Let me holla at ya for a minute ;0)
I came across this blog, One More Raindrop in a Bloggy Ocean, a few weeks ago and read through some of the posts. For the most part I liked some of the quirky lists the author constructed and looked in again late last night.
But what I found last night irked me to no end. The author, a woman called Janna, posted what she thinks is a 'funny' caricature of 'Pygmies' (a racist colonial term). Her post talks about "Pygmies ... shaking their little heads" in their "huts" while "kangaroo" meat cooks outside.
Yeah I hear you laughing out loud now. But wait. There is more. She also thinks it's really 'funny' to talk about 'Pygmies' eating kangaroos in Africa.
Go figure. What more can the white imagination dredge up that is just as 'funny' hey?
Anyway, my initial response was to navigate away in exasperation. But the post stuck to my political consciousness and I returned to leave a quick email that pointed out the implied racism and reductive stereotypical imagery.
Still having nothing better to do, I checked back to find that she changed the post leaving out the reference to 'Pygmies' but instead added "Inuits in igloos" with "seal" meat for eating. She also deleted my protest email.
Then she changed her mind yet again. Her reflexive and imprudent ego was obviously sorely prickled. This time around she put her original post back up and added a knavish call-out to her 'troops' to rescue her from the deep sh*t hole she dug while trying to be funny.
And the 'troops' came out machinated and trod stoically on the dignity of Blacks and Inuits everywhere while diving recklessly to join her in what is now no-less than a coveted racist sh*t hole.
And there they sit precariously unperturbed and ignorant of what the fuss and smell is all about.
Geez! I know I know. There are more important struggles to fight. And there are more important things to do than engaging nitwits who will swear that they are not racist while kicking Black folk in the ass time and time again.
Anyway, please read the maladroit post here, but do so after a few long and deep breaths yo!
Then see the 'deft' reactions from the now smelly 'troops' here.
Be sure to read "manic mo's" taking exception to my using the words "spurious" and "Wikepedia" in a sentence.
Manic Mo's dumb ass is obviously too busy stroking his racism to know that the bona-fides of Wikepedia are being vigorously debated. In fact, even Wikepedia admits that their 'Pygmy' article needs "expert attention."
But what can you expect from a racist miscreant who signed his comment thus?: "your racist xenophobic axe-murdering slave ancestoring white bread faggoty-fag-faggot friend, manic mo" .... sick, not (sic), assh*le.
OK, I gots to run and fix my hut's roof just in case it rains tonight. And then I gots to go hunt me a lion or a kangaroo for dinner. Massa is coming over and he wants to document the size of our genitals for Wikepedia.
I hope he does not take denigrating pictures of us like his daddy did in the 30's.
We are not really backward. But that is another story I will tell once I figure out just how the hell white folks have rigged the sun to come up everyday ...
even when it rains yo!
Now where did I put my spear?
7 comments:
I meant to go to be hours ago but I couldn't help it, I had to strategically attack your white princess and her limited buddies. People are so fucking stupid!
Was reminiscing about about the impromptu dance party in the Cape--I wonder if your skiev still thinks of you at night?
Thanks Chelsea.
Those folks are absolutely horrible ... I have forgotten the levels hey. I mean in SA we have the same sh*t as you know well. But in the US it just seems so much more grating.
I have looked at the debates on apartheid in the blogosphere. Geez. If I ever taught a class on racism again it can hardly be ignored.
My limited experience here, and my recent reading of other bloggers, leaves me just bewidered by the racial divides that exist (am I going soft?)
Racialized spaces replete with 'troops' and booms.
Her folks won't get it ... more will come to her rescue. (I like how she thanked the 'troops' for "coming to my defense."
It makes for interesting reads hey (Ok maybe not). Tell me what the hell the murder rate in SA has to do with my points?
In my original post I never called her a "cracker" ... I said it was a "cracker of a post."
And I stand by that ... it is racist and base in "cracker" terms.
