American actress Rosanna Arquette has declared her undying shame to the world on social media. It had nothing to do with her excessive earnings or being a gilded member of the Hollywood elite or anything else you normally associate with publicity seeking film stars. Instead, she made a fulsome apology on Twitter for the one thing that no one remotely rational cares about: the colour of her skin.
‘I’m sorry I was born white and privileged’ she said. ‘It disgusts me. And I feel so much shame.’
There are so many levels of absurdity to the philosophy of white privilege, that it’s hard to know where to start with this tweet. For starters, the idea that you should feel guilty for an accident of birth, a mere matter of genetic predisposition and family history, is intellectually baseless. It’s a bit like apologising for being male or tall or blond.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in