Why does Obama talk with a black slang around black people? (interview, Minnesota)
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Why would it be patronizing if other black people do it? Trust me...most black folks can spot a fake "sympathizer" (I'm looking at you Justin Bieber). Obama is just a cool cat and seems to relax and let his hair down when he's around black people...I like it.
Justin Bieber? You're kidding right? You'd compare an immature pre-puberty entertainer to Obama? Give me a break here. Here's a new's flash for you; without knowing a great deal about his upbinging, it may even be possible that Justin actually cares more for YOU than Obama does.
Sidney Poitier ever crap talk like Obama? How about Oprah, Harry Belafonte, Morgan Freeman, any of the highly respected black entertainers ever resort to trash talking to "fit in" - nope! They are respected regardless of their unwillingness to adopt affected mannerism's, aren't they?
I throw around a few more curse words around friends than I do at work, but the tone of my voice and the way I speak is natural and genuine no matter what company I keep or where I'm at. Ive never heard of this culturally bilingual in regards to changing how one speaks to make themselves insincere? Is this a new term? I only know of bilingual!
the tone of one's own voice is often not as recognizable to oneself as it is to others. maybe you just don't notice it? shocking, but possible!
Let me say that I do not know who Obama is and I don’t know if Obama really knows who he is or where he fits being biracial. One thing that I do know is that he did not have a “black” upbringing in his household or his environment. I am not sure, so maybe I should not be commenting, but someone correct me if I am wrong, but the blackest environment that Obama has been in seems to have been the black church.
I have to admit that I am ambiguous about Obama because he just popped up out of nowhere. I think that at this point in time he is the most qualified person running for the 45 presidency; however, I don’t think he was nearly the most qualified person running for the 44th presidency. I only say that because now that he is president I am not pro Obama or anti Obama and I am not casting praise or aspersion on his performance as POTUS. However, I am not a fan of the way Obama addresses black America. I must say that I would prefer Bill Clinton over Obama any day, when it comes to dealing with black folks. This is not to say that Bill Clinton did anything great for black folks either.
I believe that if he believes in being "post racial".....then he should not have one venacular for whites and another when he is around blacks.
I work with a woman from South Carolina who has a distinct Southern twang. While at work, she suppresses it (to the best of her ability), but when we're at Happy Hour and she's relaxed, it comes back full force. I love her twang, but a lot of people equate Southern drawl to being uneducated, so I can see why she chooses to code-switch.
Same with the casual vernacular of black people...some think that if blacks use slang and/or speak in "ebonics", we're uneducated, so we shy away from using this language in a professional setting.
I don't think that even when relaxed, President Obama speaks "ebonics." If he did, it would indeed be an affectation.
Justin Bieber? You're kidding right? You'd compare an immature pre-puberty entertainer to Obama? Give me a break here. Here's a new's flash for you; without knowing a great deal about his upbinging, it may even be possible that Justin actually cares more for YOU than Obama does.
Sidney Poitier ever crap talk like Obama? How about Oprah, Harry Belafonte, Morgan Freeman, any of the highly respected black entertainers ever resort to trash talking to "fit in" - nope! They are respected regardless of their unwillingness to adopt affected mannerism's, aren't they?
Justin Bieber? You're kidding right? You'd compare an immature pre-puberty entertainer to Obama? Give me a break here. Here's a new's flash for you; without knowing a great deal about his upbinging, it may even be possible that Justin actually cares more for YOU than Obama does.
Sidney Poitier ever crap talk like Obama? How about Oprah, Harry Belafonte, Morgan Freeman, any of the highly respected black entertainers ever resort to trash talking to "fit in" - nope! They are respected regardless of their unwillingness to adopt affected mannerism's, aren't they?
I'm not talking about someone caring about black people...I'm only talking about their manner of speech.
And most black folks can tell someone genuine (Eminem, House of Pain) from those who seem like they're putting on an act (Bieber, Vanilla Ice).
Please give black people enough credit to be able to tell the difference.
BTW, what do you mean by "crap talk"? And keep in mind that I said some black people...which would mean that all do not code-switch. Of course, we don't know them in their personal lives (although clips of Oprah with Gayle would indicate that she does indeed code-switch), so we don't know whether they do this or not.
Lots of black people that I know, including myself, "code switch". That is to say, when I'm in a professional environment, I speak in a professional manner. When I'm at home relaxing with my family and friends or folks that I know from around the way, I use more slang. This is not unusual and I don't find it to be a problem at all.
OP, are you black? If not, why does this even concern/bother you?
"Slang" is the sign of a lazy mind.
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, but the tone of my voice and the way I speak is natural and genuine no matter what company I keep or where I'm at. Ive never heard of this culturally bilingual in regards to changing how one speaks to make themselves insincere? Is this a new term? I only know of bilingual!
