on friday my boss said to me... the stupidest thing i ever heard

[Sqube]

I thought it was mildly amusing.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: djheater

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: djheater

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: djheater

Originally posted by: Excelsior

Originally posted by: djheater

Originally posted by: newParadigm
omg, not racist really. In response to the above post: why is it unpolitically correct to call someone by their skin color, but not their origin. Both dsicriminate between blacks and whites.

Good question, I don't know why it's a standard. There is however a negative connotation to the term blacks, as demonstrated by the standard of referring to them as African-Americans. Personally I think African Americans is a pretty silly term, I knew a white, South African, naturalized citizen who took particular pleasure in screwing with people.

Not really. African-Americans isn't a standard...well not for common people, who talk to eachother on a daily basis, informally. I had black friends at Uni, and they never used the term African-American. No one had a problem with being called black...just like I didn't have problem with being called white.

Most of them are no more African-American, than I am Euro-American, anyway.

He wasn't in an informal setting. In my professional environment, I couldn't imagine referring to clients as Blacks. Though I admit it's debatable. Language is a living thing. What's most important though is that implicit in the joke is the assumption that Black is "incorrect" usage and African American is more "correct".

I could understand you not wanting to offend your clients. I don't think that was implied though..to be honest, I doubt his boss is smart enough to go through such a thought process.

If it was implied, though, he would be correct. I personally think it is a joke, because we are all Americans. In the case of first generation immigrants, I could understand hyphenating their nationality, maybe.

It wouldn't be a conscious thought process. Proof of the implication is in the fact that we all understand "African American" to be more politically correct than "Black".
Just to be clear, I think political correctness is as silly as the next guy, but just because I think a societal norm is silly isn't justification for me not respecting it.

As to another poster not understanding why anyone would refer to clients by their ethnicity, it is relevant to some topics. Marketing for example.

I'm pretty tired of analyzing this one. Who cares what some guy's boss said... I don't.

Bah. I don't care that some people consider it to be a "societal norm". Folks only use AA because they are so scared that they might offend someone. So you respect it out of fear, right? You wouldn't want anyone to think you're racist, right? I am serious..I'd like to know.

There is a subtle racism in American culture (often not so subtle at all), the joke and its use of socially understood tems is demonstration of that.
Those societal norms may indeed be silly and insincere, but I don't believe convention breaking is a merit in and of itself. Our culture has a very sketchy history when it comes to racism and it's no wonder we handle it as delicately as we do.

You act as if our culture is the only one with a sketchy history when it comes to racism.

Racism is everywhere, and I'd argue it is worse in areas that have less racial diversity (not an issue here, of course).

My point is..I have no problem with being called white, and none of the black people I knew had a problem with being called black. I am not going to bend-over and use the term AA because some PC nutjobs think I have to.

I wouldn't choose to "break convention" just to do so. I think calling a black person whose anscestors came to the US, from Africa in the 1800s an African-American, makes just as much sense as me demanding that they call me a Euro-American since my ancestors came from Europe in the same century.

 

[silverpig]

That's pretty good

 

[preslove]

Originally posted by: halik
thats a bad joke

Seriously, anyone who appreciates that joke is a moron. It really isn't racist, though.