How is this racist?

[XMan]

So I'm in a training course with a bunch of fellow employees from around the US and Canada. A couple of weeks ago, the guy in my sub group (from Vancouver) was trying to remember the name of one of the other guys in the class who has a unique name that you don't hear very often. He said, "oh, you know, that guy, Cleveland." From Family Guy, you know.

We all laughed and told Vancouver guy, no, that's not his name, it's such-and-such.

Well, "Cleveland" found about the thing and now he's giving our group the cold shoulder because he thinks we're racist. He even went so far as to tell one member of the group that he's dealt with racism his entire life and this is nothing new to him.

I mean . . . WTF? I actually thought he was kind of a cool guy the first few days I knew him; we had some good, interesting conversations about all sorts of things, but now he's been acting like a tool for two weeks because of something that was said in passing, just because a guy couldn't remember his name after having known him for two days.

If I'm in the wrong here, please, enlighten me, cause I just don't see it.

 

[waggy]

i think to many look for a reason to call others racist.

 

[TheVrolok]

I really don't think it's racist, or really offensive either. However, I can understand how someone who is already sensitive to such issues due to prior dealings with racism could interpret it as such. Yes, some people are oversensitive, but that's the way it is.

 

[spaceman]

was he the only black dude in a room full of white people?
have you ever been the only white dude in a room full of black people?
i have..its uncomfortable to say the least and i imagine the reverse is true as well.

 

[compuwiz1]

People of race are using the race card too much lately. This does not help, infact, it hinders progress.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Yet, if "Cleveland" were referred to (for instance) as the bald guy with glasses, there would have been no problem.

I agree with waggy - dude's just looking for a reason to be offended, like so many people.

 

[videogames101]

He's an oversensitive idiot.

/thread

 

[XMan]

Originally posted by: spaceman
was he the only black dude in a room full of white people?
have you ever been the only white dude in a room full of black people?
i have..its uncomfortable to say the least and i imagine the reverse is true as well.

No, but I went to a high school that was 80% Hispanic and 20% white/black/Asian. So I do kind of see where you're coming from.

The only thing I would say to that is, A) he wasn't around when the original comment was made. And B) he found out about it by someone saying, "Dude, that Vancouver guy is a goofball. He couldn't remember your name and thought your name was Cleveland, like on Family Guy." We were all laughing at Vancouver guy, not him. Heck, Vancouver guy was laughing at himself, too.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

Originally posted by: compuwiz1
People of race are using the race card too much lately. This does not help, infact, it hinders progress.

This. Drawing attention to the issue only compounds the problem. Call someone out if they have a real problem, but this sounds like he was just looking for a reason to whine about "the man."

I have quite a few asian friends, and we always make fun of each others' races. You know, "Fat white kid," "little-dicked asian," etc. As long as everyone's doing it in jest, racism is actually quite fun.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: waggy
i think to many look for a reason to call others racist.

I think clueless, self-satisified white guys who have not experienced determined, pervasive and often explicit racism themselves from cops, real estate agents, loud mouthed good ol' boys, mortgage lenders, white g/f's mommas and random other people who can and do cross the street at their approach continue to keep their collective heads up their asses when dealing with the not unreasonable continuing sensitivity of black people to race.

Edit: Not directed specifically at you, waggy.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: spaceman
was he the only black dude in a room full of white people?
have you ever been the only white dude in a room full of black people?
i have..its uncomfortable to say the least and i imagine the reverse is true as well.

I have been the only whitey in a room full of "minorities" on many occasions, and it didn't bother me in the least.

I've also been picked last in a pickup b-ball game, where I was the only cracker. I found it humorous, and reflected on the stereotyping, but never thought about racism.

 

[Ballatician]

Let's see, Cleveland is the only black guy in mostly white Family Guy and he was probably the only black guy in your group. By referring to him as Cleveland, your friend is singling him out and it seems in your friends mind, the guy is black before anything else such as (occupation) (human) (etc) which is messed up.

I just don't think its an appropriate way to refer to someone. Try to put yourself in his shoes.

 

[heymrdj]

Originally posted by: waggy
i think to many look for a reason to call others racist.

This.

 

[XMan]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: waggy
i think to many look for a reason to call others racist.

I think clueless, self-satisified white guys who have not experienced determined, pervasive and often explicit racism themselves from cops, real estate agents, loud mouthed good ol' boys, mortgage lenders, white g/f's mommas and random other people who can and do cross the street at their approach continue to keep their collective heads up their asses when dealing with the not unreasonable continuing sensitivity of black people to race.

OK, but if that's the case, don't you think that treating the white guys who really could care less if people are fuschia or black or have three eyes like crap is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy?

 

[TruePaige]

Originally posted by: Ballatician
Let's see, Cleveland is the only black guy in mostly white Family Guy and he was probably the only black guy in your group. By referring to him as Cleveland, your friend is singling him out and it seems in your friends mind, the guy is black before anything else such as (occupation) (human) (etc) which is messed up.

I just don't think its an appropriate way to refer to someone. Try to put yourself in his shoes.

Grow some thicker skin.

It's not like he was discriminating against him, or being mean to him, or denying him anything.

People just WANT to be offended these days.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: XMan

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: waggy
i think to many look for a reason to call others racist.

I think clueless, self-satisified white guys who have not experienced determined, pervasive and often explicit racism themselves from cops, real estate agents, loud mouthed good ol' boys, mortgage lenders, white g/f's mommas and random other people who can and do cross the street at their approach continue to keep their collective heads up their asses when dealing with the not unreasonable continuing sensitivity of black people to race.

