Trading Races, A Bad Look? (NRR)
Scratch_n_Sniff
353 Posts
Since Soulstrut likes to argue about racism so much, I thought of you all when I heard about the new show coming to FX this march: "Black. White.": Black. White. Trailer All I can find is this trailer. Anyone know the deal with this show? How long are they prosthetically switching these peoples racial appearance? Won't the participants come away with some very superficial appreciation of what it means to be a member of a different racial catagory? Might this end up reinforcing stereotypes instead of helping enlighten people? Is this something that many Americans are really ignorant of? Are there lots of people who don't understand that people of different racial apperance are treated differently in the US? Either way this shit should be crazy. I don't have cable right now, but I am interesting in seeing how this show turns out.Also, the Ice Cube "Black White" theme song is 
Black as midnight or bright as snow white,you better do me right or else I'll have to take flight.(chorus)Please dont belive the hype.Everything in the world aint black and white.Everybody aint a stereotype.Just because I look wrong, I'm about to do right. 
Black as midnight or bright as snow white,you better do me right or else I'll have to take flight.(chorus)Please dont belive the hype.Everything in the world aint black and white.Everybody aint a stereotype.Just because I look wrong, I'm about to do right.
Comments
Guzzo.
WRONG.
The correct answer, implied by my post above, is Faux_Rillz.
Not bad for a newbie, though. Welcome to the fam!!!
Herm
Tepid tv terd
is this cause I work on reality shows or because I routinely dress up like a black person to learn life lessons?
-e
I think the interesting part of the show is that the 2 families going thru this are also living together, and having to confront 'what it all means' on a daily basis. It may not portray everything as it happens in real life, after all it's TV, but what I saw in a clip looked very compelling. When the (actual)Black Dad, in white make-up, is talking to a guy who very casually, unapologetically starts talking about why the town is so great (because it's one of the last 'all-white' areas around those parts), you really start to see things brought to the surface. I mean, nothing that happens on this show SHOULD surprise or shock Black OR White people. But it's those unvarnished moments when people say those things we all wonder if they really say in homogenous company, that's where I think this show could have some actual value.
And DJAnna, surely you know that plenty of White and Black people simply don't look that hard at one another. For the most part people are very self-absorbed, so the idea of these folks passing becomes way less far-fetched when you see how good they do at making these folks up. I was stunned, even though I think the Black mom has the most prominent features that could give her away. I think in the end, perception and what you are told really play a major role in how people literally see someone. I have several aquaintences here in DC, who if you moved them to Minneapolis, they would have to explain to most folks that they are Black. They wouldn't have to try and 'pass', their features just wouldn't be percieved as Black to most White people. And while there are always the clueless few who seem to have no problem asking people they barely know "What are you exactly, I mean, race-wise?", most folks don't have much interest or have the gall to ask.
And at least we are still a few seasons away from when Fox takes the same idea, but puts $$ in the equation and really makes it offensive.
I'm guessing this is a jab at me based on taking what I said and transforming it into a more racist message.
If anybody here wants to attack my stance on things like white privilege I expect you to at least research the position before talking out of your ass. Let???s Get it all straight right now
-I believe there is "white privilege"
-I don't believe that being born "white" in America automatically gives you "white privilege"
-There are varying factors that contribute to "white privilege" including social status of your family, education, ethnicity (not all "white" people can be simply defined as "white"), etc.
-The idea that you can simply describe a person???s life based on the color of their skin is racist no matter which race you apply it to.
