I think racism is to do with power in society, which is why by definition blacks can't be racist towards whites, like women can't really be sexist towards men, like gays can't really be heterophobic (?) towards straight people. Think I'm wrong? Name me one word said by blacks to describe whites which white people find offensive. Or one genuinely offensive word used by a gay guy to describe a straight guy. Doesn't happen.

 

PC, as portrayed by the media, is the classic straw man argument. Ohthatvixen, for example, doesn't seem to have a clue what it actually is. I think if kids are taught from an early age that "winning" isn't the be all and end all of life, then there'll be a lot more happy, well-adjusted kids. You don't need to go as far as banning the honor roll, as it's good that the kids who want to do that have something to aim for- but it's also vital that kids who aren't honor roll material are taight that it doesn't mean they're worthless for not being. I think it's wrong that people can use words offensive to blacks, gays or women as long as they do it with a smile on their face, as it teaches people that it's okay to say those words. But of course all we get from the media is "loony school tries to ban Christmas" or whatever.

 

Why do we have racist ideas, or sexist ideas? Because we're brought up in a society where these ideas are ingrained into our culture, and we're taught from our first day in school that this is the only way things can be. We aren't born with them, which means they aren't inevitable, which means that education is a way forward.

Anyone watching Black. White. on I-Forget-What-Network-At-The-Moment? Really interesting show that's being filmed more as a documentary than a reality show, with role reversals taking place between a black and white family. The only problem I have with the show is that while it's still decidedly relevant, it's not really covering the full scope. Racism wears a different jacket than it did in the past because the country is more diverse. Yes, blacks do still experience it, but so do Arab-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, etc.

In case you missed it.

Really interesting and open discussion you guys got going on, especially since I'm about to read former NBA star Charles Barkley's new book Who's Afraid Of A Large Black Man where he and ESPN's Michael Wilbon interview many known newsmakers (such as Tiger Woods, Bill Clinton, Samuel L. Jackson, Ice Cube, among others) over the subject of racism. I have the paperback copy of the book, so his thoughts on New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina are also covered, albeit many will argue that has nothing to do with this topic, but scanning a little of what Barkley said, I think it does, to an extent at least.

 

I'll throw in some summaries as I read the book if anyone wants me to.

Did any of you happen to watch the second installment of "Black. White." lastnight on F/X?

It's in the TiVo.

One thing lastnight that really stunned me was that each couple was learning to talk the other's language. The white woman had to learn to speak black, and the black woman had to learn to speak white.

 

Odd.

 

Anyhow, Brian (the Black man) said that it was frustrating for blacks to have to immerse themselves into white culture and learn to talk white. Said it made him angry to have to change his culture to adapt to a white one.

 

Now tell me, don't all of us who go to public schools learn the same English? Don't we all learn the proper way to pronounce words, structure our sentences, spell, etc.? Why is that proper pronunciation of words is a white thing, and why are blacks angry about having to adapt to the white language? I thought we all learned the same language in school.

 

What IS White language anyway? I thought we were all taught to speak English.

Where do the 2 families live? Because that black family doesn't look like it's coming from an uneducated area.

In the same house. I believe the black family is from Atlanta, if that's what you're asking.

Yeah I meant where they are from. Because they just look like any other suburban family, so I don't get where they are coming from with the whole, "we have to learn white english" deal. Keep in mind, the extent of my knowledge on the show is the commercials I see during The Shield, so I can be entirely off.

I'm sure they searched for extremists in both directions, since TV is all about excess.

Where do the 2 families live? Because that black family doesn't look like it's coming from an uneducated area.

According to the show, the Black family is from Atlanta, and the White couple is from Santa Monica. Both are sharing a house during the filming of this, but I'm not sure where that is. Somewhere near L.A. I believe.

 

Also according to the show, both families are middle class and college educated.

Maybe its because I know its makeup, but other than the white daughter, none of them really look like the race they're supposed to be living as. If SNL could make Eddie Murphy look white in the 80s, why couldn't FX do a better job 2006?

Maybe its because I know its makeup, but other than the white daughter, none of them really look like the race they're supposed to be living as. If SNL could make Eddie Murphy look white in the 80s, why couldn't FX do a better job 2006?

Like you, I think it's cause we KNOW they aren't the race they are made up to be. I'm betting they look more convincing in person and while out and about on the street.

 

While reading some of the postings on BET concerning this show, I had to wholeheartedly agree with one gentleman's observation. These people are chasing their tails around trying to prove their own points about racism. The show really needs to put both families in the same situations to get a better idea what it's like to live in another person's skin.

 

For instance, when Brian was ecstatic about getting the job as a bartender in an all white area, he said it was only cause he was white, and the employer saw him as "safe". What the producers should have done was first send Brian in as a Black man to see if he was able to get the job. If he couldn't, then send him in as White to see if suddenly he was qualified. That would have made for a much better comparison than just sending him in as White and then going on and on that he only got the job cause he was White.

 

I don't see this show doing anything to help race relations. Most people have watched this with preconceived notions on both sides, and I don't see this show as doing anything to help either side see life from the perspective of another race. That was evident while reading comments from Blacks at BET. They have nothing but praise for Brian and pretty much think Bruno is a racist thug. I'm trying to watch this objectively, but admit there is a lot of stereotyping going on. Some things that Carmen (the white woman) does/says makes me cringe and roll my eyes, but I honestly don't see her as racist as much as I just see her as ignorant. What I get out of Renee (the Black woman) is a lot of anger she can't let go of. Instead of trying to educate Carmen, she spends her time belittling her and in some ways, setting her up for failure. They would get along better, and have a better experience if Renee took her anger out of the equation and spent her time educating Carmen. It's almost like she WANTS Carmen to step on it cause it reinforces her claim that all Whites are racists.

 

When they all dressed Black to go to the Black church, it really appeared that Bruno and Carmen were having a genuinely good time. Bruno even commented that it was a lot of fun and much more interesting than sitting in a boring White church while the pastor gave his sermon. Brian's comment? According to him it was all a show by Bruno. He felt Bruno was just play acting believing that's the way Blacks act in church. If you noticed, many Blacks were acting like Bruno, but Brian wasn't. Last epsiode he told Bruno he needed to act Black and get into the whole groove about being Black, then when he did, Brian mocked him as putting on an act and being showy.

 

I just don't get it.