Sure you can. Menocchio explained how you can. It’s not our fault that you’re stupid.
Do you know-I can read. I have read and reread that–reposting it doesn’t change my stance or my opinion.
I am sorry that you cannot seem to see the positive use this phrase has. And just what the hell is “Racial essentialism”? That sound like pure BS to me.
Completely anecdotal support: just asked my friend Stephanie (who is black! :eek: her son and my son are friends! :eek: ) if she has ever heard the phrase used as a racial epithet. She says no-she has heard it used as a snide way of belittling someone. Yep, anecdotes don’t mean shit here, but I just thought I’d add that in. Her parents use the phrase as a damning, blighting remark–just like me. Food for thought, indeed.
Bottom line: I do not agree with your interpretation. If a mod calls for the banning of the phrase–I will stop using it here.
I do have a rather subversive, devious idea, though. How’s about I just say it’s fuschia of you, darling and let it be.
Blatantly prejudicial toward the hymenally challenged!
Except that it’s been well established upthread that this is precisely what the expression, used without irony, means. Using it with irony indicates the person is the opposite. As I said before, within the narrow confines of a direct response to a racist comment, I can see how it functions the way you say it does. Otherwise, I don’t.
“Racial essentialism” is the belief that some personality characteristics can be ascribed to certain races. That is, that they are innate to one race or another. It could be laziness, or uptightness, or anything else you might ascribe to a specific race.
Not now to you. To you. Not to me. And I’m one of the most over-sensitive, hyper-empathetic, politically-correct white guys that you’ll ever hope to meet. Of course, I try to maintain a solid head on my shoulders as well.
But that is indeed what we are doing–how dare you tell me how I am using a phrase? This is all YOUR misintrpretation–not a malign motivation on my part.
“That’s mighty white of you” is a conceit to the point of absurdity. AKA mockery.
Oy veh (or can’t I use that phrase, either–seeing as how I’m not Jewish?)
I never called for the banning of the phrase. I think you should understand that the expression is offensive, and not because people are overly sensitive. The history of the expression is racist. Use it or don’t, but understand what you’re doing.
That’s the only point I’m arguing. You said earlier that it was still offensive even when used ironically. Are you retreating from that position?
Oy veh is an expression that Jewish people actually use. There is no implication in it that there is any characteristic essential to Jewish people.
If on the other hand, you were to say “i just got jewed out of $20,” that would be offensive. Can you see the difference?
Not retreating, retreated. I think it’s on page two. I gave up that redoubt many posts ago.
And since that’s really the only way people have used the phrase here, don’t you think your continuing to argue about it is pointless?
Well, I can’t really change whether it’s offensive to you. I can explain why I think it’s offensive.
Well, I think that saoirse and I have a legitimate dispute about whether it can be used non-ironically in a non-racist context. Or, at least, ironically not because the original phrase is racist, but because it’s dated and conjures up images of John Wayne calling people “pilgrim.”
You are pure evil*. Beware: yYou won’t be the white-haired boy around here, if you keep this up!
*I like that in a man. 
saoirse you are not going to shame me out my use of that phrase. You are not going to change my mind. Call it day,already. And lighten up, Francis. 
Saying you think it’s offensive is one thing. Saying it is offensive is another. My impression is that you’ve been arguing the second proposition. Apologies if that isn’t true.
No, it’s not. Look at posts cited by Maureen and Left Hand of Dorkness.
What I said was:
I haven’t seen it used that way on this board.
You can cut the patronizing condescension, pal. If you can’t see the difference pointed out to you by many Dopers re white of you–you’re hardly in a position to lecture me on shades of meaning of anything.
Well, I can only say what I think. I also think you should think that too, or I wouldn’t bother arguing with you. However, when you get to the point where you simply say that you don’t find it offensive, I don’t have anything I can say to that. You believe that “white” in that expression does not refer to race. I believe it does.
Huh? I believe the phrase was used originally, by eleanor to insult a poster and imply he was a bigot. Whether would be a racial bigot, a homophobe, whatever, it still doesn’t make the phrase offensive. No matter how much you want it to be.
Then why did you use “Oy veh” as an example? How did you think that was analogous?