If the speaker doesn't understand the meaning of a certain phrase, can uttering . . .

[Steve_Kow]

If the speaker doesn't understand the meaning of a certain phrase, can uttering . . .

it still be considered racist?

I remember reading a while ago about an overbooked flight in the U.S where a member of the airline had to pick a passenger to be denied service. He used the "eenie meanie miney moe, catch a tiger by the toe if he hollars let him go eenie meanie miney moe" method where on every syllable he points at a different person--going around in a circle or whatever.

Apparently he wound up pointing at a black person, who found his method racist. When I first read the article (months ago--or was it years? it doesn't matter anyway) I didn't understand what could possibly be racist about "eenie meanie miney moe". As it turns out, however, they used to say a word that begins with "N" used to describe black people in place of "tiger". I was never aware of this, and if the pilot wasn't aware either--should the airline's method still be considered racist?

 

[Geeno]

One day my grandma was doing the eenie meenie minie moe, catch a ****** by the toe.

I was so baffled and entertained that I didnt know what to do.

If he says ******, hes racist, tiger... hes not.


The fact that you didnt even know it used to be ****** just goes to show that he was diggin **** up that wasnt really there.

 

[MixedVariety]

Seems like you better do politically correct research before you even perform an 'eenie-meenie', these days.

Someone so hot to point out racism is nothing but a racist themselves, IMO. They deserve to be the one left out.

 

[IDupedInMyPants]

I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility that the guy was legitimately offended by that. I also don't think he should expect everyone to know that little piece of racism trivia. That's how we used to pick teams at recess and I had never in my life heard of its older variant until I read this.

Sometimes a tiger is just a tiger. I'd think the guy should be happy that the original has been so thoroughly changed that it isn't common knowledge that it ever existed to begin with.

 

[AeroJonesy]

I never knew that was it's origin. Glad to see it's changed to tiger though. What does this guy want though? Does he want everyone to be educated on all terms racist so we know not to use them or something? Because I think that would be even worse.

"OK class, today we are going to learn lots of racist terms so you know not to use them."

 

[gaoneng]

Someone so hot to point out racism is nothing but a racist themselves, IMO.

Totally Agreed. I don't see how the "eenie meenie" thing can be malicious in any way and people who play the racist card at every single opportunity pisses me off to no end.

As Humpty Dumpty said, "When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean--neither more nor less." In the end, it's the intention that matters, not the words.

 

[Garbad_the_Weak]

Sometimes a tiger is just a tiger.

^^

Nice quasiquote. I never knew that about that song either.

I wonder why a person would be offended at that. Perhaps some background we don't know about. Perhaps just oversensitivity. I can't see it as a serious issue tho.

BTW, my definition of racism would be a person who irrationally attributes things to race. I don't see something like this as racist.

Garbad

 

[Johnny6]

I wonder why a person would be offended at that.

I'd put money down he was offended that he didn't get on the flight, and the whole racism card was just a sour grape. He was just crying wolf, and I apologize to all Mexicans for using the phrase "crying wolf."

 

[theBlackKnight]

I'd put money down he was offended that he didn't get on the flight, and the whole racism card was just a sour grape. He was just crying wolf, and I apologize to all Mexicans for using the phrase "crying wolf."

. . ..


que?


. .. .

 

[Stevinator]

BTW, my definition of racism would be a person who irrationally attributes things to race. I don't see something like this as racist.
Garbad

agreed, though i have heard from some that for an action to be racist it must have an incidence of someone holding some kind of power over a memeber of another race. the pilot clearly had some form a power, but I still don't see this as racist. I'm not even sure he was aware he was making a "racial" comment/decision.

I prefer your definition of racism though, because often the other version let's monirities get away with things that the majority could not. if you hate whites then you're just as racist as someone who hates blacks.

interesting trivia though. and although it is clearly in bad taste, it does make more sense the racist way than the tiger way. why would you catch a tiger by the toe? however, if you were some evil old school plantation owner, you might grab a slave's toe just to be mean. I guess i'll avoid that one in the future.

 

[IDupedInMyPants]

agreed, though i have heard from some that for an action to be racist it must have an incidence of someone holding some kind of power over a memeber of another race.

I don't even think it would really be racist even by that definition. The pilot or whoever technically had some form of power, but rather than using it, he chose to leave the decision to random chance, which I have a funny feeling everyone there agreed to before he started.

It seems to me like this guy just had a chip on his shoulder from something else. He could have just as logically been offended by a coin toss (Washington owned slaves!).

 

[TurdFergusen]

I think it would have been funny if the black guys reaction was either "Damn", "****", or "That is whack".

 

[NightShade]

I'm racist because I said tiger.



Excuse me while I go watch a rap video.......Need to be re-educated on subtlty.


The guy was obviously pissed that he lost out and as such it's easier to say "omfg racism money plz" than "damn it"

 

[Choogy]

Oh sure, so now childrens' picking rhymes are racist huh? There needs to be a line drawn between common sense and gross stupidity for these things.

And of course it's easy to attack the person. Cause the way to choose was plenty random enough, it's easier to attack the person (thus the company) than to simply accept that you're unlucky...

 

[TurdFergusen]

He should have said Liger instead, they're bred for their skills in magic and racial equality.

 

[Ash Housewares]

He should have said Liger instead, they're bred for their skills in magic and racial equality.

the mixing of tigers and lions is unnatural, god didn't intend for such a union to take place, everyone should just stick to their own kind

 

[TurdFergusen]

You are like so racist!

 

[Lord_Shinnok]

You are like so racist!

indeed. lets stone him to death like in the good ol' days.

 

[TurdFergusen]

I hear testicular electroshock therapy cures racism. To the Bee Mobile!

 

[Lord_Shinnok]

if i ever see a KKK guy with the hiccups i'll think of you Turd