University of Michigan Professor Bright Sheng found himself in hot water during the first class of his composition class about adapting literary text into opera form. Sheng played the classic 1965 film version of Shakespeare’s Othello, starring Laurence Olivier as the titular character. But students quickly “recoiled in horror,” seeing Olivier wearing black makeup to portray Othello, which led to messages spreading like wildfire throughout the campus. But it didn’t end there.
One student sent a fiery email to the department, whining about how the students felt, “incredibly offended both by this video and by the lack of explanation as to why this was selected for our class.” Another student lamented how shocked she was because classrooms are “supposed to be a safe space.”
First off, college is supposed to prepare adolescents for the real world, and part of adulthood is dealing with people and ideas you don’t like. So shutting down others under the dictatorial mantra of “safe spaces” is more childish than mature.
Second, we have to understand why Olivier appeared in blackface as there’s a long tradition of the opera valuing talent over physical appearance. Part of that tradition means casting a white actor for a black role if he is the best suited for that part. Making that movie today with a white actor in blackface would be a racist act. Still, these students need to understand that we can’t judge previous generations by today’s standards. This is how the cancel culture mob has successfully torn down statues of the Founding Fathers, and the Left will only grow stronger with every victim of cancel culture.
Naturally, Professor Sheng apologized for showing the film to his class. In an email to the New York Times, he stated, “From the bottom of my heart, I would like to say that I am terribly sorry.” But, professor, with all respect, you should never apologize to the woke mob because once you give them an inch, they take a mile. Kowtowing to their authoritarian ego won’t put you in their good graces; it only shows that they can bully people into submission. But there’s more as Sheng continued his apology.
“Of course, facing criticism for my misjudgment as a professor here is nothing like the experience that many Chinese professors faced during the Cultural Revolution. But it feels uncomfortable that we live in an era where people can attempt to destroy the career and reputation of others with public denunciation. I am not too old to learn, and this mistake has taught me much.”
And there you have it, the woke Left has officially mutated from hurt feelings to full-blown communist propaganda, and it will only get worse if we do nothing. So if Left-wing cry babies come after you for expressing an honest opinion or stating an irrefutable fact, don’t apologize. Instead, counter them with facts and logic in a calm yet firm manner and watch the Leftists spiral out of control.
