Stephen A. Smith and Pat McAfee are arguably the two most prominent individuals at ESPN today. Smith expressed his appreciation for McAfee’s contributions to the brand, but pointed out that the network holds different standards for black individuals like himself. McAfee, on the other hand, is not required to be as “polished” in his delivery.
Smith admires McAfee’s authenticity and lack of concern for societal expectations. He acknowledges that McAfee’s approach works for him, but highlights the disparity in expectations between them. Smith suggests that McAfee’s lack of political polish is due to his choice and the fact that he is white, whereas Smith, as a black individual, is held to a higher standard.
Despite Smith’s claims, he does not provide any specific examples to support his argument that ESPN treats black employees differently. This lack of evidence is unfortunate, as it would have strengthened his case. It is challenging to find instances where ESPN shows less tolerance towards black employees who may be more reckless with their commentary.
Smith should be aware of the fact that his black colleague, Mark Jones, referred to him as a derogatory term on Twitter without facing any consequences. This example contradicts Smith’s assertion that black individuals are held to a harsher standard at ESPN.
J.A. Adande, another black colleague of Smith’s, made a controversial comparison between red-state voting laws and human rights violations in China. Adande faced no repercussions for this comparison, which some view as spreading propaganda for the Chinese Communist Party. Similarly, Kendrick Perkins unjustly accused NBA MVP voters of racism without facing any consequences.
Other instances include Elle Duncan violating ESPN’s “ban on politics” policy by campaigning against the so-called Don’t Say Gay bill on-air, and Malika Andrews protesting state abortion rights during the NBA Draft. None of these black pundits faced punishment for their commentary.
Interestingly, the only example found of ESPN punishing a black pundit for their commentary in recent years is Sage Steele, the network’s only openly-conservative host. This suggests that white executives at ESPN are less likely to discipline black hosts, as it may negatively impact their public image.
Multiple on-air talents within ESPN have expressed to SiriusXM Patriot host Stacy Washington that the most blatant anti-white racism in America is driven by fearful and superficial white executives. This observation aligns with the perception of ESPN as a network where such dynamics exist.
While it may be an effective talking point to claim that ESPN forces black hosts to be more “polished” than white hosts, it is not an accurate representation of the situation. Smith cleverly references McAfee as an example, but McAfee’s longer leash at ESPN is not solely due to his race. McAfee’s star status and the significant investment ESPN has made in him play a significant role.
McAfee’s $17 million annual salary reflects his value as a star who appeals to a younger demographic. This star privilege is not exclusive to ESPN but can be observed across various television networks. Smith himself benefits from similar privileges, as he has been granted the opportunity to create a separate production company and podcast outside of ESPN. He is also allowed to appear on cable news and criticize his own company on YouTube without any repercussions from Disney.
In the media industry, various privileges exist, such as star privilege, attractive woman privilege, DEI privilege, race-card privilege, athlete privilege, and agent privilege. However, the concept of white privilege is not as prevalent as it once was.
According to the Source outkick.com