Part Two: Refuse, Indeed!
Looking for alternatives to the NAQT power structure, I turn to TRASH, a
format that claims to foster a spirit of inclusiveness as an antidote to th=
e
prescriptive ideals of the other formats. However, the way TRASH operates =
merely reinforces previous modes of domination. The only categories
acceptable for question material seem to be those that celebrate a certain =
type of the white male zeitgeist. Classic rock, NASCAR, Dr, Who – the lita=
ny
is legion. Who can recall the last TRASH tournament with a John Leguizamo =
theme packet? Where is Tito Puente, or Sean Paul, the accomplishments of
these artists and persons of color are obfuscated by the deliberate over-
representation of the "Leave it to Beaver" experience. Let's face it, the
average TRASH player and the questions he (more often than not) plays on is=
whiter than a Wonder Bread factory in a snowstorm. TRASH actually
perpetuates itself as a self-exclusive club that writes its own dark social=
history, opening up its walls to a select few that possess a certain class =
of
specialized knowledge. This must end.