Whispers on the Color Line: Rumor and Race in America (Hardcover)

by Gary Alan Fine (Author), Patricia A. Turner (Author) "April 29, 1992, had been an ordinary day in the life of America until midafternoon, when network news bureaus broke into the talk shows and..." (more)
Key Phrases: folklore diamond, rumor cycle, racial rumors, African Americans, New York, Liz Claiborne (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-This book looks beyond the question of factual veracity and challenges readers to examine the underlying racial attitudes revealed by particular kinds of alleged actions and behaviors. Focus is on rumors spread by Caucasian and African-American populations about one another throughout American history. At heart a scholarly work, the first two chapters are devoted to describing structures used to analyze the assumed beliefs in the rest of the book. However, there are plenty of juicy stories inside. A number of the rumors cited as being typically spread only in black communities may sound incredible to whites, and vice versa. In providing historical and sociological background, the authors show how people who view themselves as reasonable can still accept outrageous assertions as fact. It is likely that there will be readers who vehemently disagree with at least some of the authors' analysis. Nevertheless, this provocative work excels at challenging readers to think about and hopefully better understand people on the other side of the color line. Five sensible and practical steps that every individual should take in order to bring about racial healing end the book on a positive and constructive note. This is a must-read for students and teachers with a scholarly interest in race relations. Even for casual readers, Whispers supplies a starting point for discussions.
Sheila Shoup, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Urban legends are a large part of today's society. Nearly everyone has heard the myths about why Kentucky Fried Chicken changed its name or who owns Snapple or the woman who was saved from attack by a gas station attendant. But how do urban legends affect how different races see each other, and how do these legends change according to which ethnic group is being targeted? In this fascinating book, Fine (African American studies, Univ. of California, Davis; I Heard It Through the Grapevine: Rumor in African American Culture) and Turner (sociology, Northwestern Univ.; Kitchens: The Culture of Restaurant Work) explore not only the basis of many of these urban legends but also how they shape opinions. They discuss different kinds of rumors and how these rumors are shared within the community. They also discuss how to cope with rumors and to stop them in their tracks. With a fairly extensive notes section, this is an important and useful book that should find a home in every library. Danna Bell-Russel, Library of Congress
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; illustrated edition edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520209885
• ISBN-13: 978-0520209886
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,524,271 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you've ever wondered..., February 10, 2002

By	L. Cunningham (Cleveland, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

We've all heard the rumors. The rumors that Tommy Hilfiger is a racist. The rumors that Liz Claiborne is a Satinist. The rumors that KFC serves fried rats and that's why it can no longer legally be called Kentucky Fried Chicken. And most of us probably take these rumors with, at least, a grain of salt. Believability issues asside, from where do these rumor stem? What is the meaning behind them?

Those are the questions Fine and Turner attempt to answer, and their answers are quite informative. These rumors, when analyzed, tell us quite a bit about race relations. They allow people to communicate feelings that they otherwise would not feel comfortable communicating.

5.0 out of 5 stars A new look at Old legends, May 14, 2008

By	Grace Hartman "Book Learnin'" (Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Whispers on the Color Line: Rumor and Race in America (Paperback)

I've read pretty much every book I ever got my hands on when it came to Urban Legends, but this one is quite possibly the most scholarly. Instead of just parroting the rumors and tracing the origins, it goes into depth about WHY the rumors are believable and what it says about race relations in the US.

If you're interested in urban legends and want something a little meatier, this book is an intelligent treat. It's denser than most books on the same subject, but it's also more rewarding.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Drawing upon more than twenty years of study and analysis, May 6, 2002

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Drawing upon more than twenty years of study and analysis, by Gary Fine (Professor of Sociology, Northwestern University) and Patricia Turner (Vice-Provost of Undergraduate Studies and Professor of African American and African Studies, University of California, Davis) Whispers On The Color Line: Rumor And Race In America is a superbly presented, collaborative treatise on narrative folklore prevelent in contemporary American society in the form of legends and stories informally circulated among the general public, and which have served to confuse and reinforce misinformation regarding a wide range of social issues. These are tales traveling mostly by word-of-mouth and focusing a diversity of subjects ranging from alleged governmental conspiracies, to possible food tampering, to the foibles of celebrities. An impressive, seminal, and scholarly work, Whispers On The Color Line addresses how these gossip ladened tales reflect attitudes that blacks and whites have about each other, and how such stories serve a pervasive social purpose of "expressing the inexpressible. Whispers On The Color Line is a ground breaking work and highly recommended for Contemporary Sociology, Social Anthropology, African-American Studies, and American Popular Culture Studies supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections.