I work with high school students every day-- if I heard one say “wigger,” “nigger,” or any variation there of-- there’d be a big, big problem. If a kid in my debate practice called another a nigger, the correct reaction would not be, “Awww, Johnny! You know that’s not a nice word, don’t do it again!” Since ‘wigger’ is effectively the same thing, the same rule applies- that kid would be chewed out mighty hard, then sent up to the admin to get chewed out again (and possibly suspended).
Sorry, I wasn’t singling you out, you’re not the only one. But we’re neither teachers, nor in a school setting. And yeah, telling someone or even chewing someone out for it has merit but imho, there’s no reason for snotty sarcasm (since we’re also not in the pit). I agree, DON’T do it, it’s an ugly racist word, but by the same token, have a LITTLE patience and allow someone to self-correct.
People aren’t robots (especially teenagers) so it’s not unusual that one that’s been using this his whole school career as an “in” saying isn’t going to shut it off like a faucet at the first hint of disagreement. Allow him those self adjustments is all I’m saying.
My original point was simply that I had some sympathy for the kid until I got to that part of his post. Just like if someone told me they were mugged and I felt for bad for them . . . until they described the robbers as “a bunch of niggers” (which has happened). In that case, all sympathy gone. Yeah, well, I suppose I will bow out of this thread then, since this ain’t the pit.
“Wigger” is not like “nigger.”
As I understand it, a wigger is a poseur who freely chose to assume the persona of someone of another race and background. It is eminently mockable.
We’ve had this discussion before so I don’t want to rehash it, but I will say this. It’s entirely too easy to look at a person and think that if they don’t speak in a certain way or dress a certain way, then they are “acting” rather than being themselves. Kinda like how a black person that speaks a certain way or dresses a certain way can be accused of being an oreo (i.e., trying to be “white”) rather than being the way they are naturally. “Oreo” is certainly offensive. Perhaps not as offensive as “nigger”, but still a pretty mean insult to lobby at someone.
Same with wigger. Believe it or not, there are white folks who speak in AAVE or with black “inflections” not because they’re “trying” to be black, but because that’s how they were raised. Growing up in southwest Atlanta, there weren’t a whole lot of white folks in my neighborhood, but the ones who did spoke and acted just like the black people around them. Just like a black kid raised in Greenwich, Connecticutt’s probably going to sound like the white people around him.
That’s why “wigger” is offensive and dumb to me. It’s a word that demands people to conform to one group of race-based stereotypes while insulting the stereotypes of another group.
And how is that other race/background denominated? Uh, well, y’see, it’s a nigger. You’re acting like a nigger. But it’s totally different, because you aren’t. So we’re cool.
I think you haven’t thought this through enough.
Now, when I was in high school, the term specifically applied to the guy from Greenwich, CT, who tried to act and dress like he came from Compton.
I think I’ll let Dexter paint the picture for you.
That guy.
Now, is it a polite term? Nope. But it’s not just about ‘acting black’. It’s about ‘acting urban and we all know you ain’t urban.’ In my day, we just said poseur. Course, I was more punk, back then.
It is, however, incredibly mockable.
When I was in High School lo these two decades ago, ‘wigger’ was someone who wigged out, ie, tripped on acid a lot. Wigging out was tripping, etc…
I understand that it now means this, but I have difficulty with anyone seeing it as truly derogatory, because to me it will always mean the other thing first…
The term is short for “white nigger”. How is that not offensive? :rolleyes: So if it’s saying you act “urban”, then why use a term that is means “white nigger?” :dubious:
Forever and a billion years ago where I grew up the term was used as a way of calling out whites who adopted all the stereotypical black attitudes and actions. Callling someone that was similar to calling them a racist, but there weren’t any actual people of any color other tha Vietnamese siblings in my class and one black boy in my entire high school.
I don’t know where you’re from Wist but I don’t suspect that’s the way you used it. At the risk of being played, you’re not fat. You’re a handsome young man. But fairly sure there is an angle here…
I never said it wasn’t offensive, Guin. I just was pointing out that a kid from the inner city wouldn’t be called it. Slightly different shade of meaning.
These are teenagers. You expect them not to be offensive to each other? I went to school with morons who drew swastikas on their arms as bad prison tats. Swastikas on top of that Sacred Heart thing that catholics have for Mary.
I call shenanigans. Eminem gets called a wigger all the time, even at the Rap Olympics, prior to fame. You don’t get more ghetto than growing up in the parts of Detroit he did. Yet. . . he still gets called a wigger. It’s pretty clear that the implication is WHITE GUY ACTING LIKE A GHETTO TRASH BLACK GUY!11
Eh, I’m not gonna defend the term, I’m just saying how it was used when I was running around in plaid pants and beating myself up with a skateboard.
That still doesn’t mean it’s not racist. Just like people who defend using the term “nigger” and say, “Well, I’m only talking about SOME black people! The ones who act like such and such stereotype!”
(You know, the whole, “there are black people and then there are n-words”)
Oh bullshit. he grew up in Warren, which is a suburb of Detroit. ghetto my ass. I regularly go to a hobby shop a couple blocks away from where he supposedly grew up; it’s not a fantastic part of Warren but it’s hardly a dump.
Oh, you young folks and your tom-foolery.
Regards,
Shodan
Never said it wasn’t racist, Guin. I used the term ‘poseur’ or ‘poser’. I went to school as the whole rap thing took off, and I saw the term more or less start up.
You’re definitely NOT fat, Wisthekiller. Looking at your pic I was surprised anyone would call you fat but then I realized that some people think you’re fat if you’re not skin-and-bones thin. Models look nice when they’re wearing all that makeup and expensive clothes but I once saw a model in bikini and I can see the outline of her ribs and that was NOT sexy.
I’m also surprised that some people tell you to get a haircut. 
Maybe it’s a generation thing I guess.