White People! Are you offended being called a "Cracka"?

[Dominic Crossman]

There are racial slurs for whites?
Seriously though I only found out after thrift shop by macklemore that honky was a racist term for white people.
What makes me laugh is how EVERY music channel/radio station will happy play that word but bleep out cock
If it is the equivalent of ****** or any other racial slur surely it should have the hell bleeped out of it?

BTW none of the words used are meant to cause offence.
At the end of the day I don't think any word is racist per se, but it is the intent with which a word is used that should be the thing causing offence if anything.

 

[Cheesepower5]

The average woman sucks at driving compared to the average man because they process spatial relationships worse. Of course, the average guy is much more likely to kill themselves in a car because they take much greater risks at high speed, but they're still better at driving. And get in less accidents.

That may be scientifically true, but that still doesn't make ads like this [http://modcloth.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/car-ad.jpg?w=450&h=400] okay.

Why not?

I mean, I know why you'll say it isn't, and it wouldn't make a difference to me if she were changed to an Asian man or if it were a completely different add depicting a white guy in khakis having a blast listening to Taylor Swift and playing crochet (actually, that middle part offends me to my core, but that's Taylor Swift's fault, not race relations.) I mean, the more you're offended by a stereotype, the more power it has to offend. Why does nobody care about watermelon jokes? Because they're blatantly stupid and don't actually mean anything serious. Heck, people from all colours of the rainbow love watermelon. Watermelon is fucking awesome.

Point is, it's just a joke. Nobody's getting hurt, and it's not going to get people to rush out and change the laws to be regressive about womens' driving rights. To assert that it would do so would be ridiculous and require evidence. It's an ad, it's meant to catch people's attention and turn heads. It generates a buzz. You'd be a lot happier if you just learned to accept these things, and fought real issues as they came, like (assuming that you're American) the fact that your government is systematically removing your rights regardless of race or sex.

And to add to the thread, no. The word cracker does not offend me. I kind of agree with TC in a twisted sort of way though... We need catchier, more hurtful racial slurs for white people. Something on the level of "beaner" or "spear-chucker", that just succeeds on a really simplistic pop-culture view point.

Maybe something about how we can't play basket ball...?

 

[Paradoxrifts]

Been watching a lot of the George Zimmerman case. Last night I was flaberghasted when Erin Burnette of CNN referred to the word as a racial slur.

I'm sorry, but there is not a world where Cracka or Cracker could offend any white person. Right? I mean I'm pretty sure any of hear the word our minds do not jump to our skin colour but to delicious Saltine crackers. It's like calling someone Spaghetti.

Even honky... If I get called a honky the only thing my mind jumps is the old Jefferson's TV show.

Is there any white slur that has any bite at all? I mean I suppose "You impearalist swine whos anncestors kidnapped and enslaved my ancestors for years and then tried to pull that segration bullshit" but that'd be to hard to say in conversation.

I wouldn't be offended by it at all, but I'd then make the assumption that the person using it is an ignorant, racist, mouth-breathing bastard and react accordingly by divesting myself of their company with the utmost haste.

 

[Dangit2019]

Not really, I refer to other white people as "honkey" all the time for shits and giggles, and no one gives a shit because this isn't the 60s.

 

[Jayemsal]

Nope, because my blood came from Europe after the 1860s, I've got nothing to do with it, not even by blood.

 

[CityofTreez]

White people have never been oppressed

Err, what?

I don't think that's right.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

White people have never been oppressed

Err, what?

I don't think that's right.

For god's sake, I mean as a whole. An entire people. Yes, some white people have been oppressed. No, white people as an entire whole have never been oppressed. There is a difference.

 

[chuckman1]

Nope I'm white and have said it plenty.
About the best white slur is "backwards cousinfucker" other then that nothing really comes close. cracker is just a bit funny.
I don't see why anyone would care.

 

[bigfatcarp93]

From a logical perspective, I probably should, as it is a racial slur intended to offend me personally based on race.

But really? No.

Not sure why. I'm just not offended.

 

[blaize2010]

Nah dude I don't really care what people call me. I mean yeah I guess it's a slur, but people have called me much, much worse. For anyone wondering the origin, it's contested. it basically refers to an older English word meaning loud sound which in turn was used to insult the scotch-irish community, or slave drivers in pre-rebellion America. Personally I always thought the two just developed separately, but there's evidence of use before the "Georgia cracker" term, so if nothing else it could be an adaptation.

I love linguistics. Honestly so many slurs have fallen into common speech and nobody notices anymore. Hooligan used to be a slur directed at irish people. So was paddy, carrot top, the term shanties is derived from shant, which was another. Some sources say clowns are based on irish stereotypes(patchwork clothes, red nose from drinking, red hair, really pale with bright red cheeks) but I don't know about that. Gypped comes from gypsies who always screwed you over, even cotton picking used to be an pejorative for black people. Once you start looking into it you find all kinds of words that used to be extremely hateful that people have all but forgotten. Makes me wonder what won't be offensive a hundred years from now.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I got more offended once whens omeone called me a dago than when someone called me a cracker. But once someone uses it I sling a racial slur and see how long it takes them to get pissed and say I cant say that before i tell them thats what they did to me. and it usually it ends in the vairant of "you're white, so its oka to do that"

 

[Quantum Glass]

Yes, but mostly because it's kind of bland. (Fitting, am I right?)

