# Chicago PD: Sexual assault suspect resembles Ice Cube **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 24, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680 "2003-07-24T18:21:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/1 "2003-07-24T18:21:19Z")
That’s right, in it’s search for a man involved in 3 sexual assaults, they described him as bearing a resemblance to the rapper Ice Cube. [Link to BBC story](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3092367.stm) I can accept that someone in the police department simply used very poor judgement when writing up the alert, but the local news really takes the cake: > [@](#): > > Local television station WBBM-TV then broadcast one of the rapper’s videos alongside a report of the story during an evening news programme. Congratulation to all involved in such a fucking brilliant move. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/2 "2003-07-24T18:32:10Z")
Gee, and white folks wonder why black folks think racism is alive and well. Unfuckingbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/3 "2003-07-24T20:32:27Z")
I can understand that he (Ice Cube) is not pleased about having his name mentioned (and their subsequent apology), but what the hell does this necessarily have to do with racism? Isn’t there a chance the guy actually _does_ look like Ice Cube, and that was an accurate description? No, all black people do not look alike. But some do (just like white people), and it’s silly to think that anyone who notices it is a racist. If he was described as looking like Ice Cube simply because he was black, that’s one thing, but if he actually did bear a resemblance, it’s another. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/4 "2003-07-24T20:33:24Z")
I saw that last night, and my mind was boggled. ---
**Author:** ![CRorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CRorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CRorex)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/5 "2003-07-24T20:36:37Z")
It’d be really funny if he looked EXACTLY like I-Cube only that he had an artificial nose. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/6 "2003-07-24T20:42:33Z")
> [@](#): > > If he was described as looking like Ice Cube simply because he was black, that’s one thing, but if he actually did bear a resemblance, it’s another. Can you imagine a news report claiming that a white crime suspect looked just like Brad Pitt? ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/7 "2003-07-24T20:57:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ntucker \* > \*\*If he was described as looking like Ice Cube simply because he was black, that’s one thing, but if he actually did bear a resemblance, it’s another. \*\* If a suspect in a sexual assault was described as looking like you, and the local news folks happened to have a picture of you on file, would it be okay if they showed that picture while describing the suspect? ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/8 "2003-07-24T20:58:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ntucker \* > **I can understand that he (Ice Cube) is not pleased about having his name mentioned (and their subsequent apology), but what the hell does this necessarily have to do with racism? Isn’t there a chance the guy actually _does_ look like Ice Cube, and that was an accurate description?** At the very least, it was monumentally stupid of all involved for it not to have crossed anyone’s mind that it plays right into the ‘all black men look alike’ stereotype - to say nothing of the fact that they did it to describe a violent felon. Their intentions might not have been racist, but it’s a conclusion that is easy to draw and the fact nobody involved thought of it is mind boggling. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/9 "2003-07-24T21:06:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*Can you imagine a news report claiming that a white crime suspect looked just like Brad Pitt? \*\* And then running a clip from _Fight Club?_ ---
**Author:** ![wakimika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@wakimika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wakimika)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/10 "2003-07-24T21:12:17Z")
It’s not that crazy. I wish I could find a cite, but there was a manhunt years ago and both the press and police mentioned that the suspect bore a strong resemblance to Gary Burghoff (Radar on M_A_S_H_) ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/11 "2003-07-26T01:02:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sugaree \* > If a suspect in a sexual assault was described as looking like you, and the local news folks happened to have a picture of you on file, would it be okay if they showed that picture while describing the suspect? Um, no, I’d clearly be upset by that, which is why I said, “I can understand that he (Ice Cube) is not pleased about having his name mentioned (and their subsequent apology).” This still doesn’t mean it’s racism. Yes, **gobear** it would be ridiculous for a news report to point out that a crime suspect looks just like Brad Pitt, just as it was ridiculous to point out that this one looked like Ice Cube. Ridiculous, and yet still not racist. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/12 "2003-07-26T15:51:11Z")
Well, on the upside, the incident did result in the hilarious AP headline **CHICAGO POLICE APOLOGIZE TO ICE CUBE**. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/13 "2003-07-26T16:31:42Z")
The police have warned that if anyone sees the suspect coming, they’d better duck, as he is considered to be crazy as fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/14 "2003-07-26T16:44:19Z")
Geez, the CPD and TV station that reported it have apologized. Is this really Pit-worthy? Saying a suspect looks like a _specific black man_ is not racist! Fucking stupid of the CPD to do, but not racist. > [@](#): > > Congratulation to all involved in such a fucking brilliant move. Again, all involved have subsequently apologized. Why is this even an issue with you? Must we have a Pit thread for every stupid news story to hit the wire? On preview: **DoctorJ** , that friggin hi-larious! Happy ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@The\_Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tim)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/15 "2003-07-26T16:51:55Z")
Actually I can imagine a broadcast mentioning that a suspect looks like Brad Pitt. The showing of a clip from one of his movies, just like showing one of Ice Cubes music videos, would be too much though. If the victim describes the suspect in terms of a celebrity that may be all the police really have in terms of a description. ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/16 "2003-07-26T17:58:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*Well, on the upside, the incident did result in the hilarious AP headline **CHICAGO POLICE APOLOGIZE TO ICE CUBE**. \*\* Bwwaaaahahahahahaha!! ---
**Author:** ![KarmaComa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@KarmaComa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarmaComa)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/17 "2003-07-26T19:22:08Z")
How about this for a headline: “GERMAN NUDISTS REVOLTING” Too bad it was supposed to be funny. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/18 "2003-07-26T20:02:14Z")
Let’s see, this is worse than the litany of “Black male between the ages of X and Y”, _how_, exactly? At least it’s baby steps away from the general in the direction of the particular, and contributes less to that vague, unfocused fear. I can already see the racial tension easing by degrees down there: “Agh! A black male! _And_ he’s between the ages of _23 and 30_. Oh, but he looks more like Jimmy Walker. I guess he’s alright.” ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/19 "2003-07-26T20:12:48Z")
god damn that’s ruthless. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pd-sexual-assault-suspect-resembles-ice-cube/190680/20 "2003-07-27T10:42:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Happy Lendervedder \* > **Must we have a Pit thread for every stupid news story to hit the wire?** Yes. \*\* > [@](#): > > On preview: **DoctorJ** , that friggin hi-larious! > > \*\* That’s why.