U Maryland: Birthday Cake Pic on Instagram

[DrPhil]

Dear Confused White People and Confused Other People Not of the Immediate African Diaspora:

I don't give a damn what you think but since you all insist.... I am surrounded by white people, Asians, American Indians-Native Americans, and Hispanics who use certain words and phrases within ear shot of me. That doesn't make me anxious to use those words and phrases. I do not have a "must be able to do everything" superiority (or inferiority) complex. As said on the 1980s talk shows and still very applicable in 2014, instead of wondering why you can't say it, ask yourself why you WANT and NEED to say it.

Sincerely,
The Coalition of "When in Doubt, Don't"

ETA: The rap lyric on a cake is extremely typical and uninteresting which is why I didn't respond to this thread. However, this thread topic is just like other thread topics that have anything to do with race. The ignorance of some GCers is hidden in the topic. Same shit, different toilet.

[DrPhil]

No. Almost everyday, I have white people in professional and personal interactions call themselves and other whites certain words and phrases. They think that I will find it funny because I am Black. I don't laugh and I tell them not to do that around me.

But, based on the "don't do it in the public domain" logic, I should not only laugh but adopt those words and phrases in my repertoire. That'll teach them...right? It's fun to adopt certain words and phrases just for shits and giggles...right?

Nah, the truth is, humans are smart enough to handle things in the public domain that are still not to be adopted. The humans who are not smart enough to grasp that have other things to tackle instead of fighting to be able to use certain words and phrases.

But, keep telling people, and especially white people, that they can use certain words just because they hear it frequently. Keep telling people, especially white people, that it is the fault of the people who put these words in the public domain. I have seen people, including white people, get their asses whooped for stepping over boundaries and trying to reenact rap songs, rap videos, and stereotypes with people of another race and ethnicity. I don't condone the ass whoopings but I definitely understood and found it extremely deserved.

Cool....

[PiKA2001]

Dr Phil, I think you are missing the point. No one is saying that using the word is ok, but when you have non black kids being raised on the word and not necessarily knowing or understanding the past of that word, instances like this will arise. I'm also curious to know what words and phrases white people refer to other white people as in your presence.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

Dr Phil, I think you are missing the point. No one is saying that using the word is ok

I am not missing the point. If you know that non-Blacks using the word isn't okay, the rest is moot.

Don't preach to Black people about using the word. Preach to non-Black people about using the word. School the confused white people.

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I am not missing the point. If you know that non-Blacks using the word isn't okay, the rest is moot.

Don't preach to Black people about using the word. Preach to non-Black people about using the word. School the confused white people.

I don't think this girl was a "confused white person". I really think it's a generational thing. The word brings different connotations to a 17yr old and 55yr old. I actually have met true racists in my time, and they are pretty discrete about their viewpoints. Her posting her cake on IG leads me to believe that this girl really didn't think that cake was offensive, which doesn't surprise me much because of her age. She grew up with the N word being all over the place due to hip hop culture, not from it being all over the place due to racism (as other people have lived through).

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

I don't think this girl was a "confused white person". I really think it's a generational thing. The word brings different connotations to a 17yr old and 55yr old. I actually have met true racists in my time, and they are pretty discrete about their viewpoints. Her posting her cake on IG leads me to believe that this girl really didn't think that cake was offensive, which doesn't surprise me much because of her age. She grew up with the N word being all over the place due to hip hop culture, not from it being all over the place due to racism (as other people have lived through).

She is either confused, a dumbass, or both.

This is beginning to remind me of that thread about racially insensitive cartoons.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

I don't think this girl was a "confused white person". I really think it's a generational thing. The word brings different connotations to a 17yr old and 55yr old. I actually have met true racists in my time, and they are pretty discrete about their viewpoints. Her posting her cake on IG leads me to believe that this girl really didn't think that cake was offensive, which doesn't surprise me much because of her age. She grew up with the N word being all over the place due to hip hop culture, not from it being all over the place due to racism (as other people have lived through).

