You should address this at blindboyard. He used the term; I was quoting him sarcastically.
Well, he questioned why we would be talking about Apartheid* in the context of Trevor “Born a Crime” Noah. So two things where fighting ignorance has fallen flat.
*Is Apartheid normally capitalized the way Jim Crow is or lower-cased the way slavery is?
But, you aren’t all that good at it. You think a childish one liner is hilarious. Enough people agree with my opinion that it was all of one piece that I am unworried about missing your explanation.
Thinking about it, your interpretation is more of a prank than a real joke. “Ha ha, I made you clap for something that was actually an insult. The internet will let you in on the joke tomorrow.”
I’m addressing the sentiments expressed in the exchange much more than the semantics.
I am reading it that you think racial jokes and language that are condescending or paint white people as a whole as an “other” should not be criticized. Am I interpreting the sentiments expressed in the exchange correctly?
Yep. Digs at the historically and currently globally dominant race by the underclass are ok.
For the same reason that “nigger” and “cracker” aren’t morally equivalent terms.
So, in your view of history, Catholics, Jews, Italians, and Irish have been part of this globally dominant race. Interesting, tell me more.
Generally, I’d capitalize when referring to the specific period in South African history, but not when referring to the concept. But I’m not consistent with it.
Don’t do it, walrus…
Nope. I’m saying that this particular joke was funny. Also that there’s a long tradition of punching up in jokes that make them more allowable than punching down jokes.
And context. Context is important. This context is the Oscars, which has a long history of not valuing black achievements.
Any time anybody in this thread would like me to explain humor further, I’ll take time from my busy schedule as a race traitor to elucidate.
I disagree. Making real groups of people the butt of a joke is always punching down. If I were Noah, I would have said the Xhosa equivalent of, “Whitey McWhite-Person doesn’t know I’m lying.” Inventing a whimsical sounding name would probably have been less of a hit, but it’s a smarter joke with dual fictional properties.
White people = up.
Black people = down.
Got it.
So punching white people is more acceptable than punching blacks/minorities.
I don’t see any inconsistency with my previous interpretation. You obviously think it’s fine to lump a varied group of people into a skin color - I disagree with those views, I find them bigoted and ignorant. I don’t think you need to waste any more of your time discussing this with me.
FTR, I am not offended by Noah’s joke and would roll my eyes if anyone out there is. Just calling a spade a spade. He was punching down - at the tame end of the punching down spectrum.
That’s not a smarter joke, and I’m pretty loath to tell one of the most famous comedians on earth how to tell a smarter joke.
As for “punching,” how hard a blow is it to suggest that most white folks don’t speak Xhosa and will nod along with a black dude speaking an African language? Given that the audience he’s mocking is overwhelmingly white liberals, there’s a piece in it of teasing white liberals for loving to agree with a black person calling for unity instead of division.
That is a gentle joke if ever I heard one.
You don’t think Walrus would be able to enlighten me with his views of history? It’s not very nice to underestimate a fellow doper like that.
I notice a pattern in your posts:
- Quote someone.
- Paraphrase them in a way that makes them look stupid.
- Criticize them for the paraphrase.
That is–lemme put this in forum-appropriate language–not conducive to productive conversation.
Which post or posts are you specifically talking about? There may be room for discussion if you want to have a conversation - but if you just want to do do a general vague drive by about “patterns” that’s OK also.
I myself do not see the pattern you are talking about, but maybe you will be able to show me where there is a weakness in my reasoning.
67, 72, and 75 – the majority of your posts in this thread–follow this pattern. Granted, 75 actually involves telling the other poster what they’re thinking, which is a step beyond paraphrasing them, but in the same vein.
Maybe don’t try to paraphrase people, and don’t criticize them based on your imagination of what they’re thinking.
Or, y’know, keep on keeping on. I’ve said my piece about this and won’t say more; if you don’t see the pattern, I’ll discuss it in another thread you start if you’d like.
You can open up another thread if you like or PM me, I don’t agree with your use of the word paraphrasing. What I am doing is challenging the concept of what it means to be “white” in modern society and I am also disagreeing with the idea that views that categorize disparate people based upon skin color should be a concept that goes unchallenged. I guess 75 could be considered paraphrasing, but the point is to express my sentiment that grouping people by skin color is what is happening, which I think the post clearly shows.
If you would like to pit me for these views of course you can do that, it could be an interesting pitting - I know my views are not popular here and am not as intelligent or highly educated as most on these boards, so probably I would agree with most of the personal insults posters would care to hurl at me. I am, however, almost certain that nothing would convince me that the habit of grouping people by skin color is something that should ever go unchallenged.
Alternatively, you could also try to have a discussion with me that does not assume I am a bad person but seeks to fully explore these ideas and not assume that they are based upon me being a faulty or ignorant human being.
So you want others to have a discussion with you but you are not willing to have a discussion with others. And you’re willing to call others bad people but we shouldn’t assume that of you. Got it.
I would not presume to explain to you how a racial joke works in South Africa. I can assure you, nonetheless, that in American joke telling the concept of punching up is well known, well understood, and well accepted except by those who are bigoted and ignorant. Since you’re not American you can be excused as ignorant on such subtleties. But not on the name calling.