General Discussion

gollygee

(22,336 posts) Thu Sep 24, 2015, 09:52 PM Sep 2015

How White People Subtly Reinforce White Supremacy When They Laugh at Black Names [View all]

I haven't heard anyone make a joke like this for quite a while, so either it's not as common as it used to be, or I'm better about choosing who I hang out with than I was when I was young. Have you heard this kind of thing? Recently?

http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/09/white-people-black-names/

Make no mistake. This is racist behavior. We are emphasizing the otherness of an entire group of people to put ourselves over and above them.

It’s bigoted, discriminatory, prejudicial, and just plain not cool.

What’s wrong with black names anyway? What about them is so unacceptable?

We act as if only European and Anglicized names are reasonable. But I don’t have to go far down my rosters to find white kids with names like Braelyn, Declyn, Jaydon, Jaxon, Gunner, or Hunter. I’ve never heard white folks yucking it up over those names.

222 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

How White People Subtly Reinforce White Supremacy When They Laugh at Black Names [View all] gollygee Sep 2015 OP

You've never heard a white person laugh at a white kid getting saddled with "Aeshlynne"? Scootaloo Sep 2015 #1

I didn't write this gollygee Sep 2015 #3

OMG, what idiots was that article about? SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #2

almost nobody calls me what I want to be called hfojvt Sep 2015 #18

I completely understand. Call people what they want to be called. Period. nt SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #21

I know someone actually named Allison Wonderland. Some parents are roguevalley Sep 2015 #39

Completely agree about the reason, IMHO, for some of the names. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #42

I knew a Park Street. snort Sep 2015 #61

An old friend, Bob Alexander, named his... meaculpa2011 Sep 2015 #98

I knew a Candy Kane when I was a kid. WillowTree Sep 2015 #146

In my hometown the was a Crystal Clear. AngryAmish Sep 2015 #104

I met a woman who named her daughter brer cat Sep 2015 #131

I love Allison Starboard Tack Sep 2015 #159

I get that. AtomicKitten Sep 2015 #80

I have a Ichigo Kurosaki Sep 2015 #107

People should respect what name you prefer libodem Sep 2015 #127

My last name is two common English words mashed together, and it ALWAYS mispronounced arcane1 Sep 2015 #152

While doing customer service, I ran into this last name: Bookstore. Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #176

At least those words make sense together :) arcane1 Sep 2015 #178

True, now allow me to go on a mini-rant about my last name, Scots-Irish, starts with Mc, Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #184

well at least they don't call you Tommy RedRocco Sep 2015 #167

White people have been mocking creative white children's names since Moon Unit aikoaiko Sep 2015 #4

I agree that people make fun of white kids' names too gollygee Sep 2015 #8

What's "common"? Igel Sep 2015 #105

We had a set of twins who had beautifully sounding names, but you'd be surprised at the origin. Frustratedlady Sep 2015 #207

"Creative names". How about knitting a sweater instead? It's a lower-stakes expression of creativity lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #141

I must confess that I wanted to name my son Bronco. aikoaiko Sep 2015 #144

Awww... I always wanted to name a son Julian... ScreamingMeemie Sep 2015 #222

Dweezil! WinkyDink Sep 2015 #149

The hospital wouldn't let Frank and Gail legally name him Dweezil hifiguy Sep 2015 #157

That's one arrogant hospital! WinkyDink Sep 2015 #199

i dunno Daninmo Sep 2015 #5

Well that's a kind of class based discrimination gollygee Sep 2015 #10

Watch this substitute teacher turn it around: Guy Whitey Corngood Sep 2015 #6

Just what I was thinking off. dilby Sep 2015 #9

Oh you done messed up now Dil-beyh!!!! nt Guy Whitey Corngood Sep 2015 #11

A-A-Ron! This was hilarious. Thanks. valerief Sep 2015 #29

If you get this you get it. Period. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #64

I had a teacher rename me for all time just like in that sketch. Sen. Walter Sobchak Sep 2015 #83

Those skits are funny treestar Sep 2015 #88

Hah!! Love this. Something similar happened to me a couple years back. Bucky Sep 2015 #139

Was going to post but you beat me to it. RiffRandell Sep 2015 #175

This message was self-deleted by its author RiffRandell Sep 2015 #179

These two guys, that show, is gonna go down in comedy history and royalty randys1 Sep 2015 #180

