Box and Won Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 This letter was published in this week's RFT: Mascot Mayhem All about the Billiken: Thanks for highlighting the racist connotations underlying some college mascots in the Unreal parody "Bench the Billiken" [August 17]. Racial protests stemming from a mascot are the societal burden of two groups: sports spectators and school administrations. Let's give school administrations the initial benefit of the doubt and assume that they pay homage to historical, demographic or otherwise anthropologically reminiscent icons with good intention. Is it reasonable to expect the general sports-spectating public to be intrinsically motivated to educate themselves adequately on the meaningful background of these symbolic sports mascots? Likely not. The burden of ensuring that demographic groups are not significantly offended by the mascots falls on school administrations that should consider either 1) actively educating the public on the background of the mascot, or 2) adjusting the icon to minimize its offensiveness. Those unwilling or incapable to do either are not socially responsible enough to deserve to symbolize that demographic group. Since 1910-11, Saint Louis University and Saint Louis University High have used the Billiken as their mascot, described on SLU's Web site as "a chubby...Asian figure...with pixie ears, fat cheeks and an ear-to-ear grin." Certainly, SLU made strides in the early 1980s by adjusting the original caricature, but the unedited Billiken statue on campus indicates that SLU administrators still lag behind in cultural sensitivity. Plans under way for a new basketball arena could serve as an appropriate time to consider a more meaningful mascot. More shameful is SLUH, unapologetic in making zero effort to adjust the original, arguably racist Billiken; its administrations could stand to begin opening their eyes. C.M. Hsieh St. Louis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 maybe C.M. Hsieh is our hacker? would be the same stupid mentality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 Any bets on the possibility that this is the same yahoo that took offense to the baby blues????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NashvilleBilliken Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 I gotta say, I don't like what this letter could mean. The administration has already shown that the voice of one with some money far suppasses the voice of many (go ask the Baby Blues). Hopefully this guy is just some moron and nobody pays attention, but I sure wouldn't put it past our administration to botch this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 if they touch that statue outside west pine that would be very upsetting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 rich, check your pm's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 Maybe they should auction it off, with proceeds going to the Unhappy Pointy-eared Asian Relief (UPEAR) and we can call ourselves the St. Louis University River. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted September 8, 2005 Author Share Posted September 8, 2005 That Billiken statue is the best statue on campus. It's the only one I like. I've never thought of the Billiken as having any kind of Asian connotation - is that really why the appearance of the mascot was changed? (I personally don't like the current Billiken as much as the old one. I don't see any reason for it to wear a turtleneck and bellbottoms) Why don't we just change our mascot to the "Gold?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 HAH! It is definately the best statue on campus! I always picture some homeless guy picking a fight with the snotty little students sitting there on a bench igoning him........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Law Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 > >I've never thought of the Billiken as having any kind of >Asian connotation - is that really why the appearance of the >mascot was changed? ) > That entire RFT article was dripping with saracsm. The Billiken has Alaskan Inuit roots, but everybody knows our Billiken has its roots from a comic strip. Now, some of the Jesuits did suggest changing it in the early 80's because it is a Pagan creature and I think that is what led to the change of design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 Geez, give me a break Mr. Hsieh. I don't want to sound racist here but his last name strikes me as Asian, so he possibly finds our mascot degrading the Asian race. I guess if you look at our smiling caricature or the statue through the eyes of a Buddhist you could compare it to the Indians "Chief Wahoo", but let's get real our mascot was based on a popular doll sold at the 1904 World's fair. Maybe we should consider changing to the Trolls....woops wait a minute I'm of Scandanavian origin...I find that offensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Majerus Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 Once upon a time, there were the Pekin Chinks - yes really - Pekin IL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 Yes, but they subsequently changed their uniforms to look like suits of chain mail with little pieces missing, thereby keeping the name by obviating the controversy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwyjibo Posted September 8, 2005 Share Posted September 8, 2005 The Billiken has a history in Alaska but it is incorrect to call them ROOTS. The Billiken was invented by Florence Pretz, an art teacher in Kansas City, MO. I guess you can make a case that she was influenced by Asian figures (and possibly insensitive) but my interpretation is that she was more influenced by making a cute but iconic head than she was mimicking some minor Chinese/Japanese deities. I don't believe anyone has ever even found that Ms. Pretz even knew anything about Asian history. The connections to Alaska/Aleut culture come AFTER Ms. Pretz's invention was mass produced and popular. At that time, her figurines were knocked off by expert Aleut carvers and remained popular after the Billiken fad in the lower 48 had faded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Majerus Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 I think you're pulling my leg, but I'll check it out with my friend who graduated from Pekin High. She's having an open house this month, and I can't wait to ask her. It's interesting that you came up with this while there was a thread heading about gullibility.:+ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheA_Bomb Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 Well I guess just like your average sports spectator we can't expect the average RFT readers commentary to be well informed either. I just don't get the mentality to go out and look for things to get offended about. It is not the Billiken that is offensive to this guy but us dumb beer drinking sports fans that like to cheer for teams. He's probably the type that wore eye liner and a black trench coat to school even in the Summer and would talk about how the "Smiths" really captured his emotional state with his friends all the while living in his sweet suburban neighborhood far removed from the real problems of the world so he had to create them for himself as some wierd rite of passage and means of dealing with his teenage angst which was really just good old fashioned hormones and if he would have spent as much time going out to the High School Football Games on Friday and trying to hook it up with the cute girl in home room all that angst could've disappeared in about 2 1/2 minutes. But what do I know I'm just a guy who likes sports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinfootes Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 abomb said, "He's probably the type that wore eye liner and a black trench coat to school even in the Summer and would talk about how the "Smiths" really captured his emotional state with his friends all the while living in his sweet suburban neighborhood far removed from the real problems of the world so he had to create them for himself as some wierd rite of passage and means of dealing with his teenage angst which was really just good old fashioned hormones and if he would have spent as much time going out to the High School Football Games on Friday and trying to hook it up with the cute girl in home room all that angst could've disappeared in about 2 1/2 minutes." that's good stuff!! lmao Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted September 9, 2005 Author Share Posted September 9, 2005 Or maybe a Billiken killed his father and he feels the need to avenge his death by wiping out all Billikens...Kinda like Charles Bronson in Death Wish, but with Billikens instead of street punks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billiken Rich Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 Yeah but: "Violent ground acquisition games like football are really a crytpofascist metaphor for nuclear war." My favorite line from the Rodney Dangerfield movie "Back to School" uttered by Robert Downey Jr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big al Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 I saw Pekin play in the Illinois State Tournament at the U Of I...They had some nice teams back then, and some great cheerleaders...I believe the team uniforms were red and white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Majerus Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 I think you should go into psychology...:+ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 i think i saw that movie on hbo on a saturday nite at 2 am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted September 9, 2005 Author Share Posted September 9, 2005 Me too, I think it was called "Enter the Billiken." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guest Posted September 9, 2005 Share Posted September 9, 2005 Shameless Plug of Roommate's Web Site (he helped out with the security problems, and it is a funny site, so visit) http://www.gullible.info/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.