Is this racist?

[Cool-Beans]

I personally absolve Amlee of being racist for using the term "white trash." It's a GREAT term. I use it all time. Sometimes I use the term "redneck" as well. Is there a 'black' equivalent? OF COURSE, but white people are not supposed to use that term, a double standard I wholeheartedly endorse.

Just so there is no confusion, I'd like to quote my fave hip hop poet, a person with no need for tanning parlors, who is definitely not ghetto, who wrote this wondeful poem about using clean language to get through to people instead of relying on cheap vulgarisms:

"Despite all the logic in my theory,
I drop in a m-----f----- so the N-----s hear me."

As to the OP's question, your acquaintance may not be a racist, but he is a boor. He should find something more inspiring to talk about.

Calling someone a "redneck" or "white trash" is just as offensive as calling someone a ******. Unless you are included in the group and joking amongst yourselves (you're a redneck, too), it is wicked mean.

And the "white trash" comment is doubly offensive, because not only is it an insult to the person you are name-calling, it is also an insult to all black people.

I've many times joked about my redneck ways, and adore the "Redneck Woman" song , but have never used the term "white trash" and do not appreciate it when people on the DIS use either of those terms in a derogatory way.

 

[Beth76]

Calling someone a "redneck" or "white trash" is just as offensive as calling someone a ******.

Not according to the DIS filter. And I would agree. I have never even spoken the word the word that was filterd from your post. They are NOT the same.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Not according to the DIS filter. And I would agree. I have never even spoken the word the word that was filterd from your post. They are NOT the same.

I'm aware that the DIS allows certain kinds of name-calling and not others. Many times I've seen people here tossing the word "redneck" or "cracker" around. And others actually cheer them on. I don't rely on the DIS filter as my be-all end-all for what is morally correct. Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD, you know?

And I know that a lot of people agree that some folks can be called mean names while others shouldn't be.

Doesn't make it right. Doesn't make it OK.

I won't be changing my mind on that, so I hope we can agree to disagree.

 

[shelemm]

I agree, using the term "white trash" is offensive. It is supposed to be offensive. It's an insult, like calling someone an idiot. But it is SYMBOLISM.

What is symbolism? it's a way of quickly and effectively writing something that would otherwise take pages and pages of clumsy wording.

For example, In my neighborhood, there was a family that owned several houses. I am talking about the DC suburbs, so these folks were rolling in dough. They had a fantastically successful plumbing business. But, unfortunatley, they were "white trash." They made a ton of noise- always very loud music, cursing loudly, trashed their house, had large barking dogs, walked around in their underwear, getting into fights, and the police were coming by. They also kept an old limo jacked up in front of their house (how attractive) that they were using for parts. They eventually got into some real trouble because of bribing local officials, so they sold their houses to pay legal costs. Believe, me everyone in the neighborhood used the term, it fit them perfectly. Yes, it was an insult. That was the idea. The term "white trash" conjurs up an entire image without having to explain every little detail.

The reason why the N word is ok (imo) for black people to use is that you know EXACTLY what they mean when they say it. It's a GREAT word. Unfortunately, when a white person uses it, you do not know exactly what they mean, and one of the major interpretations is hideous and vile. So at the very best a white person using it is insensitive. At the worst... a loudmouth racist.

I suppose we all have our own opinions, but I don't see how the term 'white trash' or 'redneck' is offensive to black people. Some people act trashy and some don't. I think language is a wonderful thing, including the pejorative. Especially if it conjurs up a clear image.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I suppose we all have our own opinions, but I don't see how the term 'white trash' or 'redneck' is offensive to black people. Some people act trashy and some don't. I think language is a wonderful thing, including the pejorative. Especially if it conjurs up a clear image.

I didn't say "redneck" was offensive to black people. I said "white trash" was. Why do you think the word "white" was put into that expression?

 

[DISUNC]

That he has plenty of respect for those that are educated and (as he says) act right. (Someone got him to admit that by this he means act in the way that mainstream white people act.)

So, what do you think? Is it racist?

Is his name Archie Bunker??? Yup he is a racist!

 

[Freyja]

Anyway, he is very against anyone that looks like this - says they are all uneducated, ignorant gang members/crooks/criminals. That they are too ignorant or lazy to learn to speak English correctly or respect an education or a decent job.

When someone says that everyone who dresses/speaks a certain way is uneducated, ignorant and/or a gangmember/crook/criminal it is very prejudice.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Not according to the DIS filter. And I would agree. I have never even spoken the word the word that was filterd from your post. They are NOT the same.

