We talk a lot about presupposed or assumed notions about certain people, especially in terms of race and racial ideas we have associated with certain “groups” or people. However, we do not look at how people within certain races can hold presupposed notions about other people within their race. Is this racist as well or is it only racist when we are looking at different races? We looked at an ad in which an African American man was featured with wording at the side that originally gave an onlooker the idea that the individual featured was discussed in the text therefore a felon until you read the entire excerpt. We talked about “white talk” and the waitresses who associated low tips with African Americans. We look at these situations and discuss the race that is involved in each however, would the outcome be the same if it weren’t. For instance, if the add featured a White or Asian man with the same wording, would we assume the description of the felon would be the individual in the picture until we read to the end? Therefore, we would hold presumptions possibly about our own race or certain individuals from out own race. If the women were to say certain White people don’t tip well would race still be an issue to discuss?
In our culture race seems to be an issue that focuses on one race who feels subordinate to another race. However, I do not believe that superiority is the only aspect of racism. Although I completely understand that racism exists due to some beliefs that certain races are superior. I do not discredit the fact that this is still an issue, one that is extremely ignorant. However, I see prejudice and presupposed notions about all types of people indiscriminately on race. For instance, in my opinion if the add had been completely the same but featuring a White man with the same rough features I would have been just as likely to assume the felon was featured until reading till the end. Therefore, I see the ad as a manipulation, where it is set up to deceive the reader and this would happen with a race featured. Therefore, we have presupposed ideas about certain types or looks of people of ones own race.
So, if we assume certain presupposed notions based off how someone looks if they are of ones own race, are we being racist? If not how is this different than presupposed ideas about another race? What do we call this if is so similar to what we think of as racism when it does not involved two races?
Kaitlyn, you read my mind! One of the discussion questions I was posing was weather or not we could be racist against our own race.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree completely with everything you said. I think that in that poster if we saw a rough looking white guy, or Asian guy, that I would probably think that the poster is describing them until I got to the end. What if there was no picture at all? That would be the real test for us--what would we picture?
I agree that racism is saying that your race is superior to others, however there are some people who hate being white and wish they were black, or vice versa. And there are views that each race has about people in different "class" for lack of a better word. For instance, when white people talk about white trash, or people from Jeffco (which is where I live haha) in a negative way, it seems to be understood but why? This isn't right. If the white trash person we are talking about turns out to be black, or latino, are we then being racist, or are we being "classist"? If I see a scary looking white guy walking toward me on the sidewalk, I might get a little nervous...same if I saw a scary looking black guy walking toward me. In the case of the black guy, am I being racist? Or in both cases am I just being conscious of the situation that a scary man is coming toward me?
Good question! It reminded me of Hitler, who thought that blue-eyed blonde whites were the master race while he himself had brown hair and eyes.
ReplyDeleteYour post and Miranda's response brings up the question of the objectivity of books like "Stuff White People Like" (written by a white male) and the video of Dave Chappelle talking about "grape drank" on the link that Miranda posted. It's fun for folks to generalize and make fun in those ways; it's not hurting anybody, really, and it's done simply for entertainment. But what are the consequences of doing that? Do you think that all blacks hate Dave Chappelle?
I didn't really like the book "Stuff White People Like", as I mentioned before in class. Some parts were funny, but it was a bit of a stretch--it mainly referred to upper class whites, particularly those living in urban areas. At that point we also start getting into the complications of adding class-based generalizations. It seems like the audience of that book was the same audience towards which it was directed--an audience that I do not consider myself a part of.
I don't know if I really have a point to what I'm saying, but I'm just bringing some stuff up!