Examples[/b]
1. The Appalachian Mountains - This is a region of the United states that has a 95% white population. Where as the standard poverty rate in America for whites is 8% in this region it is doubled to 16% (1). These are people living Below the poverty level meaning that a family of four is making 18,500 or less (2).
now these people are living in high poverty rates and their "white" skin isn't giving them much privilege. They are faced with issues dealing with feeding families, themselves, housing, joblessness and all the other factors one must worry about when making this little. For them your idea that simply being "white" gives them a leg up in the US is silly. But that doesn't seem to matter in the big game of racial stereotyping that goes on in these arguments where individual situations take a backseat to color lines
2. My family - People on here have went on to tell me how I have enjoyed "white privilege" and I just don't want to admit it, while I find it idiotic to tell an individual you've never met and have no real financial or economic information on what their status is and how they got to be there, I've let folks run their mouths. Well now its time for some reality
a. My parents were both born handicapped. The most notable of these impairments is their deafness.
b. Neither one of them has a college Education and my father did not have a chance to complete school past the 7th grade.
c. My mother and father married in 1977 both were unemployed
d. My parents lived off of government assistance for years.
e. My father found employment in 1979 working for the Southern California Gas Company. Making them a single income couple and with addition of my and my little brother the checks stretched tighter. and government assistance was needed (section 8)
This continued on until 1994 when my mother was finally able to land a job as a copy person making a copy persons salary and a year later I was able to hustle myself an after school job as a busboy. There was no "privilege" in any of this. At no point did I feel thankful for the color of my skin helping to make my life easier.
Fast forward to now where my mother facing turning 60 next week and just got a notice that she is going to be laid off from her job of the last 12 years and my father at age 76 collects his social security check and not much else. To compound issues my Fathers handicap (stemming from his Palsy) has made life decidedly more difficult than it was before. I (along with my sister) serve as caretakers for him. I contribute money from my check to help keep things afloat and here they are in not much of a different/ better position than they were almost 30 years ago. My mother is too young to receive early SS (minimum age is 62).
But on the bright side my mother is of European descent so everything will be totally fine
For all of you that want to go ahead and make blanket statements like every "white" person gets "white privilege" feel free to PM me for contact information for my mom. I'm sure she'd enjoy hearing how privileged she is to be born white.
I am not going to debate this out on this board any further because this is all too personal both in the way I live and in the way I think. If you seriously want to raise issue with me take it to PM.
(1)Source: HAC Tabulation of 2000 Census of Populaiton and Housing Summary File 3
(2)Source: 2004 Poverty Guidelines http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/04computations.shtml
You still don't understand what it is, do you?
While unfortunate, none of the things you descibed occurred to you or your family because you are white and, while I know you don't want to hear this, you'd probably be even worse off if you were Black or Hispanic.
And please don't PM me.
Right. Don't forget they'll have cameras following them everywhere too (I'm assuming). So what you're gonna have is some subpar B-list "actors" trying to make their big break by dressing up in black-face, being followed by cameras and freaking out everyone they come in contact with.
After John Travolta broke out with Pulp Fiction he made this movie. I don't remember much other then the premise and being disappointed with it's execution but appreciating the fact that whomever made it had the balls to produce it.
This may be the dumbest statement I have seen you put out there ever. Fuck you and do your best not to talk or debate any issues of race or politics with me ever again.
Your bullshit and overcompensation for your skintone is extraordinary. In your own private mind garden people can only suffer if they are a "Daniel authorized minority". I can only hope that one day you realize how full of shit you really are.
My family has faced tons of discrimination based on the handicaps they've lived with and although that doesn't seem to play in your world as a real issue cause they are not black or latino it is indeed a reality that they and I as their son have had to deal with.
Once again if you really beleive the garbage you spout I invite you to speak with my mother and let her know that her fortunes are not that bad cause she lives with the benefit of "White privilege".
It's easy to talk shit being a college educated lawyer living in a 2 income home ain't it? Do you feel like you can speak better on issues that face blacks cause you chose[/b] to live in Harlem? Or maybe you feel like you understand them cause UGK made a CD that appealed to you, either way you are patheitc in your attempt to convince yourself that you know anything about others situations.
Actually the public stuff they shot looked pretty "undercover camera" style, at least the few clips they showed on some morning news show I watched.
Like I mentioned before, I think the two families interaction regarding their experiences is what will actually be most interesting. People's preconceived notions of what a show like this might be are maybe more facinating than the actual show might turn out to be!
