posted
I've noticed twice today people have made references to the "Jews are good with money/cheap" stereotype. From what I can tell, both times the stereotype was referenced by Jews. If you belong to a particular cultural, religious, or racial group, does that make it okay for you to use those kinds of stereotypes?
I've had Jewish friends who joke constantly about the "cheap Jew" stereotype, and I've had other Jewish friends who get very angry at other Jews for joking in that fashion. I personally have cracked jokes about me being WASP-y. The 'n' word is commonly used in songs by black rappers, but never by a rapper of any other race. For Mormons, is it okay for other Mormons to joke about, say, having more than one wife (or is this completely non-analagous to the other two examples above)?
What do you think?
Posts: 1784 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
Both remarks were by the same poster, and he has been called out on it, and has apologised. I'd rather not foster hard feelings, so all is forgiven and we can all happily get along in my favorite playground.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Well, okay, my question still stands. I'm not trying to blow something up...this wasn't about one incident. In my RL experience, sometimes people make stereotypical jokes regarding their race/ethnicity/religion. Sometimes it seems to be okay, sometimes it doesn't.
Posts: 1784 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
If you were talking to me, she has a problem with self stereotypes. She has done it a number of times within the past couple of days.
Posts: 6026 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
Ha Ha Ha, very funny. I know, know. I say it's fine, but many others do not agree. I think it is completely fine to make fun of someone as long as you are not trying to hurt them. Then, YOU should be made fun of for making fun. If it hurts people, apologize and stop, that's the way I work.
posted
I do not like stereotyping, but perhaps it makes people feel comfortable to joke with each other about stuff like cheapness, and welfare and jello as they are all in the same group and have simular experiences. Sort of like black folks joking about nappy hair or something...
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
Actually, I made one sterotype, and said Jews don't like Hitler, which one can assume is true.
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
Reticulum, let us forgot the laughing for a moment and get back on track, say? It wasn't that funny, and isn't still that funny.
Posts: 6026 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
Well, for me it's a bit different. I play with gay stereotypes for fun, and my close friends do the same with me, even (when we're arguing) calling me by some of the worse words for gay.
The difference is I know it's all in jest and it doesn't matter to them, because these are people who have stood by me and supported me through all the difficult times associated with being gay. Now, when an outsider tries to do the same, they sort of close in on them like Furies. My friends are a bit more vengeful than me.
Posts: 1735 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Some groups like to make negative stereotypes about themselves to own it, and take the power away from people who'd make the same comment only out of ignorance or hatred.
I can't fault them for it, however, in taking the power for themselves and taking it away from others, they are still empowering whatever stereotype it is that they are using, and are perhaps devaluing the struggle the group might have suffered in the past over that stereotype.
The N word is the best example. But there are emerging words that work along the same lines. I was just having a conversation the other day with a black guy at work who said he wouldn't be surprised if the majority of white homes in America casually referred to black people using the N word, which shocked me. I can't stand the word, and I can rarely being myself to say it. I also highly, extremely doubt it is used casually by the majority of white homes in America.
He went on to say that among his family and friends, cracker and honkey (words apparently we don't have anywhere near as much trouble with) are considered racial slurs against white people, but aren't treated as such by anyone.
It's tough, but I think that a group taking ownership of a stereotype can be dangerous too, and it's best to fight them and let them die rather than reignite them, no matter who owns them.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
I think some things aren't funny no matter who says them ... I don't see a lot of Jews making jokes about being holocaust survivors. I've heard Mormons joking about polygamy before and I always just grit my teeth. I don't want to play into the stereotype that's put on us so often by outsiders. But I don't argue with them about it; it doesn't bother me, I just don't find it funny.
Stuff that's stereotypical, but hasn't been often used as an attack against a group is funnier, IMO. For example, Mormons always joke about Mormon Standard Time. And the Jello thing - Mormons talk about it a lot, but there aren't a lot of anti-Mormons out there screaming about Jello.
Posts: 1522 | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
I don't know why, but for some reason, when I walk up to people in the hall, I ask if they got the stuff, if they look like drug dealers.
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
I don't know any stoners, as I disassociate from all that I think are like that, but EVERYONE acknoledges that I'm the weirdest person ever.
If you keep this up, we may have to have a weird off, and have HatCrack vote on it. I don't think you're foolish enough.
Posts: 2121 | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
Don't worry, you both medal in the Hatrack Crazy-lympics.
Try and stay on target though. You're getting a little carried away with thread detrailings. You'd make Amtrak proud.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
If Shining Time Station has taught us anything, it's that trains are as racially diverse as humans, and we should learn to celebrate their diversity.
posted
It's entirely situational for me. In the right company, I'm self-deprecating about being Japanese. Around others, I would never dream of it and would be offended at others who did. If I don't know someone very well, for example, or have just met them, it strikes me as very crass and desperate for attention if they make a lot of self-deprecating jokes of ANY kind.
Edited to add:
Beyond that, I have mixed feelings on how appropriate it is. I haven't really decided whether that kind of humor is a useful tool for highlighting the ridiculousness of some stereotypes and, therefore, weakening them, or if using them makes it seem more acceptable to do so amongst others.
Use of "The N Word" is a prime example. Most of the people I know who use it today would not DREAM of using it deliberately to be offensive or degrading toward a black person, but because of the prominence and "adoption" of the term by the majority of modern black culture it seems like it's more okay to say it. The word is less foreboding because it HAS a use that isn't negative. At the same time, I am proud that the black community could take a word that was so inherently negative and give it any positivity at all.
Now feminists are trying to do the same with "C*nt" and the homosexual community has largely accomplished this (and much more successfully, IMO) with "queer" - and it's slowly happening with "fag."
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Reticulum: Nor do you I.
I acknoledge your weirdness, but convey that you are nothing compared my weirdness, you, you, you Glorgonthol!
There is about 1/trillionth of my weirdness.
That might read better as: "Nor you, me."
Also, I'm fairly sure that Amtrack is not, in fact, a race at all (unless it's a race to insolvency), and therefore Lyrhawn's joke was by definition not racist, offensive though it may have been.
Posts: 413 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Wow. I've been called wise twice in the same day, now. Either poeple are finally noticing my true greatness, or my sarcasm detector is on the fritz again.
Posts: 413 | Registered: Apr 2003
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