# Gold Man Sacks is an ethnic slur? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 31, 2016, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376 "2016-07-31T13:50:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/1 "2016-07-31T13:50:18Z")
That seems a bit of a leap. We are talking about a banking institution after all. I found it’s use a little annoying but no less so than “Drumpf” which can quite easily be seen as mocking Trump’s German heritage. Moderation of the phrase: [tomndebb](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19480134&highlight=gold+sacks#post19480134) [Jonathon Chance](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19500086&highlight=gold+sacks#post19500086) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/2 "2016-07-31T14:00:04Z")
It was specifically directed towards a Jewish man. And from the mods’ posts, **Pearl Clutching Provocateur** had already been told in previous days to knock it off. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/3 "2016-07-31T14:17:27Z")
It plays on the stereotype of the money grubbing Jew who pulls the financial markets strings. Goldman is a characteristically Jewish name so mocking it by splitting it into Gold Man references that stereotype. It’s kind of like when Ellen Degenerse came out as gay on her TV show and people mocked her name by calling her Ellen Degenerate to reference the stereotype that gays were morally corrupt. That one was more obvious but it’s in the same vein. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/4 "2016-07-31T14:21:42Z")
Specifically directed towards a jewish man? PCP has been using that phrase all over the place and once a Jewish doper pops in to the conversation we call it an ethnic slur? Kinda lame. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/5 "2016-07-31T14:23:39Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > It plays on the stereotype of the money grubbing Jew who pulls the financial markets strings. Goldman is a characteristically Jewish name so mocking it by splitting it into Gold Man references that stereotype. And the fact that it is referring to bona fide well established money grubbers does not affect your view? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/6 "2016-07-31T14:26:10Z")
> [@Who will be Clinton's running mate?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-clintons-running-mate/753750/522): > > Kaine Pick Won’t Help Clinton Win Over Anti-Wall Street Critics > > [Bloomberg - Are you a robot?](http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-07-23/kaine-pick-won-t-help-clinton-win-over-anti-wall-street-critics) > > Again Clinton shows her allegiance to Wall Street. Many people dismiss my observation that her son-in-law owns a hedge fund with Gold Man Sacks CEO Lloyd Blankfein and tried to insider information over Greek Bonds from Clinton, but this shows Democrats are the party of the one percent. > [@CarnalK](#): > > Specifically directed towards a jewish man? PCP has been using that phrase all over the place and once a Jewish doper pops in to the conversation we call it an ethnic slur? Kinda lame. [Lloyd Blankfien is Jewish.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Blankfein) > [@](#): > > Lloyd Blankfein was born in the Bronx borough of New York City, to a Jewish family, ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/7 "2016-07-31T14:26:33Z")
No, it doesn’t change my opinion [replying to CarnalK], because he’s playing up the Jewish stereotype. Criticize the actions of that organization/person specifically without alluding to an offensive and well worn stereotype. FWIW, the warning was for ignoring mod instructions. He was told to knock it off initially in a mod note. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/8 "2016-07-31T14:33:57Z")
I thought the phrase was referring to the story of the [gangbanger that gold-plated his balls.](http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/l-a-gang-member-gold-plates-own-genitals-to-death/) It’s a bogus story, but an amusing read. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/9 "2016-07-31T14:51:09Z")
It’s Goldman Sacks; no space between “Gold” and “Man”. You honestly don’t see a difference between “Goldman” a fairly common, Jewish last name and “Gold Man”, which is a purposely mangled version of “Goldman” to emphasize “money”? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/10 "2016-07-31T14:57:02Z")
Actually, it’s Goldman _Sachs_ and of course I see the difference. But he is mocking a bank not it’s founder. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/11 "2016-07-31T15:05:36Z")
The “ignoring mod instructions” is clear, but the basis for the note— that it’s an ethnic slur— seems shaky, unless PCP has a history (in his long tenure here since January) of making anti-Semitic comments that I’m not aware of. To me it’s a testicle joke, not a greedy Jew joke. ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/12 "2016-07-31T15:10:10Z")
A mod told him to “knock it off”. Right or wrong, irrelevant. This is a private website. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/13 "2016-07-31T15:12:39Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Actually, it’s Goldman _Sachs_ and of course I see the difference. But he is mocking a bank not it’s founder. He’s mocking it by playing into the Jewish stereotype. That’s the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/14 "2016-07-31T15:17:20Z")
Not only the current dude from GS but also a shot at Chelsea Clinton’s husband who is jewish. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/15 "2016-07-31T15:31:09Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Not only the current dude from GS but also a shot at Chelsea Clinton’s husband who is jewish. Has he made any disparaging nicknames for Blankfien or Chelsea’s husband or has he reserved it solely for a massive financial institution? Has he used “gold man” or “sacks” when referring to the descendants of the founders? ---
**Author:** ![srzss05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@srzss05](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srzss05)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/16 "2016-07-31T15:47:24Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Has he made any disparaging nicknames for Blankfien or Chelsea’s husband or has he reserved it solely for a massive financial institution? Has he used “gold man” or “sacks” when referring to the descendants of the founders? Carnal, I like you. But both of us know this is a windlmill. Why are you tilting at it? Tweak their nose, move on. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/17 "2016-07-31T16:09:17Z")
Well, it’s not a hill I am going to die on. Just felt like commenting. It’s weird seeing a bank being protected from disparaging nickname. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/18 "2016-07-31T16:15:33Z")
If that’s your conclusion, despite the fact that it’s been explained why it’s not a simple insult, I guess there’s nothing more to be explained. You may be fortunate enough to not see the subtext, but it doesn’t mean it’s not there. In other words, feel free to criticize the bank, but don’t devolve into ethnic stereotypes to do it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/19 "2016-07-31T16:16:08Z")
I don’t know that you can so cleanly separate the Bank’s name form the man it’s named after. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376/20 "2016-07-31T16:27:54Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > If that’s your conclusion, despite the fact that it’s been explained why it’s not a simple insult, I guess there’s nothing more to be explained. > > You may be fortunate enough to not see the subtext, but it doesn’t mean it’s not there. > > In other words, feel free to criticize the bank, but don’t devolve into ethnic stereotypes to do it. I am trying to explain to you that is an overly sensitive stance. It’s a banker stereotype that’s being played on while talking about a bank. Sometimes you don’t need to go dog whistle hunting. How does the “Sacks” part play into your explanation? Eta: It’s just that this strikes me as similar to criticizing Israeli policy=anti-semitism which I find annoying. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-man-sacks-is-an-ethnic-slur/761376.md?page=2)