# I pit DrDeth **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 28, 2021, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971 "2021-02-28T19:52:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 71
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1405 "2023-08-15T00:31:59Z")
I’ll just take this opportunity to again wish that he would refrain from posting about anything related to the military, history, or military history. Absolutely no one else that I can think of in the history of this board has been so continuously and aggressively factually wrong about nearly everything he says on these topics. And that’s not even touching how much of an ass he is in his posts, his endless straw manning, deliberate misrepresentation and misquoting and general childish behavior. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1406 "2023-08-15T00:37:04Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > DrDeth can bring out the worst in people… I guess that really is the ultimate threshold for ignoring people. FWIW, **DrDeth** isn’t the sort that I am worried about “bring[ing] out the worst” in me, so he is perhaps surprisingly not (in light of how extensive it is) on my ignore list. But **Whack-a-Mole** very much is on my ignore list for precisely that reason. Not, like so many others, for being racist/transphobic/fascist (at least so far as I can tell), but purely for bringing out the worst in me. Heck, I even put an innocent poster on ignore for a time before coming to my senses and realizing it wasn’t _that_ poster who’d really set me off, but rather it was **Whack-a-Mole** who’d set us _both_ off. I suppose, in a sense, you could argue that how extensive my ignore list is says as much or more about me as it does the posters on it (there must be an uncommonly wide range of attitudes and behaviors t capable of bringing out the worst in me). But then, if you did try to make that argument, I’d probably put you on ignore. 😉 FWIW, I don’t claim to be a nice person. Civility is overrated. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1407 "2023-08-15T05:01:33Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > DrDeth can bring out the worst in people, Calling someone ‘Captain Obvious’ is nothing like my worst. I didn’t even think it merited being called a personal insult, it was just minor passing sarcasm, but someone clearly has thin skin so I’m just moving on. The Karen thread, on the other hand, is him back to his old bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1408 "2023-08-15T11:45:24Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Calling someone ‘Captain Obvious’ is nothing like my worst Too bad you didn’t use the term _ **Full Captain Obvious** _. His use of “Full Captain” for a Navy rank and, to describe a rank in the US Army during World War Two, “Brevet E-8” were gold, friend, comedy gold. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1409 "2023-09-01T10:44:59Z")
Bumping this for an apology. In the Peter Dinklage/Snow White thread (I won’t link because of back-links), I accidentally started a major hijack about tobacco. @DrDeth claimed that over 400,000 people died every year from tobacco, and I snarked that this was three times higher than the actual number. But then I looked further, and realized I was wrong: I’d been looking only at lung cancer deaths, a fraction of all tobacco-related deaths. By the time I got back to the thread to correct myself, the hijack had been shut down. Anyway, I’m sorry for incorrectly saying you were wrong on this stat. I was the wrong one. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2023, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1410 "2023-09-25T20:41:24Z")
Doc is still having difficulty comprehending racism (“hidden meaning” thread in IMHO). ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2023, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1411 "2023-09-25T21:05:42Z")
Also this one in GD > [@What to do about species with offensive names?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-about-species-with-offensive-names/990650): > > So TIL about this absolute shit show: It turns out that: A: In the 1930s an Austrian entomologist named a beetle after Adolf Hitler B: Said beetle is being hunted to extinction by Neo-nazis because of its name. So ignoring the absolute WTAF that there are enough neo-nazis around who are stupid enough to hunt an arbitrary beetle because its named for hitler (I mean its not actually a nazi beetle dumb-asses, just some dumb nazi in the 1930s decided to call it that), for it to be threat to the… ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2023, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1412 "2023-09-25T21:20:39Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Doc is still having difficulty comprehending racism (“hidden meaning” thread in IMHO). He throws out so many things in quick succession, none of which he has thought through… you’d think _something_ he said would make sense, just by chance. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1413 "2023-09-25T21:44:16Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Doc is still having difficulty comprehending Really, you could just end the sentence here and it works just as well. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1414 "2023-09-25T21:50:29Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Also this one in GD His responses to me were basically “meh, we can’t really do anything about those racists names so why bother trying”. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1415 "2023-09-26T02:08:33Z")
