# The "hoodie" and the "Buffett Rule"

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 16, 2012, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943 "2012-04-16T12:18:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/1 "2012-04-16T12:18:36Z")

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This morning I heard the former not used and the latter used many times.

A local newsman described a gas station robber as wearing a “zip up sweatshirt with a hood”. Is that not a hoodie? Is it that important to be especially precise now?

As for the Buffet Rule… wasn’t his secretary discovered to be compensated way more than your average secretary? While the concept behind it may have some merits, maybe Buffet should no longer be associated with it.

IMHO…both are examples of the media reporting in a way that best suits their own ideology.

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### Author: ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/2 "2012-04-16T12:22:05Z")

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Well, a “zip up sweatshirt with a hood” is a more accurate description because some “hoodies” are pullovers! And possibly not sweatshirt fabric.

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### Author: ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/3 "2012-04-16T12:37:22Z")

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What are the ideological reasons for avoiding the word “hoodie”?

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### Author: ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/4 "2012-04-16T12:37:59Z")

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> [@What\_the](#):
>
> As for the Buffet Rule… wasn’t his secretary discovered to be compensated way more than your average secretary?

“More,” but perhaps not “way more.” Buffet phrased his comment to include the _highly regressive_ payroll taxes, which were about 14% before the recent temporary reduction.

So no, Buffet’s point doesn’t really depend on his secretary having unusually high compensation.

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### Author: ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/5 "2012-04-16T12:46:14Z")

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Nitpick: It’s “Buffett” with two T’s. I saw the thread title and thought, “What, you always take a clean plate?” :smack:

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### Author: ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/6 "2012-04-16T12:48:12Z")

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> [@Baracus](#):
>
> What are the ideological reasons for avoiding the word “hoodie”?

It seems imprecise and “slangy” but hardly an ideological or partisan sticking point. But some folks are able to make anything a political statement.

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### Author: ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/7 "2012-04-16T13:01:29Z")

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> [@Baracus](#):
>
> What are the ideological reasons for avoiding the word “hoodie”?

So as not to reinforce the thought that it is a legitimate descriptive term that one might apply to a suspicious individual.

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### Author: ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/8 "2012-04-16T13:38:19Z")

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> [@What\_the](#):
>
> So as not to reinforce the thought that it is a legitimate descriptive term that one might apply to a suspicious individual.

Dude, it gets worse. Apparently now Target also wants to see Zimmerman hang and put a rush order on a batch of [“Hello Kitty” hoodies](http://www.target.com/p/Hello-Kitty-Girls-Long-Sleeve-Zip-Up-Hoodie-Hoodie-Multicolor/-/A-13860637) to promote the idea that kids of all ages and races wear hoodies. Those bastards!

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### Author: ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/9 "2012-04-16T13:57:01Z")

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I don’t like the buffet rule. I don’t see any reason we should stand in line and have to get our own food instead of being served at the table by waiters.

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### Author: ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/10 "2012-04-16T13:58:31Z")

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I think the term Buffett Rule is partisan and like Obama’s proposal to call it the Reagan Rule instead.

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### Author: ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/11 "2012-04-16T14:07:20Z")

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Buffett rules! Parrotheads Forever!

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### Author: ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/12 "2012-04-16T14:21:38Z")

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> [@silenus](#):
>
> Buffett rules! Parrotheads Forever!

I just got tickets for my first Buffett concert, 🆒

Now, back to your regularly scheduled thread.

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### Author: ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/13 "2012-04-16T14:37:00Z")

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> [@What\_the](#):
>
> So as not to reinforce the thought that it is a legitimate descriptive term that one might apply to a suspicious individual.

Hoodie is a legitimate descriptive term that one might apply to a suspicious individual?

Hey hoodie, I see you lurking in the shadows!

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### Author: ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/14 "2012-04-16T14:41:36Z")

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> [@Telemark](#):
>
> I just got tickets for my first Buffett concert, 🆒
> 
> Now, back to your regularly scheduled thread.

I think Bill Gates and Warren Buffett and Branson and Murdoch should get together to form an uber-rich owner’s version of the Rock Bottom Remainders.

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### Author: ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/15 "2012-04-16T14:54:33Z")

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> [@Biggirl](#):
>
> Hoodie is a legitimate descriptive term that one might apply to a suspicious individual?
> 
> Hey hoodie, I see you lurking in the shadows!

I’ve heard “hoodie” used as a descriptive term by people in England. I don’t know if that’s where **What the … !!!** is from.

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### Author: ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/16 "2012-04-16T14:55:11Z")

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_Hoodie_ is a slang term, of fairly recent origin, that may not be known to the entire audience. A newscaster would probably also say _sleeveless t-shirt_ rather than _wifebeater_.

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### Author: ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/17 "2012-04-16T14:57:04Z")

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> [@Baracus](#):
>
> Dude, it gets worse. Apparently now Target also wants to see Zimmerman hang and put a rush order on a batch of [“Hello Kitty” hoodies](http://www.target.com/p/Hello-Kitty-Girls-Long-Sleeve-Zip-Up-Hoodie-Hoodie-Multicolor/-/A-13860637) to promote the idea that kids of all ages and races wear hoodies. Those bastards!

My daughter wore that to kindergarten today. I hope she makes it back in one piece.

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### Author: ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/18 "2012-04-16T14:59:04Z")

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> [@What\_the](#):
>
> So as not to reinforce the thought that it is a legitimate descriptive term that one might apply to a suspicious individual.

A hoodie is a piece of clothing, not an individual, and there’s nothing inherently suspicious about hoodies. It is possibly true that they avoided the word so as not to make viewers think of the Martin shooting, but obviously I did not see this report. That’s not serving an agenda, it’s avoiding a distracting reference to an unrelated story.

Buffett suggested the rule, more or less. The president regularly makes reference to him when he’s trying to drum up support for the concept and that’s what people call the proposal.

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### Author: ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/19 "2012-04-16T16:02:38Z")

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> [@Marley23](#):
>
> A hoodie is a piece of clothing, not an individual, and there’s nothing inherently suspicious about hoodies. It is possibly true that they avoided the word so as not to make viewers think of the Martin shooting, but obviously I did not see this report. That’s not serving an agenda, it’s avoiding a distracting reference to an unrelated story.
> 
> Buffett suggested the rule, more or less. The president regularly makes reference to him when he’s trying to drum up support for the concept and that’s what people call the proposal.

I wrote “apply to” when I might have written “apply when describing”.

Yes it is avoiding a distracting reference… one that is now symbolic of racism. Wouldn’t want it to be assocated with criminals now would we?!

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### Author: ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2012, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hoodie-and-the-buffett-rule/618943/20 "2012-04-16T16:13:35Z")

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> [@What\_the](#):
>
> As for the Buffet Rule… wasn’t his secretary discovered to be compensated way more than your average secretary? While the concept behind it may have some merits, maybe Buffet should no longer be associated with it.

The Buffett rule was created by the Obama administration and calls for changes in the tax code to ensure everyone making over a million dollars a year pays a minimum effective tax rate of at least 30 percent. It’s named after Buffett, aside from political reasons, because Mr Buffett is in favor of similar tax policy. It has nothing to do with his secretary or the average secretary.

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