Re: CHAT: Ebonic Christmas

On Thu, 13 Jan 2000 hoensch@SOFTHOME.NET wrote:

> Who of the complainers was actually black?  Or are we
> just a bunch of white guys whining as were brainwashed
> to do so?
I am!

> The poem, offensive or not, is an ACCURATE representation
> of the COMIC STEREOTYPE of blacks.  Based on what?  Based
> on the fact that black comedians use it in their stand-up
> comedy.  Oh, and the prospect that only a member of a people
The problem is that it's NOT an accurate reflection of comic stereotypes
used by black comedians, nor is it an accurate reflection of black speech.
It is really a mish-mash of stereotypes taken from every time-period and
life-style and fused together very wrongheadedly w/o any understanding of
which stereotypes are true at which times.  If you really watched black
comics you would quickly see the difference! The poem is a cultural
version of the "they all look the same" concept.

> can criticize/joke with those people is a rather pathetic
> invention.  If it is not offensive in their eyes, why is it
> considered offensive at all?  If "niger" means "guy" (which
> it does, at least to most Bronx minorities and a number of
> black artists) why is it offensive coming from whites?
First of all, it ain't 'nigger' (which is what non-blacks use to denigrate
blacks), but 'nigga'.  And it really depends how it's used.  It can be
just as offensive coming from a stuck-up, out-of-touch black as it can be
from a white.  Or it could be a term of endearment on anybody's part.
Language does happen to be a SOCIAL medium.  (Why is it offensive for a
man to call himself 'boku' in front of an employer, but not in front of a
friend in Japanese?)

> > Abrigon, especcially if he is black (which was
the impression > Gray Wizard gave), has done nothing wrong.
> Do we know what free speech is?
>
I, for one,  don't demand an apology or anything else, but like I said
before, if something like that's gonna be posted, do it right or don't do
it at all!  Any American knows how volatile racial dynamics are and that
there are alot of justifiable hypersentivities felt on the part of black
people in general that should be respected.

>
> And, on a final note, the ONLY reason that one could smile/laugh
> on the poem:  It is NOT true.
>
Granted, I was both offended and amused.  The poem was just WRONG, though.
And it could've been done right- if the author (assumed not to be abrigon)
had actually taken the time to actually give a damn about really
understanding black culture.  Since he didn't, the poem ended up looking
like it was coming from a place other than love.

 > That is the point all of you seem to be driving at, so read
it again > and enjoy.  If you're really brain-dead, rewrite the title to
> "A Gangsta Xmas".
In "A Gansta Xmas" there wouldn't be a watermelon, 'wharf' rats, burglar's
kit, 'hunged', 'skreet', etc., etc., etc.

All in all, I'm just offended by bulls***, whether it's mindless PC-ism or
half-assed attempts at ethnic humor.



.yasmin.