"Save the Chef"

Being from Texas, Hawaii, and California, and a multitude of other places like Mississippi, Florida, and Colorado, I’ve seen battles on the grounds of school mascots, flags, and symbols. In Texas there was a fight over the high school mascot of “The Cotton Pickers.” In San Diego, people fought over the abuse of glorifying the Aztec warrior. In Biloxi, Mississippi, a rule banning confederate flags on shirts and cars in public schools was overturned. Florida has their Seminole mascot; Colorado has their Native American counterparts as well. Hawaii, well, don’t even get me started on their troubles.

And after watching argument after argument, most taking place in a very heated manner, I’ve come to the conclusion that while activism is necessary to help foster dialogue, most people stick with whatever side they’re on and nobody will be able to persuade them otherwise, at least quickly. Change takes time. And it takes some comic relief, too.

Take the Chief, for instance. The fight is just ridiculous. People get so worked up over a symbol that ultimately doesn’t mean someone’s personal pride will be damaged if the “Chief” disappears. Games will still be played, people will still flood the football stadium, and the University of Illinois will most likely continue to be an excellent school. And a bunch of white people who act on behalf of Native Americans (which somehow reminds me of the Weather Underground well-to-do white students trying to speak for the Black Panthers—and being rejected by said Black Panthers) will still have their privileged lives when all is said and done.

My non-academic comments notwithstanding, this business is just silly.

And to court this silliness, I decided to transform Chief Illiniwek into “Chef” Illiniwek. I propose that wherever there are hotbeds of mascot sensationalism—of either side—this image might just force someone to stop and think, “Am I being a little absurd?”

I decided to turn Illiniwek into a chef for a few simple reasons:

1. It’s obviously a play on the word “chief.”

2. People will hopefully stop and think, “Why save a chef? I don’t get it.” Which might transfer to another question of “What does ‘saving’ the chief mean, anyway?”

3. The image of Illiniwek’s face is very apparent to a local. Also visually apparent is the tall mantle of a chef’s hat. The two juxtaposed together should bring immediate and recognizable attention to the message and overall vision. The observer will then notice the “Save the Chef” wording, and then the spoon and fork that used to be Illiniwek’s ear décor.

4. The image is also non-incendiary to either party. It’s not overtly stating that pro-Chief and anti-Chief parties are idiots or diehards, which isn’t my point anyway. The image is supposed to subtly state that there are other worthy causes out there, and there is a sense of humor to the entire fiasco.

5. The image also strips Illiniwek from his damaging properties, such as his headdress, earrings, and chest adornments and frippery.

What do you see when you look at this piece of symbolism? Do you feel like analyzing it? Or does it have a gentle effect, as in the case if you simply noticed it on the sidewalk across from the Illini store in Campustown as you briskly walked to class? Does it make you think about the controversy, or does it simmer your thoughts if you do have a strong opinion to either side of the argument? Do you even care?

Most importantly, does the image make you hungry for stadium food?