A holiday photo posted on Facebook by the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at Penn State has created quite a bit of controversy related to matters of gender and race.
Family and group photos make regular appearances on holiday greetings of all kinds, be they physical or virtual. Sometimes, however they end up causing more negative feelings than they do cheery ones.
Such is the case with one posted on Facebook by the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at the University of Pennsylvania.
At first glance it’s a bunch of young college guys being goofy, but upon taking a closer look many found it to be a grotesque example of race and gender inequality.
The source of controversy is the presence of a dark-skinned blow-up doll.
Numerous campus groups were quick to point out the issues its inclusion raised and the implications made by its placement among a group that was all male and predominantly Caucasian.
Penn’s NAACP chapter president commented unfavorably and referenced the photo’s poor timing in light of the recent events in Ferguson and on Staten Island.
A group representing undergraduate women also shared their thoughts, which included the words ‘flippant,’ ‘misogynistic’ and ‘racist.’
In an apology letter, the fraternity said that they meant no prejudice in featuring the doll, explaining that it was supposed to be one of Beyoncé and was a gag gift that should not have been included in the photo.
