Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Education / Hannan MBA's 'Hooked on Phonics' Chant Officially Retired
Posted by Caleb Hannan on Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 6:29 AM
Jefferson, who is black, was apparently unfazed by the taunts, as he and Ensworth went on to beat the Big Red by nine. But parents of the opposing team were less forgiving. After several complaints were lodged, MBA headmaster Bradford Gioia acted swiftly, meeting with about a dozen of the most vocal senior boys a day after the game and putting the kibosh on the chant.
Phonics has been a weapon in the MBA armament for as long as he can remember, says Gioia, usually as a retaliatory lob at Father Ryan students who chant "Da-ddy's Mo-ney" (clap clap, clap clap clap). It's all a part of the grand tradition of young men teasing those who oppose them at sporting events, something they probably learned while watching their dad flip off a Ravens' fan at LP Field.
The phonics taunt became a loaded weapon, however, when employed by a mob of well-heeled children of privilege at the expense of a black kid. Something Gioia, to his credit, was quick to acknowledge.
"(MBA kids) have been saying that for 10 years, with the insinuation being 'you're dumb,' " he says. "They didn't have any intention to be racist. But when the line between what's funny and what's spirited gets muddled, it's best to step away from it."
Comments (471)
Showing 1-50 of 471
this is a joke. if this damn website had any phonics about it they would say tavarres is an african american instead of a black kid. and the picture yall put up is also an embarrassment to this website
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Whoever wrote this obviously does not know what they are talking about. This is ridiculous that the MBA students are being called racist. This chant was not focused on a singular person, but the school in general.
Being a neutral person in this matter, I agree that the chant may not be suitable, however, I do think that this has been blown out of proportion by the Ensworth School and their parents.
I have gathered that MBA has the same amount of African-Americans at their school as Ensworth both being considered wealthy private schools.
Ahh, this brings back memories of certain evangelical high school(s) in University School's district in the 80's chanting at our basketball team:
"We've got Christmas, yes we do.
We've got Christmas, how `bout Jew?!"
Kids can be cruel. And stupid. And bullies. Nothing new here.
Tasteless behavior from my alma mater, but not the worst I've heard of in local prep hoops. A former headmaster of USN told me his team used to hear this chant from Brentwood Academy crowds:
"We've got Christmas, yes we do!
We've got Christmas, how 'bout JEW!"
It should be noted that the photo above is photoshopped and that the child in the picture was not at the game and was not wearing anything with the MBA logo. You can surf the net yourself but I believe the photo originally came from some sporting event in another state.
As an MBA student I am completely and totally astounded that an actual newspaper would stoop to the level of photoshopping pictures as false examples of evidence of racism against us. The person who made this photo can now be considered worthless and a sub par reporter. By doing this you have marred your own reputation and your newspaper can now be considered terrible by the entirety of Nashville TN and even possibly the rest of the world and universe. the chant at that game was supposed to be playfully jeering of the higher standards of education we have at MBA. I hope you realize that your suspicion of racism as the ultimate and immediate conclusion is in fact racism. We have no intention of hurting feelings of the students at Ensworth high school and have no feelings of prejudice. All I can say is that this article is ridiculous. The picture is ridiculous, ridiculous and totally unnecessary. Thank you for words which are irreparable to many.
Having attended multiple high school basketball games (including MBA), I have heard this chant for years. I have heard the MBA boys as well as many other cheering sections chant Hooked on Phonics at the opposing team. It baffles me that the Ensworth fans/parents/administration takes this chant as a racial insult when as far as I know there has not been any other controversy over this chant for the past decade. I do not know if it because the two schools are rivals or what the backstory is behind this recent uprising, but it seems to me that an incredible stink is being raised over something relatively small.
"Whoever wrote this obviously does not know what they are talking about. This is ridiculous that the MBA students are being called racist. This chant was not focused on a singular person, but the school in general."
Did I miss something, or isn't that exactly what the article says?
Hey anon, if the post was unclear I apologize. Allow me to clarify.
Ensworth parents are the ones who claimed racism. In their opinion, the chant was inappropriate. Headmaster Gioia, being a good disciplinarian, acknowledged the roots of the misunderstanding and, as he should have, nipped it in the bud.