Key and Peele dilby Sep 2015 #7

We mock those names mercilessly. Codeine Sep 2015 #12

A teacher friend of my wife's always shares funny new students' names. X_Digger Sep 2015 #16

It's not the kid's fault. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #22

Whoosh. Perhaps you missed the context, but we're poking fun at pretentious parents, not kids. n/t X_Digger Sep 2015 #25

If you're sharing funny kid's names, SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #26

I don't make fun of kids' names, but... meaculpa2011 Sep 2015 #99

Oh, I totally agree with the lack of judgment of the parents. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #108

Oh my gosh, an indirect mocking! How shocking! X_Digger Sep 2015 #187

Well, there's all kinds. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #188

When I was considering what to name my child notadmblnd Sep 2015 #194

Reasonable. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #195

And will he/she spend his whole life spelling and pronouncing it Freddie Sep 2015 #205

I feel sorry for the kids who are named HEAVEN spelled backwards. MADem Sep 2015 #52

Pronounce it the way the kid tells you to. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #59

Well...DUH. But at some point you're going to have to ERR if you're, say, MADem Sep 2015 #201

After a while, if you continue to ask for correction, SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #210

Not if it's a one-off....not everyone is a teacher. nt MADem Sep 2015 #212

If it's a one-off, SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #213

In some of my writing, I use Persian names quite often. kentauros Sep 2015 #84

It ain't Navideh or Parisah or Farah....it's word salad!!! MADem Sep 2015 #200

I know; I was just making a comparison :) kentauros Sep 2015 #203

One person I know just didn't mention it... MADem Sep 2015 #204

I hope you are not a teacher. nt SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #28

Guilty. To that list, add "stripper names". We mock those too. cheapdate Sep 2015 #69

I have, in the past, Erich Bloodaxe BSN Sep 2015 #102

I resent this. I'm white, and I don't make fun of anyone. Or names. nt babylonsister Sep 2015 #13

Exactly. nt SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #23

I find stupid white-person names to be hilarious Spider Jerusalem Sep 2015 #14

Yep, it's the parents. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #24

Stripper names were big for a while jberryhill Sep 2015 #31

Goes to prove a lot of people are parents who shouldn't be. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #37

You wonder 1939 Sep 2015 #118

You can call your great grandchild anything you want jberryhill Sep 2015 #119

Call me picky, but I don't agree. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #211

You know what my great granddad called me? jberryhill Sep 2015 #214

In my daughter's school, there were 14 different spellings of Caitlin Maeve Sep 2015 #96

I bet none of them pronounces it "Cathleen" though (n/t) Spider Jerusalem Sep 2015 #133

No, but I think one called herself 'Cat-a-leen' Maeve Sep 2015 #150

Yes, I believe in Irish the name spelled "Caitlin" is actually pronounced "Kathleen" smirkymonkey Sep 2015 #192

My granddaughter is Makayla Freddie Sep 2015 #206

I see much more making fun of weird white names. Example: Nye Bevan Sep 2015 #15

That reads like a fucking eye chart. Hassin Bin Sober Sep 2015 #50

That is an abomination unto the FSM. hifiguy Sep 2015 #154

Oh that poor child. smirkymonkey Sep 2015 #193

"We act as if only European and Anglicized names are reasonable." RufusTFirefly Sep 2015 #17

Exactly. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #60

I don't think that's true treestar Sep 2015 #90

If I need a scrabble game to invent a name for my child, I'm doing it wrong. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #19

I think I know your nephew jberryhill Sep 2015 #32

I thought it was my old boss, Dakota Toad the Wet Sprocket Macintyre alcibiades_mystery Sep 2015 #47

I thought you worked for Guam Radiohead Johnson jberryhill Sep 2015 #51

Idaho Lit Marlboro Art_from_Ark Sep 2015 #55

Wyoming Nirvana Jennings yodermon Sep 2015 #58

Whatever the name, SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #63

And never, ever Bettie Sep 2015 #103

Of course I smile at the absurdity in private. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #112

Didn't he marry Kentucky Kansas Washington? Elmer S. E. Dump Sep 2015 #68

He might as well just tell us his nephew's name jberryhill Sep 2015 #87

Jesus. The poor kid has enough problems. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #134

