"He talk like a white boy..."

[David Hebda]

I don't understand it. Since when did utilizing proper English qualify as talking in a dialect unnatural to one's skin tone (for us Americans, that is)? And of course this begs the question: what is "talking black"? Is there also a "talking red," or yellow, or brown, or pink? If so, how does one do that?

I invite one and all to attempt to answer these questions, or even just comment on your own experiences of being hit with bizarre and untrue accusations just because you happen to be able to "articulately elaborate your argument".

Think differently.

Here is the skinny my American friend. They (the "ghetto" blacks) love to blame the "white" people for keeping them down, uneducated and un or under employed. When they see a black who has a stable job, dresses in a modest fashion and most importantly speaks proper english their argument falls apart and, they, in your presence are show to be the useless scum bags they are.

I am white and work in a school for students with mental and behavioral issues. We have a lot of inner city students who often accuse me of speaking down to them when I speak as I do to my friends and relatives. I teach them the best I can, but one has to be willing to learn and the simple truth is most are not, because it is part of their identity.
Before the American Civil War there was very little difference between Northern and Southern dialect, the rise of the "southern drawl" was very intentional. Its main purpose was to coalesce the south culturally and create audible distinctions between southerners and northerners. The main difference being that they still used proper English, just enunciated the words differently, also they didn't do many other things that make the innercity culture abominable.

Most black people in the typical "ghetto" normally expect other black people to speak in "ebonics" and use similar slang to them. It isn't that big of a deal.
As a white kid growing up in inner city Chicago, my black friends got a lot of flak at first glance for hanging out with a semi nerdy white kid.

Don't call it ebonics, that is just trying to rationalize and justify their failings, not sure what I would call it here as if I type what I call it I would probably get banned, lol

 

[Catie Caraco]

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.

Not to mention that some African-Americans are white, especially if they come from South Africa and are of Dutch decent. That got me into a pickle once when I was talking to a South African and said "African Americans" and he said "Like me," and I gave him an odd look.

OP - I guess the problem is that a lot of black youths today celebrate their ethnicity by using their own slang, that which is associated with rap music and "ebonics" and all that, and thus by not using that speech pattern they think you're not identifying with your culture? I for one took Latin in school instead of French or Spanish because I'm of Italian decent and wanted to associate with my culture through language, and since they weren't giving me Italian I went for it's parent language. I regret that what little Italian I know is mostly swear words or insults, because I do associate the language with the culture.

I guess that when that sort of speech pattern is no longer embraced by the majority of blacks, then you won't be looked down upon. So, I guess, good on you for bucking the trend.

I don't want to sound racist, so I hope this doesn't come off that way, but I've never understood why black people talk in a way that sounds so uneducated, in the same way that people from the south, or hell, even rural upstate New York, do. But for blacks in particular, when you've had to fight so much to be treated equally and be respected, why use such stupid sounding speech patterns? That's always confused me. It would be like if all women spoke in some odd speech pattern which sounded uneducated after fighting for our rights.

I hope I didn't offend anyone with that. >_>

 

[catalyst8]

As soon as you hear or read someone decrying the use of 'big words' you know you're dealing with someone who considers language their enemy. There's an obvious benefit to this, which is that they identify themselves as worthless.

 

[Blow_Pop]

-snip-

Its racial stereotypes; they've become so ingrained they are adopting it as fact in some places. Why, I have no idea, but you can speak however you like, just like any other black dude or honkey sunnofabitch. P:

As a Glaswegian Scotsman, my accent is rapid fire, foul-mouthed and mile-a-minute. Yet if needed, I can speak slow and polite, which lead to one **** in the street calling me an English wanker.

Yeah, using your brain is such an English trait.

I love your accent kitty. and Hate that you speak slower with me....

 

[omega 616]

snip

Read lyrics from a lil wayne/50 cent/any rapper rap song, I think you could also watch "Jersey shore" (but I have never watched it so I am not 100% certain) and you will get how to talk "black".

Talking "white" is sounding like you have read a book, like knowing what gall means.

I think Chris rock says it best ...

 

[Robert Sanders]

Allow me to introduce myself: I'm known simply as "Sage" to my various on- and off-line friends and I invite you all to refer to me in the same light. I'm a 24-year-old black male [http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v602/Ruffin316/DSCN1449.jpg] from the "mean" streets of Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and am a proud(-ish) member of the United States Air Force [http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v602/Ruffin316/CeremonialSage-1.jpg]. Funnily enough, I'm also a geek something terrible [http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x326/SageRuffin/Katsucon%2017/SageWinduwithSaber-1.jpg], taking great enjoyment in playing various fighting, action/adventure, and role-playing games, reading into science fiction, creative writing and drawing (the latter of which I've been told is a loose combination of Japanese and American comic techniques), and traveling to various anime and gaming conventions. How are you?

Whoa, hang on! Don't hit that back button just yet. I swear I'm actually going somewhere with this...

Anyway, perusing some of the recent threads here have reminded of a pet peeve that still bothers me to this day...

I'm one of those weird folks that types roughly how I talk in real life, and, in real life, I sometimes catch flak for using "big" words in my everyday speech (even if said "big" word is something like gall, i.e. having the gall to call that a big word). As such, when I'm in more "ghetto" parts of any town, I often get hit with a number of baseless accusations: I grew up in the suburbs (quite the opposite actually); I went to high-profile schools (again, quite the opposite); and the one that fries my chicken the most, that I talk "white".

