Co-worker made a racist comment today

If you really wanted to do something, you should have confronted the person who made the comment when the comment was made. Crying to a boss and getting that person in trouble is not going to accomplish anything.

Next time don't be such a douche.

 

[Aharami]

dude...mind your own business

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: jemcam

Originally posted by: Amused
My opinion:

The term "Monkey" crosses the line and is racist.

However, tattling on him is not the way to go about it.

Personally, I would pull him aside and let him know my extreme distaste of the term "monkey" to describe blacks, and it would be in his best interest to never use that term in ear shot again.

But then, I'm a rather intimidating guy. This approach may not work for you. If not, threaten to report him if you hear it again.

"Monkey" is not racist. "Porch Monkey" is. Perhaps that's what you were thinking of.

The term "monkey" when talking about black people is an obviously racist term. Always has been as it equates blacks with monkeys based on inherent traits and the misguided belief that blacks are "less evolved." The term "porch monkey" is just an expansion on that to describe poor blacks who spend summers on their front porches in the Southern states to get out of the heat in the house.

I am the LAST person here to recklessly call racism. But when there IS racism, I can't stand it.

 

[Papagayo]

Originally posted by: CoolTech
So my office is next to the lounge where a lot of employees hang during lunch, some topic came up that had to do with race and I overheard one of them saying then you got the reverend al sharpton and jesse jackson and monkeys with picket signs. I am not sure how to proceed in reporting this, being in that I started the job a month ago and its a temp to hire position in a small company. Should I report him to the CEO?

I call shens on this one..

I need pictures of the people and their work location as proof, so that I can hunt them down and beat some sense into them with my golf club.

 

[32fear]

Originally posted by: KK
Quit being a baby, you tard. I'm sure you are going to make it far in life with such a whiny attitude.

;

 

[SuperSix]

That statement can be taken many ways - of course you choose the pick the one possible meaning that offends you.

Everybody's a goddamn victim.

Pussy

 

[MercenaryForHire]

STFU all of you. Stop being such whiny f*cking bitches.

- M4H

 

[dabuddha]

Originally posted by: SuperSix
That statement can be taken many ways - of course you choose the pick the one possible meaning that offends you.

Everybody's a goddamn victim.

Pussy

Do explain the many ways that the statement can be interpreted.

Moron.

I'm surprised that so many people seem to have no clue. Regardless of how the statement is taken, you do NOT speak to other co workers in this manner in a professional office environment. It's really that simple 🙂

 

[Feneant2]

I'm sure your boss will run to hire an employee who stirs trouble on purpose. The last time I saw Jackson talk, it was at the Schiavo watch with his trained chimps. Don't you realize that all the protesters ARE monkeys- they are lobbyists who spend their time travelling the country fighting for causes just to get media attention. And last I looked, most are not even black, but white. It is obvious they were implying protesters were like trained monkeys and it was not even near a racist comment.

You have to be extremely insecure if you think this is a racist comment.

 

[xaeniac]

If you report good luck on getting temp to permanent.... Imo they may have a problem with permanent status over legal issues

 

Just let it slide. He's not hurting you.
Do you have a personal grudge with this person after being there only one month?

 

[GasX]

Protestors with signs blindly following Sharpton and Jackson ARE monkeys.

If they are black, they are black monkeys. If they are white they are white monkeys...

Personally, I would have made a sheep reference, but monkey works.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: suse920

Originally posted by: NFS4
I hate Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton and I'm black. I think they're self-serving blow-hard puppets that will do anything for a sound-bite. Then again, that doesn't make them much different than most politicians...but I still don't like either one

As for the monkey comment...fvck 'em. I would have just turned and walked away

:thumbsup:

good call. I'm white, but if it was a coment about a white person i would act in the same way.

Indeed, I grew up around Mexicans that where always heckling me for being white, it never bothered me.

 

[Joemonkey]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
STFU all of you. Stop being such whiny f*cking bitches.

- M4H

exactly

i wonder if the mods will have to change my name now since it is racist :roll:

 

[zixxer]

Originally posted by: NFS4
I hate Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton and I'm black. I think they're self-serving blow-hard puppets that will do anything for a sound-bite. Then again, that doesn't make them much different than most politicians...but I still don't like either one

As for the monkey comment...fvck 'em. I would have just turned and walked away

I think I've fallen in love w/ you

:lips:

 

[DivideBYZero]

Hey! OP!



















*Cockpunch*

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: Joemonkey

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
STFU all of you. Stop being such whiny f*cking bitches.

- M4H

exactly

i wonder if the mods will have to change my name now since it is racist :roll:

I guess the concept of "context" esacpes you?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Feneant2
I'm sure your boss will run to hire an employee who stirs trouble on purpose. The last time I saw Jackson talk, it was at the Schiavo watch with his trained chimps. Don't you realize that all the protesters ARE monkeys- they are lobbyists who spend their time travelling the country fighting for causes just to get media attention. And last I looked, most are not even black, but white. It is obvious they were implying protesters were like trained monkeys and it was not even near a racist comment.

