The caricature of America’s current college students is overblown. They couldn’t possibly be the entitled, self-righteous, easily outraged and identity-obsessed cupcakes they’re made out to be. Could they?
Oh, what’s the use? All you need to do is pay attention to Angel Reese of LSU’s National Champion women’s basketball team to see the worst of Gen Z (or whatever the college demo is right now).
There are two equally stupid parts to this story.
- Late in the championship game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, Reese mimicked the trash-talking and taunting an Iowa player was known for, but turned it up to 11. This attracted attention and many negative comments, and some people seemed to think it sullied an otherwise great game and sports story. I don’t know why. Class is the last thing I expect from our fine student athletes.
- First lady Jill Biden was in the crowd at the game. To a reporter on the way out, she said, "I know we’ll have the champions come to the White House, we always do. So, we hope LSU will come. But, you know, I’m going to tell Joe I think Iowa should come, too, because they played such a good game."
Of course, that would be unprecedented and would never happen. Only the champions get to go to the White House. This apparently incensed Reese.
Now far be it from me to make excuses for Jill Biden – she is, after all, a doctor and equipped to defend herself. But she’s an old lady. She just seems young compared to her mummified husband. She was being nice (at least she didn't call you a "taco.") Maybe she enjoyed the game and really did think Iowa deserved something for their effort. I dunno. Who cares?
Reese cares enough to make it a controversy, to the point where “a spokesperson for the First Lady said Biden meant no respect [sic] toward the LSU team.” Hah, sorry, Doctor. You’ve been canceled:
"I'm not gonna lie to you, I don't accept the apology because of, you said what you said ... I said what I said. And like, you can't go back on certain things that you say," Reese said Tuesday on the "Paper Route" podcast. "I mean, you like felt like they should've came because of sportsmanship, right? They can have that spotlight. We'll go to the Obamas, we'll see Michelle, we'll see Barack."
Oh, I guess she has a standing invite to Martha’s Vineyard. But is she so certain the Obamas are fine with her antics? (Probably they are, but presumption is unattractive all the same.)
So it became a “black” thing, as though Jill’s hubby isn’t the leading expert and sole arbiter of “black.” Or maybe it’s just general identity nonsense:
"I just know that if the roles were reversed, it wouldn't be the same. If we were to lose, we would not be getting invited to the White House," she added. "I remember she made a comment about [how] both teams should be invited because of sportsmanship. And I'm like, 'Are you saying that because of what I did?' Stuff like that, it bothers me because you are a woman at the end of the day. White, Black, it doesn't matter, you're a woman, you're supposed to be standing behind us before anything."
She is? Okay, Maybe that’s what Biden was trying to do in talking about inviting both women’s teams to the White House.
None of this matters, unless you’re hoping to see something in our college-age cohort besides an unlovable brittleness, pettiness and arrogance.
Jill Biden made a mistake. Angel Reese made a scene. I hope the first lady is headed for retirement. I hope Reese is headed for the well-deserved obscurity of the WNBA.
