“White trash” is to whites as “ghetto” is to blacks. You can call non-blacks “ghetto” and the word will still connote the same images.
I think it’s rude to call someone “ghetto”, but sometimes it’s apt. Someone who shows up in a public place wearing house shoes and a hair rollers—ghetto. Someone who has gold teeth engraved with “fonts”–ghetto. Someone who drives a souped up Escalade but has two baby mommas on welfare–ghetto!
Ghetto is as ghetto does. It’s not a nice word, but it’s not racist.
Well, I don’t think I like “trailer trash” all that much either. My Aunt, who is in her late 70’s lives in a trailer. A small trailer, in a cheap trailer park. However, it is hard to make ends meet on Social Security Survivors benefits, and what little was left of my Uncles retirement after the fund was looted. (Not to mention the bag of groceries I bring over every couple of week- mainly cat food- she won’t take much for herself, but she appreciates help with her cats). My aunt is not “trailer trash” despite her living quarters or low income.
As to “white trash” not being “as bad as nigger”. Well- I can see a point here. Once we all agree that ALL offensive racial bigoted terms are not to be used in polite casual communication, then I suppose one can argue that “nigger” (given it’s history) is “MORE offensive” than “white trash”. I suppose so, but as long as we agree on the main point- don’t use offensive racial terms.
“Alan owes Bess” - I am sorry but Mark Twain’s account of life in the gold rush period disagrees with your article. And, it was written during that period, by a man who knew racism and hated it. The term was common enough so that he could make fun of it, and his audience understand his humour. And, you give selective quotes- the article says that the author found a dozen instances of “NINA” in want ads, and many instances of “Protestant only” ads. I don’t know if one can proof a lack of racism by want ads anyway, I don’t think that in the Pre-WWII South one could find a lot of ads that said “no negroes need apply” but few would argue that discrimination in hiring was rare.
DaisyCutter- yes, if you are very good freinds with a black person, and are clearly “smiling when you say it”, one can now get away with the term- maybe. Black dudes can also get away with it in certain context. Don’t try it otherwise.
Coldfire- Good point.
Well I see the party got started without me.
To clarify a few points, I specifically apologized in advance if I offended anyone in my OP
I also tried to smooth ruffled feathers in the thread
Second, I also stated, albeit later, why I had chosen to include white in my description
DrDeth came into the thread hostile and remained so, even though it was not (and still is not) a Pit thread. I asked him and several other people to please take their debate elsewhere if they wished to continue debating because I did not want my thread in the Pit.
I personally, have always seen the term white trash as referring to a life style, not an economic status. Several others have already posted good examples, so I won’t repeat them. I do not think white trash is nearly as offensive as the N word, and I think your equating these two is a stretch at best.
Upon further reflection, based on arguments made by Gobear and Lezler, I believe that I was mistaken in my interpretation of the article that I linked, and in my understanding of the term “white trash” in general. My apologies — especially to Aries28 whom I had slammed with a rhetorical brick.
Civil Defense and Cisco, you guys need to get a clue. Since when did y’all get to be arbiters of social debate. There are problems of varying degree in the world and one of them happens to be bigotry. Which I think many people would place rather high on the list.
You sound like the types who toss the term PC around.
If you don’t fit into a group that’s insulted, all is well.
So anyway. “White trash” is definitely a backhanded slur against non-whites.
As if non-white “trash” is the norm. Kinda like “white slavery”.
Black people using the “N” word is a way of disarming bigots.
You know Bubba is quite a bit pissed off that some of the edge has been taken off his obscene slur.
I think it says wonders about society in general when the posters in this thread devote so much energy into coming up with a replacement insult for white trash.
On a board devoted to stamping out ignorance, we seem to have quite a pathetic collection of people who are not content to stop using insults altogether, just coming up with a more user friendly insult to cover the same ground.
That, my friends, is ignorance. As long as you feel the need to use ANY insult to describe a fellow human being, then you are surely as much trash as any person you are so intent on insulting.
So you better start smellin’ what you shovelin’, try to stamp out insults instead of coming up with a “better insult”.
No apology needed but thanks for the sentiment anyway. 
Welcome to the boards Polyanna! Have you read the Pit? Ever? Every culture throughout every period of human history has had insults. Being rather more human than android we need ways to condemn undesirable behavior. Thus the insult.
You may disagree with the quality and advisability of this particular insult. But you will get me to stop insulting when you pry my tongue from my cold dead lips.
Are you really suggesting that no human being is ever worthy of an insult? No human being ever does something sufficiently base, evil, thoughtless or stupid to allow one to express disapproval in an insulting manner? Wow. You are certainly a tolerant person.
