Got it in one. Kinda a verbal high five.
Am I the only one finding it sad that we do so much to avoid looking bad for people we shouldn’t give two fucks about. Even sadder is I recognize it, and it will change nothing.
It is amusing… but when you think about it… don’t most people (except for vegetarians like me) like chicken?
[dave chapelle]
Here, all my life, I thought I liked chicken because I thought it was delicious! Turns out, I’m genetically predisposed to liking chicken. It’s to the point where I can’t even eat it in public.
::munch, munch::
[mimics whitey voice] Look at him! He LOVES it! Just like it said in the encyclopedia!
[/dave chapelle]
Well, I avoid eating Cheetos in public because they’re messy and I don’t like walking around with that orange goo on my teeth. (But I INHALE them in public…sooo good.)
And there you go! Another stereotype.
I’m Irish, and I don’t drink a lot. Actually, I don’t drink except maybe a couple of times a year. And I can’t hold my liquor at all.
I’m Polish, and I’m not stupid. (Shut up!)
I’m German, and I’m not stern or efficient.
Okay, I’m really feeling like an alien here.
-
I’m from the South, and I just love fried chicken and watermelon and grits and stuff, and it don’t matter where I am, I’m going to eat them and enjoy them. It never occurred to me to feel self-conscious or like I’m perpetuatin’ any type of stereotype. I’m so wrapped up in enjoyin’ what’s on my plate, and that’s enough to keep me plenty busy from messin’ in other folks’ plates. You know?
-
I must be sheltered or something because it’s never occurred to me to monitor my behavior so that non-black folks will feel more comfortable and less scared around me.
Why would any black person feel the need to do this now? I mean, I could understand it when the KKK, Jim Crow segregation, and basically the courts would justify stringing black folks up if they sneezed funny around a white person, but now? I’m generally not aware and blithely unconcerned that non-black folks would feel uncomfortable around me. I mean, yes, I do enjoy going to major department stores dressed like a hip-hop gangsta or just in wrinkled disreputable disarray sometimes. I particularly enjoy going into the snooty designer sections or stores and trying on evening gowns and expensive suits and such like, but nothin’ ever fits right because I’m too damn short anyway :mad:, but that’s another rant entirely. Anywho, it’s always interesting seeing the clerks try to hide the conflict in their faces when I come callin’. 
Some of the more savvy clerks, though, must see through my disguise because they don’t look at all ruffled and even go out of their way to suggesting the more expensive items in their shop for my perusal. And, it’s always rather interesting if I actually find something I do like and then buy it. I’m always amused by the expressions on their faces when I buy something they don’t think I should be able to afford or appreciate, not that this happens all that often.
But, I’m still staggered by the concept that non-black folks would be scared of me or of any black person just because they’re black. Why? I’m just a poor, short black woman trying to make it in a hard, cruel world. But, even if they are scared, then then that’s their problem, not mine. I can’t change who I am, nor do I wish to do so. They’ll just have to get over it. [sniff]
(OK folks, I’m having a “bad articulation” day I think, so this may not come off like I want it to. Please bear with me.)
Actually, it’s really all because JuanitaTech (just to use you as an example; this may not apply to you personally) believes that a few ignorant jerk-offs continue to perpetuate unrealistic and negative stereotypes. It may or may not actually be the case that a few ignorant jerk-offs actually continue to perpetuate unrealistic and negative stereotypes.
The point I’m trying to raise is that it kinda takes two to tango with issues like this. What if one day through some mysterious mind control device every white person that feels threatened by seeing a black man on the street suddenly lost that part of their psyche. From that day forward, not a single white person felt threatened by seeing a black man on the street.
The day after that many black men would probably still cross the street themselves or walk slower so as not to catch up to old white ladies, or smile a lot–whatever they do to not look threatening. If asked about why they do this, such black men would probably still answer that they do it so as not to appear threatening because they believe that some white people feel threatened by this. But they’d be wrong because, thanks to the mysterious mind control device, no white people actually feel this way.
The whole point here is that to some extent, whether racism exists is tied into not only people’s perceptions about racism, but people’s perceptions about whether racism exists. If for some reason all of the subjective feelings of racism left all of the minds of racists, people would still answer polls saying that racism exists and still demand policies to correct it.
Does this make any sense? I know for a fact that the first response will be “well, that’s ridiculous because it will never be the case that all racists will change their mind.” I know; I’m using that as a device to make a point.
I take complete ownership of my problem with eating fried chicken in public.
The last time I did, I was with a few computer geek friends of mine. I psyched myself up, told myself, “Fuck it, I’m getting the fried chicken, dammit. Look at all those white people in line ordering the same thing I want.” So I sat down to eat with my colleagues and one of them quipped, “Where’s the watermelon?”
Now, I know Steve was only joking. It was a funny joke, too. It still stung, though.
That was five years ago. I have no intention on doing it anytime soon.
The fact of the matter is, TaxGuy, many people make gross assumptions about me until they get to know me. You’d be surprised how many people want (almost need) to believe I was raised in the ghetto, am a single mother and have no college education. Yes, I’m well aware that’s human nature and there’s nothing I can do about it. It still gets to me, though.
