Eeny, meeny, miny, moe

[Anonymous]

I'm a teacher and we use the following:

"Hip, hip, sky, blue, who's it, not you!"

[Anonymous]

I think the origins of the rhyme, while interesting as an academic matter, are somewhat irrelevant to a discussion about reciting it now, even with the word tiger. Whether it predates slavery or was just appropriated by racists, its effect on listeners who are familiar with the racist version would be the same.

My son recently came home from kindergarten and recited it with tiger but pronounced tigger. Too close for comfort for me. It really raised my hackles hearing it, and I'm white and knew it as a child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the origins of the rhyme, while interesting as an academic matter, are somewhat irrelevant to a discussion about reciting it now, even with the word tiger. Whether it predates slavery or was just appropriated by racists, its effect on listeners who are familiar with the racist version would be the same.

My son recently came home from kindergarten and recited it with tiger but pronounced tigger. Too close for comfort for me. It really raised my hackles hearing it, and I'm white and knew it as a child.

Ridiculous. You can't ban all our ancient cultural heritage just because a few racists misappropriated something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the origins of the rhyme, while interesting as an academic matter, are somewhat irrelevant to a discussion about reciting it now, even with the word tiger. Whether it predates slavery or was just appropriated by racists, its effect on listeners who are familiar with the racist version would be the same.

My son recently came home from kindergarten and recited it with tiger but pronounced tigger. Too close for comfort for me. It really raised my hackles hearing it, and I'm white and knew it as a child.

Ridiculous. You can't ban all our ancient cultural heritage just because a few racists misappropriated something.

It isn't our ancient cultural heritage. It's our racist heritage. Let the Brits keep it for posterity if they want, since it doesn't have ugly connotations over there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the origins of the rhyme, while interesting as an academic matter, are somewhat irrelevant to a discussion about reciting it now, even with the word tiger. Whether it predates slavery or was just appropriated by racists, its effect on listeners who are familiar with the racist version would be the same.

My son recently came home from kindergarten and recited it with tiger but pronounced tigger. Too close for comfort for me. It really raised my hackles hearing it, and I'm white and knew it as a child.

Do you ban Winnie the Pooh as well? Isn't Tigger "too close for comfort?".

[Anonymous]

I grew up saying the rhyme with tiger. At some point, an older member of my extended family (racist) told me I was saying it wrong and recited the "real" version. Ugh. I remember thinking that was stupid and wrong at an early age and just saying "I'll use my version."

How old is the child again, Jeff? I don't know if I'd ban the rhyme, but I might explain to a child old enough to understand racism why I don't like it, or why other people don't like it. But if the child is so young, will they understand? How do you tell them without confusing them or sort of leading them to feel bad about something that was innocent?

This is something not many people would be worrying about if not for the internet. I don't know how many real life people, black or white, are feeling upset by the rhyme (the tiger version). But maybe i'm wrong. I certainly wouldn't want to hurt anyone, but I don't know how many people are really thinking about this that much.

Keep us posted on what you do. My kid is not old enough for these discussions yet!