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Location: In a Galaxy far, far away called Germany
4,300 posts, read 4,408,773 times
Reputation: 2394
Tar Baby is NOT a racist term. People have no right to re-define a word and invent a history for it AND then make everyone attribute that new definition/history to it. This is not freedom, but linguistical oppression. I don't correct people or get offended when someone used the term "Sp1c & Span" for the product name or when something is clean, just because it contains the word sp1c (which has no derogatory meaning within its context of use).
Last edited by Bulldawg82; 04-23-2012 at 06:50 AM..
Personally,...I think you're full of sheep dip. Seems you are the only one who remembers the "n*gger tar baby",....and you certainly are neither the oldest on this forum nor the only one from the deep South. Maybe you have selective memory.
And as for "Black Sambo",....where were all the tigers and wild exotics that were so integral to that story? Georgia? Alabama? What part of the South had the exotics in the story? More selective memories?
In fact, there's another story which underwent a similar change, though you can find references to it on the net. It's the story of Sambo. Originally, it was Little Black Sambo, but over time Sambo became an Asian Indian or an Arab looking character.
The story was written by a Scottish author while living in India. Your claim that Sambo BECAME an Asian is a lie. The character and the setting was clearly in a jungle setting with tigers.
In fact, there's another story which underwent a similar change, though you can find references to it on the net. It's the story of Sambo. Originally, it was Little Black Sambo, but over time Sambo became an Asian Indian or an Arab looking character.
The story was written by a Scottish author while living in India. Your claim that Sambo BECAME an Asian is a lie. The character and the setting was clearly in a jungle setting with tigers.
LOL I wouldn't waste anymore time with that poster and his memory. He is like my Dad Ginko Biloba deficient.
Next you'll be reading that Ginko Biloba is a racist term.
In fact, there's another story which underwent a similar change, though you can find references to it on the net. It's the story of Sambo. Originally, it was Little Black Sambo, but over time Sambo became an Asian Indian or an Arab looking character.
The story was written by a Scottish author while living in India. Your claim that Sambo BECAME an Asian is a lie. The character and the setting was clearly in a jungle setting with tigers.
How many blacks are there in India? Let me help you out: They are so statistically insignificant to not even register on anybody's list of ethnicities in that country, unless you count some darker-skinned Dravidian's as "black."
The point is that books are written to sell to their target audience, not necessarily to reflect actual demographics. So, given that, maybe you can explain why Sambo was called "black."
I have not heard the word "tar baby" used in decades. I grew up knowing that it was meant to be derogatory. Having seen it come up now, I have come to learn that it's original intent referred to a "sticky situation". Clearly, over time it evolved to mean something else - something derogatory, which I think the majority of people are aware of.
If you are referring to something being a "sticky situation", why not just call it a "sticky situation"?
But the term "tar baby" seems to have been resurrected by opponents of Obama - justifying it's usage to it's original intent. Now, could it just be a co-incidence to use a word that has been "dead" to describe a "sticky situtation" or is meant to be derogatory?
Last year Rep. Lamborn used it when he was discussing the nation's debt ceiling.
There is also another article where a spokesperson said:
The issues/problems regarding oil is nothing new and has been discussed for years. But I can't recall anyone using "tar baby" when discussing the issues/problems, until now.
How many blacks are there in India? Let me help you out: They are so statistically insignificant to not even register on anybody's list of ethnicities in that country, unless you count some darker-skinned Dravidian's as "black."
The point is that books are written to sell to their target audience, not necessarily to reflect actual demographics. So, given that, maybe you can explain why Sambo was called "black."
And, by the way, Sambo too is considered as a racial slur in THIS country. If Sambo were perceived as an Indian, why would that be?
Keep dancing like a chicken on a hot stovetop,....but the fact remains that the story was written by a Scottish author living in India prior to 1900, and the characters were Indian in origin. It was later illustrations in America and other countries that made the subject appear African.
Your statement that the characters later became Asian/Arab is a total fabrication by you. Obviously your memory is flawed,....sort of like your "n*gger tar baby" claim.
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What's up with using the term "tar baby" when critizing Obama??
