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As a standard I would like to you think about if you were standing next to an African-American friend/co-worker and someone said "I'm not going to hug the tar-baby (which Tony Snow said in a press conference once) would you be offended?
In my opinion, the "tarbaby" seems to look an awful lot like an African-American boy, and I tend to put this in the same category as Minstrel Shows, "Mammys", and Jim Crow.
Explaination: Read the description from Wikipedia and look at the illistration (from 1904) and see if you are still unsure.
Tar-Baby was a doll made of tar and turpentine, used to entrap Br'er Rabbit in the second of the Uncle Remus stories. The more that Br'er Rabbit fought the Tar-Baby, the more entangled he became. In contemporary usage a tar baby refers to any "sticky situation" that is only aggravated by efforts to solve it.
Although the term's provenance arose in African folklore, some now consider "tar baby" to have negative connotations revolving around pejorative images of African-Americans.[2] Specific reasons why the term developed negative racial aspects are difficult to identify. In recent years, several politicians who have publicly used the term have encountered some controversy, mocking, and censure from African-American civil rights leaders, members of the popular daily media, and other politicians
Last edited by Evlevo; 11-13-2007 at 11:51 AM..
Reason: added opinions
Not in the context it was used. It was an appropriate literary reference. I think many people are not aware of the literary reference which may lead them to take offense, and there are people that use it in ways that are quite offensive.
When I think of the word "tar baby" I associate it with images of people performing in blackface and those black cartoon images with the huge lips and eyes. Others may think differently but this is what I associate the word with.
I don't find it offensive at all. Do we have to put every phrase on the "banned list" just because some overly sensitive people are convinced the word is being used to kill them?
Maybe we should ban the cross since the KKK burns them to scare people. Call all the churches and tell them to pull down those hateful, racist symbols!!!
I associate it with the denigration of black people by implying they were just stupid artificial 'tar babies". I am Caucasian and find it to be almost as offensive as "n++++er".
Yes I would be offended! Why not call the person by their name?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evlevo
As a standard I would like to you think about if you were standing next to an African-American friend/co-worker and someone said "I'm not going to hug the tar-baby (which Tony Snow said in a pressconference once) would you be offended?
Explaination: Read the description from Wikipedia and look at the illistration and see if you are still unsure.
Tar-Baby was a doll made of tar and turpentine, used to entrap Br'er Rabbit in the second of the Uncle Remus stories. The more that Br'er Rabbit fought the Tar-Baby, the more entangled he became. In contemporary usage a tar baby refers to any "sticky situation" that is only aggravated by efforts to solve it.
Although the term's provenance arose in African folklore, some now consider "tar baby" to have negative connotations revolving around pejorative images of African-Americans.[2] Specific reasons why the term developed negative racial aspects are difficult to identify. In recent years, several politicians who have publicly used the term have encountered some controversy, mocking, and censure from African-American civil rights leaders, members of the popular daily media, and other politicians
I think what ADULTS have to realize is that just because you have a right to say everything, doesn't mean you need to say everything! If it's known to be offensive to someone, what point is it to say it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by tnbound2day
I don't find it offensive at all. Do we have to put every phrase on the "banned list" just because some overly sensitive people are convinced the word is being used to kill them?
Maybe we should ban the cross since the KKK burns them to scare people. Call all the churches and tell them to pull down those hateful, racist symbols!!!
I don't find it offensive at all. Do we have to put every phrase on the "banned list" just because some overly sensitive people are convinced the word is being used to kill them?
Maybe we should ban the cross since the KKK burns them to scare people. Call all the churches and tell them to pull down those hateful, racist symbols!!!
Nope, never said anything about a ban. There are plenty of words that are just fine in some situations, and offensive in others. There is also the judicious application of common sense...
Example: (the forum won't even let be post the 'real' word) A dog breeder using the word b*tch vs someone referring to your mother as a b*tch
Also, some words change their meanings over time and the new meaning is what takes precedence.
Example: the prefix 'in' changes a word to mean "the opposite of" so humane is greatly changed when it is inhumane. BUT if I said something was incredible does that mean it is not to be believed?
Additionally, words can gradually become offensive over time. Negro used to be an official, government-used word (in census data, etc) even 100 years after the end of the civil war. But today would you be upset if someone referred to Barrack Obama or Condi Rice as a Negro Politician?
BTW, do you think you are being a tad melodramatic when you say overly sensitive people are convinced the word is being used to kill them?
It depends on the context. If they are referring to a person as a tar baby, yes I would be offended. If they are referring to a situation, probably not.
You do realize that he wasn't referring to a person as a tar baby, right?(not a response to yayoi) He was talking about not getting involved in a messy situation. He used it based on the literary use before it was corrupted by those that distorted the meaning. Should he apologize for being educated and using it appropriately because others don't?
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) A dog breeder using the word b*tch vs someone referring to your mother as a b*tch