Where to start with Macon Detornay? He’s not like any other heroic character we have seen, like Jack, Grant, and Odysseus. He tends to veer off from the heroic path and more into an “angry black white boy” role. He always sees himself as this leader who can do no wrong and addresses others as if they are incompetent. To me, I think Macon is a bad leader and a hypocrite. While he criticizes other people, he never takes a moment to reflect on himself and how he can be better. This is a harsh assessment on Macon but let me explain.
A vital component of being a leader is the ability to communicate. It helps your followers to understand your vision and carry it out. In contrast, Macon doesn’t exhibit that same ability. Neither his followers nor his friends have an understanding of “Maconism”. There’s one particular scene on the day of the Apology where Macon left the crowd and his friends to fend for themselves. A school teacher from Iowa comes to Nique and says,”’ I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that I truly am sorry. Racism is something we grow with - Lord knows I did - but I’m doing my best not to pass it on to my children’”(Mansbach 230). Nique responds,”’ If you’re so sorry, gimme your watch’”(Mansbach 230). I’m not an expert on “Maconism” but I don’t think Nique has the right idea either. He is literally robbing a lady who is trying to apologize to him. If Macon had thought thoroughly of his vision (which he was advised to but then brushed it off) and communicated to his followers, then this situation would not have happened.
In addition to his terrible communication skill, Macon is also a hypocrite. Remember his rant about the n-word on “Rise and Shine New York”? He criticizes Kim (the interviewer) about how she unconsciously thinks about using the n-word and being racist. Honestly, he is most guilty of using the n-word. He uses the n-word with Andre and Nique and he’s white. I just don’t see the logic in that. In addition, he criticizes people about being frightened of seeing a black man. Throwback to when Macon is walking home from the poetry showdown. He sees a black man in the park and what’s his first reaction? He is scared to death and tries to run away. It’s ironic to see that Macon does the same thing that he criticized others of doing. In fact, he has never apologized to another black man on the day of Apology. How can Macon be a good leader, when he can’t set an example for others.
If Macon wants to exert his influence on his followers, then he’ll have to be the first one to make the change. That’s my take on Macon. What do you think about Macon and his “heroism”?
You make pretty valid points. Being a hypocrite and a leader who is unable to communicate definitely make Macon a questionable hero. I still think he deserves at least a little credit since he does seem to be raising awareness of racism. He has good intentions most of the time, but he just has terrible execution.
ReplyDeleteDoes it make a hypocrite any less hypocritical if he openly acknowledges his hypocrisy? That's a conundrum for the ages, but the fact is, Macon is extremely self-critical and self-reflective about his own struggles to free his mind from the racist assumptions he's inherited. I always point to the remarkable moment in his press conference (his finest hour as a would-be leader) when he starts unpacking his own unconscious and conscious racial biases in public. Even the deeply uncomfortable moment where he's interrogating the host of "Rise and Shine," he's doing it in this quasi-confessional way, where he's more or less trying to get her to admit to what "we all" do. I'm not excusing or justifying that performance, and I agree with Nique and Dre that it was messed up in a range of ways. But I do think Macon needs some credit for his willingness to admit his own hypocrisies and to use himself as a model for what whiteness entails and why it's worth trying to get outside of.
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