One of my signs of the apocalypse.

[raybear]

Last night after discussions of the possiblity of being a house boy and on my way to pick up Damon so we could hang out before he leaves town for two weeks, I passed a greasy diner quasi-Sonic's/Checkers type restaurant that had a sign out front with the following announcement:

TRY OUR NEW GHETTO FRIES

I nearly had an aneurysm and crashed the car. The use of that word will be the death of me, I swear. What the fck does that sign even mean? And why, oh why, do people use that word in such flippant privileged stupid white ways?

P.S. I was not even driving through a "ghetto".

Comments

[raybear.livejournal.com]

oh mama, you have given me much to think about. and i want to think about it and write you with more, but for now i will just say that my diatribes against the use of the word 'ghetto' always have to do with white people using the word, usually inaccurately and just as funny slang. and yes, perhaps it's paternalistic for my white male self to school other white people, but who else is going to do it? or should do it?

more later....

ibigfatbitch

[bigfatmama.livejournal.com]

how zen are you? thank you for not kicking my pmsing ass! i know you could! now that i said my say you can go back to raising consciousness.

Re: ibigfatbitch

[writeli.livejournal.com]

Oh! never mind. i understand that one. ;-)

[redrider.livejournal.com]

but who else is going to do it? or should do it?

this is always the key question for me, esp. when I'm having discussions around drag & race & what it means to perform transracial drag & so on. because, yesh, i feel like being a white girl doing this work may mean that I lack some sort of "authentic" 1st-person experience with the limits of this sort of performance (e.g., the audience-imposed limitations faced by some kings of color who want to perform music by white artists) -- but then, it also seems *so* wrong to place the burden of education/representation/agitation on non-white kings.

xoxo a.

yes, but you must admit she has a point...

[dommeyourass.livejournal.com]

i don't know how much on point this is, but it reminds me of how uncomfortable i was when you kept referring to the bartender at bob the chef's in boston as [your] "man." to quote [when handed a drink] "thanks, my man."

not to put you on the spot, and i hope you know i say this lovingly (and hope you do the same with me, which you have with the "awww suki suki" issue) but just because you grew up in atlanta at a black high school, with predominantly black friends, doesn't mean you have permission to say things that may be deemed as racist or patronizing if said by another white person, nor are you an authority on racism specifically with regard to how whites should educate other whites.

that all been said. i give you an A++++ for effort.

you're sitting in my living room right now, but I don't want to interrupt the movie with this...

[raybear.livejournal.com]

Re the Boston incident: Point taken. I certainly try to be aware of how my behavior looks on it own, without the person knowing my intentions or history or knowledge or experience or how many friends of color I have. I come across this in regards to music and hip-hop, as you may imagine. Sometimes I get too familiar and forget the outside perspective, so I don't mind at all having possible interpretations of my behavior pointed out. In fact, I prefer it (no matter how flushed and embarassed I get temporarily with white liberal guilt and whatnot).

I certainly don't think I'm the one and only authority on racism when it comes to whites educating other whites. But, to be real, there such a severe lack of it in all spheres of my existence, which is probably why I speak loudly and often on the subject. And I don't mean to imply I'm not willing to engage in discussion with other whites about deconstructing white racism, because I am. It just happens so rarely and I'm THRILLED when people want to push my buttons to because it helps me grow and change and learn.

Re: you're sitting in my living room right now, but I don't want to interrupt the movie with this...

[riotdrake.livejournal.com]

this has absolutely nothing to do with racism or ghetto, sorry to put it in here... but you grew up in atlanta??

Re: you're sitting in my living room right now, but I don't want to interrupt the movie with this...

[raybear.livejournal.com]

yep. Stone Mountain/Decatur were my stomping grounds. you?

Re: you're sitting in my living room right now, but I don't want to interrupt the movie with this...

[riotdrake.livejournal.com]

born at grady! i grew up mostly in alpharetta area.. moved a ton-ton-ton as a kid, ended up graduating from hs right outside of athens. but the 3 years before i moved up to boston i lived in decatur. i miss it sometimes, but sometimes not. i have sort of a love/hate relationship with the area.. heh