Mayor comes under fire for sent e-mail with watermelons at White House

[Ozoned]

Originally posted by: UberNeuman


Very well. But what is the point of a photoshop of Watermelons outside the White House?

My thought are that the abuser and the abused in this incident both want to use it, to their advantage, to advance their cause.

 

[Orignal Earl]

Originally posted by: AreaCode707

Originally posted by: Orignal Earl

Originally posted by: AreaCode707


[edit] As an additional example of my ignorance, I was just discussing this thread with another AT member and the term "tar baby" came up. While I knew the term and knew it was offensive, I had no idea what the story behind it was and he had to explain it to me. I know a lot more about racist memes when it comes to the local minority populations in my area. Glad I haven't accidentally offended anyone through my ignorance (that I know of) so far.

When I was arrested they told me Ignorance was no excuse

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. It's not possible for everyone to share every bit of everybody else's cultural experience and knowledge.

ya, Just a heads up, right buddy

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: yowolabi

Originally posted by: AreaCode707

Originally posted by: Orignal Earl

Originally posted by: AreaCode707


[edit] As an additional example of my ignorance, I was just discussing this thread with another AT member and the term "tar baby" came up. While I knew the term and knew it was offensive, I had no idea what the story behind it was and he had to explain it to me. I know a lot more about racist memes when it comes to the local minority populations in my area. Glad I haven't accidentally offended anyone through my ignorance (that I know of) so far.

When I was arrested they told me Ignorance was no excuse

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. It's not possible for everyone to share every bit of everybody else's cultural experience and knowledge.

Well, you don't go to jail for insulting someone. There are only social penalties, the same kind of penalties you get whenever you are socially inept. It's always your responsibility to make sure that you are aware of popular culture and history. If you fail and say something racist, sexist or just stupid, the penalties you suffer are appropriate for the crime.

Definitely not arguing that. That's why I said earlier in the thread that I'm glad my ignorance in this particular area hasn't come up in a way that's embarrassed me.

 

[Orignal Earl]

Originally posted by: AreaCode707

[edit] As an additional example of my ignorance, I was just discussing this thread with another AT member and the term "tar baby" came up. While I knew the term and knew it was offensive, I had no idea what the story behind it was and he had to explain it to me. I know a lot more about racist memes when it comes to the local minority populations in my area. Glad I haven't accidentally offended anyone through my ignorance (that I know of) so far.

We used to call tar babies ***** babies

 

[thecoolnessrune]

As someone who is half black and half white I'll say that I wouldn't have been offended at all. I see it as whats worse? Making light and moving on from the dark past (uh oh! I said dark in a thread about racism!), or screaming racist to every person who attempts to mention it in anyway thereby implanting within yet another generation that we cannot be truly free of racism because there's always terms we have to feel insulted over.

I personally laughed. :laugh:

If you're getting offended, you need to get a life.

EDIT:

I didn't even know that people would get offended over tar baby.. I need to brush up on my random anger skills.

 

[tvarad]

I would bet that a significant proportion of the current generation wouldn't even get the racist joke. In that sense the joke's really on the clown who originated it.

 

[tvarad]

And Obama's father was from Kenya (we can safely assume that his blackness is the subject of the derisive e-mail), so if Obama were to practice agriculture at the White House, he'd be planting tea or cofee or even flower plants (of which Kenya is a major exporter). Like I said, the joke's on the idiot who sent the e-mail.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: AreaCode707

I told you; I would, without any context, interpret it as a weak play on the Obama famiy's preference for eating local. To make it funny enough to forward... people forward me unfunny crap all the time so my threshold for "funny enough to want to forward it" is extremely low.

Not saying he didn't know it was a racial stereotype, just saying I didn't until this thread so it's possible for somebody to legitimately not know.

Why would you have thought they picked watermelons as the crop, if the 'joke' were just 'eating local'? Why would he have though 'eat local' funny enough to forward the mail?

Even if you didn't know the reference, that still doesn't explain finding it funny enough to forward, instead of the reaction you being 'weak'.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: Craig234

Originally posted by: AreaCode707

I told you; I would, without any context, interpret it as a weak play on the Obama famiy's preference for eating local. To make it funny enough to forward... people forward me unfunny crap all the time so my threshold for "funny enough to want to forward it" is extremely low.

Not saying he didn't know it was a racial stereotype, just saying I didn't until this thread so it's possible for somebody to legitimately not know.

Why would you have thought they picked watermelons as the crop, if the 'joke' were just 'eating local'? Why would he have though 'eat local' funny enough to forward the mail?

Even if you didn't know the reference, that still doesn't explain finding it funny enough to forward, instead of the reaction you being 'weak'.

Watermelons is as random as anything else, from my point of view. Nothing is funny enough to be worth forwarding. And people forward me all sorts crap, so I have ceased to expect forwards to be funny or make any kind of sense.