I mean, if there was some historical/social context to it, I'd understand. If white people were a minority where I live, I'd understand. But since both of those possibilities come up short, it just seems...lazy, I guess.

I mean, it's my skin pigment. It's purely aesthetic. If I was used to being judged by it, it might mean something to me, but since I mostly just view it as an efficient way to keep out the sun and hold my blood in, I'd rather be hated for more personal traits. My religion, or lack thereof. My economic standing. My political beliefs. My morals. I don't want to be hated because I'm white--I want to be hated because I'm /me./

 

[Keepitclean]

Of course not. White people have never been oppressed or a minority, so it's much easier to just laugh off petty insults.

You're wrong, it happens today in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Depending on who you would classify as "white" it has happened plenty of times throughout history.

White people have never been oppressed

Err, what?

I don't think that's right.

For god's sake, I mean as a whole. An entire people. Yes, some white people have been oppressed. No, white people as an entire whole have never been oppressed. There is a difference.

Can you give one example of a people that has "been oppressed as whole". I can see this discussion falling into an argument about what is "race", there is no clear definition of that.

 

[rbstewart7263]

Been watching a lot of the George Zimmerman case. Last night I was flaberghasted when Erin Burnette of CNN referred to the word as a racial slur.

I'm sorry, but there is not a world where Cracka or Cracker could offend any white person. Right? I mean I'm pretty sure any of hear the word our minds do not jump to our skin colour but to delicious Saltine crackers. It's like calling someone Spaghetti.

Even honky... If I get called a honky the only thing my mind jumps is the old Jefferson's TV show.

Is there any white slur that has any bite at all? I mean I suppose "You impearalist swine whos anncestors kidnapped and enslaved my ancestors for years and then tried to pull that segration bullshit" but that'd be to hard to say in conversation.

NOPE I think its silly to let mere words offend you especially when the context isnt directed at you or intended to offend

 

[rbstewart7263]

Of course not. White people have never been oppressed or a minority, so it's much easier to just laugh off petty insults.

You're wrong, it happens today in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Depending on who you would classify as "white" it has happened plenty of times throughout history.

White people have never been oppressed

Err, what?

I don't think that's right.

For god's sake, I mean as a whole. An entire people. Yes, some white people have been oppressed. No, white people as an entire whole have never been oppressed. There is a difference.

Can you give one example of a people that has "been oppressed as whole". I can see this discussion falling into an argument about what is "race", there is no clear definition of that.

its the "whos been oppressed more as a whole" arguement. I really dont think debating who had it worse back in the day is really productive at all. At the end of the day people just get to say: yep these_____people had it worse lets feel bad about that.

 

[DishonoredElderSouls]

Well, obviously it's a racial slur. I would personally find it rather amusing, however, for I'm not insulted by racist insults. I've never even been directly insulted with racial slurs, but I would oddly find it cool to be so some day. Being caucasian, I find it utterly impossible to feel suppressed, hated, or personally diminished by an insult towards my race.

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

I'm not saying this is right by any means, however I think it is perfectly logical that a term or idea which has no historical significance or potency in its use would be more acceptable. It's not a matter of "double standards" or "reverse racism" or "reverse sexism." It's simply the historical baggage that certain terms and ideas carry.

Couldn't have said it better myself. These words have power in a historical context. Trying to align them all in some sort of "racism spreadsheet", while a natural inclination, is ultimately misguided.

I see this a lot in arguments on the internet. Sometimes a person craves logical consistency to a point that ignores context. Fact is sometimes historical context calls for deference above and beyond logical consistency. Cracker doesn't hurt me because, generally speaking, no one has ever used the word to hurt anyone.

Captcha: hot sauce? Yes, please.

 

[Jake0fTrades]

Not really. At least in America, there's never really been any stigma or connotation attached to it, so it just seems kind of forced. It just feels like someone had to come up with a derogatory term for white people and they settled for "cracker."

Also, Crackers are f*cking delicious.

 

[Abbystraction]

Not at all. I've never heard it used maliciously towards me or anyone else, and even if I magically did some day I would probably laugh because it's just...silly sounding.

The only time I've been really offended or felt targeted because of my race was when I was told that "my country" sucked and I wouldn't understand why it sucked because I was white... (it didn't make any sense to me either) despite the fact that I'm actually mixed race and from a family that immigrated to Canada.

I didn't hold it against him. though since I figured he was just homesick and I've heard that a lot of Koreans get sent over here against their will by their parents to learn English. ):

 

[Rotten_Karma]

Of course "cracker" is offensive. It is a word meant to denigrate someone because of their skin color. By definition that makes it a racial slur. It is just as bad as redneck or hillbilly and I wouldn't hesitate to flag a post for using such a term. The fact that most of you don't recognize it as racist just shows how racist you are.