The expression, “That’s awfully white of you” is never inoffensive. It always relies, for its meaning and its humor, on the idea that a person can “act one’s color.” Whether you’re trying to say the person is doing a good job at that, or using it sarcastically to indicate that he is not doing a good job at it, you are still using the underlying idea. It does not matter what part of the country you come from. It does not matter if you don’t mean any harm by it. It is understandable that you might not have known that it was offensive, but once you’re made aware of that fact, you need to stop using it or else admit that you are a racial essentialist.
I have no interest participating in anyone’s vendetta, or in beating on any one individual. I just want to communicate that the expression is offensive and should not be used, unless you’re intent is to offend people.
I’ve only ever heard it used sarcastically, to mock people who hold some degree of racial prejudice. Do you find it offensive in that context, as well?
At least it’s better then the horribly self-hating, “Act your age, not your color.” Now, everyone who has never heard that before, pretend that you still haven’t. I’m embarrased that it’s ever been uttered by anyone in earnest.
:eek: Jesus. That is a fucked-up thing to say. It makes me sad to think that anyone has actually said that and meant it.
As for the OP, I’ve only ever heard the expression “well, that’s mighty white of you” used in a sarcastic, mocking context. When delivered as such, it’s pretty hard to take away a racist interpretation. It doesn’t really work in a text-only medium, though – you really need the tone of voice to properly convey it. I can see how it could be interpreted offensively, but I don’t think it’s intended that way.
If it’s mocking someone for being a racial supremacist, then sure, it’s not problematic. But if it’s being used to mock someone for anything else, it needlessly interjects a racist phrase into the conversation, distracts from the speaker’s main point, and just strikes me as a bad idea.
Back in small town Texas, in the 1940s and 1950s, I heard the expression “That’s mighty white of you” many times, always as an alternate form of “thank you” for a favor or a helping hand. It was used so commonly that I never took it as any kind of racist expression; it was just something that people said. In my view, to consider that statement as being racist, one must be excessively PC.
I never thought of it as having any ethnic connotation, but just one of traditional color symbolism, like the white hat versus the black hat in an old Western movie. But I can see how some people might be offended, so I don’t use the expression.
I would say it still is in that context, because it still uses the same underlying logic. Even if what the person is doing is not very “white,” despite the fact that he’s a racist.
But you’re not black either. You’re not the person being being compared by implication in the expression.
From my experience, Ponder Stibbons’s use is correct. I’ve never heard it used to suggest, “you did a good job,” and I have never heard it used sarcastically to suggest “you didn’t do a good job.” I have heard it used to suggest that you’re modest act of greatenss is perhaps a lot less than you make of it – replace it with, “how gracious of you,” said sarcastically.
That’s how I’ve heard it used, as well. That’s what bothers me. The thing about sarcasm is, you can’t make something mean the opposite of what its supposed to mean until you agree on what it’s supposed to mean.
You were alive in the 40’s and you still knee-jerk balk when someone questions behavior or ideas that you once thought of as normal and acceptable? It doesn’t matter if it was common - it’s still blatantly, obviously racist phrase, if used genuinely- and pointing out that it was used in a small town in Texas back in the 50’s doesn’t help your case at all.
Well, I shouldn’t say “blatantly” and “obviously” since I’m not sure if the “white” in the phrase ever referred to the race (the optimist in me doubts it). But if it did, then yes, obviously.
I see your point. I guess I have always heard it said with a degree of irony as well (i.e. not only am I not really giving you a compliment, but I doing it with what, if it were sincere, would be a compliment of dubious origin). Like any other phrase, it depends on context and audience. I just cannot sign on to the declarationthat it is per se off limits. If a stranger said this to me, even jokingly, I would think him a clod. Would I say it to a buddy (black or white)? Eh, can’t see the harm.
As I said, using it ironically is also using it as a compliment, just with sarcasm to indicate the opposite of the definition is what you meant. You’re still using the same definition, though.