Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This comment is unrelated to this particular story and more of a general comment- you should consider that perhaps when (some) white people find certain jokes about black people/experiences funny and (some) black people don't, there's a reason for that. Maybe when you're the group a joke targets, you don't find it as amusing as people who do not and will never have no connection to it.
I'm not going to call Jewish people humorless if they don't find a story about kids having to play concentration camp funny. Maybe I would find the hypothetical story humorous, but I would understand that as a non-Jew that just don't have the same perspective about it.
Then again, perhaps I should not have bothered to respond to your post since you seem a bit troll-like. And if not troll-like, a bit ignorant.
While I don't think it's appropriate for anyone to make light of the horrors of slavery or the genocide, that's not what this guy is doing. This is an instance where a black guy is relating a story about an inappropriate event he experienced, he is deliberately using humor that a broad audience finds funny, not just just white people. If humor were not his objective, he would have been angry and offended by the reaction he was getting from his audience - which doesn't find his story funny because they're white, they find it funny because they're human and aware. Did you ever see Life is Beautiful? How about the Producers? There's nothing funny about the Holocaust but there is humor in situations, particularly ridiculous situations like the cotton picking field trip. You don't have to be black to have a 'connection' with slavery. We all belong to mankind and what hurts one hurts us all. And, if that's not good enough for you, there are enough mixed race people that it's going to be hard for you to determine who is entitled to a 'connection' and who isn't.
Anonymous wrote:05:47- I think you have misunderstood several posts and gone on a rant because of that. My "disgusting and offensive" post was about the use of the word niglet. I find it a nasty word. Reread the first quoted post in your 05:47 post, then read the post in response to it. I was not speaking about the whole story- I spoke about the use of one word in the story. That is clear if you actually read it.
There is more than one black person in this thread. Some find the story funny. Some don't. I actually posted earlier that the story was amusing because of the idiocy of the teacher. So your rant is quite misguided and I can't/won't answer your numerous questions about blame and anger.
Anonymous wrote:This comment is unrelated to this particular story and more of a general comment- you should consider that perhaps when (some) white people find certain jokes about black people/experiences funny and (some) black people don't, there's a reason for that. Maybe when you're the group a joke targets, you don't find it as amusing as people who do not and will never have no connection to it.
I'm not going to call Jewish people humorless if they don't find a story about kids having to play concentration camp funny. Maybe I would find the hypothetical story humorous, but I would understand that as a non-Jew that just don't have the same perspective about it.
Then again, perhaps I should not have bothered to respond to your post since you seem a bit troll-like. And if not troll-like, a bit ignorant.
Anonymous wrote:The black guy in this post is a token nigger. He should be ashamed for acting like the clown they expected him to be. I'm also not okay with him using the word "niglet" to his white audience. His tap dancing is not amusing.
It seems a black man is expected to either be a fool or an angry criminal.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What I'm asking is to whom is this anger over the video directed? Most white PPs aren't angry; they think his sense of humor actually helps to get across a major point. Black PPs, however (most), find the entire story offensive - from the actual trip to the taping to the posting to the "reviews."
So who's to blame for causing this uproar? Are you upset over the whites' reactions? over the fact that some blacks also think it's funny?
It happened. The school was stupid to allow such an event to take place (And who knows if we have all the info either?). The young man used his humor to get back at the school/teacher. He drew in quite a few "fans" who were also offended by it.
It seems there's only one acceptable way for people from a historically oppressed group to retell of their experiences. No humor allowed - at least nothing white people find funny. What about mixed race people is it okay for them to laugh? Whose rules are they required to follow? The black community or their other communities?
Anonymous wrote:What I'm asking is to whom is this anger over the video directed? Most white PPs aren't angry; they think his sense of humor actually helps to get across a major point. Black PPs, however (most), find the entire story offensive - from the actual trip to the taping to the posting to the "reviews."
So who's to blame for causing this uproar? Are you upset over the whites' reactions? over the fact that some blacks also think it's funny?
It happened. The school was stupid to allow such an event to take place (And who knows if we have all the info either?). The young man used his humor to get back at the school/teacher. He drew in quite a few "fans" who were also offended by it.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:AA posters, what do you think about the term nigglet (as per the video)?
Don't like it, find it disgusting and offensive, and I am especially bothered he chose to use it in a story told to a white audience.
Before anyone jumps on me for my last comment re: white audience, there are plenty of groups who find historically derogatory terms even more offensive when used outside the group. Women- bitch, gays/lesbians- fag/dyke, and so on.
I have plenty of black friends (teachers) who tell their children and students NOT to use nigger, as it's completely offensive within and outside of the racial circle. And you'll hear younger black kids refer to it as a term of endearment.
So who's to blame for this video? Are you blaming the young man for making fun of this incident? the whites who initiated it? the whites who are laughing at it? whom exactly? b/c it IS the young man who decided to post the Youtube clip . . .
A friend of his posted it to YouTube, actually, and he asked her to remove it.
Yes, of course there are black people who are against anyone saying nigger (I'm in this camp) and those who think its fine to use in-group and those who use it outside of the group. Just like there are gay people who have reclaimed terms like queer and dyke, gay people who are against using those terms, and gay people who are only fine with other gay people saying it.
Re: the bolded, can you clarify where I blamed anyone for anything? I can't answer your questions until I understand what your meaning is, because I didn't mention blame in my original post.
Anonymous wrote:The black guy in this post is a token nigger. He should be ashamed for acting like the clown they expected him to be. I'm also not okay with him using the word "niglet" to his white audience. His tap dancing is not amusing.
It seems a black man is expected to either be a fool or an angry criminal.
Anonymous wrote:The black guy in this post is a token nigger. He should be ashamed for acting like the clown they expected him to be. I'm also not okay with him using the word "niglet" to his white audience. His tap dancing is not amusing.
It seems a black man is expected to either be a fool or an angry criminal.
Anonymous wrote:No the subject matter is not funny. However, his delivery of the story is, very much so. Comedy has a history of shining a light on injustice, while making you laugh all at once.
I thought the story was hilarious. I'm an abuse and trauma survivor and humor is very much used to soothe pain as well as shine a light on injustice. It doesn't make the topic any less serious and it isn't demeaning. I thought the guy's use of the work "niglet" was especially funny - it conveys perfectly the sense of idiocy of that trip.
I'm curious, though, how do people know the audience was white? Yeah, I saw the white guy on the couch but there clearly were a lot of other people listening to his story. We hear their laughter. Why are you assuming everyone is white?