Wyoming Weezer Wishniak? redwitch Sep 2015 #198

Minnesota Nirvana Walker treestar Sep 2015 #89

Culture Club is from the 80s gollygee Sep 2015 #91

Yes, but they were ahead of their time jberryhill Sep 2015 #92

ROFL gollygee Sep 2015 #94

New Jersey Jimmy Eat World Jones? redwitch Sep 2015 #196

Oh, I guessed it for sure! Generic Other Sep 2015 #218

That is one way dominant cultures integrate minorities. It happens in every country. LittleBlue Sep 2015 #20

Honestly, this could be a short term issue, I could imagine, in the future, that "black names" and.. Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #35

Yeah I've seen that too occasionally LittleBlue Sep 2015 #45

ROFL alcibiades_mystery Sep 2015 #44

I feel sorry for them LittleBlue Sep 2015 #46

In Queens? alcibiades_mystery Sep 2015 #49

Well played Alittleliberal Sep 2015 #62

. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #65

LOL, good answer. Chitown Kev Sep 2015 #71

.... LittleBlue Sep 2015 #79

That's what Tony, Tony and Tony hifiguy Sep 2015 #155

Remember all the names in Goodfellas? RiffRandell Sep 2015 #182

Question GummyBearz Sep 2015 #73

Anywhere English is predominantly spoken LittleBlue Sep 2015 #81

African Americans are not immigrants gollygee Sep 2015 #85

Ukrainian guy at work Freddie Sep 2015 #208

I didn't realize the Palins were black jberryhill Sep 2015 #27

Or the Romneys... JHB Sep 2015 #162

Can we still mock names like Boehner and Dick Swett? Orrex Sep 2015 #30

You haven't seen the last of Dick Swett Cheese Sandwich Sep 2015 #34

If it's because of their behavior, absolutely. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #38

It's true. zentrum Sep 2015 #33

I remember it. One of the Wayans brothers was hosting and played a driver picking up daycamp kids. Gidney N Cloyd Sep 2015 #129

Yes. That's it! Good memory. zentrum Sep 2015 #170

I stumbled on this the other night.... Spitfire of ATJ Sep 2015 #36

Years ago, one particular commentator mocked names like "Shaniqua" and "Shaligua" Orrex Sep 2015 #40

He's cool with the name Rophenol though Capt. Obvious Sep 2015 #125

No, giving kids stupid names is subtle child abuse lbrtbell Sep 2015 #41

Yep, parents need to think. nt SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #66

Someone actually named their kid ESPN. alarimer Sep 2015 #101

I agree with the article, but Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is universally funny alcibiades_mystery Sep 2015 #43

One of Alabama's best defensive backs in years. Roll Tide! cheapdate Sep 2015 #74

haha GummyBearz Sep 2015 #75

It's only a game...(sigh) cheapdate Sep 2015 #77

Let me assure you that names that once were considered "black" have 1monster Sep 2015 #48

Yeah, many names do cross the color lines, and it gets more difficult if you have an influx... Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #67

My brother went out with a white girl named Candy Lane npk Sep 2015 #53

I wanted to name a kid Grogopolus but my right hand never got pregnant. n/t Gore1FL Sep 2015 #54

Simple procedure on the first day of class in elementary and middle... Thespian2 Sep 2015 #56

There's a hockey player named (last name) Satan. Manifestor_of_Light Sep 2015 #57

Is it pronounced "Sateen"? Humanist_Activist Sep 2015 #72

No GummyBearz Sep 2015 #76

That's Miroslav Šatan and it's pronounced shuh-TAN. He's a Slovak Monk06 Sep 2015 #106

It isn't "subtle." It's overtly nasty. McCamy Taylor Sep 2015 #70

I will like to share my opinion with you. As far as Blacks are reclaiming their names, it akbacchus_BC Sep 2015 #78

We bear our children at home, and name our children after natural occurences Zorra Sep 2015 #82

SNL did one skit years ago treestar Sep 2015 #86

Yup. Dr. Strange Sep 2015 #202

thanks treestar Sep 2015 #219

People have made fun of my name yuiyoshida Sep 2015 #93

Yeah this absolutely happens with Asian names too gollygee Sep 2015 #95

yup! yuiyoshida Sep 2015 #97

People make fun of my name as well... haikugal Sep 2015 #114

Yes well try being named Rex and listening to 'oh that's my dog's name' all your life. Rex Sep 2015 #156

you should tell them its short for ... yuiyoshida Sep 2015 #168

Now that part is actually great, all my nieces and nephews call me T-Rex. Rex Sep 2015 #169