OK, but if that's the case, don't you think that treating the white guys who really could care less if people are fuschia or black or have three eyes like crap is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Yeah, it is. You are in the group who doesn't care. Sit down and have a man-to-man with him, explaining how it wasn't meant to be racist. Be prepared to hear some personal experiences from him that understandably make him thin-skinned about this shit.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: waggy
i think to many look for a reason to call others racist.

I think clueless, self-satisified white guys who have not experienced determined, pervasive and often explicit racism themselves from cops, real estate agents, loud mouthed good ol' boys, mortgage lenders, white g/f's mommas and random other people who can and do cross the street at their approach continue to keep their collective heads up their asses when dealing with the not unreasonable continuing sensitivity of black people to race.

Edit: Not directed specifically at you, waggy.

while i agree many white people do not know what real racism is (hell i have a mixed race family and can't say i know for %100) i do not find what the OP mentioned as racist.

And i do stand by my comment that many pull the race card for even the slightest BS to justify whatever BS they want.

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: waggy
i think to many look for a reason to call others racist.

I think clueless, self-satisified white guys who have not experienced determined, pervasive and often explicit racism themselves from cops, real estate agents, loud mouthed good ol' boys, mortgage lenders, white g/f's mommas and random other people who can and do cross the street at their approach continue to keep their collective heads up their asses when dealing with the not unreasonable continuing sensitivity of black people to race.

Edit: Not directed specifically at you, waggy.

Do minorities think that calling all non-minorities racists for every little stupid thing will make people more or less conscious of the difference in the color of our skin? Will it make non-minorities more likely or less likely to want to be around said minorities?

MotionMan

 

[Ballatician]

Originally posted by: XMan

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: waggy
i think to many look for a reason to call others racist.

I think clueless, self-satisified white guys who have not experienced determined, pervasive and often explicit racism themselves from cops, real estate agents, loud mouthed good ol' boys, mortgage lenders, white g/f's mommas and random other people who can and do cross the street at their approach continue to keep their collective heads up their asses when dealing with the not unreasonable continuing sensitivity of black people to race.

OK, but if that's the case, don't you think that treating the white guys who really could care less if people are fuschia or black or have three eyes like crap is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy?

If they really didn't care then why was him being black used as the only identifier? I'm sure he as some other characteristics.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: waggy
i do not find what the OP mentioned as racist.

All you need to understand here is WHY he might, and repair the unintended slight from there, is all.

 

[XMan]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: XMan

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: waggy
i think to many look for a reason to call others racist.

I think clueless, self-satisified white guys who have not experienced determined, pervasive and often explicit racism themselves from cops, real estate agents, loud mouthed good ol' boys, mortgage lenders, white g/f's mommas and random other people who can and do cross the street at their approach continue to keep their collective heads up their asses when dealing with the not unreasonable continuing sensitivity of black people to race.

OK, but if that's the case, don't you think that treating the white guys who really could care less if people are fuschia or black or have three eyes like crap is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Yeah, it is. You are in the group who doesn't care. Sit down and have a man-to-man with him, explaining how it wasn't meant to be racist. Be prepared to hear some personal experiences from him that understandably make him thin-skinned about this shit.

The guy he's mainly pissed off at did try to talk to him, but he wouldn't say much of anything to him other than the comment I had in the OP - "I've dealt with racism my whole life."

In the end it's probably not going to matter because I'm not likely to ever see this guy again, but it still bothers me to a certain extent because I really DON'T care, and I think racists are tools.

 

[Ballatician]

Originally posted by: TruePaige

Originally posted by: Ballatician
Let's see, Cleveland is the only black guy in mostly white Family Guy and he was probably the only black guy in your group. By referring to him as Cleveland, your friend is singling him out and it seems in your friends mind, the guy is black before anything else such as (occupation) (human) (etc) which is messed up.

I just don't think its an appropriate way to refer to someone. Try to put yourself in his shoes.

Grow some thicker skin.

It's not like he was discriminating against him, or being mean to him, or denying him anything.

People just WANT to be offended these days.

My skin is thick enough, believe me. I still don't think it's an appropriate comment during employee training with people you don't know.

To you it may not seem mean but you don't have the experiences that he has.

 

[XMan]

Originally posted by: Ballatician

Originally posted by: XMan

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: waggy
i think to many look for a reason to call others racist.

I think clueless, self-satisified white guys who have not experienced determined, pervasive and often explicit racism themselves from cops, real estate agents, loud mouthed good ol' boys, mortgage lenders, white g/f's mommas and random other people who can and do cross the street at their approach continue to keep their collective heads up their asses when dealing with the not unreasonable continuing sensitivity of black people to race.

OK, but if that's the case, don't you think that treating the white guys who really could care less if people are fuschia or black or have three eyes like crap is creating a self-fulfilling prophecy?

If they really didn't care then why was him being black used as the only identifier? I'm sure he as some other characteristics.

I honestly think it was mostly the uniqueness of his name. The class is not entirely white, but his name is definitely the most unique. Everyone else has a very common name - Bob, Sam, Tim, Roy, Jeff, etc.

 

[TehMac]

Originally posted by: spaceman
was he the only black dude in a room full of white people?
have you ever been the only white dude in a room full of black people?
i have..its uncomfortable to say the least and i imagine the reverse is true as well.

I have too...I have been a room full of afhanis, and tbh, it wasn't uncomfortable at all.

And black people too...

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: XMan
I think racists are tools.

Keep in mind that there are many different types of racists.

MotionMan