Four or five days ago, I saw an excerpt on a network TV news show. The excerpt showed two TV-talkers/newsreaders voicing an objection to the term “black Tuesday,” used in reference to the stock market tumble. They said the term “black Tuesday” was…wait for it…racist.
Do you know who those two morons are?
By “Network TV News” are you taliking Nightly News kind of thing? What network was it, and what time? That would really narrow it down.
(ETA: Oh, it was an excerpt. Hmm. Where did you see that?)
That was an episode of “Facts of Life,” when Tootie was having an identity crisis and Jo says “Just a white lie,” and Tootie goes all off on her, “Then what color are the bad lies?” Jo of course answers, “plaid”.
I was accused of a racist remark once for saying “behind the 8 ball”, meaning we were in a difficult situation. It was explained to me that the 8 ball is black.
OK, a friend tells me these two idiots are talkers/presenters on BET. That gives them credibility, I guess. Still haven’t found a clip online–I think I saw the excerpt in a montage or such on the Hannity TV show.
I knew the very black Brazilian jazz guitarist Bola Sete (BOH-la SEH-tay), which means Seven Ball in Portuguese, because in snooker in Brazil it’s the seven that’s black, not the eight. He was proud of that name.
Ohhh… right, BET.
Let’s give those two a break and not identify them.
Instead, let’s just assume their ventriloquist was having a bad day.
You know, such a slow news day and all.
Yawn.
How about the expression “that’s the pot calling the kettle black”-- should that be considered racist? My son said it was, but my Grandma used to use that expression and she wasn’t the slightest bit racist, despite being of an older generation.
Is “Black Friday”(as in the day after Thanksgiving) a positive or negative phrase?
I think your son doesn’t understand the meaning. It’s about the hypocrisy of the pot, not its color. You could just as easily say “that’s like the lemon calling the pee yellow”
Yes, exactly. I was trying to think of an alternate color example to explain that. Your lemon/pee yellow example is a great one.
I don’t disagree that “the pot calling the kettle black” or “Black Tuesday” are not in and of themselves racist. But they point to a trend in at least english of using black as a negative indicator and I don’t think it’s ridiculous to avoid using phrases that model black as something to be avoided.
Then what should you call the Friday before Easter?
You’re really working hard to be offended. Why?
I’m betting Hannity wants her to be…