The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[Percy McCarthy]

Must admit I'm quite surprised so many don't know it's used as a racial slur.

I agree.

Somebody saying it doesn't make them racist (obviously), and I saw nothing concerning in the original post but anybody who's completely unaware that it has some pretty unsavoury connotations must have led a relatively sheltered life.

Not sure. I was explaining all this to the missus (on account of us discussing the KFC ad last night) and I was sticking up for Mark by saying that I don't think most white English people realise the connotations. She said it's amazing how different the world is when seen through black eyes.

"Yes, and if you don't hurry up with my dinner you'll know about it" I replied.*

*only the last bit is made up.

[Risso]

There isn't a person alive who will admit to having 'lived a sheltered life'. In the same way that everyone thinks they can laugh at themselves. Statistically is isn't possible.

I am allowed to say this: some of my best friends are imaginary.

I don't think many people growing up in the 70s (ie a lot of us on here) could be described as having lived a sheletered life, times were hard.  I'll happily admit to the fact that my kids have an incredibly sheltered life though, and wouldn't want it any other way. 

And even my imaginary friends don't like me very much.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'm not racist, I'm listening to some early hip hop.

Brother D - How We Gonna Make the Black Nation Fries

[Monty]

I'm not racist, I'm listening to some early hip hop.

Brother D - How We Gonna Make the Black Nation Fries

I'm listening to Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool Ranch Dressing. He was racist, but the okay way.

[Small Rodent]

A Streatham pub I go to is nicknamed The Jolly Racist. By about 4 of us. We are very funny chaps.

[Richard E]

I think I had a sheltered upbringing as a child. I was brought up as a God fearing bible believing Pentecostal and I was still extremely naive by the time I got to Uni. I distinctly remember when I was at school a boy in our class got told off for swearing and I went home and asked Mom if she'd teach me how to swear because I had no idea what it even was.

[Rudy65]

There isn't a person alive who will admit to having 'lived a sheltered life'. In the same way that everyone thinks they can laugh at themselves. Statistically is isn't possible.

I am allowed to say this: some of my best friends are imaginary.

I dont understand your last sentence? Maybe its my sheltered life

[markeeeebeeee2005]

Must admit I'm quite surprised so many don't know it's used as a racial slur.

I agree.

Somebody saying it doesn't make them racist (obviously), and I saw nothing concerning in the original post but anybody who's completely unaware that it has some pretty unsavoury connotations must have led a relatively sheltered life.

Not sure. I was explaining all this to the missus (on account of us discussing the KFC ad last night) and I was sticking up for Mark by saying that I don't think most white English people realise the connotations. She said it's amazing how different the world is when seen through black eyes.

"Yes, and if you don't hurry up with my dinner you'll know about it" I replied.*

*only the last bit is made up.

If you'd read her the whole post she would have fell asleep.

[damon loves JT]

I think I had a sheltered upbringing as a child. I was brought up as a God fearing bible believing Pentecostal and I was still extremely naive by the time I got to Uni. I distinctly remember when I was at school a boy in our class got told off for swearing and I went home and asked Mom if she'd teach me how to swear because I had no idea what it even was.

Your life should be made into a film.

[Richard E]

I think I had a sheltered upbringing as a child. I was brought up as a God fearing bible believing Pentecostal and I was still extremely naive by the time I got to Uni. I distinctly remember when I was at school a boy in our class got told off for swearing and I went home and asked Mom if she'd teach me how to swear because I had no idea what it even was.

Your life should be made into a film.

It wouldn't contain many 'scenes of a sexual nature' if it was to be.

[damon loves JT]

I think I had a sheltered upbringing as a child. I was brought up as a God fearing bible believing Pentecostal and I was still extremely naive by the time I got to Uni. I distinctly remember when I was at school a boy in our class got told off for swearing and I went home and asked Mom if she'd teach me how to swear because I had no idea what it even was.

Your life should be made into a film.

It wouldn't contain many 'scenes of a sexual nature' if it was to be.

No but you could really play them for laughs

[brian green]

I had a very unsheltered upbringing.  As soon as I could run I became a bookie's runner.  However, I see no overt racism in the comment about fried chicken.  I made the link between the players mentioned and their lifestyles not their ethnicity.  If the poster had shimmied and said free range chicken fried in organic cold pressed rape seed oil the joke would have lain undetected in a funny post.

[Ads]

I assume coming from Tipton that the film would have English subtitles?

[Dave]

Must admit I'm quite surprised so many don't know it's used as a racial slur.

I agree.

Somebody saying it doesn't make them racist (obviously), and I saw nothing concerning in the original post but anybody who's completely unaware that it has some pretty unsavoury connotations must have led a relatively sheltered life.

I've genuinely never heard of it, and my life has been about as far from sheltered as it's possible to get.  What are the unsavoury connotations?  I get the obvious ones, like bananas and watermelons, but fried chicken?  I guess it's popular in the southern states of the US, but why is it negatively assoicated with black people, and if it is, under what circumstances would somebody over here have heard it?  I don't recall any mentions in films or music for example.  Genuinely curious.

Plenty of people on this thread seem to be aware of the connotations, so they must have picked it up from somewhere. It's been in the news a few times over the last decade, the Tiger Woods / Sergio Garcia stuff was pretty widely reported. I also remember in the run up to the last US election (or possibly the one before that) there was a fairly big furore about a load of fake adverts going around for Obama Fried Chicken. Nothing enormous, but the sort of thing that was reported over here and that might make it into public conciousness.

The stereotype started in a scene in Birth Of A Nation, and out of that from the 20s through to probably the 70s there was a black people / fried chicken stereotype (just like the watermelon example that you are aware of) which unfortunately seems to have been resurrected in the last decade or so in the more dickish corners of the internet.

From a quick Google Image search, if you're offended by racist pricks skip past it:

Spoiler for Hiden:

So it is definitely a thing. People not being aware of it doesn't make them bad people, but nor does it stop it from being a thing. I agree with Paul that the better response if you've found out that something you've said can be misinterpreted is probably "oh, I didn't realise that was a thing", rather than demanding apologies.

[markeeeebeeee2005]

Not claiming to be a victim. 

Don't say it if you don't like it when I call you out for calling me something I find disgusting or saying something I have said is something it isn't.

It's a big deal in my book. I think if you're calling someone racist or saying something they have said is meant as casual racism you should be sure.