It is true that he could have eased into it more and the subsequent responses have been less than subtle in the supposed defense of his initial position, but on the whole it was sufficiently attention-grasping to incite over three dozen responses in the span of a morning, so it isn’t as if it can be reduced to patent trolling. I suspect the o.p. believes he is being far more clever than people really think he is, but I’ve seen much worse.
To carry on the thread, though, I have noticed something that is genuinely awkward about “white people”; their proclivity to adopt the mannerisms and modes of converse of other ethnic groups with genuine enthusiasm but such poor fidelity that it becomes insincere or painfully stilted in imitation (cue Miley Cyrus, suburban wiggers, et al). Even worse is when it is done as part of an exchange as if adopting the mannerisms of their “non-white” compatriots is being done to create a more comfortable environment for conversation but instead just results in more awkwardness. It is as if these people are just uncomfortable in being who they are and feel the need to adopt a different personality, kind of like a Southerner who continually protests that “slavery was in the past” as an implicit argument for his lack of bigotry instead of, say, just treating everyone else as people and trust that his lack of derogatory or prejudicial behavior will speak for itself.
White people are weird. Also, they like Quentin Tarantino movies, which are largely about white people acting weird (Jackie Brown excepted) made by an obligate white guy who appears to believe that he is the reincarnation of Richard Roundtree (despite the fact that Roundtree is still alive and could take on Tarantino six ways from Sunday without musing his mustache).
I had a point when I began all this but it has since abandoned me like consciousness after a roundhouse kick to the head by a bad mother watch yo’ mouth.
Hmm? Let’s see here. I am Latina - Peruvian to be exact. I have lived in North America since 1976. We moved to Toronto when I was 12 years old. I learned English, adjusted (quite well) to a different culture and way of life. It’s easier to do so when you’ve been exposed to and lived in various countries. Since that move – I’ve had friends, teachers, coworkers and relationships with people of many ethnicities but not once have I felt as you do about white people.
As a matter of fact my SO is white, and yes he happens to be very intelligent. It doesn’t make me feel inadequate or “stupid.” We each have had different life experiences. We learn from each other all the time.
I am having an increasing difficulty dealing with, or even thinking about white people. To the point that I have given up on crackers.
I used to love those Ritz crackers! Buttery, salty, slightly sweet, golden goodness. Like licking the breast of a blonde white girl on the beach on a perfect summer day.
But my guilt has overcome my desire. I still use them, but I put them in a plastic bag and hit them with a hammer until all the social privilege has been beaten out of them. And then I use them to fry my fish, because white people do not fry fish.
I still do refuse to participate in the enrichment of companies that sell Saltines. So this mitigates my guilt a little.
