allright then!!! I case you didn't notice, but this forum is open for everyone to respond to whatever. Just because you are finished that doesn't man that the discussion is over.Just don't check out this subject again! Ciao!

TrueGreekLove,

I suppose you are always free to delete your own topic.

TrueGreekLove,
Now my feelings are hurt because you knew exactly what you meant when you posted it.
HOW CAN YOU CALL A WHOLE COLLEGE 'GHETTO'?

I am a highly educated, well respected lady in my community which is a ghetto and it is also the area I grew up in. I didn't go to a "ghetto" college either. I am a teacher who gets highly offended when I hear other teachers talk about how "ghetto" students are from my neighborhood when they don't know that is where I live also. Actually, I have found that some of the most ignorant, disrespectful students are from the most affluent areas.

I think your topic is a good one. I suggest you repost it and use different terminology. I am sure you will get more positive responses!!!




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BE POSITIVE!!!

So now everyone wants to pretend that they've never used the word ghetto? Come on! To answer the orginal question, yes, there are certain mannerisms and speech patterns that would turn me off from a prospect, but in the old days, I would have gently corrected their grammar and/or behavior. Since now that could misconstrued as hazing, I would probably just silently observe the person to see if any more redeeming qualities presented themselves, then make my judgement/perception call.

[This message has been edited by Discogoddess (edited July 14, 2000).]

DG>>>>I was scrolling and scrolling and scrolling, waiting on somebody to say it....

WHy is err'body acting like they never heard anyone say someone was ghetto? I mean ya'll had to wait for her to elaborate before you were willing to answer her question??? Why, If you watch a comedian, and he says I hate ghetto women, or I had this really ghetto girlfriend, I doubt that the joke would go over your head!!! You all know exactly what she was talking about. Like some chick with every other tooth with a gold cap, or green weave in her hair, or 3 rings on every finger, or the girls in any given Cash money video, need I go on??? Come on..Keep it real!!

I agree with one of my SF's who said that words sometimes take on new meanings...when she said "ghetto" she wasn't talking about the projects or what have you...she was talking about ghetto mentality. And you don't have to live in the projects to be ghetto!! Sometimes people can be entirely too sensitive...if you live in the ghetto that's fine, but if someone says someone is ghetto, that is not a slight against you or your personal character...like I said, we all know what she meant when she said ghetto.

Ladies, and gents, have a phenomenal day...
Peace and hairgrease!!!

Discogoddess,
Thank you for taking the mental thoughts right out of my cranium!!!!!!

Onesavvydiva, Thank YOU for telepathically extracting my thoughts and laying them down in this here forum! Yall know what she's talking about! Those chicks with the big 1986 door knocker earrings, wearing the Goose down bubble jackets with dress shoes/boots, with the 3 hair styles in one. Yall know...them no perm having females with the bone straight weaves walking around as human billboards for Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, etc. GHETTO...40 ounce drinking, a.m.-p.m. weed smoking, Ordering "Scrimps" or 4 chicken wings and french fries at fancy restaurants chicks....NEED I CONTINUE?!?

As an answer to the original question, yes, there are some young ladies that would have to go a long way to prove to me that they have (recently) learned how to present themselves with class and style before I would be excited about offering them membership. It's not about being "hip" or "IN style". It's about knowing as the chair of a formal event that when they show up, they won't be in a skin-tight mini with a lepord print tube-top. It's about knowing that when we say "white dress ceremony" they don't go out and get a wedding dress.

This has nothing to do with this topic (sorry), but DPherlove, you are the first dphie I've seen on this site: I am a dphie from UBC http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

Dag! for a minute there I thought I had left the planet! For a minute there I thought I grew up in a part of Brooklyn NY that maybe only we used the term "ghetto", that maybe only my television set somehow connected with a strange satellite signal on B.E.T when the term "ghetto" was used...For those who truely understood that no foulness was involved in my use of the word...thank you *whew* I guess I didn't drop down on the earth from another planet.

And if Sha nay nay is the epitome of "ghetto" imagine a school full of Sha Nay Nay's and you will see why I called a school "ghetto".(By the way I am an educator myself, so there was definitely no foulness meant by that statement) Regardless, like I said, the whole conversation steered to the left awhile ago and by than I didn't even want the answer to my question anymore.

I don't think there was a problem with my original post asking her to elaborate. She said an entire college was ghetto. Dang...that's alot.

I would have preferred her to have elaborated the way Sexy Mocha and onesavvydiva did to be honest. Hell, keep it real and we all will. That was funny.

To answer the question, yes there were women I'd seen that I felt would have to do a lot to prove that they KNEW how to represent themselves and the Sorority appropriately. Many functions require a bit of public speaking, introducing speakers, etc. If her favorite introduction to others regardless of their status/position is "Whaddup neeeeeya" or she wants to incorporate the "crip" walk into dance routines (which could be step routines)...that's a problem.

Yes, I think we all knew what the young lady meant, but asking her to elaborate wasn't a crime, I don't think. And because it is a public forum, I want to make sure we don't misrepresent ourselves as a people. Just like to person who referenced the n***** word. Some of us say it, but that doesn't make it right...it's still a form of self-hatred MOST of us are guilty of. We laugh at ourselves so it doesn't "feel" so bad (as I did when I read the examples), but it is still destructive.

