A sampling of social Darwinism in action— a la Dr. Beddoe's "index of nigrescence"—reads like a string of redneck blason populaire jokes: ...The Irish are an inferior race, genetically prone to violence, incapable of higher mental feats associated with human intelligence. Teaching algebra to an Irishman is like teaching a cat to churn butter. Study of Irish DNA proves they are closer to a weasel or an ape than an Englishman...
However, in my objection to the Arby's jigging apes ad, I find I am in a very small company. Everyone seems to love the Arby's ad— they find it funny. Intellectually I understand that they see the ad as a current pop cultural icon (I should be flattered. Have we arrived yet?) What disturbs me is that people don't get that it is a reference back to a deeper cultural icon based on centuries of racism.
The missing stereotype that begs to be added to the Arby's ad is a minstrel chorus of whiteface jigging chimps.
