Can racism be funny?

Question

When I moved to Tennessee from Los Angeles, my new neighborhood had only been integrated about 5-7 years. Walking some distance to 7-Eleven one day, an unkempt little white girl (maybe 3) ran from her house pointing and stomping at me, calling me the n-word. I knew the south was more prejudiced, but I didn't expect my first racial slur to come from a giggly toddler. Has anyone else had wierd experiences with racism?

Answer 1

I think that depictions of racism can be funny. Think of the humor of Dave Chappelle, Carlos Mencia or Borat. Such humor shows that while stereotypes exist, they are not the whole reality of any one group and should not be taken as such. I believe this type of humor also shows how ignorant it is to act in a racist manner towards other people.
Real racism is not funny. Neither is prejudice based upon gender, religion, national origin, disability, sexual preference or a host of other differences that make up this diverse group we call "humanity."

Answer 2

Generally its not but when ethnic people joke with each other, it kinda is (if you know each other really well etc). I'm sorry it happened to you but i'm much more sorry for people who are racist especially the poor 3 year old girl. It is a beautiful thing to embrace our differences. I live in nyc, even here I have experienced racism, never anything too harsh but its the little subtle things that slip into conversations every so often that I almost missed. After a while I've learned to deal with it better and not let it change who I am. Good luck!

Answer 3

I have never had experience like that which is probably becaus I am white but i can say that I find nothing funny about racism and I don't understand why perents instill such immoral acts into their children. Some day I hope that this problem becomes a part of the past.

Answer 4

thats not true you're just trying to make problems....the thing is i have lived and traveled the world and the most racist areas of the country are the north...in fact if you do a little research you will find that the kkk and white supremacists groups were started and are headquartered out of the north....but if you want to know about weird experiences with racism you need to come to where i live where its not white against black its the blacks that treat whites, hispanics and others like trash. especially blacks who work are in government positions and its not hidden they are very blatant about it. the thing is racism is everywhere in every race so pointing fingers at a 'little white girl' is just plain silly and i don't believe this really happened, i think you might be white and made it up to make others angry.

Answer 5

Actually a my 3 year old (black/hispanic) neice called me the n-word last week! She put the R on the end and everything. Im white! (I feel bad for these kids though they have no idea of the amount of garbage they get fed.)

Yes it can be funny. That is if you know the concept of race is an illusion, and our differences are all in our imagination. Scientifically 85% or more of genetic variey occurs within races, not outside of them. I am just as likely to be genetically similar to you as I am to a white person outside of my immediate family. "Race" is a social phenomenon, we make people inferior only in our minds.

If you know that racists of all races are inferior because of their stupidity, they would tickle you little bit.

And if it still bothers you, remember youll be the one whos laughing when your the only match for their kidney!

Answer 6

Well, Mr ABM, the problem now is that, in the last 25+ years, gangsta and hiphop artists have re-introduced that term back into common usage nationwide via cable and the airwaves. Since the term had nearly died by 1980 due to universal disgust with the term's redneck origins, you have no one to blame but your own peers for popularizing thug "music" videos containing vulgar language and acts perpetrated by minorities against their own and others. Whitey watches MTV2, too, and kids are always quick to absorb and adopt the newest naughty slang.
What else could you expect to happen??

Answer 7

Well, unfortunately, a lot of folks in some area just don't realize how offensive the term is to some. And, fact of the matter nowadays a lot of blacks call each other that, and whites do too, so how much of a dergoatory term it actually is may be called into question, somewhat. but, it is offensive to many and in the south little kids sometimes say it because they hear adults say it. 98% of the time, i guarantee the adults don't intend it to be a derogatory term. they're aware it could be offensive though, and they shouldn't use it, but they do because it is easier to say than ***** in the southern dialect, just like southerners and blacks say other words differently- its just a simplification of the word *****.

Answer 8

Racism is a negative term to indicate actual hatred or degradation to other cultures or races. I don't find racism funny at all.

However, making fun of cultural differences is hilarious. We're all different, and if you can't laugh at yourself once in a while or take a joke, you're just too uptight. I've got foibles just like everyone else, and I'd rather enjoy myself instead of hating others.

So go ahead and tease me, I'll make fun of you, we'll laugh and then go have a beer together.

Answer 9

I fail to see the humor!

I don't care if the perpetrator is a 3-year old toddler girl, racial slurs are not funny!

I'm not surprised at her reaction to you...because...her behavior is a learned-behavior and this is to be expected from many, many ignorant white people.

Sadly, this type of racist behavior/racist reaction is also tolerated, laughed at, and dismissed by far too many uncaring black people!

Answer 10

I had a similar experience as a white college student in a predominently black neighborhood. I was walking back to campus from an appointment and a scrawny black teen started yelling at me "run honkey, I said you'd better run honkey". This individual not only used racially offensive language, he threatened my health because of my skin tone and location.

I believe your toddler and my teen were products of parenting and the environment in which they were raised. They both showed their ignorance.