Bernie's mittens: A lesson for S.F. high school students in white privilege
sfchronicle.com
sfchronicle.com
"I don’t know many poor, or working class, or female, or struggling-to-be-taken-seriously folk who would show up at the inauguration of our 46th president dressed like Bernie."
Given the importance of the event, there is a socially constructed "dress code". The privilege comes from Bernie being able to break this code without fear of negative repercussions.
Edit: Did any non-privileged persons get called out for wearing similar attire at the inauguration? Or is this a hypothetical situation where Bernie gets a pass and someone else wouldn't?
What does not being blind to this privilege look like? I agree that there is an angle to read Bernie and his mittens as an example of privilege. But I would also say that the outcome of the mitten craze has been, overall, positive.
Not so much for the woman who made them:
Ellis, 42, said she was inundated with requests to purchase her mittens after the image of Sanders went viral, but added that the federal government's high tax rates on independent crafters had discouraged her from selling them as a business.
"I don't have much of a mitten business anymore because it really wasn't worth it," Ellis said. "Independent crafters get really taken for a ride by the federal government. We get taxed to the nth degree, and it wasn't really worth it pursuing that as a business, even as a side hustle. I mostly just make them as gifts."
Followed by...
"Yet, when they saw Sen. Bernie Sanders manifesting privilege, when seemingly no one else did, I struggled to explain that disparity. I am beyond puzzled as to why so many are loving the images of Bernie and his gloves."
What is this teacher trying to accomplish? Did it not occur to her that people are liking the Bernie mitten meme because he's got the image of a grumpy old man and that's endearing to people?