Brick’s famous line in Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof notwithstanding, the Jussie Smollett story still marks a moment of great disappointment in our community. Happening inconveniently as it did in the midst of Black History Month, the story of his alleged mugging by racist white homophobes dominated the news cycle for weeks. While the tale of a hate crime perpetrated against an African American gay man seemed plausible given we are a nation mired in regime-inspired hate, it has since unraveled. And, while the case remains unresolved, even the most ardent Smollett supporters have begun to concede he may well have orchestrated a hoax. As a gay black man, Smollett had become known as an activist, but now his potential as a positive role model has been foolishly squandered. The act could end his career, but the greater collateral damage on the LGBTQ community, and LGBTQ people of color in particular, may be immeasurable.
For all the damage done, it shouldn’t be lost on anyone that the art of the hoax is deeply ingrained in human nature as a tactic to achieve whatever desired outcome. In fact, the “boy who cried wolf” tale goes back two-and-a-half millennia to fabulist Aesop, credited with its earliest telling. That certainly doesn’t excuse Smollett, but he hasn’t set a precedent, either.
There’s Olympian Ryan Lochte, of course, who pulled a similar stunt in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the 2016 Olympics, claiming muggers disguised as police attacked him and fellow athletes. The 12-time Olympic medalist suffered certain consequences for his “cry-wolf” escapade, losing lucrative sponsorships and receiving a 10-year suspension from competitive events. Yet it seems the handsome, all-American jock is already on the road to rehabilitation. He recently appeared on the reality show “Big Brother—Celebrity Edition” and it’s been suggested he may compete in the 2020 Olympics after all.
The differences in the two cases are clear. The most obvious is the straight white Olympian’s status as international icon versus the actor’s comparatively limited fame. And then, there are Smollett’s dual fatal flaws of being both black and gay that deny him the ready forgiveness given to the affable Lochte.
Actually, both their hoaxes are mere bagatelles compared to the history of lynchings of African Americans based on false accusations, like those of 14-year-old George Stinney Jr. in 1944 or Emmett Till in 1955. Today’s ever-popular “feared for my life” or “gay/trans panic” legal defenses still easily acquit murderers of people of color and LGBTQs.
Speaking of mendacity, lies by the U.S. president, now documented at more than 8,000, coupled with hate-crime hoaxes articulated in Republican fear-mongering rants about “changing demographics” or the “MAGA” catchphrase itself, recently led conservative commentator David Brookes to dub their effect “morally numbing.”
Meanwhile, speaking of rehabilitating the morally numb, the Baraboo boys who gave the Nazi salute in a class photo and lied about it, have since taken a field trip to a museum to learn about the genocide of the Jews. I’m sure Remedial Holocaust Studies look better on a college application than membership in the Hitler Youth Glee Club. But then, I suppose that depends on the college.
