There, I said it. Get over it.
What is it about a word that gets people perturbed? Is it the meaning? Or just the sound? Maybe it's just the fact that people are free to move their mouths as they deem fit.
A University of Virginia employee spoke up at a meeting held somewhere that was nowhere to address something and said:
'I can't believe in this day and age that there's a sports team in our nation's capital named the Redskins. That is as derogatory to Indians as having a team called Niggers would be to blacks.'"
Now, I hesitate to say "some of my best friends are..." because that sounds like "I'm not a crook." But suffice it to say: I grew up (and still live) in a small city that has a very mixed citizenry; the largest town in Connecticut, only a few dozen miles from NYC.
What a wonder: you stick a bunch o' differant people together in a confined space they end up getting along swimmingly. Who'd'a thunk it?
Julian Bond almost got himself off the hook by beginning:
"My first impulse is that this should be a dismissible infraction -- but free speech protections I hold dear tell me that shouldn't be so," but he disappointed me by concluding that the administration "ought to disavow such language."
Maybe, having reached the age of 40, I've become an old fogie. But, there was a time when the word "nigger" was spoken aloud -- both with anger and with dismissal -- and was listened to either way.
I remember that Todd Bridges (of Diff'rent Strokes fame) once appeared in an episode of Little House On The Prairie. He played the child of black settlers who'd come across LandonTown (okay, I don't remember the name of the town off-hand).
He was the first black kid that the locals had seen. What an exciting experience for little Laura! But he was shunned by most of the town's kids. He made most of 'em feel uncomfortable for some reason, and he was made to feel like an outsider because of it.
He attended his first day of class in the schoolhouse and the teacher taught about things that the kids have to deal with but might not like.
She called on some of the kids and asked what they didn't like. Nellie's brother said he didn't like the way Nellie bossed him around or something. Some other kid mentioned how he didn't like the way his frogs jumped or the way his daddy beat the crap out of him every night or something.
The teacher then made a point of calling on the new kid (Todd Bridges), to get him involved in his new surroundings, and asked: "What about you...is there anything you don't like?"
He looked around the class a second and said: "Bein' a nigger."
It was a powerful moment in my own adolescent experience. Would that episode even be allowed to air today?
I'll weep for humanity on the day that a word cannot be spoken because -- regardless of it's context -- we think that maybe some idiot somewhere might be idiotically offended.
Some guy said the word "nigger" at U. Virginia in order to illustrate the problem with the nickname "Redskins" and now is facing disciplinary action for it. Maybe we ought to just burn the Constitution right now and hand the country over the speech-codists and be done with ourselves.
Posted by Tuning Spork at December 1, 2003 11:08 PMThat's the problem with being PC - words become proxies for politics.
In Australia the word "wog" used to be a derogatory term for immigrants from the Mediterrean countries. The second generation, Aussie-born, appropriated the word for themselves. "Wogs out of Work" was a huge hit as a comedy show and play. There's even now a mini-industry of these comedians based around "Wog". So now the word has lost it's negative meaning for the most part.
Posted by: Simon at December 2, 2003 12:03 AMHey, this was on tom's nap room a week or so ago, and i just remembered to check it, so i figured i'd reply here and you'd have a better chance of seeing it.
You said:
"So if it's fake why do you act like it's real?"
It's called "satire," Brian. Do you believe that SNL's Weekend Update is real? They sure act like it's real so it must be, right?
"To get other people to believe it's real and put false, negative thoughts about Dean in people's heads? Yeah, that's called propoganda."
Calling a Socialist a Socialist is telling the truth. Comparing Dean to the USSR is hyperbole, not propaganda. Again, you refuse to acknowledge the satire of the thing. Do you believe that a satirical send-up of a political figure is a dangerous thing because some moron, who shall remain nameless, might not get the joke? Shall we ban Tom photoshopped image on the grounds that it's dangerous speech? Whew! Freedom, m'boy; Freedom! Keep yer eye on the prize. Posted by Tuning Spork at November 26, 2003 06:01 PM "So if it's fake why do you act like it's real?"
It's called "satire," Brian. Do you believe that SNL's Weekend Update is real? They sure act like it's real so it must be, right?
