There's a big difference between making fun of a group, and hating that group. Comedians, talk show hosts, and shows like Saturday Night Live poke fun at various definable groups - be they political, sexual, racial, or religious - all the time, but they don't hate them.

As for racism, I looked it up in my trusty dictionary just to be sure. It has two definitions.

1. The notion that one's own ethnic stock is superior.
2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

I'm going to stick my neck out and assume two things here:

a - def. 1 applies to virtually no one on GC.
b - def. 2 applies to virtually everyone on GC (whether they will admit it or not).

If people parody a certain group, that can be taken with good humor or indignity. In all honesty, it's the indignity of a vocal few that tends to make me dislike a certain group more than any inherent quality of the group itself.

As PM_Mama00 said, "We shouldn't have to live our lives walking on eggshells about everything."

I know what you were saying smartass.

ok, and?

who said they're racist?

impossible.

they have someone who's black vouching for them.


:confused:

LOL

there's also this one....

2. discriminatory or abusive behavior towards members of another race

scroll down on dictionary.com

good humor should be taken by whom? the people offending or those who are being offended?

if you don't particularly care about the feelings of those you're offending....then you'll never walk on eggshells.

So I guess you are the final authority when it comes to deciding what is and isn't discriminatroy/abusive?

......because the way I read it the black guy that started the party originally didn't get any of that out of it. Its quite clear that he took it for what it was.....poking fun at a stereotype.........not hating/discriminating/being abusice towards another race.

who defines what's "abusice?" if you have a 10 person group, and 9/10 say they're offended....and that last person says they're not...what sort of conclusion would you come to? and who are you to say what people should/should not be offended by?

Well, Starang21, on the other hand, how much do you have to care about people being deeply offended about something pretty stupid and silly?

Yep, these folks look like idiots. Especially if they have regard for black people's feelings (which you think they would if they really have black friends), they should have thought this party idea out better.

But if you're going to concern yourself with the harmful effects of images of your group, wouldn't it make the most sense to address the stereotype, rather than people making fun of the stereotypes?

(It doesn't anger me when people make fun of rednecks from Georgia, only when they seem to assume that everyone from Georgia is a redneck.)

Do you imagine that the Aunt Jemima with the gun really thinks she's accurately representing anything? Or that the guys with bandanas and tilted caps think they're saying something about Barack Obama?

Why get bent out of shape that it has something to do with you?

I never said people shouldn't be offended. Thanks champ. Pretty sure I said I thought it was insensitive. Before you get all bent out of shape at the offending party and accuse them of being racists....maybe you should consider why there is a very real stereotype to begin with.

I just wanted to say that I'm probably not thinking enought about how I would feel as a member of a minority group. If I were the only woman in a company, and the guys had a party in which they made fun of Paris Hilton and dressed up, I would wonder what they thought about women generally.

I will say that sometime otherwise well-meaning folks do dumb stuff. These college kids may only know black people like themselves and are pretty racially unconscious, so making fun of these stereotypes doesn't seem to be a condemnation of the whole race. They only see it as a parody of things they see on You Tube.

i didn't accuse them of being anything. quit looking for it. whether or not there is truth to the matter is irrelevant. i'm sure aunt jemima with a gun is a very real stereotype.

it's not my group that is being parodied in these pictures. if there really wasn't anything wrong with these pictures....why didn't student that took them keep them up? personally, i think they should have had more of a diverse party population so that everyone could partake in the fun.

i would venture to say that this is often the crux of the matter.

Right, the combination is not a really stereotype which is why it's hard to assume that it reflects much of anything at all. I imagine it was just sillyness.

But if you think about it, the addition a of a gun to Aunt Jemima "mammy" stereotype is kind of interesting. hum. . .

I'm guessing he took them down because someone pointed out that it could be offensive and made them look bad. I think it's possible that before someone pointed it out to him, he thought it was just all in good fun and didn't think anyone who didn't drink 40s in paper bags or wear rap fashions from the '90s would feel offended.

ETA: I think everyone here agrees that there was something wrong with the party and the pictures. At least I do.

I would venture to guess that if they could go back now, they probably wouldn't do the theme.

I think the number of white people who assume that most black people fit any of these stereotypes is pretty small, but maybe I'm too optimistic.

Haha, no Aunt Jemima with a gun, although somewhat funny sounding, is not a very real stereotype..........however, eating fried chicken, drinking 40s, and wearing baggy clothing is.