With the exception of passing references to campus liberalism and Ted Cruz, the video is entirely apolitical. It does not purport to promote, endorse, or sanction Donald Trump, his policies, or his rhetoric. Even had the video been more politically charged, it still would not be Currier’s place to decide what topics are valid objects of political satire. Such a view would find us on an uncomfortable and slippery slope down the dark road of administrative censorship.
Who complained about the video? The editorial isn’t sure:
Some Currier residents, especially Latino, undocumented, and Muslim students, may very well have felt uncomfortable with satirizing Trump, given his bigoted and racist views.
Let’s go back to the Crimson‘s reporting two weeks ago, which said “many Currier residents” called the video “hurtful”:
Yasmin Z. Sachee ’18, one of Currier’s Undergraduate Council representatives, said the video failed to properly account for the House’s ideological diversity.
“I personally wasn’t offended by the video, but I definitely do see that the video wasn’t so inclusive of all the political views on campus,” she said. “When we make a video about a House, we should try to make a video that encompases all views.”
“If anyone felt uncomfortable or marginalized, it shouldn’t be a video that is endorsing Currier House,” Paul Stainier ’18, another Currier resident, said.
The rest of the story only cites “several students” who complained after the video was screened ahead of Housing Day, saying it was “offensive and alienating,” in the Crimson‘s words.
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The house “faculty deans” (née “masters”) had already approved the video, but they let students whine about it without their names attached:
In the face of some student backlash, Currier Faculty Deans Richard W. Wrangham and Elizabeth A. Ross held what they said was an off the record town hall in Currier on Tuesday evening. Shortly following the meeting, many attendees stayed to film a second video that removed all references to Trump and featured a Bob Marley song with Currier-specific lyrics.
It seems lots of Harvard students are really annoyed that a handful of offended, anonymous students hate Trump so much they can’t even stand to see him ridiculed:
“What is offensive about the video anyway, aside from the hairstyle? All that the immediate censorship does is show that we would rather maintain a stifling culture of correctness than have an honest discussion about issues,” Pforzheimer resident Fred Lu ’16 said.
Back to the Crimson editorial:
Other apolitical Housing Day videos could be similarly construed as offensive. Numerous videos describe gratuitous sex, drinking, or drug consumption or, more appropriately, they parody songs that do. By the standards of Currier House, these videos should be taken down as well. …
[The videos] are one-time, passing, light-hearted, student-created, and unofficial ways to celebrate Housing Day. When they satirize the Republican presidential frontrunner—hardly a road less traveled—let’s not blow it out of proportion.
So let’s get this straight: A handful of unknown students complain that mocking a blowhard is “hurtful” to them. Currier House reps quickly decide they don’t want to be called racist the rest of the school year, which seems likely, and cave. The Crimson blasts the reps, not the vicious little snowflakes who threatened them from their anonymous perch.
Over a parody video.
Read the editorial and prior reporting.
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