# Oh yeah, Americans are MUCH too mature for racism... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 1, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-yeah-americans-are-much-too-mature-for-racism/152013 "2003-02-01T01:13:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-yeah-americans-are-much-too-mature-for-racism/152013/41 "2003-02-03T15:02:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elf6c \* > \*\*Oh crap, I have to go into hiding again. ☹ > > BTW: I was only doing it because the OP did-- I even quoted it the first time. However, it retrospect I guess that excuse is never really that effective, so off to my safehouse. \*\* Turns out old Salman spent a few weeks staying with U2 near Dublin, so enjoy yourself, but don’t get too close to The Edge… ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-yeah-americans-are-much-too-mature-for-racism/152013/42 "2003-02-03T18:41:06Z")
And I already explained why it happened, so mocking me because of a mistake is really unwarranted and unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-yeah-americans-are-much-too-mature-for-racism/152013/43 "2003-02-03T18:47:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fang \* > \*\*Um, who actually said this? To whatever extent those jokes have been made on Comedy Central, I’ve always seen them made against al-Qaeda and the Taliban themselves, who really **do** live in caves, **have** frequently used camels for transportation, and most likely **do** actually smell. You are pitting something that by and large is not true. \*\* I have heard people make this generalization, as if it isn’t racism because they deserve it. In the specific situation that I am describing, it was aimed at Iraqis in specific, not just al-Qaida. No, what I am pitting is not “by and large not true”, it is an observation that I have made countless times. Other people within this thread have said that they have noticed the same situation, so I’m obviously not making this up. I’m ticked off about it, you aren’t, BFD. Saying that what I’ve noticed “doesn’t exist” just because you don’t happen to agree with it isn’t logical. -foxy ---
**Author:** ![Zoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6de8d8/32.png) [@Zoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoff)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-yeah-americans-are-much-too-mature-for-racism/152013/44 "2003-02-03T20:25:31Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by ladyfoxfyre_ > Well considering he was referring to the people we were at war with, that being Iraq, I thought it was pretty apparant. > [@](#): > > In the specific situation that I am describing, it was aimed at Iraqis in specific, not just al-Qaida. Can you please link to a quote or something? You keep saying that they were talking about Iraq, but from the context of your statements it seems like they were talking about al-Qaeda and/or the Taliban. We’re not at war with Iraq either declared or undeclared. We might go to war (declared or undeclared) sooner, later or not at all. But if the comedians were making fun of people “we were at war with” they were not talking about Iraq. We haven’t declared war on them or engaged in any ground fighting with them since 1991. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2003, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-yeah-americans-are-much-too-mature-for-racism/152013/45 "2003-02-03T23:29:28Z")
Alright. Since many people don’t seem to be understanding this, I will spell it out as best I can, so there are no misconceptions. I can’t “link to a quote” because it was on television. He was making fun of the Iraqis, saying that when we go to war with them they will come at us with camels. He joked about how they lived in caves and smell bad. He then proceeded to talk for a while about Saddam Hussein, and unless he is the president of another country I am unaware of, he probably was directing that comment towards Iraq. Has anyone seen the USO Comedy Tour on CC? If you have, then you might be familiar with what I speak of. That’s not the specific example I’m using, but just one of the many I’ve seen. I know they’re in front of a bunch of Army guys, so it’s to be expected. Now, the purpose of this thread was just to say that I think this is racist. Many of you have said things like “Well he wasn’t talking about Iraq if he said all that” and I agree that it sounds odd. This would be in effect partly what I was objecting to. He was taking generalizations about Afghans and applying them to all middle-easterners. See the problem here? The misspelling of “Americans” in the title was already explained, I was thinking between “America’s much too…” and “Americans are…” so that can go away, please. I apologize, I am really not that gramatically inept as to believe it was correct. I will have it fixed. That’s it for now. ---
**Author:** ![tunabreath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/838e76/32.png) [@tunabreath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tunabreath)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-yeah-americans-are-much-too-mature-for-racism/152013/46 "2003-02-04T21:37:39Z")
Comedy and other arts often reflect what the populace is thinking. Many people where I work and many others I know (most in fact) are so bigoted against anyone with brown skin. Arab, Muslim, Indian, anyone even remotely looking “Arabish”. They want them all expelled. It’s embarrassing, it’s shameful. Year’s (sorry foxy, that apostrophe and all others are for jjim) ago I stopped laughing at most stand-up jerks because their brand of humor is so mean spirited. I remember not long after 911 I was walking my kids to the beach and when I looked at this man’s face coming toward me I saw such anger when he looked back at me, it was shocking. I wondered why. A block later it dawned on me that he was Indian, he wore a turban. I understood then, he’d been targeted with this mindless hatred for the folks from the middle east and further east. Argue about the comic all you want, this is what (many) Americans have become. Mosques burnt. Racial profiling. Back in '80 I worked for a company that repaired INS computers and one day there were Iranians down below in front of the federal building protestin the Ayatollah. All the INS saw was Iranians, they wanted names and they wanted to start working on deportation. Gee, I wonder how a pro-American Iranian would fare being sent back to Iran. I was born in Kenitra, Morocco in a Navy Hospital and that same year (1980) the INS started working on my “status”. I’d been a registered voter for 5 years. yo, jjim! ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ . That’s for elf6c and foxy. Being a Morrocan born American, I’ll see your fatwa and raise you by 2 curses. See what I mean about racist comedy? Now I’ve done it too. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-yeah-americans-are-much-too-mature-for-racism/152013/47 "2003-02-05T15:04:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tunabreath \* > \*\*yo, jjim! ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ . That’s for elf6c and foxy. Being a Morrocan born American, I’ll see your fatwa and raise you by 2 curses. See what I mean about racist comedy? Now I’ve done it too. \*\* I don’t believe my use of “fatwa” was in the least bit racist. I am aware that a fatwa is merely a ruling. In the context, I believe that my use of the term was clearly with humorous reference to the fatwa that was applied to Salman Rushdie, to which I am vehemently opposed. That doesn’t mean I am denigrating Shiite Muslims. However, if you took exception to this, then I apologise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-yeah-americans-are-much-too-mature-for-racism/152013.md?page=2)