Me being the cynical bastard that I am I have to ask "what exactly does that mean?" Am I a "race-traitor" (if you've never heard that term before, I envy you) simply because I read a few books and did my homework? Am I supposed to be looked as yet another statistic to be poorly represented by BET by constantly talking into what could amount as an extraterrestrial language? Is it so wrong that I think Lil' Wayne and Drake are two of the most overrated rappers today and will happily explain - coherently to boot - why I think that?

I don't understand it. Since when did utilizing proper English qualify as talking in a dialect unnatural to one's skin tone (for us Americans, that is)? And of course this begs the question: what is "talking black"? Is there also a "talking red," or yellow, or brown, or pink? If so, how does one do that?

I invite one and all to attempt to answer these questions, or even just comment on your own experiences of being hit with bizarre and untrue accusations just because you happen to be able to "articulately elaborate your argument".

Think differently.

Black guy from Ohio. I have a similar situation to yours. When I moved to Raleigh,NC, I was asked my nationality often, even though I have a flat North East Ohio accent. People would guess everything from Hispanic to Indian, since my color didn't fit the ghetto talk I obviously should be speaking. I was called a nerd by my peers growing up, but nothing too bad. If you speak with big words, do it with pride and never put yourself below your abilities. If that makes others jealous, too bad. Black people need as many good role models possible, and you might be inspiring another kid who would otherwise believe that he couldn't do anything as well as a white person.

 

[Hookman]

I've encountered something similar, not race-based but class-based. People are always telling me I speak like a 'posh' person even though I come from a working class/lower-middle class background. Its mainly because my father is from a part of the country that speaks in a 'posher' accent and his accent has mixed with my scouse accent to create something different than your average liverpudlian accent. My advice? Talk how you want to talk, act how you want to act and forget anyone who would have it any other way!

 

[Robert Sanders]

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.

Sounds like that old Ebonics bullshit! Slang changes every five minutes so you shouldn't be expected to teach it.My nephew is in college and listens to rap music and talks slang with his friends. When he works or goes to class, he drops the street language and just speaks in a formal and educated manner. Thing is, many of the black kids I know can flip their speech from street to formal if they want. The real traitors are the blacks who support "talking black" in a school setting, because it gives the impression that our tiny peanut brains and big lips can't handle the "white" words.

 

[SageRuffin]

Oi. Lot's of replies. It's madness. o__O

Also, as a side note: Thank you for helping defend the country.

You give me too much credit. I've never been on the front lines, or overseas for that matter (unless you count Hawai'i). But thanks all the same.

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.

I've heard that before, my "peers" (feh) apparently don't like the fact that I'm trying to make something of myself (I'm in the service right now, but I'd love to be a professional illustrator [http://sageruffin.deviantart.com/#]). Ah well... I'll just continue to look down on those that need looking down upon, if that made any sense.

I just read an essay about this. I can recount the exact wording but the writer theorised that minorities(excluding Asians i beleive) tend to ostracize because they fear of losing the gifted members of their group.

They ostracize out of fear of losing the "gifted" members? Isn't that a bit of contradiction?

Do you mind sharing where you read this? I - and anyone else interested, of course - would like to take a look at this essay myself, please.

Oh, I just didnt want you thinking anythign weird by another guy telling you you were handsome.

Oh, don't worry. I'm not one of guys that gets all uppity about receiving favorable comments from my fellow holders of a Y-chromosome (you know, demanding you say that stupid ass "no homo" bullshit).

So, yeah. Thanks.

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned MaximusBlack and Novawar on LAG-TV. I was surprised which was the white guy, as were many of their listeners. It also made me realize that despite by best efforts, I am not entirely prejudice-free.

I think the short answer to why the hate is because we freak out, even if only a little bit, when someone doesn't match our initial expectations. But this is not a bad thing, as such a freak out happens, it expands our comfort threshold, and makes us less inclined to freak out next time.

We are still, at heart, a small-tribe centric hunter-gatherer species, and much of becoming civilized and cosmopolitan is adapting attitudes and behaviors beyond those instincts.

238U.

Very insightful, I never looked at it like that. :3

Respect good sir, have you seen captain ignant?

Can't say I have. I'll plug it in a search engine after I watch these Street Fighter matches.

Im pretty sure your me.

But I'm not you. I'm me. If I were you then I would cease to be me since I would then be you.

Inversely, if you were me then you would cease to be you since you would be me instead.

Feel me?

Snippage

That clip was great. And he's absolutely right. I had no idea that this predated Dave Chappelle by that much.

And if it means anything: you expressed your opinion, with which I concur, very eloquently and utilising a style I would expect of a respectable, renowned author.

Like I said in my opening, I do creative-writing in my off-time, and it has a bad habit of spilling over into my writing for simple forums and such. I don't think I'm particularly good at it though.

Still, it's always good to see my efforts getting some kind of recognition and I humbly appreciate the compliment. :3

---

All right. That's enough for now. Back to Deus Ex, ME2, and Daigo vs Poongko in high-level SF4 matches. Good times.

Ladies and gentlemen, good night.

 

[hotsauceman]

I just read an essay about this. I can recount the exact wording but the writer theorised that minorities(excluding Asians i beleive) tend to ostracize because they fear of losing the gifted members of their group.

They ostracize out of fear of losing the "gifted" members? Isn't that a bit of contradiction?

Do you mind sharing where you read this? I - and anyone else interested, of course - would like to take a look at this essay myself, please.

I dont think i gave the auther's idea. More like they try to discourage leaving their culture.
But if you want to read it is it call
Acting White
By Roland G. Fryer
http://educationnext.org/actingwhite/