Is it a good thing to be oblivious of racial stereotypes?

I heard a local weather guy call something cotton picking the other day. I doubt he realized what he said. Or am I wrong, is that not offensive?

OscarB63 said:

I think almost everyone has heard at least a few racial stereotypes. but I am sure that there are many people who don't know ALL the racial stereotypes.

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mak2 said:

I heard a local weather guy call something cotton picking the other day. I doubt he realized what he said. Or am I wrong, is that not offensive?

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new knew that using "cotton picking" as an adjective was offensive to anybody.

I picked cotton when I was a kid...miserable work. hard on your back, hard on your fingertips, just all around hard.

OscarB63 said:

I think almost everyone has heard at least a few racial stereotypes. but I am sure that there are many people who don't know ALL the racial stereotypes.

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Not all, just the most common and widespread ones. Sorry if I was unclear on that.

mak2 said:

I heard a local weather guy call something cotton picking the other day. I doubt he realized what he said. Or am I wrong, is that not offensive?

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See, now that would be an example that I could imagine someone being oblivious too, since it is more about historical understanding than it is about extant stereotypes.

Tucker Case said:

You'd be shocked at how many people think they are comedians, then.




Again, what are you talking about and what does it have to do with stereotypes? I'm not going to ask Obama, because Obama is not here, in this thread, talking about something which has nothing to do with stereotypes. Please do not **** up my thread with partisan nonsense.

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It is not "partisan nonsense". Obama was offended by something he thought was racial that made no sense to me. That would seem to suggest that some of the symbolism of this stuff falls by the wayside between generations. Doesn't mean racism goes away, just that some "code" changes. I can't say that I have ever understood the watermelon crap though I know it was created by Hollywood in the 20's. Since you are the one creating a thread about people being oblivious to stereotypes, you might want to try to keep up with your OP.

Fisher said:

It is not "partisan nonsense".

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Saying "Ask your president" instead fo answering teh quiestion is pure, unadulterated partisan nonsense.

Obama was offended by something he thought was racial that made no sense to me.

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It wasn't a common stereotype (it's not even a stereotype at all, let alone a common one) which is used today, though, so what does it have to do with this thread?

Tucker Case said:

I was reading through this thread: http://www.debatepolitics.com/off-t...y-somebody-needs-ask-no-offence-intended.html and it occurred to me that many people are actually oblivious to some racial stereotypes which exist in this country and are often used to disparage others.

I was then curious as to whether or not people feel that being oblivious to these racial stereotypes is a good thing or a bad thing.

On one hand, a person who is truly oblivious to such stereotypes has probably not directly exposed to much racism in their lives. Which is good. On the other hand, they might be oblivious to the racism because they have not have been exposed to it because they have not had much exposure to people who belong to the stereotyped groups, which is a bad thing.

There's also the possibility that they aren't really oblivious to the stereotypes, but are simply doing the poor victimized white person routine to pretend that the poor victimized white person cannot say anything anymore without being accused of racism".

I'm leaning toward the idea that the obliviousness is feigned, because it is mind-boggling to me that someone can live and interact with other people in our society without ever being exposed to the most common racial stereotypes that exist in our society. I'd be just as shocked if a black person said "Wait, white people being bad dancers is a racial stereotype?!?!?!?!" Unless someone is living under a rock, in a cave, hidden beneath the unabombers shack, I would assume they've encountered some of the most common stereotypes that exist in our society.

Examples: White people can't dance, black people eat fried chicken, asian women can't drive, Italian men are mama's boys, Irish people drink, Polish people are stupid, WASPS have old money, Mexicans mow lawns etc. etc.

So the poll question is: Is it a good thing or a bad thing to be oblivious to the very real stereotypes which exist in the world?

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I think being intentionally oblivious and the demonizing anyone who notices racial problem as being the racist for noticing it is a type of political correctness I see mostly in conservative ranks. I agree that there are racial stereotypes and are benign and even funny. Others are harmful.

All black people can:

-play basketball well
-dance really good
-vacuum down fried chicken
-love water melon
-are well endowed
-are obsessed with being with white women

Those are all pretty much harmless and funny.

