racist or no?

javaboy · 23-09-2008 10:24pm

Saint_Mel wrote: »

There's still a confusion in some places over descriptions like that ...

I remember way back in the day being told it was insulting/racist to describe someone as a "black person", instead the term to use was Coloured.

I get a kick out of people awkwardly trying to think of the right word to say. My favourite was when a teacher referred to a Nigerian guy in our school as African American.

Gareth Keenan wrote:

"My dad, for example, he's not as cosmopolitan or as educated as me and it can be embarrasing you know. He doesn't understand all the new trendy words - like he'll say 'poofs' instead of 'gays', 'birds' instead of 'women', 'darkies' instead of 'coloureds'."

WindSock · 23-09-2008 10:39pm

Gyalist wrote: »

What would some of these physical differences be?

Well, I think there are sports where black people for example will excell, yet not do so well in others and vice-versa. I would imagine this is down to adapting our environments over the years. Why would people call me a racist for thinking that though?

Feral Mutant · 23-09-2008 11:10pm

R0ot wrote: »

If you said you had a fight with a guy that was black and he started throwing water melon pips and fried chicken bones at you then yes that would be racist.

Even if they really did that? Hmm, I'm now tempted to go to another country, attack a stranger with a pint of guinness, then throw lucky charms and potatoes at them while yelling "No-one will ever believe you".

Gyalist · 24-09-2008 1:20am

WindSock wrote: »

Well, I think there are sports where black people for example will excell, yet not do so well in others and vice-versa. I would imagine this is down to adapting our environments over the years. Why would people call me a racist for thinking that though?

Which sports are these that you can attribute success/failure to physical differences?

Call Me Jimmy · 24-09-2008 1:36am

Hmm isn't it true that a white person has never done 100m in 10 seconds while black athletes have done it hundreds of times?

Dr. Loon · 24-09-2008 2:00am

Gyalist wrote: »

Which sports are these that you can attribute success/failure to physical differences?

Are you a ****ing idiot!? Or a troll?

Jigsaw · 24-09-2008 2:07am

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

Hmm isn't it true that a white person has never done 100m in 10 seconds while black athletes have done it hundreds of times?

If you had to run like f**k after food drops from UN planes you'd be fairly good at the 100 metres.

Sue me.

Call Me Jimmy · 24-09-2008 2:20am

Oh you are just bad to da bone!

DanGerMus · 24-09-2008 3:06am

javaboy wrote: »

I get a kick out of people awkwardly trying to think of the right word to say. My favourite was when a teacher referred to a Nigerian guy in our school as African American.

LOL! Idiot.Priceless.

Call Me Jimmy · 24-09-2008 6:23am

One thing I've always wanted to know is, do black households have black santas? Like, do they have the same images etc. as us white folks? And if santa is white in black areas, if a black guy dresses up as santa for some local party, do the kids question why he's black and not white? If so, are the kids racist? Am I racist for even asking?

Monty - the one and only · 24-09-2008 6:45am

ill say this people need to grow a thicker skin these days... im working for an american company lately... and the the list of things im not allowed to say (that people might be offended by) while on company property without being written up for them is twice as long as my arm... some are understandable...some rediculous... not allowed to ask for black or white coffee... or call a flip board, a flip board use nick names(regardless if the recipiant dosent mind) just incase someone who might overhear it might be offended:rolleyes:

PC ness thesedays is just way over the top

javaboy · 24-09-2008 6:53am

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

One thing I've always wanted to know is, do black households have black santas? Like, do they have the same images etc. as us white folks? And if santa is white in black areas, if a black guy dresses up as santa for some local party, do the kids question why he's black and not white? If so, are the kids racist? Am I racist for even asking?

Well since St. Nicholas was a real person and white AFAIK... I guess he should be white. Also Coca Cola created the current image and he was probably white in that.

I wouldn't be surprised or care at all though if some black families use black santa images. I'd say the vast majority of Santa imagery in the USA depicts a white Santa so they would probably have to go out of their way to find black Santa stuff. Imo that would be a bit sad really.

On the other hand we often have a lily white Jesus or a black Jesus when the likelihood is he sported a typical olive skinned Middle Eastern look so I guess we're all guilty of creating in our own image so to speak.

Dudess · 24-09-2008 8:02am

Monty - the one and only wrote: »

not allowed to ask for black or white coffee... or call a flip board, a flip board use nick names(regardless if the recipiant dosent mind) just incase someone who might overhear it might be offended:rolleyes:

All of you who just throw out the "PC gone mad" line at the drop of a hat, perhaps take note of the above. That's PC gone mad...

When people (including blacks) use the term "African American" do they not stop to consider that whites aren't referred to as "European Americans"?

Dinter · 24-09-2008 10:22am

javaboy wrote: »

Well since St. Nicholas was a real person and white AFAIK... I guess he should be white. Also Coca Cola created the current image and he was probably white in that.

I'd say round about the time Coca Cola started marketing Santa, I doubt many black Americans could ever believe some white dude would break into their property in disguise to leave presents that didn't consist solely of a burning cross and hatemail.

pickarooney · 24-09-2008 10:32am

In Holland, Santa (Sinterklaas), who's from Spain, has lots of black midgets helping him reward/beat-up the kids. The people playing the zwarte piet characters are usually white with black face paint, or black with black face paint.
Americans are invariably appalled by it, which is about the only fun in the tiresome charade.

Gyalist · 24-09-2008 10:47am

Dudess wrote: »

All of you who just throw out the "PC gone mad" line at the drop of a hat, perhaps take note of the above. That's PC gone mad...

