Author Topic: egregious mistake (Read 1164 times)

Mustaine · « **Reply #15 on:** April 20, 2006, 11:34:02 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Skuzzy
Eagl, you may find it hard to believe, but I have no clue what the inference is between watermelons and black people. How can a watermelon be racist?

see here:
http://www.rsdb.org/search?q=watermelon

as stated in there it was even used in the movie "48 hours"

i've known that one for years... it is in fact the reason that movie i linked to is named that way.

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #16 on:** April 20, 2006, 11:35:12 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Skuzzy
Eagl, you may find it hard to believe, but I have no clue what the inference is between watermelons and black people. How can a watermelon be racist?

It isn't racist. The people who think it is are.

eagl · « **Reply #17 on:** April 20, 2006, 11:42:23 AM »

I'd say google for more info, but google often un-links racist websites that might have examples of what I'm talking about so you may have to use more direct search methods. I personally don't go to the kinds of websites that contain that sort of thing, so I can't offer up any links. Plus you'd delete my post if I put those links in here

edit - It's not about the cartoon caricatures. It's about a demeaning portrayal of minorities that was linked to a perceived racial taste for watermelon. The cartoons were just one way this stereotype was spread. Jokes were another. Everyone told them, and everyone thought they were ok and normal. Well, they're not because they were, and still are in many cases, an unconscious societal reflection of negative stereotypes deliberately spread by racist hate groups.

There are dozens of terms in common use today that come directly from racial stereotypes... How often have you heard someone call someone else who just did something stupid a "nig-nog"? I hear it all the time from people who have no idea that the derogatory origin of the term was a reference to being as stupid as a someone with a "n-word" noggin. But people say these things without realizing what they mean, because it appears to be part of the collective societal norm.

I'm not a crusader or anything but the topic came up and I was awake, so...

Airscrew · « **Reply #18 on:** April 20, 2006, 11:50:39 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by beet1e
I calculated that the melon would hit the deck about 6 seconds after leaving Condi's hands. In terms of downward velocity, free falling objects accelerate towards earth at a rate of 32ft per second per second. So in the first second, the initial downward velocity would be -20ft per second, tending toward zero during that first second. The melon would rise about 10ft before starting downward towards the base of the Federal Building from a height of 310ft. A second later it would be at 278ft, a second after that 214ft, a second after that 118ft, and would go splat about a second later. Of course, wind resistance and other environmental variables such as temperature, humidity and wind speed would come into play, but to the nearest second, I'd estimate 6 seconds.

Beet, my math aint so good but I'm guessing your wrong.
1. Condi stands about 5' 7"? is she wearing heels? so height would start at least 305.

2. and tosses it up with a velocity of 20 feet per second how much does the watermelon weigh and how much can Condi bench press? need to calculate how high she tosses it up, then the watermelon has to decelerate, then begin its drop down again. You say she'll toss it up 10ft, then total distance for the drop would be 315 feet

Jackal1 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 20, 2006, 11:57:10 AM »

Eagl, I think if you will perform a little experiment you might learn something about yourself.
Go back and read the posts you have placed in this thread real slow.
Can you see that your views are being directed and steered by the truely racist instead of the other way around?
Those that play the race card at every opportunity are the truley racist. They also cause the most disturbance between races while hiding behind a very sheer curtain for cover.
If you buy into PC in this case...............well you get the picture.

BTW...."typical" southern foods such as fried chicken and watermelon are some of my favorites. Imagine that. A southerner liking southern food.
Our small school was just the opposite of what you described. In a town twelve miles away from ours was an excluseivly black school. That school was totaly closed and the black kids were bussed to our school.

eagl · « **Reply #20 on:** April 20, 2006, 12:05:59 PM »

Jackal,

I always re-read what I write, and you've missed my point entirely. My point is that these references were used for a very long time with a deliberately racist intent, and just because most people do not intend them in that way nowadays doesn't mean that the phrases and terms do not still bring up bad memories.

And some people DO still make racist and derogatory references of this type, so it's not even something that's all in the past.

I think any knee-jerk reaction by either party is the wrong way to handle it, but it should still be understood that certain phrases have a lot of racial connotations and hidden meanings. A professor ought to know these sorts of things and except when making a specific point to his class, probably ought to avoid bringing them up.

That's not being racist, it's recognizing that racist people have made certain relationships and phrases offensive and it's stupid to try to ignore or belittle the reactions that those phrases will generate.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #21 on:** April 20, 2006, 12:13:32 PM »

Interesting eagl. Even more so, considering I went through public schools where white people were the minority and blacks and hispanics were the majority.

Quite frankly, I could care less about the racial history of any country. It should never define our actions, it should only serve as a reminder of where we went right or wrong.

People create and feed racism. In giving this 'question' the attention it is being given, and the perspective it is being viewed from, it will serve to promote racism, not stop it.

I am not defined by my father, or his father. So please do not try to put me in thier shoes. I have my own, thank you very much. I still see nothing wrong with the question, and none of my black friends would either.

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 20, 2006, 12:25:25 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Skuzzy
Eagl, you may find it hard to believe, but I have no clue what the inference is between watermelons and black people. How can a watermelon be racist?

It all started when a group of mean watermelons got together and started burning crosses in black folk’s front yards, and then hanging them too....

Course the story that never gets told is the brutal oppression and cannibalism propagated against the innocent watermelon community!

straffo · « **Reply #23 on:** April 20, 2006, 12:48:11 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Skuzzy
I do not see anything wrong with the question.

Ask the watermelon !

ChickenHawk · « **Reply #24 on:** April 20, 2006, 12:50:16 PM »

Thank you for the history eagl. I too was unaware of the watermelon connection and I even lived in the south as a kid.

I dare say that if such a big deal were not made about incidents like this, it wouldn't take long for watermelons to get back their good name. It's a shame a tasty summer treat should be taboo.

On the other hand, now that I know the history, I can understand why it would ruffle a few feathers. I just think it's time for us all to move on and get along.

AWMac · « **Reply #25 on:** April 20, 2006, 12:56:31 PM »

Maybe the Professor should have used a different fruit....like lets say a Banana?

Mac

Shaky · « **Reply #26 on:** April 20, 2006, 01:08:27 PM »

The combination of directly referring to Ms. Rice and a watermelon leads me to believe that the professor made a foul, racist joke on the test which was intentionally meant to demean the "evil" Bush administration, which he probably considers racist.

It also shows that this same professor cannot understand why everyone doesn't think the same way he does.

Welcome to liberal controlled academia.

Oh...film reference....

Watermelon Man

Mustaine · « **Reply #27 on:** April 20, 2006, 01:16:12 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Shaky
Oh...film reference....

Watermelon Man

linked already in 3rd reply

Skuzzy · « **Reply #28 on:** April 20, 2006, 01:17:59 PM »

This is almost comical. I just cannot fathom how a watermelon could be the anchor point for racial commentary. Regardless of the past, it just defies all logic.

Shaky · « **Reply #29 on:** April 20, 2006, 01:23:34 PM »

Sort of the same thing happened after the Masters one year. Fuzzy Zoeller remarked how he hoped that Tiger Woods wouldn't pick fried chicken and watermelon for the annual dinner, since the winner chooses the menu. He was roundly blasted for it in the press.

What wasn't mentioned was that the kitchen in the club was famous for fried chicken, and thats what was usually served along with watermelon. Fuzzy was just tired of eating it.