NeemsA racist waiting to happen?
March 6th 2008 09:43
Early last year an incident occurred at a party I attended involving a couple of friends of mine- we’ll call them Katie and Sandra. Both are beautiful Indian women. Katie has been raised in Australia while Sandra arrived in Melbourne 6 years ago. Both speak English fluently with Sandra having a strong Indian accent.
As the night progressed Katie consumed one too many toxic beverages and started making fun of Sandra’s pronunciation. Sandra didn’t find it quite as amusing and things spiraled out of control, ending in an ugly punch-on between the girl’s boyfriends.
The next morning, I spoke to Katie whereby she justified her remarks by putting it down to the fact that she was allowed to take the mickey out of Sandra because she was also Indian.
At the time, I was quick to jump on my high horse and chastise her for being so insensitive. But it wasn’t until later that I realized that I wasn’t all that better.
My mates and I routinely make fun of where we come from all in the name of what we think is humorous banter. And while we’re quick to defend our mockery, it hit me that we’re guilty of the very thing I was so quick to reprimand Katie for at the party.
Katie simply said what we all hide behind- that it’s fine, because we’re making fun of our kind.
This got me thinking about an article I read a while ago regarding a controversy in the United States involving the sacking of radio personality Don Imus, who made an on-air boo-boo by referring to African American members of a women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos” during a segment on his morning show.
Imus’s comment isn’t one I condone but I had to wonder whether there might have been another reason- apart from the racial wagon everyone jumped on- to why Imus would think he could get away with making such a nasty reference. My first thoughts went straight to Hip Hop and Rap music. This highly influential and popular genre’s lyrics regularly spit out phrases not dissimilar to what escaped Imus’s mouth.
It begs the question- do we open the doors for others to make disparaging remarks about race, when we feel it's completly alright for us to engage in derisive chitchat?
It's a hard nut to crack. Where do we draw the line between something that we feel is harmless because we don't mean it in a vindictive way and something that perhaps may enable people who are genuinely racist define those they see as inferior? And when does self-mockery set a sort of unwitting precedent for how we let others see us as a race?
Can we then condemn racist remarks made by other people when we ourselves are guilty of the same?
Neema Mohan, March 6th, 2008- ©
As the night progressed Katie consumed one too many toxic beverages and started making fun of Sandra’s pronunciation. Sandra didn’t find it quite as amusing and things spiraled out of control, ending in an ugly punch-on between the girl’s boyfriends.
The next morning, I spoke to Katie whereby she justified her remarks by putting it down to the fact that she was allowed to take the mickey out of Sandra because she was also Indian.
At the time, I was quick to jump on my high horse and chastise her for being so insensitive. But it wasn’t until later that I realized that I wasn’t all that better.
My mates and I routinely make fun of where we come from all in the name of what we think is humorous banter. And while we’re quick to defend our mockery, it hit me that we’re guilty of the very thing I was so quick to reprimand Katie for at the party.
Katie simply said what we all hide behind- that it’s fine, because we’re making fun of our kind.
This got me thinking about an article I read a while ago regarding a controversy in the United States involving the sacking of radio personality Don Imus, who made an on-air boo-boo by referring to African American members of a women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos” during a segment on his morning show.
Imus’s comment isn’t one I condone but I had to wonder whether there might have been another reason- apart from the racial wagon everyone jumped on- to why Imus would think he could get away with making such a nasty reference. My first thoughts went straight to Hip Hop and Rap music. This highly influential and popular genre’s lyrics regularly spit out phrases not dissimilar to what escaped Imus’s mouth.
It begs the question- do we open the doors for others to make disparaging remarks about race, when we feel it's completly alright for us to engage in derisive chitchat?
It's a hard nut to crack. Where do we draw the line between something that we feel is harmless because we don't mean it in a vindictive way and something that perhaps may enable people who are genuinely racist define those they see as inferior? And when does self-mockery set a sort of unwitting precedent for how we let others see us as a race?
Can we then condemn racist remarks made by other people when we ourselves are guilty of the same?
Neema Mohan, March 6th, 2008- ©
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Comment by Brenton
Dr Spin
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Downwrite
Blip Blog
Gadget Museum
I'm happy to take the piss out of every nationality.
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
It's when the comments have an 'edge' to them that it's not okay. It's not simply having a laugh. If it makes someone is uncomfortable or upset, that's not just having a laugh anymore.
It's one thing to take the piss out of your mates when you all find it funny. There's nothing wrong with that (though there's probably some PC police out there who think otherwise, but they annoy me anyway). But to say something when you can see it's upset someone is just....well.....mean.
Comment by Cibbuano
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Comment by Rebecca 1
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Cheers,
Bec
Comment by Neems
Koala Lounge
Comment by tlcorbin
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Sleezer's World
The first time I saw a black man, he was with his wife or girlfriend at a swimming pool, in the early 50's, and I was stunned by the colors of his skin, hues of purples, blue, blacks and white reflections captured my attention and I just stood and stared. He was gracious about it and asked why I was staring, and I told him that I thought the color of his skin was beautiful. He said thank you, and left without another word.
I am of Cree and French ethnicity; I was raised for a time on a reservation where I fought the natives for ebing white and fought the white boys for being an injun. I have had a sign which read; We don't serve Indians, Niggers or dogs, shoved in my face and have had the same people try to physically throw me out of restaurants.
No matter the circumstance, someone always wants to feel superior and race is one of the hooks that they grab on to. It's a pathetic thing, and we all should hold ourselves to a higher standard. My extended family is a wonderful mixing pot of different ethnicities and colors; it's an amazing tapestry of life and we fight to preserve the cultures of each. Occasionally we lose, we are after all, subject to human frailties. But, apologies are made and we try and grow from the experience.
Raven
Comment by Neems
Koala Lounge
I believe in not having any regrets from mistakes I've made- as long as I have learnt the valuable lessons each error has to teach.
Comment by Anonymous
Taking what is meant as humor out of context and making it into an act of intolerance seems to be the norm these days, however.
I'm trying to ignore the statement that makes about people in general, but it keeps getting more difficult.