The most generous interpretation I have is that’s he’s tolerant of racism. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1416 "2023-09-26T03:38:12Z")
Nah, it’s a perfect example of the White Privilege mindset. When the Doc sees a guy in a Hawaiian shirt, covered with ‘Nordic’ tattoos, open carrying a AR, and flashing _OK_ signs to his friends it doesn’t even occur to him to worry that he might be moments away from seeing the RaHoWa start because the Doc ain’t the preferred victim of the boogaloo. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1417 "2023-09-26T20:26:51Z")
Damn. That was some very strenuous trying-not-to-understand. Painful. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1418 "2023-09-26T20:31:51Z")
Offered without comment being even vaguely necessary, > [@Does the display of American flags have some "hidden meaning" these days?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-display-of-american-flags-have-some-hidden-meaning-these-days/990270/233): > > I do not think so. For example- the Nword- pretty damn offensive in many contexts. But not racist in Huckleberry Finn or hell even Blazing Saddles. Context is all. Yes, tell us more about how racial slurs like “the Nword” are not by definition offensive and racist! ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1419 "2023-09-26T20:42:23Z")
> [@Resolved, that using "karen" as a pejorative is off limits](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-that-using-karen-as-a-pejorative-is-off-limits/987430/127): > > I even had a friend once, not really racist, except that he used the N-word- BUT he said he only used it to refer to gangbangers, criminals etc. He insisted it was the best useful descriptive word. Hmmmmm ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1420 "2023-09-26T20:46:16Z")
The Nword? Not really all that racist. Karen, as a pejorative? OFF LIMITS!!! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1421 "2023-09-26T20:51:00Z")
If anyone thinks that’s not racist then I’d say the odds are high that they themselves are a racist (though they are probably pretty confident they aren’t). If you only use an extremely charged, dehumanizing and thoroughly hate-filled racist term only for “the bad ones”, or think it’s acceptable for someone else to do it, then you need a reality check. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1422 "2023-09-26T21:36:36Z")
> [@Does the display of American flags have some "hidden meaning" these days?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-display-of-american-flags-have-some-hidden-meaning-these-days/990270/233): > > For example- the Nword- pretty damn offensive in many contexts. But not racist in Huckleberry Finn or hell even Blazing Saddles. There is a lot of nuance to this, but I suspect I know where DrDeth is coming from here. Maybe I am far too generous but here is what I think… With Huckleberry Finn, the term is being used in a racist way. But not in a _hateful_ way. Finn is good friends with Jim and I never got the feeling that there was any ill-intent behind it. But the term itself is absolutely, completely racist. It’s boiling down his entire identity by race by making it part of his name. As for the second one, if he’s saying that Blazing Saddles as a film was not trying to be racist and hateful, and instead was trying to shine a spotlight on racism to mock it and subvert it, I agree. But the term was absolutely used in a racist way in the film. Racism was a huge part of that film; the core theme in fact, as Bart struggled to get the town’s residents to accept the authority of a Black person enforcing the law. Some period-appropriate language was used to express that racism, so I don’t feel its usage in the film was racist, but clearly the language itself was racist. It was supposed to be, that’s the point. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1423 "2023-09-26T21:40:27Z")
I think it is worth noting that in “Blazing Saddles” the racists using racist language were the idiots (portrayed as such). Bart, the black sheriff, was far and away the smart one (along with Jim who was also not racist). Clearly, the movie was making fun of racists. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971/1424 "2023-09-26T21:47:49Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Bart, the black sheriff, was far and away the smart one (along with Jim who was also not racist). Clearly, the movie was making fun of racists. Exactly. One of the ways I try to gauge if something is being racist, is whether or not I’d think a racist watching it would feel more secure in their racism, or uncomfortable with it afterward. I’d think in a film like Blazing Saddles, if a person watching it acts more like the racist idiots than the protagonists, they’d feel a bit foolish. (Or to be more realistic, get pissed off a the people who made the film.) All that being said, the _language_ is still racist. Just used with non-racist intent by the filmmakers in this context. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971.md?page=70) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-drdeth/933971.md?page=72)