Ask a Black person anything? (Paul Mooney Style)

OK... question for real. I sometimes get confused as to appropriate use of different descriptors. Is there like a "Strunk & Black" usage guide somewhere (ok - ALMOST serious).

Specifically, I hear African American, Black, Black People, People of Color (yeah - y'all get proper case punctuation).

Sometimes, any of them sound right, other times, they don't. Guidelines appreciated. For example, I would say "Yeah, @verbiage is a black guy." But I would NEVER say "Yeah, X, Y, and Z are blacks."

#blackgrammar

bimmette wrote

Speaking of Carlton, what was your opinion of the Fresh Prince of Belair tv show?

I honestly loved that show. Always had a crush on Hillary. I guess that was the first indicator that I was different kind of black man, since I liked the whitest black girl on the show.


Also really liked Family Matters. Too bad Eddie ended up marrying the industry hoe that gave everyone head. Sounds like a family matter.

MKSixer wrote

Are you certain these are the only blacks who post on OT?

Well, no. But I got lazy and didn't look for the rest of them.

jtodd_fl wrote

I'll throw out the softball.

What is your favorite FLAVOR of Kool Aid.

#purpledrank

I am partial to the "red" flavor.


Blacks also never use the fruit for Kool-Aid flavors. It is the color. Always. Fruits do not exist in blackdom.


See African American health problems for reference.

Verbiage wrote

Well, when I was younger I was told by some blacks that I talked funny. As I got older, funny became "white". I was honestly kind of offended by it, initially.


However, as I grew older and entered varying environments (corporate, academic, social), I saw that people respected my well-spoken nature and mannerisms; seems as though most blacks set the bar pretty fucking low.

Yeah I had that too growing up, but they figure since I'm also half Asian, it was that portion just coming through although most everyone in my family are pretty well spoken.

Verbiage wrote  

bimmette wrote

Speaking of Carlton, what was your opinion of the Fresh Prince of Belair tv show?

I honestly loved that show. Always had a crush on Hillary. I guess that was the first indicator that I was different kind of black man, since I liked the whitest black girl on the show.


Also really liked Family Matters. Too bad Eddie ended up marrying the industry hoe that gave everyone head. Sounds like a family matter.

What I found odd is that Hilary looked mixed while Carlton and Ashley didn't. Same thing on Cosby show. Sondra and Denise were mixed but the other kids were not.

bimmette - you do realize the actors we not actually related...?

Why is there a need to wear your pants so low? In prison culture doesn't it mean you're ready for bum sex?

Sincerely,

bimmette wrote

What I found odd is that Hilary looked mixed while Carlton and Ashley didn't. Same thing on Cosby show. Sondra and Denise were mixed but the other kids were not.

A sad thing about black tv then (and probably now). They needed a very light-skinned character to bring in the white viewers. If you haven't already, you should read about how they photoshop pictures of black people depending on the context of the photo... "perp photos" get darkened, "celebrity puff pieces" get lightened. You want readers to hate the person, make them dark and "menacing". You want readers to like the person, make them light and "safe" looking. Fucking sad. (Oops. Sorry. Got too srs.)

I like Popeyes.

jtodd_fl wrote

OK... question for real. I sometimes get confused as to appropriate use of different descriptors. Is there like a "Strunk & Black" usage guide somewhere (ok - ALMOST serious).

Specifically, I hear African American, Black, Black People, People of Color (yeah - y'all get proper case punctuation).

Sometimes, any of them sound right, other times, they don't. Guidelines appreciated. For example, I would say "Yeah, @verbiage is a black guy." But I would NEVER say "Yeah, X, Y, and Z are blacks."

#blackgrammar

I'll give some examples, hopefully none of which get me ban'd.


Negro - possibly not acceptable under any circumstances post Civil War Era.

Colored - see above.

People of color - possibly Black Panther talk, advocates for being advocates of civil disobedience and violence to protect the race.

African American - the box you choose on surveys, since some people still bitch about not being of African origin. Are you fucking serious, Marquita?

fecurtis wrote

Yeah I had that too growing up, but they figure since I'm also half Asian, it was that portion just coming through although most everyone in my family are pretty well spoken.

I can understand that. It's pretty difficult to hide the visual traits of being black. 9 times out of 10, the skin/features will dominate whatever other race you are mixed with.

bimmette wrote

What I found odd is that Hilary looked mixed while Carlton and Ashley didn't. Same thing on Cosby show. Sondra and Denise were mixed but the other kids were not.

Yeah, Ashley was almost clay colored. But, the subsequent seasons where Uncle Phil got him a redbone could have possibly lent toward the concept of having rainbow children.

ASBSECU E93 wrote  

bimmette - you do realize the actors we not actually related...?

Noooo. Really?

Just saying, shouldn't they hire actors that look the same ethnicity if they are playing siblings? Terrible casting imo.

CANGRKE70 wrote

Why is there a need to wear your pants so low? In prison culture doesn't it mean you're ready for bum sex?

Sincerely,

Well, I can't speak for others, but I am a 32 waist, and prefer my jeans to fit normally.



In the past, when I was more foolish, I wanted my pants baggy, so my mom had the sense to just buy them larger so they would give the same look.


It absolutely derives from prison culture, and I cringe when I see it.


However, thanks to mainstream society, most young black men prefer to have their testicles squeezed to fucking death by jeggings and skinny pants, even if they are obese.


I went from being disgusted, to near death from uncontrollable, hysterical fits of laughter as I roll through the hood in my 6-4.

I once heard that grape soda and menthol-flavored pencil erasers were engineered as tools of oppression. Thoughts?

What it do

Sidewinderpb wrote

I once heard that grape soda and menthol-flavored pencil erasers were engineered as tools of oppression. Thoughts?

Thoughts in general? Or thoughts on your statement?



Sorry, too much purple drank. It's scrambling my spidey sense.

Aatish wrote

What it do

Blacks are not accustomed to the lofty lifestyle you live.



Questions or ban.




Otherwise, I will call Deebo.

Verbiage wrote

Blacks are not accustomed to the lofty lifestyle you live.



Questions or ban.




Otherwise, I will call Deebo.

Deebo is my dude.

Verbiage wrote

Thoughts in general? Or thoughts on your statement?



Sorry, too much purple drank. It's scrambling my spidey sense.

Either one works. The sound of your voice us just so calming - like Chocolate Rain.

Another serious question.

I have conflicted feelings about the likes of Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. They feel like mock outrage machines LITERALLY oppressing (or at least suppressing) the very people they seem to be helping in order to advance their own lifestyles/agendas. What do you think?

bimmette - Even IRL variations in skin tone can exist between siblings of color. Same with eye color, hair, etc....

IMO - The main cast of the Fresh Prince was about a good as any show for chemistry except maybe Friends - which is the WHITEST show in the history of TV...

Sidewinderpb wrote

Either one works. The sound of your voice us just so calming - like Chocolate Rain.

Careful... after chocolate rain comes...