What we tried to provide was some context. MBA has been using this chant for years and, as you point out, it is not directed at any one player but at the entire school.
The rumors we heard at the beginning of last week painted a portrait of MBA students as an unruly lynch mob. We checked it out and, as you might expect, they turned out to be BS. Thus the post (and the tag of "things that aren't really racist").
Hopefully the entirety of Nashville, the world and the universe will take into account this addendum when considering the terribleness of our reputation.
"We have no intention of hurting feelings of the students at Ensworth high school and have no feelings of prejudice."
right after...
"the chant at that game was supposed to be playfully jeering of the higher standards of education we have at MBA."
Gosh, no prejudice there.
The rivalry between MBA and EHS is one of constant attempts to "one up" the other school rather through athletics or academics. The fact that parents found the need to nitpick at this chant shows their own insecurity through their attempts to shelter their children. Let the children deal with their own issues especially one as minute as this.
I was AT said game, Friday, January 16. My daughter is an MBA cheerleader and many of our friends are both Ensworth and MBA families. I was unaware, sitting in the middle of the crowds, of any bad behavior. So I checked with my daughter---there was NOTHING out of the ordinary at this game nor had there been at prior games. To accuse the MBA students of chanting something with racial motivation is ridciulous! There are black players on both teams! There are tremendous students of all nationalities at both schools and this is an honored and respected dimension of both places. I'm completely appalled that given firsthand information the Scene somehow found a way to make this a racist issue. Obviously not enough investigation happened here....it was possibly a salacious story and the reporter got carried away with that. Upon finding there was NO TRUTH to it, the reporter still found a way to keep the "STORY" alive. Shame on you--the Scene knows better. Waiting for a retraction...
Being the father of an MBA student, and having gone to the game, I am completely astonished at what this has turned into. I was told when going through the process of choosing a school for my son that Ensworth was a bubble environment where your kid would be trapped in until he leaves for college. I chose to let that comment go and still made my son send in his application but after this incident I am glad I did not send my son there. Having been to most the MBA games this season I have heard that chant a couple of times and for the Ensworth community to make such a big deal about is ridiculous. This racist claim, having been fueled by the gossiping wives of many of my peers and friends, should not have left the gym. Ensworth needs to pop the bubble they have put over their community and come out in the real world where not every opposing team is going to say an encouraging thing to you. I could spend another hour typing about the ridiculous Will Decamp controversy but i will end there. Pop the bubble for your children's well being and the image of your school.
It's just the boys'club learning to be gentlemen, scholars and athletes.
"at the expense of a black kid."
You clearly are focusing your article about racism...
No one cares about this subject outside of MBA and EHS. By your writing this article, Caleb, you have caused many problems for not only both schools, but also students and families.
Racist? Evidently not. Smugly superior and arrogant? Yes. For that reason alone, I'm a little surprised that the headmaster didn't put the quietus on this chant much sooner. It does nothing but advance the perception that MBA is a bunch of rich kids who lord their status over more humble folk.
Of course, it's also pretty funny that the complainants would be parents from Ensworth, who have their own issues with coming across as smug and arrogant.
The original writer might have noted, for the sake of context, that there is bad blood between MBA and Ensworth, and it is frequently manifested in athletic competitions.
The MBA student did make one highly valid point. Perhaps the story itself explains that the MBA chant was not intended to be racist, but the accompanying photo creates a dominant impression that may override the actual content of the story. You all were not as careful with your photoshopped art as you were with your words.
I completely agree with the previous statements made by Big Red Parent. The Ensworth parents are completely disillusioned and hear only what they "want" to hear. Their absurd conjectures claiming that the MBA student body was making racist chants is ridiculous. The "hooked on phonics" chant has been at MBA for many years. It was actually used at the Father Ryan game the week before if I am not mistaken, and I don't hear any complaints from them. Please Ensworth parents, be more mature.
How did the picture change?????
This morning the boy was wearing an MBA waffle and now it just says MBA.
As a writer, Caleb, this is no good. Your facts are incredibly wrong as MBA teachers at the game would have obviously stopped any chants they thought would be remotely racist. Your photoshop displays the craft of a 4th grader.
also, I applaud Mr. Gioia for his standing behind his students and knowing they did not mean for any of their "chants" to be malicious.
