"He talk like a white boy..."
- Thread starter SageRuffin
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Big words is a "white person" thing now? This "white boy" still seems to astound everyone I've ever spoken to with my verbose vocabulary out here in white-bred middle America. I don't understand why all these ludicrous stereotypes exist...
If you're black and speak eloquently you talk like a white person. If you're white and speak eloquently you're stuck up or nerdy (At least where I'm from).
You just can't win. Such is life. Oh well! Screw everyone!
You just can't win. Such is life. Oh well! Screw everyone!
I feel that people who act like they're being betrayed by black men and women who try to better themselves are perpetuating the negative stereotype that a lot of people seem to lump all black folk into. If someone tries to become better and rise above what is expected, he/she is not to be scorned or insulted. I think that you shouldn't let those people get to you; I live near Baltimore, and I know what sort of people occupy the slums of the city.
I get something similar from my family. They call me a "pompous prick" when we argue simply because I dont speak like im chewing cud. Its not so bad that id be called a traitor, but it annoys me all the same.
Question: Who is Drake?
Question: Who is Drake?
As a police officer, I've had a lot of partners that are black, I've been taught not to say African american cuz some black people are not of direct African decent, (my last partner was from Barbados) before anyone jumps down my throat about it.
Back to my point, i've sen a TON of officers get called 'sell-outs' or accused of talking white. Etc. It's so hard not to roll my eyes.
To be fair I've seen every major race call someone a sell-out.
Back to my point, i've sen a TON of officers get called 'sell-outs' or accused of talking white. Etc. It's so hard not to roll my eyes.
To be fair I've seen every major race call someone a sell-out.
You are a handsome man.SageRuffin said:
um... dont read into that too much.
...
OT: anyway, I was always white (ITS NOT MY FAULT ALRIGHT! I WAS BORN THIS WAY, I WISH I COULD CHANGE IT EVERYDAY SO I DIDNT HAVE THIS HORRIFYING DISABILITY! :`( ) so I never had that whole talking like Im different thing in me. Now I hve been a dick from time to time and I'll talk above someone, but usually thats only using much larger words unnecessarily.
I dont know where Im really going with this, so I'll just go with what my grandfather told me.
"theres nothing wrong with sounding educated."
yeah, just... take what you will from that I suppose.
It's something I've never really understood; in education, we talk about what you refer to as "talking black," and what my text books referred to as "Black English Vernacular," as a legitimate dialect that we as educators need to allow and even encourage our students to use[footnote]Note that I'm not disparaging it as a dialect, just complaining about how we aren't really allowed to teach students the proper form for formal use.[/footnote]. There have even been lawsuits in which students were vindicated in refusing to learn the standard English that they were being taught in school. Now excuse me for a minute, but as a white Southerner (which, who knows, maybe that right there invalidates my opinion) I have my own dialect that is separate from Standard English. And you know what? I don't use it in academic settings, because it's inappropriate -- and I fully expect to be looked down upon if I start slipping aint's and ya'lls into my formal discourse. I guess I'm not helping much here, but it is an interesting double standard.
I'm not black, but my best friend is. He gets this kind of comment about him all the time. I never see it bother him, but it would annoy me. Why can't you just be who you are, rather than a checklist of stereotypes?
Anyway, I have gotten similar comments myself because I was born in the Southern US but don't show it in almost any way. But in that case, I take it as a compliment. Unless you're in the South, people saying you're "so Southern" is usually not a statement with many flowery connotations.
Anyway, I have gotten similar comments myself because I was born in the Southern US but don't show it in almost any way. But in that case, I take it as a compliment. Unless you're in the South, people saying you're "so Southern" is usually not a statement with many flowery connotations.
I'm sorry to butt in, but I went and looked up the lyrics to that and I agree with SageRuffin. In my opinion, that is a shit song. Lyrics make no sense, what does make sense repels me...PeePantz said:How can you argue, with that?SageRuffin said:Do you really want me to answer that?PeePantz said:
Don't get me wrong; I like rap and hip hop. When it's done well. As in beats and background vocals that don't end up grinding your brain into mush through repetitiveness, and lyrics that make sense.
OT: I can't claim to have been in your situation. I'm Caucasian for one thing. I did grow up in what could be called "the ghetto" of my town - an immigrant rich neighbourhood with crime problems - but people would just call me "svenne"[footnote]Derogatory term for Swedish people sometimes used by immigrants, children of immigrants, or Nth generation Swedes who want to fit in with their immigrant friends.[/footnote] and sneer at me, and that was pretty much it.
Don't let them get you down though. You're not "acting white"; you are an educated, articulate, contributing member of society. This does not make you any less black any more than me wearing trousers 99% of the time makes me less of a woman. You are practically the embodiment of what the civil rights movement fought so hard to achieve. Good for you OP.
Hope I made sense. Tired. -_-ZzZzZ
If I had to hazard a guess I'd say it was more to do with economics and geography than race.
Like you said, you get it in the more "ghetto" areas where an "us vs. them" mentality can often develop in some way, shape or form (not just in the US but in most ghettos in history, the obvious example being the Jews in Medieval times or during WWII). When a Jew in Medieval times left the walls of the ghetto they were normally merchants but if they displayed traits associated with Christianity or converted to escape the ghetto they were often accused of becoming traitors, although, today the reaction is quite as harsh. In America it just happens to be associated with race.
