Is the term "Tar Baby" racist?

Question

Mitt Romney recently go himself into a sticky mess by using the term "tar baby". The term "tar baby", from the Uncle Remus story of Brer Rabbit was a doll made of tar used to catch Brer Rabbit. It has since come to mean "a sticky situation " (A situation or problem from which it is virtually impossible to disentangle oneself _ Webster's Dictionary). Mr. Romney used the word in the correct context. Black leaders were outraged and Mr. Romney eventually apologized.

Here I submit some other terms that based on the above criteria should be excised from the English language:

S pic 'n Span: spotlessly clean (Webster's) Offensive to Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Spainiards
Chink in the armor: a weak spot that may leave one vulnerable (Webster's) Offensive to Chinese
Saltine Crackers: a dry thin crispy baked bread product that may be leavened or unleavened (Webster's) Offensive to Caucasians
G ook: oozy sloppy dirt, debris (Webster's) Offensive to Orientals

Answer 1

All of these could be racist if used in the wrong context. Using them with their proper meamings is not. Was kinda funny tho, n cool avatar.

Answer 2

The term 'tar baby' is racist. Whether intentional or not, the word has evolved with that meaning as it's most vivid connotation.
To expect anyone to 'get over' the use of certain words just because the past is the past or their self-esteem is low is insensitive and ignorant. How would whites feel if they had been subjugated and exploited for over 400 years and then told to 'deal with it' because of some political and social changes made in the last 40 years?
Ignoring the feelings of differing races by claiming 'it's just a word' won't work. Sure, it's the meaning behind the word but there's not a clear line demarcating the difference.

Answer 3

Yes it is!!
A tar baby was originally a character from African folklore; in the Uncle Remus stories, it is a doll made of tar. From that usage, it has gained the metaphoric meaning of a sticky situation. Over the years, however, that term has also acquired a negative connotation, particularly in the American South. It has been used as a derogatory term for black people, (such as African Americans in the United States or Maoris in New Zealand), or it can refer to an especially dark skinned black person.

Answer 4

The situation, as the bard says, is much ado about noting. If Romney were a democrat, there would not even be a story. When Senator Byrd can get on national live TV and use the term "******" just two years ago, and there is no "black leadership" outrage, the fact of my so called "black leaders" shows itself as the political posturing that it is.

Tar baby is a racist term simply because it is also used in the south to reference black children. I know Romney used it in a colloquium, and he meant nothing about it. I can forgive him because he is a Yankee and does not know the underpinnings of that term. The word "*********: is a Swedish word meaning "cheap or miserly". When about five years back some DC city councilman used the term in the correct context, he was ousted for its use.

Just because a word works does not make it politically smart to use that word. Romney assumed that people knew the meaning of the phrase, and that was his error. He should remember, however, that the first martyr to the American Revolution was a black man, in his home state, in his home city of Boston. It was Cyprus Adams, killed in the Boston Massacre.

Answer 5

You're being specious here. First, you left out the other part of the definition, also from websters.com:

Slang, A black person.

The other phrases you list use words that have been racial epithets, but in this context are not. You are correct that Mr. Romney used the word in the correct context. It is one of those words that is inflammatory as not as many people are familiar with its' use to mean 'sticky situation' as they are with the other definition. Politicians should know better, and should avoid terms like this.

Answer 6

Thats the SILLEST thing I've ever heard, here in the south we all have heard the Joel Chandler Harris story of Uncle Remus and the Tar baby is a story to entertain children with Short verison---------, bir fox knew bir rabbit had a bad temper and made a baby doll of tar and then provoked ber rabbit to hit it and become stuck to it. WOW, doesn't that sound racist? a tar doll, a fox and a rabbit!!

Answer 7

I guess if I used **** n' span in front of chinese its ok.

Used chink in armor in front of caucasions its ok.

Tar baby in front of orientals its ok.

Its when you say something like that in public or knowing full well one of the members that hears it will take offense to it that makes it blatant. Then after saying it they plead ignorance because it is an ambigious word with more then one meaning.
When we all know what those words mean and lieing that you didn't know the rude making makes it even worse.

typical of people that have hatred and use racial slurs that are hidden so as not to be accused. Not fooling anyone though.

Its like those idiots that think by saying 420 that no one will know but the guys that are into it.

Answer 8

Racists think everybody is racist. Like the man who used the word ********* in an office memo, and got clobbered. When
********* is a real word in the English language, and the true root of that nasty slang word, (NOT *****). ********* means
"selfish". Or Jesse Jackson saying the use of the word "refuge" after hurricane Katrina was racist.
Personally I get sick of hearing people cry about being called a name. Everybody gets called names, and by thier own people.
It's called childishness.
I study the Way of the Warrior. It states that when we are
children, words can hurt us. But when we become men and women. We know that a word cannot hurt you.

Answer 9

The only reason people get so angry about this is because they want something to complain about or to use it to further their own agenda. I don't think very many people truely get offended by these comments and you're definitely pulling most of these out of your ***. Tar Baby is a racist comment, but oh well. The only way no one will be a racist anymore is when we are all the same skin color because of inter-racial breeding. This won't happen in our lifetime.

Answer 10

It is racist to those who feel inferior. Those who have self esteem, intelligence and confidence are not effected by words.
Cracker and honky have never caused issues because whites didn't care and never gave power to the words.
I have read, on more than one occasion of people being fired for using the word *********(which is to be stingy) and has nothing to do with slavery or the degradation or oppression of African Americans.
It is sad when a race keeps itself down.

Answer 11

Well, when I first read the header, I was going to answer Yes, it is. But after I read all the details, no, it doesn't appear to be. I called someome a "goof" the other day, meaning "silly", and they got offended and thought I had called them a child molestor! As far as I'm concernced, words are just words, and people should rely on actions more so than words.