So who’s supposed to do what, then? What’s the answer?
So who’s supposed to do what, then? What’s the answer?
I don’t suppose it would help if I pointed out that my comment was meant to be a subtle jab at my own first post in this thread? As soon as I posted it, I realized that no one was going to catch it – should have put a link or a smilie or something.
:: slinks away ::
JuanitaTech, thanks for understanding that I wasn’t blaming you for anything or anything like that, it’s just that Giraffe’s response to your quote brought up the issue. And I understand what you’re saying.
pizzabrat I think the answer is to identify and seek to eliminate any bias when trying to determine whether racism exists. Some people are naturally bent toward thinking that racism is a big problem and will be forever, and others are naturally bent toward the opposite. I think we shouldn’t let those feelings get in the way of the actual facts about whether racism exists and, if so, how much exists and what can we do about it.
Here’s an example I heard on a radio talk show a while back (yeah, I know; I like junk radio sometimes). The announcer was talking about a recent study where a group of researchers got a group of resumes, made photocopies of the resumes, and put a “white name” on all the resumes in one group (e.g., Shannon, Jennifer, Michael, George) and a “black name” on all the resumes in the second (identical) group (e.g., Shawanda, Shaniqua, Ezekial, Tyrone).
The researchers then sent out the resumes to a bunch of people advertising for jobs and logged the number of requests for interviews they got. Guess what: it took more of the black resumes to get an interview than the white resumes.
The interesting thing is how many more it took. The radio announcer said that the white resumes got an average of one interview per 10 resumes sent. How many black resumes do you think it took to get one interview?
.
.
.
Play along, pick a number.
.
.
.
.
.
While most of the callers guessed huge numbers (like 30 or 50), the reality was that it took 15 black resumes(as opposed to 10 white resumes) to get one interview.
Here’s a link that contains lots of other links about this study: http://www.morgandeters.com/blog/archives/18?simplified
Maybe they think you’re a rapper.
I’m often mistaken for any one of a dozen prominent members of Islamic terror groups, particularly by short-sighted white folk…
I reached down to retie my shoelaces with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter in hand in the Florida Mall a couple of weeks ago and a security guard came running over and knocked me over… he thought I had gelignite packed in there or something.
Uh-oh…
I just thought about it and I LOVE both watermelon and chicken, but I’m white enough to have freckles. Damn. Oh well.
I thought I knew a thing or two about America, but I must embarrassingly admit I’d never heard of the watermelon/chicken thing. The watermelon is totally out of left field (to me, anyway), and the chicken I simply associated with the South. As has been mentioned, doesn’t everybody like chicken?
US race relations continue to fascinate me. Some interesting stuff.
Well, I’m not black, and I’m sure I’m not intimidating, but I smile and say hi to folks that I pass. I grew up in the South, maybe that has something to do with it.
The funny thing is that now that I’m out here on the Left Coast, it seems that most of the folks who respond with a greeting are black. Many people don’t even look at me when I pass.
PS, Stuffy: come down to San Jose. There are 2 Popeye’s restaurants within 3 miles of me.
But TaxGuy there has been no magic wand racism eraser. There are many people who make racists assumptions, who don’t realize that these are even assumptions and are so sure what they presume to be true is true that they have no compunction whatsoever of saying it out loud and in your face.
The thing is, little old white ladies really, really do clutch their bags and cross the street when they see me coming. When that happens to you all the time, you find ways to deal with it. Me, I ignore them and would eat fried chicken every stinking day at Grand Central if I wasn’t watching what I eat.
It’s sad. I scare little old ladies and little old ladies make me feel unearned shame. It’s a no-win situation.
Well, yeah we do, but for a teacher to give an example of a black stereotype, and then for a black student to be like “Well actually, I do”…I don’t know, I just found it kind of funny.
But to be honest, I was just thinking about it, what’s supposed to be so bad about black people liking chicken and watermelon? I don’t understand the history and why that’s supposed to be a bad thing. I mean, if I never heard that stereotype and some racist bigot came up to me and said something like “You know them blacks, they sure like fried chicken and watermelon.” I’d be like “So? And you’re point would be???”
I don’t know, off all the racial stereotypes, that has to be the lamest one, in my opinion.
It is lame, and should be totally inoffensive in an isolated context. But the problem is that like all stereotypes it’s dehumanizing. Like we can just be “figured out” so simply. “Oh, he’s black, huh? I’ll just set out some chicken and watermelon, put on some rap and we’ll be all set, then.” I don’t want someone to assume anything about my personality based on my unalterable personal appearance.
It is lame, and should be totally inoffensive in an isolated context. But the problem is that like all stereotypes it’s dehumanizing. Like we can just be “figured out” so simply. “Oh, he’s black, huh? I’ll just set out some chicken and watermelon, put on some rap and we’ll be all set, then.” I don’t want someone to assume anything about my personality based on my unalterable personal appearance.
I see your point.