Oxford University Under Fire For ‘Racist’ New Orleans And 1920s-Themed Balls

Perpetually offended college students aren’t exclusive to America. Students at Oxford University are also working on their long lists of grievances.

First on the list? Insensitive ball themes.

You see, two of the colleges at Oxford are hosting New Orleans and 1920s-themed balls, and it’s triggering some students.

Magdalen College is hosting the 1920s-themed ball, inspired by the “The Great Gatsby.”

Sounds fun, right? WRONG. It’s actually racist.

“1926 at Magdalen was a time when people of colour and women were entirely absent from college spaces. I felt uncomfortable with the advertising,” law student Arushi Garg said.

“Obviously my demographic (woman of colour from a former colony that remains a developing country) makes me less likely than others to uncritically long for a past that privileged some more than others,” she continued.

“But it would be nice if they cut down on the nostalgia a bit, because if we were re-living the past, the corridors of institutional spaces like Magdalen/Oxford is definitely not where you would find people of my gender, race and nationality,” she added. “I wrote to the Magdalen organizers and they engaged quite respectfully with me, and are communicating with me to understand why I think this is problematic.”

Good grief. It’s an era-themed party. It’s not like they’re really sticking to the cultural standards of that time and preventing certain people from attending.

But wait– there’s more! Lincoln college is being accused of “cultural appropriation.” Yeah, apparently, it’s wrong to advertise a New Orleans-themed ball with fun descriptions like “amazing jazz,” “spectacular Mardi Gras” and “clandestine magic.”

Social justice whiners say it’s nothing but “nostalgia for an era steeped in racism.”

Thankfully, the Magdalen Commemoration Ball Committee and Lincoln College Ball Committee are refusing to alter their balls.

“We have taken Arushi’s comments on board, and have spent time discussing as a committee, and with college authorities, what we think an appropriate stance would be. We simply wanted the ball to be boldly designed, and thought that 1920s art and design would enable us to do that,” the Magdalen Commemoration Ball Committee said in a statement.

 

“We will not be expecting people to dress in 1920s attire; we are simply using it in order to create an enjoyable evening for our guests, which they will feel is more of an ‘experience’ rather than simply a large event.”

 

“We are of the opinion that to undertake changes now would be to undermine the considerable amount of work our design, catering and entertainment teams have already put in to what promises to be a very enjoyable evening. We have been planning the ball since February, and have taken a lot of care in planning theme-appropriate entertainment and food to date, and as such this would be a large undertaking.”

People seriously don’t know how to have fun anymore.