I just do not see why The Scene would put a picture like that up first off, completely unnecessary. Secondly, it is a high school sporting event between two of the biggest rivals in Nashville, of course things are going to be said by BOTH sides of the gym. If i remember correctly the Ensworth students weren't perfect little angels themselves so maybe their own parents should try and teach their kids a lesson instead of someone elses kids that they hardly even know.
I am appalled that a local newspaper would go out of its way to "sell" hits on its website by putting up sensational pictures. It is absolutely unethical by journalism standards to photoshop a picture on the website, pass it off as authentic, and aggravate an already tense situation. Proof of your unethical behavior is that when told that you had a copyrighted image (the MBA waffle) photoshopped on that poor child, you then changed it to the heinous "MBA" that you pretend to pass off as the school's logo. Putting aside the horrific nature of a news story sensationalizing rumors and innuendos between rival high schools and looking past the general local media's desire to benefit from a sad and unfortunate circumstance of two young student's mistakes, y'all should strongly reconsider your ethical standards for publication when you're willing to cross the lines to the borderline and in fact clearly illegal.
Separately, as a member of the Nashville community, I am disgusted that a news organization that has the ability to interview and present both sides of a story evenly has not only been negligent in attempting this but in fact dismissive of the opposite side. Furthermore, as a minority, I am sickened that allegations of racism are lobbed around lightly. Your news story is just another attempt to feast and advance oneself at the expense of a very real societal issue. By not equally presenting the other side of the story, your article further perpetrates the injustices that a society has placed on a group of people; trivializing experiences and pointing at decoys only masks and detracts from real discussions of institutional and structural racism. Kudos for taking Nashville two steps back in its fight over race relations by a news article about a basketball game. I never would have thought that a local newspaper could accomplish such a set back for the nation with so few words.
Your publication has gone past the general media standards of "presenting the facts" regardless of consequences to attempting to pave its way to regional news on the backs of a local community that support your very publication. Your publication, sadly, will impact families and a school community in a negative manner. I only hope that your publication will feel the appropriate negative consequences for unethical and deplorable behavior.
Caleb why don't you just take this article off the web. It has accomplished nothing except for upsetting many people and tarnishing what little reputation you had amassed in the first place during your junior writing career.
Not only is this article a sorry excuse for journalism, but the Scene should retract this article and hope that they do not lose readers over such a matter. Caleb, if I were in charge of the Scene, you would no longer have a job. This article is pitiful because of your one-sided view. Although you did speak to MBA's headmaster, you merely quoted him to make MBA seem even more arrogant. Your article has proven Ensworth's pitiful goal of drawing as much negative attention to MBA as possible. Caleb, did you happen to write articles on Edward Duncan's rape charges? Concluding, I would just like to ask you and the Scene to never publish such a sorry excuse for an article ever again. Thank you.
This article is, in every sense of the word, utter blasphemy. The fact that a local paper such as the Scene would dip to the level of yellow journalism and slander is, to be frank, disappointing and ridiculous. When I first moved to Nashville, I read the Scene and saw the excellent job that they do covering the Nashville's social community. From events like the Steeplechase to the Swan Ball, the Scene was the authority. After reading this article that blasts one of the most respected institutions in the South, I have no respect for this tabloid excuse for a paper. I myself am a local African-American with a great passion for sports. I was at the game less than a fortnight ago and I heard the chants that the MBA boys were yelling. In light of some details revealed after the fact, some of their chants may have been out of line; in particular the ones targeting Ensworth students. However, the "Hooked on Phonics" chant that is the subject of this very article should not be taken as racist in any way, shape, or form. If you have ever attended an MBA basketball game, then you would know that this is an often used chant. Some of my friends who attended MBA as many as 15 years ago have told me that they themselves cheered these very words in their own high school days. Now, I ask you, why is this chant only being considered racist now? As a proud black man, I take the outcry on part of the Ensworth parents as an insult. If anything, they are the ones that should be considered racist. Call it reverse racism, call it ignorance, call it whatever you want. The bottom line is that I would expect far more from supposed "adults" and "parents". As the MBA parent above me stated, are you really that sheltered and ignorant? I am not condoning some of the chants that were uttered; calling out someone for their sexuality in front of hundreds of people is completely unacceptable. Mr. Hannan, you should be ashamed of yourself and this crap that you call journalism. Your obvious bias and personal opinions, albeit somewhat covered, have clearly gotten in the way of your profession. I suggest that you rethink your approach to your job and realize that it is not acceptable to belittle teenagers in a widely-read paper. To think that a writer such as yourself would publish slanted facts such as these and label a group of 18 year old young men as racist when you have no substantial reason to do so is appalling. Stop gossiping about kids behind your keyboard and computer screen. What kind of man are you? If one thing is certain, it is that I have lost respect for Ensworth and the kind of people that compose their community. If I ever end up having children, I will definitely think twice before sending them to such a pretentious and accusatory institution.
