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February 16, 2005
Offensive? Yes. Big deal? No.
WARNING: Possibly offensive sandwich names are in the text of this article. Please don't read if you have a heart condition.
I read about this article in the "The Daily Targum" at Rutgers University's on David Limbaugh today
Students split on Grease Truck names.
Duct tape continues to hide Grease Truck menu items that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community members said were offensive.
The controversy erupted last week over the names of certain sandwiches served at the Grease Trucks on the College Avenue campus. The University community is varied in its response to the incident, when the Department of Parking and Transportation Services demanded the trucks cover up [certain] sandwich names.
My first thought was, “Oh no, here’s people getting all offended for no reason.” Then I looked up the actual menu and realized, “Ok then, some of those ARE rather offensive.” Examples include, “The Fat Bitch,” “The Fat Fellatio,” and “The Fat Ass.”
The article also says that there is “The Fat Dyke,” although I don’t see that one on the menu.
Now even though they’re offensive, I don’t see why it is they should be required to change their names. Although the trucks operate on campus and are stored in a university lot, it seems that they are privately owned. If a private restaurant owner wants to have offensive names for his products, so what? It’s his business plan, and I’m sure it works quite well on campus. But people are complaining and saying it adds to an “offensive atmosphere” that causes harassment…
The controversy emerged when members of the LGBT community on campus said they were offended by the names of certain sandwiches. The outcry was brought to the attention of PATS, and all names deemed offensive were asked to be taken down, otherwise a citation would be issued to the offending Grease Truck.
Some students have come forward, saying the Grease Trucks further created an offensive atmosphere, with employees making sexually suggestive comments to customers, as another form of harassment.
Really, I don’t see how the names are any more offensive to the LGBT community than to Buddhists (“The Fat Buddha”), illegitimate children (“The Fat Bastard”), or prostitutes (“The Fat Gigolo.”) And you don't see any of them complaining. Not to mention…
Eileen Mcelhaney, a crime analyst with the Rutgers University Police Department, said there were no investigative reports of harassment near the Grease Trucks or Lot 8 this academic year so far from September to Feb. 1.
Some people need to grow thicker skins, roll their eyes, and get on with life.
And for Pete's sake, if someone harasses someone because they looked at a sandwich name, they need to get over themselves too.
Posted by illuminaria at February 16, 2005 04:39 PM