Bell to be fired. Plus, if possessing White privilege and existing unaware of that possession was just cause for termination, the White unemployment rate would be 394%. America has a unique talent for mass producing Wendy Bells like they were sheet metals or hot dog buns. Instead, I’m just using her words to articulate how virulent (and damn annoying) this particular strain of back-pattingly well-meaning Whiteness can be....
Oh boy. This paragraph is so perfect — so emblematically, contextually, problematically, and specifically Privileged Ass White American — that I want to kiss it. I want to take it out for a nice seafood dinner and never call it again. I would drink this paragraph’s daddy’s bathwater. With a straw.
"white privilege turducken" FTW!
9 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Similar to the Southern classic 'Well, bless your li'l ol' heart!". 
the comments were excellent as well. Had me