In my book, as long as the insult is assigned based on individual traits and characteristics, (rather than perceived group qualities) it’s fair game.
Yeah, that’s me…Polyanna :rolleyes:
I meant coming up with replacement insults for bigotry. You ding my car door, I’ll call you an idiot. That’s an insult based on an action you took. Spending hours coming up with a replacement insult for white trash is stupidity. Get it??
Then this:
Sure, plenty of people are worthy of insults. Is being poor/white/socio-economically challenged/mobile home occupying/ one of them?? Being black?? Not to me. Maybe it’s because I’m so tolerant.
Is being white trash base?? Evil?? Thoughtless?? Stupid??
Well, is a person is base, I might use the insult, “Why you base motherfucker!”
Evil? “You evil motherfucker!”
Stupid? “You stupid motherfucker!”
Sorta like that.
Is being black sufficient enough reason for me to say, "You black motherfucker?? No, there would have to be some other reason. If the black person was evil, what would be wrong with saying, “You evil motherfucker!” ?
See, I was able to insult him without regards to race. Met your litmus test of being insulting, yet didn’t allow myself to get dragged down to the lowest common denominator…like many here have.
I keep hearing about the white trash being slovenly. Call 'em slovenly motherfuckers (or whatever floats your boat). I bet there are some rich people who are slovenly as well. They hire maids. They are still slovenly motherfuckers.
You do realize that what you said in your first post is completely different from what you said in your second post? In the first you clearly and unequivocably said that all insults should be jettisoned in a civil society and anyone who uses them is trash.
In the second post you pretended that you just meant the specific term ‘white trash’ and other insults that make reference to race or class.
Big difference.
Forgive me, I am not normally a grammar Nazi, but you’ve hit a nerve. It’s “unequivocally”, as in without equivocation.
I am enlightened. I longer use the word nigger.
I prefer the term rudee.
Wow, Lib, wasn’t expecting that.
Thanks!
Duke,
Did you miss the part of the thread that stated the term “white trash” is used to describe a lifestyle and behavior of a group of people? It’s a descriptor.
That’s why the “substitute term” was being discussed. The white part makes it a racial thing, to some. We’re merely trying to come up with a term that is just as effective as a descriptor without the racial part of it.
Catch up.
Americans are nothing if not polite, so these days you usually can’t be sure if you are a victim of racial discrimination. However, there is a racial group that is explicitly, legally put at a disadvantage in many important circumstances, and I know you know who it is.
Also, don’t assume that because most people in positions of power are white, that white people are not discriminated against. I see, for example, minority stockbrokers on TV all the time, but I have never seen a white stockbroker with a redneck accent.
Hillbilly-bashing was practically a spectator sport in the industrial cities of the North in the middle of the last century when many Appalachians came north looking for work. Q: Why are there so many hillbillies in (Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago)? A: Because it’s one tank of gas away from Kentucky.
No, I don’t. Please do tell.
YOU BLONGSHOOBERGAHHOOIE!
Me either. Especially since you said “there is a racial group that is explicitly, legally put at a disadvantage in many important circumstances”. Which racial group is forced to deal with descrimination that is codified by law? ( Here in the U.S. )
Yes, in my first post I was preoccupied with insults based on bigotry. Hence the “ANY”. This was the gist of the OP if I’m not mistaken. I don’t think insulting someone due to bigotry is anything to be proud of. I posted while still preoccupied with the bigotry and totally overlooked all the other perfectly acceptable situations in which insults could be used :rolleyes:
In my second post, I wrote a clarification in my second sentence.
Maybe this makes me an idiot. Fine with me. That’s a descriptive insult I can live with.
I’m not a big fan of the whole PC movement, so it’s hard for me to understand why it’s OK to use insulting phrases in regards to one group, but not another. I’m beginning to get a clearer picture thanks to the enlightened posters of this board.
Another PC device I’m not to keen on is hate laws.
Ask yourselves this…
If I grabbed a guy coming out of Wal Mart (from what I gather in other threads, this is a favorite white trash hang out) and killed him while yelling, “I’m gonna KILL you, you white trash motherfucker!” would this be a hate crime? I killed him for no other reason than he was wearing a mullet and a wife beater shirt and was coming out of a store where I had heard a large percentage of the shoppers were white trash.
Why is this any different than killing a guy just because I thought he was gay?
I didn’t kill the guy because he was white, I killed him because he was white trash.
Big difference
And lezlers, yes I have read the entire thread. I realize there is a quest for better descriptors. I merely questioned the need for descriptors at all, this in my second post.