# What was your most racially insensitive moment? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 18, 2007, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-racially-insensitive-moment/408512 "2007-06-18T21:52:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-racially-insensitive-moment/408512/101 "2007-06-27T21:27:32Z")
[QUOTE=Asimovian] Nah. I’d have to vote for Miss Peaches in North Hollywood. For the desserts if nothing else. 🙂 [/QUOTE] I think I might have to go this weekend! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-racially-insensitive-moment/408512/102 "2007-06-27T21:33:10Z")
[QUOTE=pizzabrat] Well, isn’t that by definition sensitivity? [/QUOTE] I’m starting to get the impression from this thread that racial sensitivity for some folks involves a catalogue of what Kool-aid flavors constitute an offense for which racial groups. When sensitivity requires such overwrought, Martha-Stewartesque rules of etiquette, insensitivity seems the greater virtue. Daniel ETA: Note also the smiley. I know it’s more complicated than that, but at some point I still throw up my hands. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-racially-insensitive-moment/408512/103 "2007-06-27T21:34:03Z")
[QUOTE=erie774] But you must specify grape drink versus grape Kool-aide. Grape drink (like Nehi and Shasta) is a black favorite. Grape Kool-aide (and especially Flavor Aide) is preferred by gullible white people. [/QUOTE] But Nehi and Shasta are carbonated. That would make them grape soda, not grape drink …as I see \*\*Omega Glory \*\* has clarified. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-racially-insensitive-moment/408512/104 "2007-06-27T21:55:02Z")
[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness] I’m starting to get the impression from this thread that racial sensitivity for some folks involves a catalogue of what Kool-aid flavors constitute an offense for which racial groups. When sensitivity requires such overwrought, Martha-Stewartesque rules of etiquette, insensitivity seems the greater virtue. Daniel ETA: Note also the smiley. I know it’s more complicated than that, but at some point I still throw up my hands. [/QUOTE] I think we’re past the racial insensitivity topic, and into the random stereotypes topic. I don’t think any of the blacks in this thread (or any that aren’t here) are going to think badly of you if you offer them some orange soda, or invite them to KFC. \*\*Galena’s \*\* story was brow raising because it’s like the meal was crafted to include several stereotypical black foods (plus, Kool Aid at a formal meal? :dubious: ). No one in their right mind would suggest hiding the grape drink when Jamal comes over as not to offend him. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-racially-insensitive-moment/408512/105 "2007-06-28T02:08:08Z")
[QUOTE=Omega Glory] I think we’re past the racial insensitivity topic, and into the random stereotypes topic. I don’t think any of the blacks in this thread (or any that aren’t here) are going to think badly of you if you offer them some orange soda, or invite them to KFC. \*\*Galena’s \*\* story was brow raising because it’s like the meal was crafted to include several stereotypical black foods (plus, Kool Aid at a formal meal? :dubious: ). No one in their right mind would suggest hiding the grape drink when Jamal comes over as not to offend him. [/QUOTE] Fair enough. I think my eyebrows raised at the story because I didn’t realize it was a formal meal (which, incidentally, I’m wondering if it means something different to her than to me–I cannot imagine anyone serving Kool Aid at what I think of as a formal meal, and by definition that would make the meal informal), and because the foods she mentioned don’t have very strong stereotypical components to me, although I’m vaguely aware that they do to some folks. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-racially-insensitive-moment/408512/106 "2007-06-28T02:08:49Z")
[QUOTE=Beadalin] “Why did you call her pie face?” Mom asked. “Because her face is flat and round, like a pie,” I answered. [/QUOTE] One of Green Lantern’s sidekicks was Thomas Kalamaku, a man of Eskimo descent. When I first started collecting GL comics, Thomas was always called “Pieface” by GL, a play on Eskimo Pie. Finally in one issue, he stood up for himself and told GL (or his alter-ego Hal Jordan) off, reminding him that his name was Thomas. After that, they never used it again, until “DC: The New Frontier miniseries”, which was set in an alternate reality. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-racially-insensitive-moment/408512/107 "2007-06-28T02:15:50Z")
[QUOTE=Atomicktom] This might be _my_ most racially insensitive moment, but… what was the [Polack] joke? [/QUOTE] It was an unimaginative one, I think maybe in the generic format like: “How many _insert racial slur_s does it take to screw in a light bulb?” And delivered with all the intelligence of [Glen](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0573481/) (H.I.'s boss) in [“Raising Arizona”](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093822/quotes). ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-racially-insensitive-moment/408512/108 "2007-06-28T13:22:29Z")
[QUOTE=AWB] How many _insert racial slur_s does it take to screw in a light bulb?" [/QUOTE] Millions - one to turn the bulb, one to hold the ladder and all the rest to come over here and take our jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-racially-insensitive-moment/408512/109 "2007-06-28T14:28:12Z")
Weirdly I had heard of the orange/grape thing but not the Koolaid thing. I would not serve Koolaid (or orange soda or grape drink) at a formal dinner. In Texas, a formal dinner would have iced tea and water and maybe a wine or beer. If it’s summertime and alcohol is not on the menu for whatever reason, lemonade would be fine. Fried chicken is NOT a formal dinner food. It’s what you eat at picnics and it’s what Gran’ma makes when she ain’t seen her folks in too long. I would make something generally inoffensive like rosemary-and-lemon baked chicken and rice pilaf and a salad or something. We had a lot of informal dinners at the co-ops, though. Co-op dinners ALWAYS have Koolaid. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-your-most-racially-insensitive-moment/408512.md?page=5)