That's assuming that it's true...

When people (including blacks) use the term "African American" do they not stop to consider that whites aren't referred to as "European Americans"?

Have you ever heard any non-American black person describe himself as African-American? In any case the statement above only reveals your cluelessness about the subject.

Varkov · 24-09-2008 10:51am

I said I saw some nig-nog stealing a car. Suddenly I'm a racist, and no seems to mind that he was stealing it!

Tigger · 24-09-2008 10:56am

this thread is nuts

black
red head
blonde
big tits
nice ass
no ears

these are ways that we describe women

not racist

if in a night club there were two black men and 178 white men and one black man was wearing a white teeshirt and the other black man was wearing a blue shirt and a blue tie then i wished to describve him to some one in the club so they could recognise him i would say the black guy in the blue shirt and tie

now interchange the word black and white in that description and please tell me what yer issue is
are you trollng ort do you acually think that the colour of his skin is not relevant to his description

Dudess · 24-09-2008 10:59am

Gyalist wrote: »

Have you ever heard any non-American black person describe himself as African-American? In any case the statement above only reveals your cluelessness about the subject.

Obviously I'm talking about black Americans, I presumed I didn't have to spell that out...
I'm just saying the term "African American" serves to further segregate black Americans and make them "the other" as nobody refers to white Americans as
"European Americans" - it's simply taken as a given that they're American.

Gyalist · 24-09-2008 11:06am

In that case you'd have to stop Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, German-Americans, etc, describing themselves as such.

Zangetsu · 24-09-2008 11:07am

Racisim is a joke and shouldn't be taken as an insult, I'm a cracker ass white boy that can't jump and dances like a prick, apperently I look identical to all the other cracker ass white boys that can't jump or dance and I couldn't give a bollox...

Never understood it, never will. People are stoopid...

Dinter · 24-09-2008 11:09am

Gyalist wrote: »

Have you ever heard any non-American black person describe himself as African-American? In any case the statement above only reveals your cluelessness about the subject.

Her cluelessness?

I would have thought that by saying African American Dudess would have been specific enough for anyone to realise she was talking about black Americans and not some randon black Kenyan.

Seriously how hard is this to grasp?

Dinter · 24-09-2008 11:10am

Zangetsu wrote: »

Racisim is a joke and shouldn't be taken as an insult

Unless it's meant as one.

Heroditas · 24-09-2008 11:21am

Monty - the one and only wrote: »

ill say this people need to grow a thicker skin these days... im working for an american company lately... and the the list of things im not allowed to say (that people might be offended by) while on company property without being written up for them is twice as long as my arm... some are understandable...some rediculous... not allowed to ask for black or white coffee... or call a flip board, a flip board use nick names(regardless if the recipiant dosent mind) just incase someone who might overhear it might be offended:rolleyes:

PC ness thesedays is just way over the top

I used to work for an American company and a guy (from Cork) got in serious trouble when he was sent on assignment to the USA. He was working with a group of americans and used to say "morning boy", "howiya boy" etc etc .... probelm was that one of the guys was Black/African american (etc) and took offence.
He got hauled up in front of HR not having a clue what he had done wrong. He got off in the end naturally but did his best to control use of the word "boy" ... or "biy" as he would obviously pronounce it.

Stupid Cork bollix

Zangetsu · 24-09-2008 11:34am

@Dinter: Even if it is meant as one... Is someone calls you casper in an angry tone or white ghost or even cracker ( :eek: my feelings day iz soo hurted ) would you be offended? Nah... Not in the least... Its a load of sillyness really.

WindSock · 24-09-2008 11:35am

Gyalist wrote: »

Which sports are these that you can attribute success/failure to physical differences?

Sprinting good. Swimming, not so good. I read it was down to things like muscle mass, bone density chest cavity size and even nostril size. Great for when you need to inhale and expel air doing activities like running fast, but not for swimming.

People from parts of Asia are generally small in stature, so they have a lower centre of gravity for things like gymnastics, there are however not very many asian boxers.

White people can't sit in the sun too long or else they get sunburnt easily and are more prone to getting skin cancer.

These are some of the physical differences that give us advantages and disadvantages over other races, imo.

If I were to pick a person for swimming, boxing or gymnastics, would I automatically go for a person because of their race? No, I would pick out the one who is the best athlete.

I would have a black bassist in my band though :pac:

WindSock · 24-09-2008 11:38am

Monty - the one and only wrote: »

.. not allowed to ask for black or white coffee...

Do you ask for an African American coffee then?

Also, whats a flip board?

Varkov · 24-09-2008 11:44am

The Kenyans and Etheopians are great athletes because alot of these countries are actually large elevated plateaux's (spelling?) So they're are used to training on very little air, and when they come down to compete their bloodstream is getting a lot more oxygen.

Turd Ferguson · 24-09-2008 11:44am

WindSock wrote: »

Do you ask for an African American coffee then?

Also, whats a flip board?

Its a board that flips...sheesh :rolleyes:

BobTheBeat · 24-09-2008 11:44am

Definitely not racist, but including someones race in a descripition seems to be unique to the current older generations.

For example, my cousin in London has two kids, one in primary and the other in secondary, and when they describe somebody or an event that took place with somebody else, they never include the fact that that person is of a different race than them. Its always secondary to the initial details.
This is more than likely as a result of them attending school with all races since they were kids. It just becomes part of your environment and you dont question it or find it out of the ordinary.

racist or no?

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