Like you said, you get it in the more "ghetto" areas where an "us vs. them" mentality can often develop in some way, shape or form (not just in the US but in most ghettos in history, the obvious example being the Jews in Medieval times or during WWII). When a Jew in Medieval times left the walls of the ghetto they were normally merchants but if they displayed traits associated with Christianity or converted to escape the ghetto they were often accused of becoming traitors, although, today the reaction is quite as harsh. In America it just happens to be associated with race.
Don't you think that type of thought pattern also keeps your ethnic group (Black US American) as a whole a bit back? The whole "If you are not like us you are not one of us" mentality?SageRuffin said:
Although I talk about blacks in the question you can interchange it for almost anything, social group, gender etc.
All "groups" have a stereotype, both externally and internally. The internal stereotypes is what a lot of people view as their identity, and if you don't fit that bill "you are not one of them".
Hell a lot of conservative Americans don't even view Obama as "their president" because he "got to power because a lot of Hispanics and black people voted for him"...
At the same time you fit the stereotype a lot of people have of whites, which is probably why you are in this situation.
Sadly I think we have a LOOONG way to go before those stereotypes are removed, if they ever will be.
Well, here's hoping I got a long life ahead. We all just may see some changes yet.Aerodyamic said:
Hopefully. :/
I know, but I still hate when people say that. It's like I'm being called false just for being myself, and I (and those involved with my upbringing) worked petty fucking hard to get me where I am today.feeback06 said:
That's the same thing I'm saying. At least no one's asked me if I played basketball in years (me being nigh 6'1" and all). I'll take solace where I can find it.chaosyoshimage said:
I like that mindset.The Pinray said:
Hmm... that might be why everyone at my squadron so hard to be on my good side, because they know I can easily make them look like an idiot (not to toot my own horn, but this place is devoid of almost any sense and creativity). Ironically, this only makes me further resent them because I can't stand when people try so hard to get on my good side.
Drake is one of if not the most recent actor-turned-rapper (he had a major role on some show called "Degrassi" I think). Here's his YouTube channel [http://www.youtube.com/user/DrakeOfficial] if you wanna look more into him, or something.Mr Pantomime said:
Don't worry, I'm with you on the subject of African-Americans. My ancestors may be from Africa, sure, but I certainly am not. I'm simply American, melanin levels be damned.ace_of_something said:
Oh, and nice parallel, you being a cop and having Stryker as your avatar.
I haven't seen it myself outside of an old Dateline special involving "urban fashion", but I can certainly believe it.ace_of_something said:
Well... shit.emeraldrafael said:
Your grandfather sounds like a wise man. It makes me wish I had someone like that in my life.emeraldrafael said:
Ah well.
I've been accused of being an "Oreo" myself, so I know what you mean. Although... the way you worded that can easily be taken out of context.ravensheart18 said:
Oh, I'm fully aware of varying accents and whatnot as one ventures around the US. I've lived in NC with my grandma for a few years and the other kids would comment on me having an accent that I personally never heard.Owyn_Merrilin said:
And are you serious about the "Black English Vernacular"? Oh man, does that give me a headache...
Like I said before, once upon a time I was bombarded with the one question as to whether or not I played basketball. Thing is, I'm not a fan of sports (save soccer/football) and these people had no grounds to ask me that... except that I was 6 feet tall even back then.DustyDrB said:
Tall, black, and from the projects... that's a bad combination. Heh.
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I'll kill it here, since I'm running out of stuff to say without repeating myself (I'm pretty sure I already have). Thanks for the input so far ladies and gentlemen. Here's hoping to hear more stories and situations and such. :3
Sadly, yes, I was completely serious about "Black English Vernacular." 99.9% of the time that people talk about political correctness gone wild, they're exaggerating. The diversity classes you have to take as a pre-service teacher are the other .1%. It probably wouldn't bother me so much if a lot of it hadn't been handled in such a way that it was racist in a different way (we're supposed to be aware of cultural differences, so we're taught sweeping generalizations about cultures that are supposed to help us in the classroom -- things like, Native Americans work better in collaborative environments, while whites work better in competitive environments. There's probably a grain of truth to it, but it's the most racist attempt at being politically correct I've ever seen.)SageRuffin said:
Is it wrong that I haven't yet regained a straight face after the 'fries my chicken' thing? As for 'talking [insert color]' the only one I know of is "talking red". Ironically, 'talking red' isn't talking at all! It's a series of shouts, growls and, a strange puffing sound. Ending your train of though while 'talking red' can include throwing something, punching a wall or, collapsing while your heart fails.SageRuffin said:
I really have nothing constructive to add, I just wanted to get that out.
On the contrary - I had no idea that's what that meant.Shoggoth2588 said:
See? You are helping.
I can answer you in one word. Ready? ENVY. That's it. All there is to this race traitor nonsense is them seeing someone getting along better than them, enjoying his life and they secretly want either A.) to be in your shoes. Or B.) to drag you down into THEIR shoes. Misery loves company, man, and methinks you've stumbled upon some misery.