# In BBQ, why mod a hint at a racist joke but not an actual racial slur? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 26, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970 "2021-05-26T17:49:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [May 26, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/1 "2021-05-26T17:49:55Z")
@Miller. And @What_Exit , since they responded to my initial report. I’ve let this go while waiting for a reply for a while now, but crickets so far, so I’m opening this thread. Why does [dancing around a racist joke](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disingenuous-racist-bigoted-posters-damuriajashi-demontree/928300/227) get the rare BBQ modnote (which I’m not arguing against), but [an actual racial slur](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disingenuous-racist-bigoted-posters-damuriajashi-demontree/928300/266) is not modded _at all_? And in before the contrarians - yes, cracker _is_ a racial slur, other usages notwithstanding, and no, it’s actually _worse_ that he put it in the mouths of his made-up racist Blacks. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/2 "2021-05-26T18:35:13Z")
One of the main criteria for if a word is offensive is if the targeted group finds it offensive, right? Well, there _may_ be a few white people genuinely offended by _cracker_, but they probably are few and far beween. As an extremely white person, I can’t think of (or almost conceive of) _any_ anti-white term that doesn’t bounce right off without notice. If an insult falls in a sentence and nobody notices does it make a slur? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/3 "2021-05-26T18:36:10Z")
I don’t moderate the BBQ Pit. Sorry. If I touched your flag it was by accident thinking it was in one of my forums. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2021, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/4 "2021-05-26T18:52:05Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Well, there _may_ be a few white people genuinely offended by _cracker_ , but they probably are few and far beween Maybe not as [few](https://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/01/us/zimmerman-trial-cracker/) as all that ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/5 "2021-05-26T19:11:56Z")
First of, my apologies for your reports not getting responses. I didn’t actually see either until just now - it looks like What Exit accidentally cleared the first one, which dropped it out of my review queue, and the second one got hit by a technical issue we’ve been having with the board software, where some reports aren’t showing up in our queues like they’re supposed to. As to the actual issue, I’m more or less with Darren\_Garrison. “Cracker,” “Honkey,” “Wypipo.” “Ofey” if you want to get classical. None of these phrases mean anything to me. I mean, I know their definitions, obviously, and I can recognize in context when they’re meant to be an insult, but there’s absolutely no teeth to it. It’s like being called a can of soup. If I’m moderating something as “offensive to white people,” but I’m not offended by it, and virtually no white people anywhere are really offended by it… I’d feel like kind of an asshole, to be honest. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2021, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/6 "2021-05-26T19:22:54Z")
It’s not that White people have to be offended by it, it’s that the Asian gets a pass at flinging around what _he_ clearly intends to be a racial insult,and that he gets away with putting it in the mouths of Black people. I don’t see what “teeth” has to do with it - if someone clearly _intends_ to use a racial slur, mod them on that. And _wypipo_ is nothing like those other slurs, which if he’d used them, I would have reported too. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2021, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/7 "2021-05-26T19:30:27Z")
Basically, either you want to run a board where racial slurs are not OK, or you don’t. Cherry-picking them because they don’t mean anything to you isn’t the right metric, IMO. If we had a Black mod who wasn’t personally offended at the word nigger, or a Jewish mod who laughed off kike, that wouldn’t make a lick of difference. The word is a racial slur nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/8 "2021-05-26T19:36:21Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > If we had a Black mod who wasn’t personally offended at the word nigger, or a Jewish mod who laughed off kike, that wouldn’t make a lick of difference. The word is a racial slur nonetheless. Honestly, I think that is fair. I’m not particularly offended by cracker either, but I don’t think I would go with that as the neutral standard. A simple “we don’t allow racial slurs of any sort on this board, even mild ones. Please don’t do this again” would suffice IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/9 "2021-05-26T19:45:30Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > And _wypipo_ is nothing like those other slurs, which if he’d used them, I would have reported too. Is it? The only white people I ever see complaining about “cracker” are the same ones complaining about “wypipo,” and in both cases, those people tend to have questionable motives for making the complaint. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/10 "2021-05-26T19:49:20Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Is it? No, it’s not. Not yet, anyway. It doesn’t have the history of the others, nor does it have the same animus. > [@Miller](#): > > The only white people I ever see complaining about “cracker” are the same ones complaining about “wypipo,” and in both cases, those people tend to have questionable motives for making the complaint. What about when a _non_-White person complains about _cracker_? Are their motives suspect as well? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/11 "2021-05-26T20:22:41Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > No, it’s not. Not yet, anyway. It doesn’t have the history of the others, nor does it have the same animus. Well, you say “history and animus,” I say “teeth,” and I think we mean more or less the same thing. And I don’t think any of those phrases have much of it. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2021, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/12 "2021-05-26T20:25:09Z")
So if I’m hearing you correctly, it’s officially OK to use racial insults in BBQ as long as they’re ones without teeth, with cracker, ofay and honkey being officially sanctioned. And if anyone reports them to you, you will respond by saying they don’t bother you, so there’s nothing to worry about? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/13 "2021-05-26T20:28:32Z")
I’m going to jump back in as you called me here and remind you of a really strong point. **NO BRIGHT LINES!** So I’m sure some moron can find a way to use honkey to cross the line. So while **Miller** still has to weigh in here, the answer to your last post is no. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/14 "2021-05-26T20:29:50Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > So I’m sure some moron can find a way to use honkey to cross the line. How can they, when it has no teeth? Unless the degree of offensiveness to the intended slur-ee group isn’t the _only_ measure of offensiveness, and the intended offense level by the slur-er plays a part. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/15 "2021-05-26T20:30:57Z")
Look, please stop rules lawyering already. It is a jerkish habit. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2021, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/16 "2021-05-26T20:32:25Z")
I’m not “rules lawyering”, I’m trying to make the mods see the ridiculousness of their stance on this point by Socratic dialogue. I have no intention of suddenly honkeying and ofaying it up in BBQ. I’m not trying to find a way around rules, I’m asking that they be applied consistently. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/17 "2021-05-26T20:39:40Z")
It looks like a false equivalency to me. I don’t see where honkey comes close to the level of many other racial epithets and what you’ve been doing quacks like a duck as far as rule lawyering goes. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2021, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/18 "2021-05-26T20:42:09Z")
Doesn’t have to be full-on n-word to still be a clear race-based insult. If you’re going to mod race-based insults at all, it’s a piss-poor look to not mod the White ones. And that’s _me_ saying it, I’m _hardly_ Mr Redneck Pride. But dear departed **Liberal** shamed me once - even hillbilly is a slur, so I don’t use it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/19 "2021-05-26T21:16:36Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > If you’re going to mod race-based insults at all, it’s a piss-poor look to not mod the White ones. I’ll agree with @MrDibble here. While some whites, like me, would laugh off being called honkey or ofay, some white people don’t like it and feel it is an insult. If you are going to mod race based insults, and you should, you should mod them all equally, not according to your feelings on degree of offensiveness. Really, this is one rule that could have a bright line, without any loss of quality in a discussion. What’s the possible benefit of allowing cracker when it adds nothing to the conversation? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2021, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970/20 "2021-05-26T21:25:53Z")
We’re only talking in the Pit and not sure how cracker is vaguely as offensive as a lot of the crap (like dog f#ck#r) that does show up in the Pit. Use cracker in GD and a very good chance it is a warning and not just a modnote. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-bbq-why-mod-a-hint-at-a-racist-joke-but-not-an-actual-racial-slur/942970.md?page=2)