Be well :0)
Ridi
ps. Cape Town was fun hey ... I'm going there in a couple.
I could have spent the next year citing the stupidity of the comments made by her 'troops'--the murder rate, the economic situation, and somehow, someone 'knew you were of an African persuasion before you said it'--you angry black man! They are ridiculous and I know it won't make any difference but I was so taken aback by how ignorant the whole lot was--it was so blatant!
Enjoy yourself in Cape Town.
Chelsea you are right on point as usual.
After reading the posts I know again why I don't miss Portland, or PSU, ... but I also know why I miss Portland and PSU.
It helps in-between to know that we are not alone huh? Even though it is hard as hell to swallow this sh*t ... and it makes me wonder at times what it is all about.
Makes me want to just put a cap in their asses at times ... and at other times it makes me just want to put another cap in their asses :)
Be good hey.
Peace,
ridi
I wish to repost this here in an attempt to provide both sides of the story. It was originally posted as a response from one of the "troops" in support of the original blog. I propose that we open a dialog if you truly believe that there is a serious issue here. I may be contacted at u_phonium@yahoo.com, and I look forward to any thoughts that are original and intelligent.
I am going to start this response by stating for the record that I am truly an "equal-opportunity-asshole." If you cannot take my commentary for what it is worth- my own thoughts- then I frankly could not care less. I do, however, feel that it is important for me to support my good friend Janna on this.
I would also like to state that I fully understand and agree with the post concerning institutional racism (thanks Crose) and its effects on our society today. It was well-worded and had many accurate statements, though none of them seem to apply to this particular blog, as I will show later. I feel that the response making personal attacks on Janna and attaching the lables of racist, arrogant, and dismissive is ignorant and hateful. Crose, on the other hand, approached this in what I feel is the proper manner.
So... for arguments sake, let us assume momentarily that Janna is racist. How is a person to go about changing this? What is the best way to change someone's opinion? Any intelligent discussion of this matter would include the word "education." To educate the racist in the true roots of their belief system and to demonstrate obvious misgivings about this system, it is best to approach things gently and with dialogue. To simply attack the person and make broad generalazations is likely to cause this person to be defensive, and perhaps even reinforce their belief system. And this is why I feel that Crose approached this in the proper manner. She (I assume but do not know his/her gender) began by saying that she was not making a personal attack, and then proceeded to make a case. This gives the "racist" in question the opportunity to analyze an intelligent critique and perhaps even challenge his or her own thought processes on the nature of racism, which can then lead to a healthy, enlightened discussion in which all parties are heard and arguements are meaningful and intelligent.
Now... let's discuss the fact that I KNOW that Janna is not racist. To begin this conversation, let us observe the standard definition of racism, as provided by Merriam-Webster (a truly reliable source, I might add): 1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
Janna, in her blog of pygmies, attached no significance of superiority/inferiority to the fact of their lives in huts. It was simply a statement of FACT. Pygmies do, in fact, sometimes live in huts. Pygmies heads, by definition, are smaller than average. Statements of fact are inherantly incapable of bias. Bias is an issue of opinion (belief stronger than impression and less strong than positive knowledge). The two are mutually exclusive.
The only inaccurate statement of the whole thing involved kangaroos being native to Australia, while pygmie tribes are more readily found in Africa. This, my friends, served to point out the HUMOR and intentional absurdity of the statement. If she was picking on anyone, it was herself. Did you not pick up on the fact that SHE CALLED HERSELF AN IDIOT in this post.
This is funny stuff, people. And the fact that she attached NO BIAS OF SUPERIORITY/INFERIORITY to the post means that it WAS NOT racist. Racism, by definition, requires a favoritism granted towards a person or people based on skin color. Again I will say, favoritism is an opinion, and facts CANNOT CONTAIN OPINION, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY CANNOT SHOW FAVORITISM.
Thank you, Janna, for providing amusement and opening (albeit unintentionally) a forum for discussion. I LOVE your blog, and will continue to defend you anytime and anywhere. :)
Jason
Welcome to my blog Jason ... though you hardly seem to want to recognize that you are here.