You have to be extremely insecure if you think this is a racist comment.

The racist interpretation is just as valid as your interpretation, so why do you assume yours to be the correct one? Really, calling Sharpton and Jackson monkeys doesn't even fit in your analogy, because they wouldn't be the "trained chimps," they'd be the trainers. They're the ones who get the lemmings to follow any cause they promote.

Edit: I retract that last part, I thought he was referring to Sharpton and Jackson as the monkeys.

At very least it was a poor choice of words. I'd wait and see if the guy says anything else offensive.

 

[zixxer]

I'm irish, and whenever I hear an irish joke I don't flip out. WTF cares? Irish people had it worse off than blacks here in the US. You don't see irish rallies crying for reperations and making false accusations, let alone reverse racisms.


the only way for black people to eliminate this racists issue is to start ignoring it.

 

Originally posted by: armatron
I'm irish, and whenever I hear an irish joke I don't flip out. WTF cares? Irish people had it worse off than blacks here in the US. You don't see irish rallies crying for reperations and making false accusations, let alone reverse racisms.


the only way for black people to eliminate this racists issue is to start ignoring it.

Or they can do what the irish do to cope, drink a lot. heehehe

 

[cerebusPu]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: Jon855

Originally posted by: CoolTech
leave the thread, you are not helping mr. I am a lifer on anandtech and have no life

Not a lifer, according to your post count.

Now, racism's illegal in any job, so report it. Keep the cool, racism isn't legal on the work-force the last I check. If you over heard them talking like this in well, their own house and then that's a different story ya hear.

Racism is perfectly legal. Discrimination isn't. Racism refers to the belief set, discrimination refers to using it against someone.[/q]

 

[Amused]

Originally posted by: cerebusPu

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: Jon855

Originally posted by: CoolTech
leave the thread, you are not helping mr. I am a lifer on anandtech and have no life

Not a lifer, according to your post count.

Now, racism's illegal in any job, so report it. Keep the cool, racism isn't legal on the work-force the last I check. If you over heard them talking like this in well, their own house and then that's a different story ya hear.

Racism is perfectly legal. Discrimination isn't. Racism refers to the belief set, discrimination refers to using it against someone.[/q]

Discrimination is legal as well. It is only illegal in certain settings.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: CoolTech
So my office is next to the lounge where a lot of employees hang during lunch, some topic came up that had to do with race and I overheard one of them saying then you got the reverend al sharpton and jesse jackson and monkeys with picket signs. I am not sure how to proceed in reporting this, being in that I started the job a month ago and its a temp to hire position in a small company. Should I report him to the CEO?

Your co-worker is an ignorant fool. Still, if you want to suceed in life you will need to learn to deal with ignorant fools like this. But, reporting him will probably only suceed in making this guy resent you and upper management will likely think of you as a trouble maker.

I would just let it slide.

BTW-Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are also ignorant fools.

 

[vood0g]

Originally posted by: Amused

Originally posted by: jemcam

Originally posted by: Amused
My opinion:

The term "Monkey" crosses the line and is racist.

However, tattling on him is not the way to go about it.

Personally, I would pull him aside and let him know my extreme distaste of the term "monkey" to describe blacks, and it would be in his best interest to never use that term in ear shot again.

But then, I'm a rather intimidating guy. This approach may not work for you. If not, threaten to report him if you hear it again.

"Monkey" is not racist. "Porch Monkey" is. Perhaps that's what you were thinking of.

The term "monkey" when talking about black people is an obviously racist term. Always has been as it equates blacks with monkeys based on inherent traits and the misguided belief that blacks are "less evolved." The term "porch monkey" is just an expansion on that to describe poor blacks who spend summers on their front porches in the Southern states to get out of the heat in the house.

I am the LAST person here to recklessly call racism. But when there IS racism, I can't stand it.

I can see how monkey can be taken as a racist comment, but honestly, I have never seen it used as such. Most people when they use monkey in a derogatory term mean to use it to mean dumbasses, stupid etc...

Taken in the context of the OP, it could mean the followers of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are a bunch of dumbasses. It may just so happen that many of their followers are black, but i don't think that they were using "monkeys" as a racist term to describe ALL black people, but rather its a derogatory term for the ones following A.S. and J.J., white, black or any other race. is it right or wrong? i dont know, but as racist, i dont think so.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: halik
on a different parallel, i really dont see the monkies = black people connection.
I throw the terms code monkey or computer monkey around a lot.. *gasp* am i being racist?

Honestly, if you hear "monkey" and immediately associate a picture of a black dude, it's you that's got a problem.

Seriously, I usually think of one of those tame monkeys with a diaper on. Because THATS WHAT MONKEYS FVCKING ARE.