"It's Above Me" Viral Vid is not Above Criticism

A video went viral earlier this week of a Holiday Inn Express employee handling racism in a more than hospitable way. Craig Brooks recorded his interaction with a white woman who called him a “fucking N*****” while trying to book the motel reservation. The woman blamed her racist comment as an emotional response of her mother’s recent passing. When pleading for a room, Brooks denied the woman services, responding with: “it’s above me.” Brooks’ calm and professional demeanour instantly became a viral and inspirational meme.

via twitter

via twitter

As quickly as the Internet came in to support Brooks, it was just as swift to bury him. This isn’t due to the Internet’s fickle temperament and shallow standards. Rather it was the result of milkshake ducking. Twitter user Q. Allan Brocka (@allanbrocka) uncovered offensive and transphobic comments Brooks has tweeted. When confronted about his past Brooks did not deny it, telling Buzzfeed News: "They’re mad lol I said what I said. People are so sensitive. I’m gay and I KNOW people will not agree with me being gay. I just don’t and will never get trans. Period."

Knowing what we now know, we are faced with a conundrum. Since Brooks’ personal bias has been revealed, does that mean he deserved the racist treatment he received? No. Does his role as a victim turned heroic Internet sensation excuse him for his own bigoted words? Absolutely not. So how can we possibly praise a victim for their admirable actions in one situation, when they may be an aggressor in a different one?

Brooks’ 15 minutes of fame turned fall from grace reminds us that you can be an Internet sensation who is ‘not above’ being educated and learning from one’s mistakes (hopefully for the long-run and not just for online appearances). Why Brooks went viral so quickly, is that his response resonated with so many in marginalized communities. We all have individual stories of micro-aggressions and flat out racist, sexist and homo/transphobic interactions. His response of being unbothered is a brave facade all of us would rather endure than the hard reality; that racism, sexism, homophobia is rampant and largely unpunished. While the Internet has revealed some truly ugly things about individuals, it has also revealed a concrete reality: no one is absolved from fault. However that should not make them any less of our heros. Brooks and similar instances have forced us to reevaluate how we determine heroes versus heroic actions beyond a blanket acceptance, and that is absolutely necessary.

UPDATE: Brooks has since publicly apologized.