tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658138279766595241.post3780855909335036931..comments2024-01-04T04:31:00.481-05:00Comments on Mixed Race America: Katrina, Debs, and Environmental JusticeJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13261371053113519712noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658138279766595241.post-56931799195399695242008-04-22T16:57:00.000-04:002008-04-22T16:57:00.000-04:00Thanks for the comment Carter--I guess what I foun...Thanks for the comment Carter--I guess what I found odd, not just in Spartanburg but in the South in general is the segregated nature of most social venues--that there are "white" deb balls and "black" deb balls but not just a Deb ball.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13261371053113519712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658138279766595241.post-78795408954733415132008-04-22T10:43:00.000-04:002008-04-22T10:43:00.000-04:00As a former deb in Spartanburg, many, many moons a...As a former deb in Spartanburg, many, many moons ago (OK 22 years ago) I can understand it does seem strange and non-progressive. Whether you are a "Deb" or not life it was you make it. Speaking at an age where I see it nothing more than fun - trust me real life, making a living will settle in soon enough.<BR/><BR/>When I was a Deb there were deb groups for all groups of girls - white and black.<BR/><BR/>Southern girls are southern girls - no matter the color - we all love to the belle of the ball at least once!<BR/><BR/>Take Care, CarterRouge Headhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06556365075740114075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658138279766595241.post-79245303683745048592007-06-21T10:52:00.000-04:002007-06-21T10:52:00.000-04:00The escorts--yes, I suppose they are worth mention...The escorts--yes, I suppose they are worth mentioning, although I was struck more by the parents than the escorts. The escorts seemed superfluous--similar to the bouquets and hair accessories that the debts brought with them. Necessary for the right look but rather inconsequential in their own right. The parents, on the other hand, seem to be the real center--despite the attention on their daughters. Because the daughters, their taking part in this ball, was confirmation of the place of the parents in a particular hierarchy of status, both financial as well as social.<BR/><BR/>And the fact that it was entirely white was not lost on me, at least. I do wonder whether it is an option for (a) there to be mixed deb balls of white, black, Asian, Latino--where the central factor is power and money rather than color (b) whether one could bring an escort of a different race.<BR/><BR/>Although I have never known any debs, I have heard that there are African American deb balls and Chinese American deb balls (in Los Angeles in particular). But these seem like replications of the "mainstream" or "white" deb balls that take place in the South. <BR/><BR/>Ultimately, I just don't see the point. Much like I don't see the point in owning the largest screen tv and most expensive home theater system. The conspicuous consumption, along with the gender rituals which reinforce (to me) the impression of women as commodities, makes me intensely uncomfortable. As does the idea that we are guiding young women into these roles, much like those magazines (Cosmopolitan, Glamour) which show women what they are supposed to look like, how they are supposed to act (and here I'm thinking of books like THE RULES or HE'S JUST NOT INTO YOU). All in all, I just think that deb balls should go the way of the dinosaurs.Jenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13261371053113519712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658138279766595241.post-88539712791523699262007-06-20T23:39:00.000-04:002007-06-20T23:39:00.000-04:00Funny that you mention only the debs and not their...Funny that you mention only the debs and not their escorts ... <BR/><BR/>I was in the same hotel, but I viewed the ball as an attempt to keep some social norms, norms that may or may not be attainable in 2007, and that may or may not work, and may or may not "take" on the young people involved.<BR/><BR/>I knew some women who made their debuts and thought it was silly, and others who saw it as a rite of passage.<BR/><BR/>So what to do?Chas S. Cliftonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00923547685265741325noreply@blogger.com