Ok ... yes, I know what ghetto means, but I STILL find it offensive. No matter how mainstream the word has become, I don't use it and I would prefer not to hear others use it. I refuse to refer to insubordinate behavior as the mentality of people from the "ghetto" (mostly, my people). I am not ignorant to the fact that this is a word used in a joking manner, but to me, it is not funny. It is another way in which we degrade ourselves. Again, using "ghetto" is analogous to using the "n" word to refer to one of your friends. Just because everyone uses it, does not make it any better. I'm not trying to be overanalytical. To each his/her own.

For those of you who said I need to lighten up, maybe you need to dig a little deeper.

[This message has been edited by SkeeBunny (edited July 14, 2000).]

If the word "ghetto" offends anyone on this board, then let me be the first to apologize for my insensitive jokes...I just find the subject so dam funny. Have you guys read the book by Shawn and Marlon Wayans...I think it's called "You Know You're Ghetto When...". It's hilarious! It's particularly funny because I'm guilty of committing more than 1/2 of the ghetto acts in the book. Like putting batteries in the freezer to "recharge" them and taking the batteries out of the smoke detector to put in my walkman, (not just ghetto, but dam dangerous as hell!) I also do not (and never have) owned a dust pan, we use mail, newspaper, etc. to pick up the trash. I have a can of reusable bacon grease on top of my stove (always), my furniture is covered in plastic, and I've used the dish detergent as bubble bath and tussy deoderant BUT...I have learned to laugh at these things and to NOT dig deep into them. Actually, until I read the book I didn't think these things WERE ghetto. I do, however, know the appropriate way to look and carry myself in public. This, I think, is the difference between the average Joe and someone that's ghetto fabulous. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif

I agree with you. I think that when I am just talking with some friends especially childhood friends I do and many others of you too http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif play the you know you ghetto if game. So I personally think that this has went a little to far to personal. (but like I always say, thats my opinion)


But yet again I guess I might be a hypocrite, because I really feel like when someone who doesn't even know what a Ghetto is comes up and says that someone is ghetto is really out of place and then again I personally know that there is a time and place for everything and I feel that you should know that. I am often said to "act white" (still haven't figured out what that is.. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif)when I am at work or school or out in a particular place, but I just feel that I know were to do what.

But I have digressed so far and if you haven't already decided to just scroll through my jiberish, this is something for Mocha and all you others out there who won't be offended. (I am sorry if I do offend anyone, but I can only be myself)
But anyhow Mocha this one is for you:
(ignore the numbers....their wacked)

You know it's a GHETTO hair salon when . . .
1.) Your stylist accepts a 3pc from Popeye's as her tip.
2.) All the stylists walk around with house slippers on.
3.) Your stylist is still there doing your hair even though she's supposed to be on bed rest.
4.) Four people are booked for the same 1:00 appt.
6.) Your stylist calls YOU at the salon talkin' bout "I overslept but I'm on my way".
7.) When your stylist finally arrives you can see that she had been to the club the night before because she still has on her club clothes, and she still has the red "over 21" stamp on the back of her hand.
8.) Every hairstyle, no matter what you're getting, requires that nasty brown gel.
9.) There's always that one stylist in the back that you can't tell whether it's a girl or a guy.
10.) The STYLIST'S head looks a mess.
11.) All the other stylists fake like someone else's client's hair looks good until they leave the shop and then its "Girl, I KNOW Shameeka ain't let her walk outta here like dat!"
12.) There's a receptionist's booth at the front of the shop but no one ever uses it because it's stocked with beauty supplies.
14.) There's a hustler's car show outside of the shop every Saturday afternoon.
15.) Some crackhead is always coming into the shop every five minutes trying to sell some deodorant or batteries.
18.) You get to the salon and your stylist isn't there, so you gotta page her. When she calls back, you gotta go pick her and her baby up.
22.) They got strawberry, orange, AND grape in the coke machine, but no coke.
23.) Your stylist stops doing your hair to go outside and talk to her baby daddy.
25.) Your stylist holds a 15-minute phone conversation with somebody while she styles your hair.
26.) The tape man is there selling bootleg tapes for $5.
30.) When they send Boo-Boo's baby girl to the 99-cent store to buy your $10 "deep conditioner".
31.) When the stylists boyfriend comes in the shop with his boys and you are just hoping that they hurry up with your hair before there is a drive-by.
32.) When for a finishing touch your stylist insists on sprinkling a little bit of glitter in your hair.

Sorry this is soooooooo long, but Mocha got me started

I feel everyone's comments and yes, I read the Wayan's book and it was funny. I only asked because she said the "college" was ghetto. The whole college. I was asking what she meant. The people at the college were ghetto (see onesavvy comments)or the college itself. Were the windows boarded up? Were there bars on all the windows of the college? Barbed wire? What?

I agree that we should be able to laugh at ourselves, but there are many who find that degrading ourselves is detrimental to our upliftment. Especially seeing as how the stereotype is that ghetto people are people of color.