Gov. Jim Hogg of Texas named his daughter Ima. alarimer Sep 2015 #100

As a teacher, I do this every year, too. LWolf Sep 2015 #109

In German we've got names for this phenomenon. OldEurope Sep 2015 #158

Presently I'm pretty much laughing at all the contemporary names GoneOffShore Sep 2015 #110

We do both Prism Sep 2015 #111

This former cop describes real institutionalized racism: Marr Sep 2015 #113

Racism encompasses both big and little things gollygee Sep 2015 #115

Except it isn't necessarily even racism. Marr Sep 2015 #117

Names can be made fun of for a number of reasons gollygee Sep 2015 #128

+ a million, gollygee. brer cat Sep 2015 #132

Can I still make fun of Tagg and Tripp? (nt) TacoD Sep 2015 #116

Anti-Alasquism is a horrible prejudice that too many DUers tolerate. Bucky Sep 2015 #140

Actually one is Romney one is Palin :-) (nt) TacoD Sep 2015 #147

You know about the lady that is a reporter on MSNBC? Manifestor_of_Light Sep 2015 #120

How can you not enjoy K&P's East/West College Bowl series? Throd Sep 2015 #121

Oh please. cwydro Sep 2015 #122

The author obviously didn't grow up with my then last name mythology Sep 2015 #123

when I worked in low income city schools, I was joking with an Afr. American student whose name wordpix Sep 2015 #124

It's possible, if you're talking to people who know you as a friend gollygee Sep 2015 #126

It's as old as John Jacob Jingleheimer-Schmidt jberryhill Sep 2015 #136

Ich bin Heinrich Schnibble 1939 Sep 2015 #164

My name is Yon Yohnson, I work in Wisconsin, I work in a lumber mill there.. jberryhill Sep 2015 #165

I make fun of all stupid names... TipTok Sep 2015 #130

Ha! Me too. Duppers Sep 2015 #135

Gollygee are you making fun of me? Sunlei Sep 2015 #137

If we pretend it's only white people doing this, then that's an important point. Bucky Sep 2015 #138

What kind of black names are we talking about? romanic Sep 2015 #142

When I hear doctor friends laughing over black names, hedgehog Sep 2015 #143

I get ya, but.... Adrahil Sep 2015 #145

IDK. My mother was just laughing at the names "Dustin" and "Zach." (Johnsons, golfers) WinkyDink Sep 2015 #148

Who named their kid Apple? cwydro Sep 2015 #151

In the 1950s in my hometown, frogmarch Sep 2015 #153

It's not like you cannot buy a book of baby names DonCoquixote Sep 2015 #160

by the way DonCoquixote Sep 2015 #161

I met this person in San Francisco who went by the name of Siobhan (that's how it was spelled) smirkymonkey Sep 2015 #197

What's the correct Irish pronunication? oberliner Sep 2015 #209

It's pronounced "SHIVawn" smirkymonkey Sep 2015 #215

Thanks for the info oberliner Sep 2015 #217

Even traditional Anglo-Saxon names can be "bad" 1939 Sep 2015 #216

I think there is a difference between laughing at parents who saddle their kids nadine_mn Sep 2015 #163

I think that's exactly right gollygee Sep 2015 #174

Yep. SusanCalvin Sep 2015 #190

When is Praisegod Barebone hifiguy Sep 2015 #166

As a native of Appalachia, I've been known to mock plenty of 'redneck' names. phleshdef Sep 2015 #171

We obviously need legislation limiting allowable baby names: all boys should be named struggle4progress Sep 2015 #172

No Aethelred? hifiguy Sep 2015 #189

We don't really like toremind the public of King Aethelred struggle4progress Sep 2015 #191

I yuk it up all the time.............. llmart Sep 2015 #173

That's a nick name gollygee Sep 2015 #177

Yeah, but nobody knows that about her.... llmart Sep 2015 #181

No problem gollygee Sep 2015 #183

I laugh at a ton of white names. RiffRandell Sep 2015 #185

My mother's name is Lawanda. MineralMan Sep 2015 #186

sounds more like culturalism Shankapotomus Sep 2015 #220

since mot mentioned DonCoquixote Sep 2015 #221