5
1
This is going to be a tough topic to write about simply because anyone who reads it from a particular audience will prove my point in how they receive it. Let me open by stating that I’m a guy and that will, no doubt, immediately trigger a response, as I will be identified as someone from a ‘majority’ group. Someone who is from a group that has had it good for too long and cannot possibly understand what it feels like to be a member of a ‘minority’ group.
Let’s forget that I am of a Sri Lankan background and grew up and lived in 5 different countries because that is overridden by this simple fact that I’m a guy, so can never understand the perspective or have the right to have an opinion about someone from a ‘minority’ group.
Recently John McEnroe, a tennis professional for over 20 years, had the audacity to suggest that a young 18 year old English tennis player that made the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and retired in the 2nd set struggled with their mental fitness during the match. Now most of us would accept that someone who has that level of experience in professional tennis would have the knowledge and expertise to provide that kind of insight. So why was his comment so audacious? It was because the 18 year old player was a girl and he was criticised for being a man making a judgement on a young girl. Of course, when painted in this light it does sound like his comments was horrible and unfair but does that make his opinion any less valid?
Indeed it seems that the tides have turned on the ‘majority’ for if you are now part of a minority you can not be criticised. Or should I say that you can only be criticised by other members of your specific minority. And why would someone from a specific minority ever criticise someone from that same specific minority, as that would be counter productive to being in the minority!
Take for example the recent Oprah interview with Harry and Meghan Markle where Meghan accused the British Royal Family of racism towards her. Whether this was true or not it was a brilliant move because she has two minority groups that she identifies with being a women of colour. Regardless of how the British Royal Family responded there was no way they could defend themselves as being from the ‘majority’ they could never understand or have an opinion on the person in the ‘minority’.
Another interesting trend is people trying to join a minority group and getting shamed by the minority group for their efforts! The term ‘blackfishing’ has been applied to some social media influencers that take on dark tans in order to come across as being a member of a minority group. And why wouldn’t you make this effort given it now comes with the benefits of being able to be unaccountable for your behaviour and unable to be criticised by anyone other than someone from your same minority group?
Coming back to men being seeing as the ‘majority’ in most instances, this leads us to being accountable for everything and unable to defend ourselves against any opinions from a ‘minority’. If this is what it means to be part of the ‘majority’, please tell me how to get out of it!