Caleb, why don't you take this article off the web. You have upset many people and tarnished the small reputation that you have amassed over your junior career as a "writer" for the Scene.
My advice, quit your defending this jumble of words and apologize for trying to vitiate MBA students.
Just for the record, I dare say that MBA students are "just as" rich, if not "a little less" rich than EHS students and their families. Consider this, the same families founded both schools.
The number of complaints sent to montgomerybell from ensworth parents is absurd, I have heard from numerous sources that these Ensworth parents have been essentially fabricating lies in order to get mba boys in trouble. I genuinely apologize to the ensworth student body for their parents reaction to the chants. MBA has been seen as the school that people dislike because of their wealth and "snobby" behavior. Ensworth has now taken that title from mba
As a student of MBA I am astonished and angry at the accusations of the EHS parents and the press this story has received. EHS lives in this little bubble of comfort and safety. They accuse MBA boys of using foul language by saying well "we could read their mouths on the otherside of the gym", this claim is ridiculous.
All EHS is trying to do is copy MBA in their traditions like the junior class ring ceremony,the tower clock, and even the dress that the faculty wears at graduation. This just shows how EHS will do anything to make themsleves feel on the same level as MBA and then they try to spin things to humiliate MBA publicly.
If I had been at the free throw line and people chanted "Hooked on Phonics" to me because I do have a low GPA then no one would of complained because I am white.I grew up playing basketball with some of the African American student/athletes at EHS and I am by NO means racist but people at EHS are too sensitve and if they see a chance to call MBA racist or humilate them they will because they insecure about themselves.
But what is funny is that the same parents who claim MBA is racist is the same people at the Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee basketball games that yell out at the Tennessee players for being thugs and not going to class based on the way they look.
That last point is what irks me the most, but anyway Roll Red and don't worry about that little "MBA wannabe" down the road.
As a local citizen and long time affliate of both Montgomery Bell Academy and The Ensworth School there is a significant amount bad blood between these schools.
10 years ago Tommy First presented MBA with a sum of 100 million dollars to transform the school to become co-ed This sum was rejected on the basis of MBA's all boys standards. He quickly turned his wallet to Ensworths highway 100 property to develop a new High School for the already existent middle school.
So that is the bad blood, where Ensworth used to be a feeder school for MBA there's is now interior competition for students coming from higher education middle schools. This competition along with the generic hatred between all of Nashville's private schools has generated this ill willed and biased opinion about the situation.
look who founded mba- ingram, frist, and currey
look on the wall at your school and see the BIG NAMES THAT FOUNDED EHS. all those names are buildings named at MBA.
yes but they didnt found the school. funding and founding are two different things
As an African-American who regularly checks the Nashville Scene website so that I could catch up on all the local juicy drama, I was taken aback by this article. Immediately after reading it, I called up my friend Tatiana, who's cousins son attends MBA. She said that Ensworth made allegations that the MBA students were using chants of "SLAVE, SLAVES GO TO AFRICA". According to numerous sources, this is completely FALSE. I do not know much about Ensworth but I do now understand that they will do anything to tarnish MBA. Well I got news for you, Ensworth!!! MBA is better than y'all. Get over it.
If the story is true, it's not amusing but y'all's back and forth is.
