Even though I worry about what I say at times, it always interests me how stereotypes change with time. There's the obviously incorrect stereotype that black people are stupid, which is a pretty lame prejudice when you think about it but the stereotype still exists. Now, recently my younger brother made an accidentally racist comment, which was something along the lines of "black people are smarter than normal people". Now, his black friends quickly raised their eyebrows and went "Er...normal people?" It was just a slip of the tongue, but I find it interesting that there is a new stereotype (at least at my brothers school anyway) that black people are smarter than whites, just what they were saying about asians not too long ago. Now, I know its probably due to the fact that the black and asian kids parents are more strict about studying and such (being mostly recent immigrants to Australia) while white Australian parents are not. Or something like that. Just thought it was interesting.
I never really got the whole thing with taboo words. I call my Chinese friends chinks and they don't bat an eyelid. I call my Iranian friend a towelhead and he just calls me some other insulting term back. I tend to think that its ideas that fuel racism, not words. In my mind, the tacit racist whom acts patronizing and condescending without ever openly saying anything, is a lot worse than the idiot who says "nigger" because its funny (and taboo, think about it, you say fuck to someone these days and they just blink at you, but if you say nigger or kike or something then they're going to react).
But anyway, I'll try to watch what I say, and all should be OK. I've never alienated anyone of any race with my comments, so I guess I'm in the clear. Although I do reserve the right to make comments about aborigines...one of my great grandparents was one, according to my uncle anyway :P
__________________
"Look, I'm pretty relaxed for a guy who just lost money on a rave. And who's currently speeding down the highway drunk off my tits. And I'm being chased by someone in a blue Corolla. Woohoo! I just ran a red light!"
|