LOL, dude, you are just not getting it. And while I want to be sympathetic towards you, you make it very difficult.
You seem to subscribe to this idea that there is some sort of a cap on the amount of unfairness that a person can experience and, having reached this cap, it can't possibly get worse.
Again, that's not the way the world works; it is possible to experience discrimination on multiple fronts and the fact that a person has experienced one or more form(s) of discrimination doesn't negate their privilege with repect to other forms of potential discrimination.
Try to step back for once and join the rest of us in discussing ideas larger than your own personal life experience.
Wow did you just type this? Your tired old argument can be summed up simply by saying "hey if its not happening to a black or latino person than it couldn't truly be that bad cause only blacks and latinos get the truly shitty treatment". You have set up a "cap" and spoken on it time and time again. Most recently with a debate we had over prejudice against arabic folks which you said does not equal the prejudice of black folks.
youre wrong here. Being "white" has not put my parents in a position of empowerment or privilege. You seem to be stuck on the idea that being white gives you the golden ticket. Explain that to all the white people living under the poverty level or those that have to face discrimination thats not black/white. Being "white" does not trump all.
you want to attack my personal ideals than you have to deal with the fact that this is my real life experience with the subject. You can't pick and choose what gets included in your definition of white privilege simply cause it doesn't fit the argument.
Plain and simple you are telling me my family, despite their multiple handicaps and lack of income is still enjoying white privilege and your only point is a supposed idea that it would be worse if they were black or hispanic. Maybe in your head it works out well but in reality it is not the situation. Supposeds don't do shit to change whats really happening
agreed. I just want Faux to agree that not [i]every[/b] white person holds power and gets privilege. I thought pointing out the expereince of 2 handicapped "white" people living on welfare unable to get jobs or complete school would be enough of an example but I guess not, they are just far too privileged.
The world according to Young Regatta is so simple
blacks & latino's = unfortunate
everyone else = it could be worse at least your not black or latino.
Now tell me what kind of racist bullshit is that?
I'm going to address your post only to point out that this is not true. At all.
The distinction I drew was between racial prejudice and religious practice--pertaining to people from the Middle East and Muslims, respectively. The only person in that exchange who said anything about "black folks" was you. I encourage you to revisit it.
I checked and yes you put the dots out there, the only thing I did was connect them.
This argument is pointless your racist tunnel vision doesn't allow you to see being fortunate or unfortunate in anyway outside of skintone. Your idea of discrimination is skewed and only works in your mind. I'd like to know how you explain poor whites in your view of "every white person in America gets privilege". Maybe they aren't taking advantage? Perhaps they forgot the secret privilege handshake?
Guz,
I don't think Faux attacked your ideals, just challenged your definition of what White Privelege means. Just because there is a flaw in society means that the flaw will apply to every situation, in every instance. Just because it is not applicable 100% of the time to 100% of people who are considered to be White does not mean it isn't the norm.
Karlito,
While I agree with you that it is the norm in America, I disagree that nothing can be done about it. I think exposing the fact that it IS a norm is part of making it lose it's hold. I think it is one of those things that has more power when more people feel it doesn't matter. It's often subtle and insidious.
I think Pollock-like aimless splattering is probably a better metaphor than dot connecting for whatever it is that you did.
Now please read very carefully:
Race
Class
Not the same thing
Being disadvantaged in terms of race = not good
Being disadvantaged in terms of class = also not good
Being disadvantaged in terms of race and class = even worse
read my first long post and you'll see that I agree that there is white privilege I just don't believe you can blanket it upon every white person in America. Faux then replied telling me that my own personal situation was bad, but would be worse if my family wasn't "white". In other words my mother and father, despite their need for welfare and inability to complete school due to their handicaps still benefit from white privilege.
It simply does not apply here cause their being white did not give them any advantages except for maybe a perception by people like Daniel that they are living well cause of their skin tone.
I really don't understand whats so hard to swallow about me saying that not each and every "white" person in the US gets privilege.