To get other people to believe it's real and put false, negative thoughts about Dean in people's heads? Yeah, that's called propoganda.
Calling a Socialist a Socialist is telling the truth. Comparing Dean to the USSR is hyperbole, not propaganda. Again, you refuse to acknowledge the satire of the thing. Do you believe that a satirical send-up of a political figure is a dangerous thing because some moron, who shall remain nameless, might not get the joke? Shall we ban Tom photoshopped image on the grounds that it's dangerous speech? Whew! Freedom, m'boy; Freedom! Keep yer eye on the prize. Posted by Tuning Spork at November 26, 2003 06:01 PM
Now. That was the first time i had ever been to this site before. it was linked from something on a different site. from what i read it seemed to be some sort of blog, speaking about whatever, etc. i saw no running theme of satire. with that said, comparing a text to SNL's Weekend Update is ridiculous. Weekend Update is just some people reporting some real news and then making a joke about it. There's no satire, its just jokes. they don't try to act like its a real news program...they laugh the whole time. there's plenty of evidence that it's comedy, and not satire, or even serious.
you wanna say satire, say something like The Onion. but even then the satire is so thick that its obvious. and its intelligent. calling a democratic presidential candidate a communist is neither satirical nor witty.
Calling a socialist a socialist is one thing. but when you say Socialist with a capital S that means something a bit different. Every president of the past 100 years has been a socialist in that they ran a country with social programs. However, they've all been either Democrat or Republican. Socialist, with the capital S, is a party, and a completely different school of thought than Dean tends to be, Democratic with socialist ideas.
And there was no comparing Dean to the USSR. There was however displaying Dean as a COMMUNIST, which is something entirely different than just a plain old socialist. There was no hyperbole, just plain namecalling. I don't remember any Marx spewing from Dean's mouth, i don't remember Dean wanting to do away with personal capital.
Finally, no i don't believe a photo is a dangerous thing. its not about that. and calling it a satirical send-up of a politician is quite a spin on what i like to call mudslinging.
I don't want any of this freedom crap, because i never said it should be banned. I said it was stupid, and it was misleading. It keeps republicans narrowminded about the other side because of something stupid. sure, most of them wouldn't think twice due to policy anyway, but if people could have an open mind it would be better. and that possibility is harder to obtain with the likes of such immature and unintelligent "satire."
Thomas Jefferson, who was proud of being the "father" of the U. of Virginia, must be spinning in his grave to see that school give an object lesson in how to live in a dictatorship. This is not what he put himself on the line for during the American Revolution!
Posted by: Bloodthirsty Warmonger at December 2, 2003 03:20 AMI'll go you one better. In Washington DC a few years ago, a senior manager used the term 'niggardly' to describe new budget policy. He had to apologize and resign because ignorant employees were offended by a word they didn't know the meaning of.
Posted by: Ted at December 2, 2003 10:36 AMIt's nothing more than a PC issue, which makes it ridiculous from the get-go. I don't have any scholarly references to back my opinion up on this. I just know that using political correctness as the bully stick to get people to behave the way a certain group thinks they should behave is ridiculous.
I have a particular loathing of the whole PC thing, it seems like repainting an outhouse in hopes no one will notice it still stinks.
Bloodthirsty Warmonger, As usual, you tell me something I didn't know (that T.J. had founded U.V.)! That to utter a word that has no specific definition other than being an offensive epithet could cause the speaker to be suspended from public duties would, I agreeably suspect, make Jefferson turn over, under, sideways & down in his grave.
Ted, Great call. I'd forgotten all about that "niggardly" brouhahah. Seems that some people can convince themselves that they're offended for reasons they can't even imagine.
LeeAnn, "It seems like repainting an outhouse in hopes no one will notice it still stinks."
That's the clearest analogy I've ever read!!
Brian; If your post has disappeared it's because I transferred to Tom's Nap Room. You can read read my response there if yer interested.
Simon; The word "Wogs" always reminds me of the Fawlty Towers episode where Basil is conversing with the Major:
MAJOR: Women... I knew one once!
FAWLTY: Oh?
MAJOR: Yes! I took her see India!
FAWLTY: India?
