“Makes sense” should read “makes no sense.”
Eh…it’s not that serious.
What are ya back-peddling?
Go to Africa. Meet the bushmen. Their skin is very dark, like charcoal, it’s beautiful. It really does look black. Compared to them, there is hardly anyone in America who is black.
I know because I have patented a blackoscope, which scans a person’s skin, mannerisms, and speech, and then shows a number from 0 to 100 to represent his/her blackness. This number is then sent to the Department of Racial Regulations, and the person is automatically issued instructions on what they are allowed to say, do, and think. I am currently working on a Jewometer, a WASPometer, and an Italometer (blame The Sopranos for making this invention necessary).
I am taking advance orders for only $89.99 for each Race-o-meter: send your credit card number to FranticMad, c/o StraightDope.
Fodder for the conspiracy nuts? Powell’s an ALIEN! He’s one of the GRAYS!
Man, next thing you’ll try to tell me is that Eminem isn’t black.
He raps doesn’t he?
Blackoscope, schmackoscope. What we need is a really good Gaydar.
I’m not sure if un-censoring anime would really be a great leap forward, since the GLBT characters in anime don’t seem to have done much to advance acceptance of GLBT people in Japan. And from what I can gather from my Japanese friends, some characters seen as GLBT by Westerners are not seen as such by the Japanese anyway. But the fact that GLBT characters are virtually non-existant in the popular media (and the few that are present are usually broad stereotypes) does mean that GLBT youths who aren’t lucky enough to know adults who are out don’t have anyone to identify themselves with.
In college I’ve often heard young lesbian and bisexual women (it’s a women’s college) say things like, “I couldn’t come out until college, not even to myself, because until I came here I didn’t know or even know of any lesbian/bisexual women…or if I did they were freaks, like that ugly gym teacher everyone made fun of. I didn’t want to be like that, but I never saw any lesbian/bisexual women who looked and acted like normal people and had regular jobs and things.”
I’m sure it would be a big help to GLBT youth if they had more images of GLBT adults as just regular adults who happen to have a different sexual orientation or gender identity than the majority of adults. It won’t be easy to change the media, but just being an out adult yourself or mentioning GLBT friends casually in a natural way (“Yesterday I saw Fred and his boyfriend at the store…”) instead of dancing around it (“Yesterday I saw Fred and his…roommate…yes, his good friend…at the store”) are little things that may help a lot.
Oops, posted that in the completely wrong thread. I’m so embarassed.
What the heck are you babbling about? Yes, you are an “Irish-American.”
Uh no. I am an American. Period. When I travel across the pond I call myself an American. None of this hyphenated garbage. My point was that hyphenated nationality should be done away with.
In the northeast, because everyone was calling themselves Italian-American, Irish-American, Polish-American, etc.
And as far as what Yankees call themselves who cares? That’s why we call them “Damn” Yankees.
Wait, now Colin Powell is a GLBT Anime non-black Jamaican white guy covered in mayonaise? I’m so confused.
And he’s a vegan, but wears fur.
What is that, the hyper-thyroid smiley?
Last time I checked, we accepted peoples’ self-identifications.
Colin says he’s black.
Good enough for me.
(And I’m a sistah. And I eat mayonnaise. So there.)
Shodan, that was truly brilliant. Kudos.
Damn. That looks just like Susan Sarandon!
Where’s the OP?
Oooh post-n-hide huh?
eh,newbie’s…
Heh–I love this place. We start with a moronic OP and get hilarity, funky emoticons, and the beginnings of a Great Debate! I’m so proud of y’all <weeps>.