My name is Ridwan. I exist. I am an African and a Black man.
When I tell you that her post was racist I am speaking from personal and professional experience.
I am an academic, with a specialty in race and racism. What is it that you do ... by the way?
If you were a student in my class on Racism you would flunk for many reasons.
First, no-one in their right mind would quote a dictionary as an authority on what racism is and what racism is not.
Secondly, your ignorant listing of 'facts' about the phenotypic (look it up) characteristics is exactly the kind of racist crap that makes your case dubious and your entry here simply whack.
Let me put it simple. If you want to have a conversation with me you have some serious prep to do.
Do some reading first, unarm yourself of the white-is-right identity that makes you so cock-sure that you can discern what is racist and what is not.
Then, and then only, will you be ready to talk about the racism in Janna's post, and the racism in your response above.
You may want to take a class at your local college too.
It is, however, admirable that you want to defend your friend. From what I have read (outside of the 'pygmy' post), she comes across as a nice person.
However, her response to this issue has been less than admirable.
Calling in the "troops" to vouch for her is an example of the kind of power that whiteness holds to divert attention from the issues.
What I mean is that the blogosphere is filled with white people who will defend the kind of nonsense she threw our way.
If I remember, there were about 19 responses including mine, and Crose.
The vast majority were hostile attacks ... see 'Mo, for eg. One post even mentioned that she was proud to "be a murderer" ... another claimed that I was wrong in part because S. Africa has the highest crime rate in the world.
These intelligent supporters? If I was Janna I would be ashamed that the folks who crawled out of the woodwork made her look more ridiculous, and yes racist, than her original post.
You do show at least some interest in having a conversation. And I applaud that ...
However, your current posturing is as if you are the source of knowledge to be consulted.
You seek intelligent conversation right?
OK.
How do you propose we do that when your confused post relays an uneducated, and naive, view of a white man with web access ... one who knows very little about what he wants to defend?
I have been in academia dealing with knee-jerk responses like yours for most of my life.
You need to school yourself before you attempt engagement here.
Like my grandmother used to say "you are fighting outside of your weight class."
As I close let me tell you a little secret you should know:
Black people are f*ing tired of explaining to white people what is and what is not racist. Moreover, Black people are tired, and frustrated by white people who posture to be the font of knowledge on what is, and what is not, racism.
You are a beginner here Jason, take time off your hourly gig to read beyond the dictionary you think is authoritative.
If you want, I can send you a reading list or you can google me and just find them for yourself.
No-less, be well hey.
Ridwan
I have copied and pasted the comment I left on Janna's blog below for context. My original post she deleted so that is lost ... and what we have is a 'conversation' from her 'troops' in the third person ... ;0) Ridwan
*****************
You protest too much and you have misrepresented my intent with your added diatribe about political correctness and blogger freedoms.
What remains troubling about your post(s) is the callous reduction of Pygmy and Inuit people to nothing more than backward stereotypes.
This reduction is worsened by the spurios Wikepedia reference to prove that Pygmies 'in fact' live in huts.
I find no humor in trampling on Black and Inuit life with utter, and even arrogant, disregard.
As a Black man I am telling you your references were/are racist whether you intend your word/name associations to be disjunctive or not.
How would you, or those who are going to jump to your defense, like it if I claimed that all white Americans are murderers because I can point to an article on lynching and slavery in Wikepedia?
You want your post to be treated with nuance yet you engage in dismissive and racist stereotyping.
Reducing Pygmies to nothing more than shaking "little heads" in "huts" ... is the racist imagery I responded to ... I am hardly hung-up about kangaroos, seals, or political correctness.
Please do not twist my intent or sincerity.
I have been a reader of your blog in the past and have enjoyed much of what I read.
I do however suggest that you look further than your navel before you just dismiss my critique.
Also don't worry, I like my life just fine.
Peace,
Ridwan Laher
South Africa
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