When did "monkey" become a racial slur?

[Boston Tea Party]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6117032?FSO1&ATT=HCP&GT1=8705

 

[DVCLiz]

Uuummm, a really long time ago.

 

[JennyMominRI]

It's been on as long as i've been alive.

 

[MoniqueU]

I have heard the words porch monkey before.

 

[Melissa M]

I think it's great that you've never heard it in that context.

 

[CherCrazy]

Hey, I never heard the term "cracker" before. My kids tell me I'm WAY behind the times.

Somehow, I just can't see that word as offensive. It made me laugh the first time I heard it, and I still do. I mean really....I find "saltine" and "ritz" to be much more offensive.

 

[HonestAbe]

So what are we supposed to call primates????

"Look sweetie! Theres one of those small hairy primates that we cannot call by the name that has been in use for years!"

I get sick of all this political correctness BS and double standards.

Flame away if you want but that doesnt make me racist to say I find someone calling me a cracker unacceptable and I am supposed to keep my mouth shut. That's when I want to say let's step out back and take care of this the ol' school way.

And I've never called anyone a monkey in reference to their skin color or heritage. I have called my nieces and nephews monkeys when they bounce off the walls or swing from the chandeliers!

 

[Cool-Beans]

June 6, 1829 at 2:36 p.m. ...I dunno when! But, in the correct context, it is absolutely a racial slur and has been for a looong time.

I wouldn't have blamed the player if he'd slugged the guy.

In any other context, the word "monkey" is fine. It isn't like you can't use the word.

 

[ashjohnson80]

Hey, I never heard the term "cracker" before. My kids tell me I'm WAY behind the times.

Somehow, I just can't see that word as offensive. It made me laugh the first time I heard it, and I still do. I mean really....I find "saltine" and "ritz" to be much more offensive.

i don't think it's in reference to an actual cracker. back in college my african american history professor said that it dated back to when people owned slaves and the term cracker was derived from someone who would crack a whip at the slaves.

 

[JennyMominRI]

So what are we supposed to call primates????

"Look sweetie! Theres one of those small hairy primates that we cannot call by the name that has been in use for years!"

I get sick of all this political correctness BS and double standards.

Flame away if you want but that doesnt make me racist to say I find someone calling me a cracker unacceptable and I am supposed to keep my mouth shut. That's when I want to say let's step out back and take care of this the ol' school way.

And I've never called anyone a monkey in reference to their skin color or heritage. I have called my nieces and nephews monkeys when they bounce off the walls or swing from the chandeliers!

I have called my kids monkeys also..No one is saying calling amonkey a monkey is offensive..Calling a Black person a monkey,is

 

[HonestAbe]

Hey, I never heard the term "cracker" before. My kids tell me I'm WAY behind the times.

Somehow, I just can't see that word as offensive. It made me laugh the first time I heard it, and I still do. I mean really....I find "saltine" and "ritz" to be much more offensive.

Personally I really think you need to spend significant time pondering what you just said. There is such a thing as reverse discrimination and this just encourages it IMO.

I would say it's like saying it's funny when your hear black people calling other black people the N word, but if a white person says it it;s taboo. It's all just sickening. If I ever had any of my black friends call me a cracker that would be the end of our friendship and I would be very tempted to put my fist in their mouth. Me calling them something racist solves nothing, but socking them in the jaw might make me feel all warm and fuzzy and make a point too. And if I ever called them the N word I would fully expect the same but I wouldnt go there.

 

[HonestAbe]

i don't think it's in reference to an actual cracker. back in college my african american history professor said that it dated back to when people owned slaves and the term cracker was derived from someone who would crack a whip at the slaves.

That's an interesting piece of information. Regardless if cracker is a reference to a white person cracking the whip on the slave or a reference to skin color, either usage in contemporary society is completely inappropriate. Two wrongs don't make a right.

 

[JadenLayne]

I never knew calling a black person a monkey was a racist slur and I live in a town that is 90% black. Humm, learn something new everyday. I've called my son a monkey many times.

Oh and I also think Kraka is funny. It wouldn't bother me at all. I would probably laugh at it.

 

[ashjohnson80]

That's an interesting piece of information. Regardless if cracker is a reference to a white person cracking the whip on the slave or a reference to skin color, either usage in contemporary society is completely inappropriate. Two wrongs don't make a right.

oh, i wasn't saying that made it o.k. to call someone that, or any racial slur for that matter.

 

[Boston Tea Party]

Interesting. I had no idea.

It's getting to where I pretty much don't want to open my mouth anymore. (Stop clapping, y'all.)

 

[HonestAbe]

oh, i wasn't saying that made it o.k. to call someone that, or any racial slur for that matter.

You're right. It does sound like I am inferring that you're saying it's okay but I didnt realize that until I went back and read it from a less "emotional" perspective Sorry if that's how it came across because that's not what I meant.

 

[ashjohnson80]

You're right. It does sound like I am inferring that you're saying it's okay but I didnt realize that until I went back and read it from a less "emotional" perspective Sorry if that's how it came across because that's not what I meant.

it's o.k.

 

[themarquis]

So what are we supposed to call primates????

"Look sweetie! Theres one of those small hairy primates that we cannot call by the name that has been in use for years!"

I get sick of all this political correctness BS and double standards.

Flame away if you want but that doesnt make me racist to say I find someone calling me a cracker unacceptable and I am supposed to keep my mouth shut. That's when I want to say let's step out back and take care of this the ol' school way.

And I've never called anyone a monkey in reference to their skin color or heritage. I have called my nieces and nephews monkeys when they bounce off the walls or swing from the chandeliers!

Wow talk about missing the entire point of a post! Dontcha think its just a lil bit different to call an actual primate a monkey (or kids swinging from chandeliers monkeys) vs. calling a person of color a monkey ....? No one is trying to prohibit you from using the term monkey at the zoo. Relax!

 

[CherCrazy]

Personally I really think you need to spend significant time pondering what you just said. There is such a thing as reverse discrimination and this just encourages it IMO.
I would say it's like saying it's funny when your hear black people calling other black people the N word, but if a white person says it it;s taboo. It's all just sickening. If I ever had any of my black friends call me a cracker that would be the end of our friendship and I would be very tempted to put my fist in their mouth. Me calling them something racist solves nothing, but socking them in the jaw might make me feel all warm and fuzzy and make a point too. And if I ever called them the N word I would fully expect the same but I wouldnt go there.

I think you spent too much time pondering it already. I said I just recently heard the term "cracker". Did you get that part? I find it funny that such a common word in the English dictionary is now being used as a racial term. And I sure don't equate that with using the N word.

 

[themarquis]

monkey has been a racial slur for african american people for a loonnng time ... I have no idea how long, but I have seen it in 19th century texts. It's clearly meant to connote that black people are "primitive", animalistic, and "proto-human".