The dangerous ones are:

-Black people are lazy.
-Black people are less intelligent than other people.
-Black people are prone to crime.
-Black people who have achieved success got there due to an unfair advantage they were given because they're black. They don't deserve it because they didn't earn it.

These are dangerous if the person holding these stereotypes happens to be serving on a jury in an important criminal case where an innocent black person is the defendant. Its also dangerous if the person holding these stereotypes happens to be a personnel director or person making hiring, promotions and compensation decisions and black applicants are being considered. Every time we look around another black guy is being released from prison after serving a decade of two because he was falsely accused of a crime and new DNA evidence exonerated him or some other new facts came to light. Its a statistical fact that black men are handed harsher sentences than any other group for the same types of crime. I don't think anybody honest would doubt if you take the same exact circumstances of the Jodi Arias case except Jodi Arias was a black man who killed his girlfriend, the jury would have sent his butt to death row immediately. Upper management positions filled by blacks, especially black men are less common per capita than other groups and typically the black guy had to be off the charts more qualified to such an extent he couldn't be overlooked.

Smeagol said:

All black people can:

-play basketball well
-dance really good
-vacuum down fried chicken
-love water melon
-are well endowed
-are obsessed with being with white women

Those are all pretty much harmless and funny.

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I don't know if all of those are "harmless", especially the one about being "obsessed with being with white women". I think that one relates to some really bad **** that got people killed in the past and it inspires some serious hatred from certain racist white men.

Tucker Case said:

I mow my lawn every week, but I don't have trouble with comprehending the "Mexicans mow lawns" stereotype. :shrug:

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I guess if you are going to throw in a Nationality into the stereotype, then I can see how it would be offense. Saying that you are as tired as someone who mows lawns is hard to see as offensive to anyone. If you are Mexican and see it as offensive, I would like to understand your point of view.

Tucker Case said:

I don't know if all of those are "harmless", especially the one about being "obsessed with being with white women". I think that one relates to some really bad **** that got people killed in the past and it inspires some serious hatred from certain racist white men.

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You should see the hatred I get from racist black women for being married to a white woman.

Tucker Case said:

I was reading through this thread: http://www.debatepolitics.com/off-t...y-somebody-needs-ask-no-offence-intended.html and it occurred to me that many people are actually oblivious to some racial stereotypes which exist in this country and are often used to disparage others.

I was then curious as to whether or not people feel that being oblivious to these racial stereotypes is a good thing or a bad thing.

On one hand, a person who is truly oblivious to such stereotypes has probably not directly exposed to much racism in their lives. Which is good. On the other hand, they might be oblivious to the racism because they have not have been exposed to it because they have not had much exposure to people who belong to the stereotyped groups, which is a bad thing.

There's also the possibility that they aren't really oblivious to the stereotypes, but are simply doing the poor victimized white person routine to pretend that the poor victimized white person cannot say anything anymore without being accused of racism".

I'm leaning toward the idea that the obliviousness is feigned, because it is mind-boggling to me that someone can live and interact with other people in our society without ever being exposed to the most common racial stereotypes that exist in our society. I'd be just as shocked if a black person said "Wait, white people being bad dancers is a racial stereotype?!?!?!?!" Unless someone is living under a rock, in a cave, hidden beneath the unabombers shack, I would assume they've encountered some of the most common stereotypes that exist in our society.

Examples: White people can't dance, black people eat fried chicken, asian women can't drive, Italian men are mama's boys, Irish people drink, Polish people are stupid, WASPS have old money, Mexicans mow lawns etc. etc.

So the poll question is: Is it a good thing or a bad thing to be oblivious to the very real stereotypes which exist in the world?

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I'm glad you asked this question because I was blessed to have grown up not being exposed to these stereotypes until I was well into my teens...and by then, it didn't make any difference. I was just always around folks of different faiths and cultures and races, and I thought this was normal. Still do.

AliHajiSheik said:

I guess if you are going to throw in a Nationality into the stereotype, then I can see how it would be offense.

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Why is it easier for you to see it when it's a stereotype of a nationality than a race?

Saying that you are as tired as someone who mows lawns is hard to see as offensive to anyone.

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Put who in the what now?

Verthaine said:

You should see the hatred I get from racist black women for being married to a white woman.

