The politics of inverse racism

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

One of the..interesting things about living in Atlanta is the annual pilgrimage of thug poseurs with Endorsement Deals and Peoples known as the BET Awards.

Inevitably there is some drama that occurs at the local drinking establishments who clamor for the 'stars to make face' at their venues.

However, what I found both interesting and disturbing is Sean Combs, who this week calls himself "Diddy"  used a racial term that I found, yes, unique and interesting.

Diddy began shouting at the man, "B*tch ass n**gas ... put that sh*t down ... before I come smack that purple shirt off your ass."

It appears Diddy grabs ice and throws it at the man ... before screaming, "What the f**k are you gonna do, b*tch? F**king f*ggot ass light skin n**gas get the f*ck out of my face."

Emphasis mine.

Light skin? Is this a racial epithet that goes beyond the 'n' word? Is it considered worse for an African American to call another black 'white skin' than to use the 'n' word?

Conversely, I understand the darker skin the individual, the more they are mocked as 'lower class' within said community. This, to me is confusing and conflicts with the above Diddyism.

Why do black people get held to an arbitrary standard to indiscriminately use skin color as a put down, and others, such as Mexicans and First Nation citizens are held to another?

Am I not allowed to even ask these questions because of my skin color? Homogenization is so confusing!

ETA: How is this fundamentally different than what Michael Richards did?

Comments

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

What's a First Nation citizen?

[mlledesade]

The Canadian term for Native American.

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

the politically correct term for "American Indian"

[allhatnocattle.livejournal.com]

NDN.... as pronounced

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

ah but do they need sensitivity training too?

[chessdev.livejournal.com]

I knew Diddy was a jerk, but man! Messing with people who are minding their own business --- cuz he doesnt approve of their **drinks**????

Man...


Also, for the light-skin/dark-skin thing: Check out the movie "School Daze" for a primer on the issue.

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

Can I watch House Party First?

I heard it was da snizzle.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

I dont think sean combs is the arbiter of black terminology.

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

I cite Michael Richards

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

So, since Obama is only half black and has lighter skin, is he part of the black elite, or is he not black nor white enough, or what?

The whole issue would look ridiculous to a Bantu person. Brb, I'm off to tell the latest lulzworthy story to my fellow amaZulu around here!

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

So, since Obama is only half black and has lighter skin, is he part of the black elite, or is he not black nor white enough, or what?

In short: Yes.

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

in order to accurately answer that, I would have to be a black male. Otherwise, I'd be dismissed as racist.

Under L sez:

[underlankers.livejournal.com]

Can you translate this into something that even Caesar can understand, Virgil?

Re: Under L sez:

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

Divide and conquer!

Re: Under L sez:

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

No. To do so would have my position dismissed as coming from a racist.

[yelena-r0ssini.livejournal.com]

The important part WRT to the target of Diddy's ire is: why was the purple shirt on his ASS? Shouldn't it have been on his upper torso?

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

That's just a fashion statement.

(frozen) (no subject)

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

Wow, lovely, first you start off with "reverse racism" which doesn't exist and is a stupid term imho, then you start being racist by saying the BET awards feature thugs as if only BET has controversial figures in it. (*cough cough* Russell Crowe anyone?*cough cough*)

So we've established you're approaching this from a racist angle, so why are you trying to post on an issue you are clearly biased on?

(frozen) (no subject)

[existentme.livejournal.com]

...an issue upon which you are clearly biased.

Lol, j/k!

I believe what we have here...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

This incident demonstrates a lack of polish on the part of the participants.

I once talked to an African American whose skin was so light that he was nearly Caucasian. He had such a tremendous self-hatred of his own skin color that it interfered with his ability to live a satisfying existence. He admitted to having an infatuation for the darkest possible skin. Racism within the African American community is more pervasive than you may think.

Re: I believe what we have here...

[dv8nation.livejournal.com]

Dare ya try and sell that on SF-Drama.

[existentme.livejournal.com]

"Why do black people get held to an arbitrary standard to indiscriminately use skin color as a put down, and others, such as Mexicans and First Nation citizens are held to another?"

Provided this is even true, one can hazard a guess that the former choose to and the latter do not.

"Am I not allowed to even ask these questions because of my skin color?"

Regardless of the complement of melanin bestowed by your genetic history or your experience bestowed by your and your ancestors' history, you can ask whatever you like: it's tha Internet!

"Homogenization is so confusing!"

I found Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? to be a good starting point for sorting out this confusion.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Michael Richards criticized other white people?

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

Yeah! Except... they were black.

[onefatmusicnerd.livejournal.com]

Okay, this is not fucking hard.

Dark skin can be considered less desirable. It is also used as a derogatory term implying that the subject is brutish, violent or uncultured. Comparable to the use of the terms Germanic or Teutonic in civilized Europe or Irish in the Anglosphere.

Light skin is traditionally found in black elites. The connotation is the person is spoiled, sheltered and has never had to work for what they have. Similar to the use of WASP on the East Coast of the United States or French in the fly-over country.

Typically,

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

is't that...racist?

(frozen) (no subject)

[lilenth.livejournal.com]

Oh so you assocating thugs with BET, the black entertainment network is somehow me being racist?

You're not trying to have a dialogue, this is just more of the same issue minorities face everyday when folks like you come out with stuff like this and then pull the "I'm trying to have a dialogue, people are being unfair to me" move.

The victim blaming as well, are you going for the royal flush of making it all about you? Racism doesn't exist because minorities don't want majority people to dominate and control the dialogue, it exists because people are prejudiced assholes, it exists because folks like you think your right to an opinion about something that doesn't affect you trumps the right of minorities to define their experience in their words. It exists because people like you hold bigoted opinions but still try to escape the role you play in racism, because blaming you for your opinions is the worst thing ever in your world.

(frozen) (no subject)

[rick-day.livejournal.com]

brrr...

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Blanket conclusions should not be drawn from some drunken entertainers rantings in a bar.

"inverse racism"

Why inverse? Racism isn't a good enough term? Prejudice?

I've never understood why this remains such a difficult issue.

You'd think that after 600 years of being on the topside of slavery, one word could be parted with, but nope, many wont even let that slide - cant even part with one single damn word. It doesn't even communicate anything effectively.

"Why do black people get held to an arbitrary standard to indiscriminately use skin color as a put down, and others, such as Mexicans and First Nation citizens are held to another?"

What? You just asked why the races are so racist.

Just judge people one by one by their actions. By the content of their character. Stick to that.