Seeing too much white — and privilege — in Xpress’ pages

As a Mountain Xpress reader for almost a decade, I want to commend you for improvements that I have seen in your publication. In style, design and organization, the paper has vastly improved; in content, it has become more appealing.

However, I have to echo recent criticism of the Xpress regarding the Valentine's issue being 100-percent white and 100-percent heterosexual. Then there was the wedding issue, which was the same, except for a single gay-male couple.

Then there was Edgy Mama: I respect and appreciate Anne Fitten Glenn as a writer, and as a fellow mom, blogger and community member, but I found this week's column to be in poor taste: There is a lot of privilege inherent in her comments — regarding tax breaks for (straight) married couples, the hiring of cleaning "help," and marriage as a means of legitimizing children who otherwise would be considered "bastards" — even for a light-hearted humor column.

As a publication with a stated mission to "honor diversity, build community, and strengthen democracy," I think Mountain Xpress can do better to recognize its journalistic obligation to represent more than one demographic.

— Jodi Rhoden
Asheville

The editors respond: We agree that we can do a better job of reflecting the full diversity of our community, and we'll strive to do so.

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Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

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14 thoughts on “Seeing too much white — and privilege — in Xpress’ pages

  1. Trey

    And hey, I’m a bald man. 98% of the people in this paper have hair… what up with that??? I want to see more articles about bald people and their bald interests.

    And how dare ehgee mamar flaunt her high fallootin’ ways here. I mean… tax breaks and cleaning help!!! She must be rich as all get out!!! Such privilege!

    I think mountain xpress should continue to water down it’s content until it appeals equally to everyone, and no one.

  2. TokyoTaos

    Anne Fitten Glenn was writing satirically about the advice she would give to her yes, straight friends, who were getting married based on her own experience of being married. Why in the world would you expect her advice to include every possible variable of a couple out there: rich and poor, straight and gay, married and unmarried. That seems unreasonable to me.

    Also you don’t necessarily have to be wealthy to hire some cleaning help occasionally if that’s a priority in your marriage. My income is well below the poverty line but I still manage to get an occasional massage because it’s important to me.

  3. travelah

    More Gypsy … we need more Gyspy stories in MX .. Oh, pardon me … Romani people … we need more Romani. If you can’t find them, let’s get them to immigrate to Asheville just for the sake of more diversity…

  4. Jodi ain’t me alter ego. She’s just another concerned citizen who independently saw the light on the same issues I took with Anne Fitten Glen’s sort of sardonic piece on the joys of marriage and spoke up about them.

    (I mean, really, how could Jodi be my alter ego? She says she actually respects and appreciates The Edgy Mama as a writer. Whereas, while I respect Anne Fitten Glen as a fellow human being, I have yet to really appreciate her as a writer.)

    ;-}

    DCJ

  5. Piffy!

    [b]OH MY GOD!!!![/b] David Conner Jones Changed his user name! OH MY GOD!!! He might break the innernets!

  6. I know, I am going to hell.

    Sometimes when I read the Xpress, I get the sneaking suspicion I am already dead and damned. Eternally punished for what sin, I am exactly not sure.

    (How could you do that to that poor bunny rabbit in yer avatar pic? Strait jackets are for unruly bastard children, and errant husbands, and nagging wives with bad advice columns, not for the likes of good old Brer Rabbit.)

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