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I've witnessed that kind of hatred before. Good point.

nota bene said:

I'm glad you asked this question because I was blessed to have grown up not being exposed to these stereotypes until I was well into my teens...and by then, it didn't make any difference. I was just always around folks of different faiths and cultures and races, and I thought this was normal. Still do.

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So if I have this right, by the time you reached adulthood you had been exposed to most of them at some point, even though you grew up in an accepting, culturally diverse environment where such stereotypes weren't present (which is what an ideal world would look like).

Tucker Case said:

I was reading through this thread: http://www.debatepolitics.com/off-t...y-somebody-needs-ask-no-offence-intended.html and it occurred to me that many people are actually oblivious to some racial stereotypes which exist in this country and are often used to disparage others.

I was then curious as to whether or not people feel that being oblivious to these racial stereotypes is a good thing or a bad thing.

On one hand, a person who is truly oblivious to such stereotypes has probably not directly exposed to much racism in their lives. Which is good. On the other hand, they might be oblivious to the racism because they have not have been exposed to it because they have not had much exposure to people who belong to the stereotyped groups, which is a bad thing.

There's also the possibility that they aren't really oblivious to the stereotypes, but are simply doing the poor victimized white person routine to pretend that the poor victimized white person cannot say anything anymore without being accused of racism".

I'm leaning toward the idea that the obliviousness is feigned, because it is mind-boggling to me that someone can live and interact with other people in our society without ever being exposed to the most common racial stereotypes that exist in our society. I'd be just as shocked if a black person said "Wait, white people being bad dancers is a racial stereotype?!?!?!?!" Unless someone is living under a rock, in a cave, hidden beneath the unabombers shack, I would assume they've encountered some of the most common stereotypes that exist in our society.

Examples: White people can't dance, black people eat fried chicken, asian women can't drive, Italian men are mama's boys, Irish people drink, Polish people are stupid, WASPS have old money, Mexicans mow lawns etc. etc.

So the poll question is: Is it a good thing or a bad thing to be oblivious to the very real stereotypes which exist in the world?

Click to expand...

I would agree that people of a certain age, who haven't been living in a cave, have heard of or are aware of the use of language and common phrases that have racist undertones. I would argue, however, that unless there is a desire to perpetuate them, it is a very good thing that your children, and young people in general, remain oblivious to them. Young people can teach us lots in the way to behave towards "others", such as their general acceptance of gay people. There's no need to poison them with our generation's bigotry.

Tucker Case said:

Why is it easier for you to see it when it's a stereotype of a nationality than a race?



Put who in the what now?

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You brought up Mexicans so I acknowledged your reference to a nationality. Had you said Hispanic, then I would have made reference to race. Had you made reference to someone on a wheelchair then I would have said handicap.

CanadaJohn said:

I would agree that people of a certain age, who haven't been living in a cave, have heard of or are aware of the use of language and common phrases that have racist undertones. I would argue, however, that unless there is a desire to perpetuate them, it is a very good thing that your children, and young people in general, remain oblivious to them. Young people can teach us lots in the way to behave towards "others", such as their general acceptance of gay people. There's no need to poison them with our generation's bigotry.

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Good point. Children being oblivious to racist stereotypes and such is almost certainly a good thing.

At the same time, an adult cannot combat the "evils" of society if they are oblivious to them.

AliHajiSheik said:

You brought up Mexicans so I acknowledged your reference to a nationality.

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I also brought up that same stereotype about Mexicans in the OP. What changed for you since then that made it easier for you to see that stereotype when it is about nationality (as compared to the fried chicken stereotype about black people, which you have said you have trouble seeing due to your love of fried chicken)?

Which begs the question. do stereotypes need to be combated, or simply ingnored?

Tucker Case said:

Good point. Children being oblivious to racist stereotypes and such is almost certainly a good thing.

At the same time, an adult cannot combat the "evils" of society if they are oblivious to them.

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Tucker Case said:

Good point. Children being oblivious to racist stereotypes and such is almost certainly a good thing.

At the same time, an adult cannot combat the "evils" of society if they are oblivious to them.

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True, but they will always be evils if you continue to identify them as such. Perhaps there will be a day when a black person can love watermelon and fried chicken just like hundreds of millions of white people do and no one will think anything of it. That won't happen, however, if we keep spreading the stereotype and joking about it.

