Re: Race Card

[bird <birdwl@earthlink.net>]

> From: "Nathan A." <nja13@alltel.net>
>
> I'll agree that this anti-melonhead reaction has gone to far. That 
> nickname
> has been used on this list for about a year or so I think. It simply comes
> from the fact that AW has a huge head! (This reminds me of "So I married 
> an
> Axe Murderer" with Mike Meyers. I can see the old Scottish dad yelling in 
> a
> thick Scottish accent: "Good God, child, move that friggin' huge noggin' 
> o'
> yours. Would you look at the size of that melon!" The kid was white.)
> No one can predict what pedestrian phrases someone on this list is going 
> to
> take offense to. How about the ol' headless chicken outbreak press?
> Shouldn't that be just as offensive/racist as melon head?

So let me get this straight: your two problems with this are that 1) the 
phrase has been used for a long time, and 2) there are times when the 
phrase in question isn't explicitly racist.  Is that about right?

Well, 1) I don't care how long it's been in use.  I think people we 
offended by it when it was first used, as well.  And 2), no one said that 
the phrase was _always_ racist, the person using it is _always_ a racist, 
or that the phrase, if used, meant the person using it was a racist.  I 
think people were only trying to point out that the term, _when applied to 
a young black man_ (who also gets called a "moron", a "f***ing stiff" and 
"stupid", incidentally) _may_ just be racist.  Sort of as an opposition to 
those who feel that people can just bandy derogatory phrases around like 
they don't mean anything.  ("Oh, sorry I said 'coon' -- I mean that kind 
of dog there", or "I didn't mean 'jiggaboo' that way" or the like.)  You 
want to use a term?  Great, maybe you ought to realize what it may mean to 
other people, too.

Calling this phrase "pedestrian" is ridiculous.  And pointing out other 
phrases that don't have the same racial overtones or that do, but aren't 
applied to the racial group they stereotype holds no water with me.  
Therefore, no, "headless chicken outbreak press" isn't offensive when 
applied to our former Italian coach.  If you called a black coach's system 
the "greasy chicken, finger-lickin', watermelon-seed-spittin', 
dance-cuz-you-got-rhythm-boy" press, then yes, Nathan, it might actually 
be considered racist.

(The Celtic "Tird")

BTW, does anyone else find the term "race card" as it's (over-)used 
nowadays ludicrous?  Like minorities wait around to play this "trump card"
  in the great Exploitation Card Game we're all participants in.  Woo hoo, 
I just played the race card, daddy -- I win the pot!  Sounds like another 
construct of the hegemonous culture that doesn't want to admit racial 
conflict exists.  "We don't keep you as explicit slaves anymore, and much 
time has passed since we did -- so everything is Jim Dandy!"  I ain't 
buying.

I am so looking forward to this game tomorrow.