As a student at MBA, I have been attending games for many years. The same parents that complained about the chants at the game are the same parents that used to attend MBA games. Just because Ensworth has a high school now does not mean that they should go to a game looking for something to get the MBA kids in trouble about. The MBA students did nothing racist and this whole situation has been blown out of proportion. The same chants have been used at every game, yet Ensworth is the only one that has a problem with them.
All the parents who made these accusations are being completely ridiculous. First of all, these chants are a common place for us. We chant the same chants all the time. Whether its Father Ryan or Brentwood Academy or Ensworth, we always chant "Hooked on Phonics." It is not a shot at any single person but at the school as a whole. People are making a ridiculous accusations. Honestly do you think we would chant "Slaves, Slaves go back to Africa." This is getting ridiculous. Two of the people the complaining Ensworth mothers accused of chanting were on a wrestling trip in Memphis. Get your facts right and quit trying give us a bad reputation when clearly. This is not a little kids' tee-ball game. This is high school basketball. Don't expect it to be PG.
Just to set the record straight, this is a famous photo of a boy from a United Manchester Soccer match in England that has had an MBA logo photo shopped onto his jersey. If this kind of unethical and undermining schemes are done for extra drama, do you think anyone will actually believe the article? You make the National Inquirer seem trustworthy. I hope that The Scene can afford this kind of inaccurate and deceptive reporting because you have most certainly lost at least one faithful reader due to your lack of morals.
No! Next you'll tell me that's not really Eric Crafton wearing a Che beret, posing in an Uncle Sam hat or pointing Dirty Harry's gun.
Hey Fun with photoshop, you should use this on your mom. It would help.
The photo is also used on yankeesuck gear. Here is the website.
http://www.yankeessuckgear.com/
I'm pretty sure the Photoshopping of the MBA badge on the relatively famous photo of the young British soccer fan was a joke and not meant to pull the wool over anyone's eyes.
Just as the reader above stated, the photoshopped picture shows everyone that the entire article is bunk and the author is the bigot.
This entire situation is completely ridiculous. Neither school was being perfect at the game. That being said, I (an Harpeth Hall student) have talked to my friends at Ensworth and none of them were offended by our cheers. This is a highschool basketball game between two of the biggest rivals in the Southeast. No racial slurs were intended, stop trying to make it out like that.
And Caleb, for the record, maybe next time before you decide to publish an article you should do more research. Maybe you did not realize the intensity of the rivalry between MBA and Ensworth and did not realize how much your article would affect the community - Just a suggestion.
ensworth parents are just looking for a reason to get mad at mba. im sorry your kid didnt get in but that doesnt give you the liberty to make stuff up
Ensworth parents y'all are ridiculous. Maybe if you exited your route from dropping off your kid at Ensworth, going to the grocery store, and gossiping at Belle Meade you would realize how stupid and PC this is.
QUIT... you have nothing better to do than bash MBA. You should be fired and forced to pay fines for copyright
I do not believe that the Hooked on Phonics chant was particularly racist. However, I will say that I was at this game and the MBA students' chants seemed much worse than Ensworth's. The worst I heard from the Ensworth side was something like "We can't hear you," or "I believe that we just won." There was also a reference to Ensworth's 41-28 football win in October. Mba, on the other hand, called out a student at Ensworth based on his sexuality, and then used the Hooked on Phonics chant to indicate that they believe they are a much better school. In my opinion, all MBA has really is oldness; Ensworth has students that are easily just as intelligent, including a student if I remember correctly that got a 36 on the ACT. The only difference seems to be that, in this game at least, MBA students were more arrogant and less respectful fans. Ensworth probably should not have called them out on it, but the main point of this article seems to be that MBA is not always full of the gentlemen that they like to think they are. I think a case can be made that this statement is true.
To say that the chant "hooked on phonics" was said to the school as a whole is ridiculous. From what I remember "hooked on phonics" was chanted as Tavarres Jefferson was taking a free throw shot. So it was not said to Ensworth as a whole it was said to a single player as he was shooting a free throw. And I am pretty sure the worst thing said by the Ensworth crowd was "we can't hear you." MBA cheered more against Ensworth then they did for their own school.