I will admit, however, that I was oblivious to the stereotype I mention above until I became more attuned and connected to American culture. Perhaps, because I wasn't exposed to it until I'd basically already been formed as a person, it didn't become part of my "experience" that I would consider and fall back on.

mak2 said:

Which begs the question. do stereotypes need to be combated, or simply ingnored?

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Very interesting question. I have to think about it a bit before I can answer it.

Tucker Case said:

I was reading through this thread: http://www.debatepolitics.com/off-t...y-somebody-needs-ask-no-offence-intended.html and it occurred to me that many people are actually oblivious to some racial stereotypes which exist in this country and are often used to disparage others.

I was then curious as to whether or not people feel that being oblivious to these racial stereotypes is a good thing or a bad thing.

On one hand, a person who is truly oblivious to such stereotypes has probably not directly exposed to much racism in their lives. Which is good. On the other hand, they might be oblivious to the racism because they have not have been exposed to it because they have not had much exposure to people who belong to the stereotyped groups, which is a bad thing.

There's also the possibility that they aren't really oblivious to the stereotypes, but are simply doing the poor victimized white person routine to pretend that the poor victimized white person cannot say anything anymore without being accused of racism".

I'm leaning toward the idea that the obliviousness is feigned, because it is mind-boggling to me that someone can live and interact with other people in our society without ever being exposed to the most common racial stereotypes that exist in our society. I'd be just as shocked if a black person said "Wait, white people being bad dancers is a racial stereotype?!?!?!?!" Unless someone is living under a rock, in a cave, hidden beneath the unabombers shack, I would assume they've encountered some of the most common stereotypes that exist in our society.

Examples: White people can't dance, black people eat fried chicken, asian women can't drive, Italian men are mama's boys, Irish people drink, Polish people are stupid, WASPS have old money, Mexicans mow lawns etc. etc.

So the poll question is: Is it a good thing or a bad thing to be oblivious to the very real stereotypes which exist in the world?

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I'd say it's a bad thing. If you are oblivious to racial stereotypes, you may slip up and make a racially charged comment without intending to do so - which in some situations / neighborhoods / convenience stores, could get you beaten or worse.

Also, if you don't know common racial stereotypes, your range of humorous jokes is severely limited

CanadaJohn said:

True, but they will always be evils if you continue to identify them as such. Perhaps there will be a day when a black person can love watermelon and fried chicken just like hundreds of millions of white people do and no one will think anything of it. That won't happen, however, if we keep spreading the stereotype and joking about it.

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You're making a similar point to what mak2 just made, and it's a good, interesting one. As I said to him, I have to think on it more before I can say anything in any direction on it.

I will admit, however, that I was oblivious to the stereotype I mention above until I became more attuned and connected to American culture. Perhaps, because I wasn't exposed to it until I'd basically already been formed as a person, it didn't become part of my "experience" that I would consider and fall back on.

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Yeah, I wouldn't really expect a non-American to be well versed in American stereotypes. In fact, when I heard about Sergio Garcia's comments, my first thought was "How much would a Spaniard really understand the racial implications of this comment?"

This brings up another mistake I made in my OP (as I noted earlier, I'm in idiot mode today). I should have made it clear that this is fairly amero-centric. I would not expect people outside of the US to be familiar with our stereotypes or racial issues.

Tucker Case said:

Very interesting question. I have to think about it a bit before I can answer it.

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'Stereotype' is a word used to make people feel badly about making a generalization. Generalizing is an adaptation of the human species for survival, which, when applied to the modern social environment, can misfire. Stereotypes exist for a reason - and that, my friend, is the gnarled, hideous truth.

Tucker Case said:

I also brought up that same stereotype about Mexicans in the OP. What changed for you since then that made it easier for you to see that stereotype when it is about nationality (as compared to the fried chicken stereotype about black people, which you have said you have trouble seeing due to your love of fried chicken)?

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If the stereotype has to be fully referenced, is it really a stereotype?

Saying that one likes fried chicken is not a stereotype, but saying something like: "I'm all over fried chicken like a black person" is playing off a negative stereotype, which is inappropriate, at least. Making reference to an object or characteristic, and the group is what makes it a stereotype, so it is the context which makes it wrong.