Was Kaci Fennell’s Chocolate Commentary Really About Chocolate?
Before I begin, let me ask all my wonderful readers a question.
Have you ever been accused of being discriminatory because of your preference for one type of chocolate over another?
Has anyone ever called you a “chocolatist”? Answer this question, and you will have a good idea of how the rest of this blog post is going to go.
Don’t know what I’m talking about?
Read Kaci Fennell’s recent blog post on her website www.fenmade.com entitled “Just For the Record” set out below:
“I am so tired of the discrimination and frankly I would like to settle this right now. I may hurt a lot of persons feelings after this but please have an open mind and realize we have different backgrounds and are accustomed to different things.
But whether you like it or not it has been an ongoing issue that does not seem like it will die down anytime soon. Whether you are dark, brown or white I am going to have a preference… and I’ll be honest I don’t like the whites, they rub me the wrong way and leave me so disappointed.
Darks are so damn bitter, I can hardly stand them either. always bitter for no good reason, yes you are in your natural form but who cares….you could be a little sweeter to us all.
The browns, I simply can’t get enough of you. so sweet, so pure, so kind to me… perfectly mixed. I will never put you away, I love you!
So I know you must be mad, disappointed or even fuming at your screen… thinking about how you are going to shun me. But I’m sorry I love chocolate but not all… call me chocolatist call me anything but I like what I like….. Cadbury fruit and nut anyone?”
I ask again, if this article was simply about chocolates, then what does discrimination and being a “chocolatist” have to do with one’s preference for chocolate?
Do we discriminate against inanimate objects based on their colour, or do we discriminate against people? Is it a coincidence that this blog post comes shortly after the controversy concerning Miss Universe Jamaica and the lack of medium and dark-skinned black winners over the past decades even though these types of people make up most of the country?
Does the “darks are so damn bitter” comment really refer to chocolate? Or is it really a sly insult towards the Jamaicans who complained about the discrimination that occurs in these pageants? I’m sure most of us have heard this “b” word directed towards black people at some point, a word that is often directed towards those of us who dare to be vocal about racism and buck the system that tells us that we need to accept that our lives don’t matter or that they matter, but they matter less than the racially privileged class.
Kaci, you may think that we are stupid, but we are not. There are those of us who were not asleep in literature class, and we know how to spot metaphors. We know how to read between the lines. To think otherwise would be a sad misconception, perhaps yet another product of your racism, or should I say, chocolatism.
On the off-chance that you were actually silly enough to write such an article for the sake of attention……..well, my conclusion remains the same. I would still view you as a racist, because of your lack of respect for the same black “bitter dark” Jamaicans who rallied around you when you competed internationally.
Written by Lex
…I at least give her credit for telling what she believes. I FURTHER THINK that what she is “bellyaching” about has as much to do with the “classism/rich/poor” factor than “different shades of chocolate. I’ve met RICH BLACK Jamaicans who are as much fed up with the “bitterness of ‘dark chocolates’ as Kaci is.(lol). “FACTOID”…the majority of Jamaicans are “dark chocolates” and are poor(er) than the “brown” chocolates that Kaci likes, and belongs to. THE POORER YOU ARE…THE MORE GRIPES YOU HAVE, IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD!!!… AND THE MORE YOU ARE EXCLUDED, AND FEEL YOUR “KIND” IS NOT… Read more »
God is the maker of us all. For the sake of God, stop the fussing and fighting. It is her opinion. Why are you fighting it. You could say you love darker chocolate than white or brown. It is your preference. Every body can say what they feel, it a democractic country [Freedom of speech].
Wow, “There are those of us who were not asleep in literature class”, well here’s some literature for you. Irony is when she makes a sattirical post highlighting how people are going to do exactly do this, make a big deal over nothing, and it happens. Every single year it’s the same, “Why is it always a light skin girl?”, “Why won’t Jamaica select any of our ‘natural beauties’?”. Do we not believe our own motto “Out of many one people”. Are people of darker pigmentation the only ones who are categorically just in being beautiful in Jamiaca? Her playful… Read more »
i totally agree with you lex,this has nothing to do with chocolate…kaci remember never burn your bridges behind you cause you might just need it to come back home…yes i said home.believe it or not you are jamaican and you can and will never be able to change that.you are apart of the “black bitter dark” jamaicans.oh remember you are only hurting you….not us.
