Are We Not the Sum of Our Par(en)ts?

Karen Crouse wrote a terrific profile on the coming of age of the tennis star James Blake in Wednesday's New York Times. Blake is a class act and his comeback story has been one of the highlights of this year's U.S. Open, both for Blake and for American tennis.

Just a day before The Times' William C. Rhoden did a more provocative column on Blake's future ("A Fairy-Tale Hero, but Does the Glass Slipper Fit?") and whether or not he could be the next Arthur Ashe, which means being not only a great champion, but also a great humanitarian. There were also one or two "can Blake become the first African-American man to ..." suppositions. There's just one problem with this and the hard-to-fill "next Arthur Ashe" label: James Blake isn't black. He's mixed race. James Blake's father, Thomas, was black and his mother, Betty, is white. James is both of his parents' child. The last time I looked in my trusty stylebook it said that race should only be mentioned in a story if it's pertinent. Obviously it is to Rhoden's column, so why does he (and every other article) leave out half of it? I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I wouldn't take kindly to anyone marginalizing one of my parents.

So it makes me wonder: If we are so obsessed with labels — which we clearly are — then can we at least label things properly? The reality is that we live in a world filled with millions of mixed-race people. And we live in a world where children desperately need — and yearn for — role models. And whether we like it or not, kids look up to athletes and actors. This is why Arthur Ashe, as Rhoden points out, felt that athletes, especially black ones, needed to use their prominence to push for social change. There are already plenty of role models who are black and there are plenty of role models who are white. Wouldn't Arthur Ashe have wanted superstars like James Blake (and Tiger Woods, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz and Halle Berry and the list goes on) to use their prominence to push for social change for racially mixed people?

There's no question that our history and — perhaps most of all — the dreaded political lobby groups (who don't want to lose their beloved census numbers or endanger their political constituencies that can be neatly labeled) play a huge role in where we are today. But it's time to start living in the 21st century and to start addressing the issues of today's children and today's demographics. I know enough mixed-race people (including my immediate family) to know that feeling like you "don't fit in anywhere" is a real issue for many of today's generation. What better way to combat this than to accurately present to them someone to look up to who is racially mixed — especially if that someone is James Blake?

Related: Commentary: Oscar Observations

Darling, I Love You, But Give Me Park Avenue

As a longtime city dweller, I found something really endearing about this New York Times story about a group of hurricane-surviving urbanites who were relocated to the Baptist Vista Encampment, a summer retreat in the Ozark Mountains in northwestern Arkansas. Used to the city life in New Orleans, these evacuees were just not prepared for the great outdoors.

"All these trees," Betty Taylor sobbed, as her husband, Ray, and her two sisters reached out to comfort her. "It seems like hell."
Betty's arbor day of reckoning took me back to the summer I went to Ireland with my friend Ken. The first few days we stayed in Dublin and I was in heaven. Then we ventured out to the more rural County Galway and slowly found our way to the middle of nowhere where our bed & breakfast was located. As we pulled up near the place — which was actually some old lady's house — I began to have a horrifying anxiety attack surrounded by all of these trees and fresh air. I told Ken we had to turn around and go back to the nearest city immediately. Ken clearly saw the look of pure terror in my eyes and began to make a U-turn in the driveway as the old lady smiled and waved to greet us — and then looked on in horror as he floored it the hell out of McDodge!

We eventually found a place in downtown Galway and immediately headed to the nearest gay bar, where a rousing crowd of 12 guys warmly welcomed us to the hopping Galway City scene.

Stand by Your Countryman

USA Network cut away from American hottie Robby Ginepri's latest after-hours victory Monday night at the U.S. Open (USA's motto, "you can never show 'Law and Order' reruns enough times in a day," was apparently being strictly enforced that night), yet they still call themselves USA Networks?

Here in the (212), we always stand by our man, no matter how late it gets.

Saint Elsewhere

A friend of mine ran into London-based Saint Etienne founder Bob Stanley on Saturday night DJing at Luke and Leroy in the West Village. He says the band will be touring the U.S. in January to promote their terrific new CD "Tales From the Turnpike House" (which is still awaiting U.S. distribution for some reason) and I can't wait!

I saw the band at the Bowery Ballroom in 1999 and at Irving Plaza in 2002 and they are two of my favorite concerts ever. Sarah Cracknell has such a great presence and puts on a really fun show. You won't want to miss this.

Darwinism at Its Finest

If this is the type of guy they have on the TV show "Survivor," then I'm going to have to seriously reconsider my decision not to watch it. This is easily the strongest case for "intelligent design" yet.

"Survivor: Palau" contestant Jeff Wilson models for the new issue of DNA magazine. via FamousMales Forum

Shattered Glass

I just finished reading Jeannette Walls' fascinating memoir "The Glass Castle." The book details her bizarre (putting it mildly) upbringing at the hands of two incredibly brilliant but deeply disturbed Bohemians who end up homeless while Jeannette and her siblings find success.

If you're not familiar with Walls, she is the feisty gossip columnist behind The Scoop on MSNBC.com. Check it out.