MAJOR: At the Oval! She enjoyed the film, but she kept referring to the Indians as "niggers!"
FAWLTY: Really?!
MAJOR: "No,no,no!" I said! "'Niggers' are the West Indians. These people are 'Wogs'!"
FAWLTY: Well...
MAJOR: Then she went to the Ladies Room to powder her nose or something or other... never came back!
FAWLTY: Oh dear.
MAJORS: She's still got my wallet...
Fawlty Towers, along with Monty Python, are the peak of all British comedy. It's a shame there are so few episodes.
Don't mention the war...
BTW thanks for the nomination in the Wizbang poll.
Posted by: Simon at December 3, 2003 12:54 AMI don't know where you responded.
Posted by: Brian at December 3, 2003 09:35 AMIn Sweden, they sell palm-size chocolate balls covered with coconut. These are called "Nigger Balls" and have zero negative conotations over here. Still, I cannot bring myself to call them that. I have been ball-less since moving here.
Posted by: Helen at December 3, 2003 01:10 PMBrian, I didn't, and your post is still here.
As I thought about a response I realized that we are about to go around in circles. But, what the hell:
"from what i read it seemed to be some sort of blog, speaking about whatever, etc. i saw no running theme of satire."
"calling it a satirical send-up of a politician is quite a spin on what i like to call mudslinging.
I don't want any of this freedom crap, because i never said it should be banned. I said it was stupid, and it was misleading. It keeps republicans narrowminded about the other side because of something stupid. sure, most of them wouldn't think twice due to policy anyway, but if people could have an open mind it would be better. and that possibility is harder to obtain with the likes of such immature and unintelligent "satire.""
Well
Its just that when i see something like that i think of my dad. My dad is a die-hard republican. He's a republican in the sense that they're his team, they have to win, and the other team, consequently, must lose.
i think if my dad saw that pic, he would immediately save it, and email everyone on his huge email list that is exactly like him, and say "SEE! They ARE communist! If you don't like communists, and instead love america, please email this to 5000 people."
And he doesn't need that kind of ammo. it is learning who someone is, because they assume that he's a horrible person. so if they see that, that's all they need to prove it.
And there are many, many more people out there like that than i wish to imagine.
ps)i can't assume that he thought it was a joke, or assume that he made it, because there is nothing, not one shred of a reason to do so. no hint, no subtle nod. that's the same reason that pic of bush reading a kid's book upside down got around the internet.
pps) hrm, you must like SNL. its good stuff. and now that you mention it, i think weekend update is the best bit they've got with the current cast. :)
Posted by: Brian at December 3, 2003 11:55 PMBrian,
Yeah, Weekend Update seems to be the only thing worth catching lately.
If your political opinions are influenced by what you think of your Dad then you're either 19 or 29 years old. (I'm guessing yer closer to 19 ;P)
The biggest mistake we make when we're young is thinking that our elders are "too old to understand."
It's bullshit.
If you sat down with your father and really hashed things out you'll probably figure out that he's been You already and has passed it.
Posted by: Tuning Spork at December 4, 2003 01:13 AMWhile I must admit you are pretty damn close with the age guess I must say that my political opinions are not influenced by my father. Although now that I'm interested in politics, I have tried to discuss things with him. And its damn near impossible.
Yes, I know that it's a 99% chance that people won't believe me when I say its not the case that I think someone is "too old" to understand. but it's not a matter of age, but of opinion. open-minded conversations can be had by any mature persons of intelligence. i've never thought of anyone's age.
and, to tell you the truth, i have had conversations about these such things with my father. turns out he was never where i was and passed on. he's almost 56, and he has always been a republican, due to his father being so. no hippie movement, no drug induced days. he was never a hopeless optimist of a democrat.
anyway. i don't really know. but if this is it, it has been fun talking with you.
~~~later.
Posted by: Brian at December 4, 2003 09:47 PMBrian,
You're always welcome here, dude. Come by any time!
Yeah, I know this is being posted almost two years too late, but "LandonTown" was better known as Mankato, MN.
I used to live there... the actual "Little House" was a few miles down the road (and crowded with Japanese tourists).
Posted by: Wonderduck at May 28, 2005 01:07 PM