I agree with Cool-Beans. The two words may not have the same history, but they are on the same level. It's a racial slur I grew knowing not to ever use.
I'm surprised by the number of DISers that toss the term around.

Just because the DIS filters let's something by, doesn't mean it's ok. Heck I still can't figure out why the filter blocks out ***** and ******. Why are the correct terms for male and female body parts filtered?

 

[PoohnPglet]

So sorry to bump such an old thread, but I didn't want to be one of those OP's that post a controversial topic and then are never heard from again.

I would so have loved to joined in but my computer crashed that same night! I have just now been able to get back online.

So thank you to all of you for your responses. It is greatly appreciated!

 

[basas]

I agree with Cool-Beans. The two words may not have the same history, but they are on the same level. It's a racial slur I grew knowing not to ever use.
I'm surprised by the number of DISers that toss the term around.

Just because the DIS filters let's something by, doesn't mean it's ok. Heck I still can't figure out why the filter blocks out ***** and ******. Why are the correct terms for male and female body parts filtered?

I agree with you and Cool-Beans.

 

[perdidobay]

As far as the person the op was asking about, no I don't think he was racist, he thinks the same thing about anyone who dressed or acted that way..something that was not limited to persons of one race....he does have the right to feel what he wants about people who dress and act a certain way...we all do it to some extent or another...honestly!


As for me, when it comes to kids (ages 3 to 23) I think alot of this style is trying to fit in... or trying on a "personna". Back in the 50's it was the James Dean look and act.
Every generation of kids has their own.

Now, when they are an adult, and out in the working world, I will base my opinions on what someone is saying or doing and how they physically present themselves to the world. People are doing the same to me!

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I struggled with the wording on this as I wasn't sure how to say it on here without it sounding racist. I'm still not sure how to word it. As I don't see color in a person. I see a person as a person. The people right next to me are "hispanic", but they are dear sweet people who by no means fall in with the people I'm talking about. The people on the other side of them the wife is white and the husband is african american. Again, they don't fall in with the crowd I was talking about. Would trashy hispanics and blacks been better? What is the proper word term for this? Would those of hispanic and Black hereitage(sp) be offened if I used the word trashy in front of those words? How does one word such a thing without sounding racist or offending someone? Is it even possible?

Of course it's possible and it's very simple. Just say "trashy people", or "trashy people of all races". Why is there a need to mention the specific races of the trashy people?

Sorry, but the fact that you say the neighborhood went to pot, then immediately mention that the people who moved in are "hispanic, white trash and blacks" sounds very racist to me. It sounds as if the hispanics and blacks caused the neighborhood to go to pot just by being hispanic and black, while the whites did so only because they were trashy white people.

I suppose we all have our own opinions, but I don't see how the term 'white trash' or 'redneck' is offensive to black people. Some people act trashy and some don't. I think language is a wonderful thing, including the pejorative. Especially if it conjurs up a clear image.

OK, I'm white, so I can't really be offended on behalf of African Americans, but I don't see "redneck" as offensive to blacks at all.

"White trash" OTOH, yea, it's a descriptive term, I know exactly what type of person you're talking about when you say it, and it certainly doesn't apply to all whites, so I don't find it offensive to whites at all.

But what's the point of qualifying "trash" with "white"? To me, it seems to imply that trashy people are usually non-white, and that's why I find the phrase offensive towards non-whites.

Kind of like when people used to say "doctor" or "woman doctor". At that time, it was assumed that doctors were men, so people qualified women doctors as such. Of course, since being a doctor is a good thing, "woman doctor" seemed demeaning to women, it's the opposite with "trash". Since being trash is a bad thing, qualifying it as "white" seems demeaning to non-whites, rather than whites, to me.

 

[Charade]

Did y'all notice the Jeff Foxworthy ads at the top of the page!

 

[Ride Junkie]

I think the term "ghetto" is used more to describe the way a person acts, not necessarily their race or where they came from.

For example, there are a lot of meth users (mostly white people) in the area we live. One day, a man & woman clearly tweaking on meth, were fighting in the street. So I swerved to go around them, and the guy flipped me a "double bird." I said to myself, "That is so ghetto."

In other words, it's more about their behavior. Unless I'm just misusing the term, but that's usually how we use it over here.

 

[Disney Doll]

I think it's only racist if one assumes that the only folks who live in ghettoes (and by ghetto I mean the modern interpretation of the word...a poor urban area) are black.