Even if it didn't have the N word, she's a dumbass for posting it. A cake that says suck a dick? What the hell? The fact that it includes racist language just makes it exponentially worse.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

Her posting her cake on IG leads me to believe that this girl really didn't think that cake was offensive, which doesn't surprise me much because of her age. She grew up with the N word being all over the place due to hip hop culture, not from it being all over the place due to racism (as other people have lived through).

The problem is that it has an impact, regardless of her intent.

[pshsx1]

Originally Posted by Nanners52674

I don't get why this got linked to Greek Life, her cake had nothing to do with DG.

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

The problem is that it has an impact, regardless of her intent.

It's just the same as the "SigEps" at Ole Miss (or where ever they were) putting a noose around the black statue. Sure, the chapter itself didn't do it, but the chapter has a social responsibility to squash racism, hate speech, homophobia, etc. and remove that shit from its ranks.

And haven't we all been given the age-old lesson, "you're always wearing your letters" ????

ETA:

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

A generation has literally grown up hearing the word in non racist ways but people still act like a 20 year olds n-word is the same as a 70 year olds n-word.

That doesn't make it any better... Sure, white people have heard it in supposedly "non-racist" ways (nope), but we blacks get to hear it in racist, degrading ways from the mouths of non-blacks countless times in our lives. SO, until that's done, can't no white people say, write, or think about the n-word.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by PiKA2001

I don't think this girl was a "confused white person". I really think it's a generational thing. The word brings different connotations to a 17yr old and 55yr old. I actually have met true racists in my time, and they are pretty discrete about their viewpoints. Her posting her cake on IG leads me to believe that this girl really didn't think that cake was offensive, which doesn't surprise me much because of her age. She grew up with the N word being all over the place due to hip hop culture, not from it being all over the place due to racism (as other people have lived through).

We could cut her (and her friends that made this cake and took the picture) some slack if she was 8 years old and didn't understand the difference. She is not 8. She is, however, egregiously stupid.

Originally Posted by DGTess

Not only the use of a racial term, even quoted, but the vulgar concept ... (might be PART of why so little progress is being made against stereotypes)

Why do women want to demean themselves so?

If a man had the equivalent regarding female anatomy on his cake, would you cluck and say "why do men want to demean themselves so?"

It's part of a song and no doubt a silly inside joke. To them it's like - if I would have had the cat from the Paula Abdul video on my cake. It doesn't mean I want to have sex with a cartoon cat.

[DGTess]

Originally Posted by 33girl

We could cut her (and her friends that made this cake and took the picture) some slack if she was 8 years old and didn't understand the difference. She is not 8. She is, however, egregiously stupid.



If a man had the equivalent regarding female anatomy on his cake, would you cluck and say "why do men want to demean themselves so?"

It's part of a song and no doubt a silly inside joke. To them it's like - if I would have had the cat from the Paula Abdul video on my cake. It doesn't mean I want to have sex with a cartoon cat.

Well, yes, I would. We need to hold these YOUNG ADULTS to the expectations that vulgar references to anatomy or sexual acts aren't "cool", they're disgusting, despite "celebrities" who demonstrate otherwise.

[Sen's Revenge]

Y'all want to say slurs soooooooooo bad! LOL. Wack.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

Y'all want to say slurs soooooooooo bad! LOL. Wack.

It is wack. I want to know who these white people are who think it's OK to use it because "they hear it in the media." They must be the kids of the white people are who are using it inappropriately and in a racist way. Because I have to tell you that if I ever hear my child use it in any context, I will knock her into next week.

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

It is wack. I want to know who these white people are who think it's OK to use it because "they hear it in the media." They must be the kids of the white people are who are using it inappropriately and in a racist way. Because I have to tell you that if I ever hear my child use it in any context, I will knock her into next week.

Indeed. Anything else is just deflection.

[DGTess]

Not only the use of a racial term, even quoted, but the vulgar concept ... (might be PART of why so little progress is being made against stereotypes)

Why do women want to demean themselves so?