I am at the stage of life where the colour of the chocolate doest matter…its the richness of the taste and quality of the contents. Peace!
Frankly I am pleasantly surprised that everyone is upset seeing we have to be teaching people that bleaching the skin is bad for decades now, and the bleaching cream can’t stay on the shelves. I would have thought they would agree with you. Anyway this too shall pass. I know you aren’t racist….this from the people who nearly killed Usain Bolt when he tried to date a white women.We selective eehhh,” racism” is only ok when we, the 99% are being “racist”. lol
Baggies in a bunch. This piece is actually a parody of a sexual exposition written from way back when but which carried a heavy sexual connotation. It was actually someone eating something but would appear to be talking about fellatio. Laughter spwile when di gran reveal happen. In the past, society has used the term, “chawklit bwoy/gyal” in a derogatory fashion as a part of cass-cass and melee. Kaci accomplished exactly what she set out to do with her writing…though not original, combine wit with societal occurences to play with the human psyche. Our intellect naturally pushes us to look… Read more »
It would have been awesome if a darker (bitter chocolate) beauty had won the pageant. But true 2 form the winner is as close 2 white as possible.
Give her a rope, time will tell and her true color will shows; by then she may hang herself.
Well we all know that it doesn’t matter how dark chocolate is its not bitter
Who is the true racist here? The “guest blogger” who is obviously a coward by not putting his name to the article, and is the stirring up racial hatred; that’s who. Then of course, we have the ignorant ones jumping on the band waggon, and who are seeking any excuse to hurl abuse at others. All you haters of Kaci Fennell should examine yourselves and realise that you are the true bigots here. And I too prefer “brown chocolate” to dark and white; so I guess that makes me a racist too.
For those who jump to conclusions –
http://www.fenmade.com/post/madeyoulook
Kaci you was my girl but not at this moment I know you don’t care but I’m sure you was sending a subliminal message by using chocolate to demonstrate how you feel about certain skin color and I’m upset because you should know better than that and people is not blind
See this woman is as phony as a three dollar bill I was never enamoured by this beauty contest enigma last year and its easy for her to talk about daek bitter chocolate when her white chocolatists have benefitted from the society by virtue of the amount of melanin in their skin even if they worked their asses of they got a jump start But serve oonu right all who did a track this selfish Bs progress last year inna beauty pageant , its so stupid to act as if color doesn’t matter when its used to define different aspects… Read more »
I am a Jamaican. Out of many one people we came, please let us unite so that we can become strong, unity is strength… one love Jamaica.
I just read it for the first time…there are sections that could be said to be about chocolate..or maybe a writer trying to be clever…on the other hand there were statement that were clearly NOT about chocolate and reeks of blatant racism …I am probably the only one who was never fund of her during the pageant days
Come on guys I still think you are making a big deal out of nothing she is talking about chocolate,remember her parents are white,I am leaving it at that
For those who can’t comprehend, the following lines are from her piece, “I may hurt a lot of persons feelings after this….Whether you are dark, brown or white I am going to have a preference”; there is no question that she was talking about people.
Am not a fond of her it’s very clear wht she’s saying
You all need to calm down. No need to create an issue where there is none. Why does everything have to be about skin colour? But it looks like she caught your attention and rattled your cages. Thou does protest toooo much.
who is this bitch ? never heard of her before
I would still view you as a racist, because of your lack of respect i totally agree with u. for the same black “bitter dark” Jamaicans who rallied around you when you competed internationally.
Come on guys I still think you are making a big deal out of nothing she is talking about chocolate,remember her parents are white,I am leaving it at that
Her parents are black