True enough. I’d still say that the female character’s behavior was mildly racist, while the male character’s behavior was EXTREMELY racist.
All the woman in the video did was step away from the man and assume a defensive posture. She could have been blind for all we know. I’m not denying there are racists who behave this way, but as I mentioned before, women do this when I get on an elevator sometimes, even when there’s nothing to indicate perceived difference in ‘race’. It would be a different thing altogether if the guy explained why he perceived this as racist behavior with resorting to racism himself. I can perfectly understand why this annoys people who know they are being perceived as ‘one of them’, but this is a poor way to explain that.
Gee, she’s in an enclosed space with a strange man who’s standing unnecessarily close to her and she reacts with caution. Must be racist.
His reaction paints him in a very poor light. He doesn’t think that this woman might be wary of all strangers (a trait our society tends to emphasize) or that she might have past experience influencing her actions (for all he knows, she had her purse snatched the week before). Instead, he reacts to caution with hostility, in the process making her caution entirely justified.
Don’t even get me started on the “stupid white bitch” line.
And he stole that awesome name away from some future poster.
It was the expression on her face and general body language that made me think “fear of attack,” and the disparity in size between her and the (inarguably racist) black character that made me think “mildly racist.”
A newspaper columnist hereabouts – possibly Wendi Thomas – once wrote that the difference between white and black racism (at least in Memphis) is that the former tends to be born of fear, while the latter is born of anger.
Well I do understand what he’s getting at in the video, I just don’t think it’s helping. OTOH, I realized that women are a lot less fearful of me when I’m wearing a suit, and that guy was not really threatening in any rational way. I just think a reasoned explanation would have been more useful instead of calling her a ‘Stupid white bitch’.
He may not have been bigger than her or visually threatening, I would argue that his behavior was threatening. He comes into the elevator, stands unecessarilly close to her. She takes a little step further to the side (at about the 8 or 9 second mark) once it becomes clear he’s stopped in the very center of the elevator but he doesn’t take the hint and stays right where he is. At that point, it starts to look like he’s standing that close intentionally and red flags start going up. Add the fact that he’s standing in front of her so she would have to go past him to get to the elevator door (or the emergency button, if it came to it) and he has just put her in a very psychologically threatened position without being physically imposing at all.
We’re not really disagreeing, except that I’m more willing to say the female characters impetus was born of racism. The male character’s behavior is far, far worse. We get to hear his ugly thoughts, and his deliberate intimidation of her at the end not only does nothing to better the situation, it actually perpetuates the stereotype and possibly made her mild racism worse.
I’m a male, and I get a little uncomfortable with anybody within arm’s reach (a.k.a. personal space), regardless of race, gender, or age.
I am sure an astute enough observer may be able to see body language signals that indicate this discomfort, but seeing my discomfort does not explain why I am feeling this.
Assuming it’s racism is inaccurate in my case.
Do you actually ask these questions in all seriousness or are you just being a wise-ass and trying to get my goat?
My mother’s neighbor from 7B stands in the middle of the elevator unless physically pushed to the side; then again, he takes up most of the space even when pushed away. He also stinks to high heaven if he’s leaving the house, being one of those people who think cologne should be used to shower with.
And yet, I’m reasonably sure that trying to pass through a corner of the elevator while thinking “oh damn, the skunk!” does not mean I hate or fear overweight white guys in their 70s, it just means my nose works and that I’d like more personal space than that particular guy gives anybody.