What makes people think this is OK?

[DU Ute]

I hope none of the people in these pictures aspire to hold any type of political office.

[DU Ute]

I hope none of the people in these pictures aspire to hold any type of political office.

Also, can anyone help me understand the caption that goes with this photo?

That is my husband, who is inevitably black.

WTF does that mean?

[Indy Coug]

I'm more offended by the guy dressing up like a 19th century Mormon. You know, with the horns and all.

[statman]

They look like homeless Ferengi.

I need my lobes rubbed...

[JohnnyLingo]

What would dressing up as a steriotypical white guy entail? Wearing a baseball hat and a NFL sweatshirt? Maybe stuffing your gut a bit? Really, there's not much you could do but paint your face cream colored.

Contrast that with what these people (at least the chick) did. But butt, big boobs. Now we're not just dressing in a certain way, we're making fun of the physical appearance of black people (notwithstanding that many black people don't even share those characteristics).

That brings up an interesting question... why are there no stereotypical white person physical characteristics? Where did the existing stereotypical black person physical characteristics come from?

[Flystripper]

Thank you for being clear.

I don't think I'm racist. I just don't buy the argument that what these kids did was wholly offensive. I asked Tim if a black person dressing up as a stereotypical white guy would offend him and he didn't answer. It would not annoy or anger me, and I think the same could be said of any white person who posts here. The double standard annoys me and I'm not afraid of appearing racist while I explore this social construct.

I may regret this...

I think you need to examine your annoyance with the double standard. This double standard will always exist. You are right that most white people would not care if a black person dressed up as a white person and used common racial stereotypes to pull off the look. This is not offensive to most white people because the act does no harm. The majority has the power to overcome stereotypes through the protection of the collective weight of the majority and therefore is not injured by a minority's propagation of racial stereotypes.

When the situation is reversed, the racial stereotyping of black people actually does harm. Even small acts like this make it that much harder for the minority to overcome the negative stereotyping by the majority. The majority holds the power. One reason why we have protected classes in this country is to help protect the minority from the effect that negative racial stereotypes have.

There are additional reasons why the actions of these people are offensive, but the double standard will always exist and TBH it should exist.

[JohnnyLingo]

The majority has the power to overcome stereotypes through the protection of the collective weight of the majority and therefore is not injured by a minority's propagation of racial stereotypes.

There are additional reasons why the actions of these people are offensive, but the double standard will always exist and TBH it should exist.

Thanks for answering.

I see what you are saying, and am curious about how far this concept extends. Do these protections for minorities extend to religious and political groups, as well? Do Mormons in Arkansas need protection from the majority? Do liberals in Idaho need protection from the majority?

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I hope none of the people in these pictures aspire to hold any type of political office.

I was quoted about five times in my high school yearbook for my senior year, I don't think anyone else got more than two. They sent around a questionnaire to everyone and I just kind of let loose on the answers (it was the first year they did this for our high school yearbook).

They asked what you would do with $1 million and I said "I'd give it to the United Negro College Fund." Being the butthole I was, it was a joke. The girl that edited that particular section of the yearbook happened to be black and she was a year or two behind me and didn't know me. Thinking that I was serious, it ended up getting put into the yearbook. She probably thought I was the champion of racial equality.

My parents were livid with me. They said that if I ever obtained any kind of notierity that this would come back and haunt me. The funny thing is, the quote by itself makes me look great. Without the context, I think it makes me look like a pretty cool guy.