What's up with all this "white boy" talk?

[SayWhatYo]

In the Duke threads I see a few people throwing the term white boy(s) around a lot. Now, that term doesn't bother me much. I really do not get offended by words. Well, unless you laugh at the way I run... However, what kind of gets me upset is the hypocrisy of many(myself included). If someone was to say "black boy" with the same tone, then many, most, would be up in arms about that. Now, I don't really blame people for this because I find myself in that category too. Is there a reason why? I can't really come up with a logical reason as to why I would feel one is ok and the other isn't. Thus that leads to believe that maybe I'm wrong. Is one different than the other? Or am way off on this?

[slackmaster]

1. I used to be a white boy myself

I got promoted to white MAN.

[zanne]

4. Great point, slackmaster.

I've noticed that people who say "black boys" usually say "white man" in the same breath.

[xultar]

2. OK so we can't say black girl/black boy, white girl white boy here @ DU...

Don't be daft. Take gerneralised moranic narrow-minded thinking elsewhere.

[SayWhatYo]

6. nono I'm not saying that at all...

I really do not care if people use the term whiteboy or whatever. It doesn't bother me at all. My comment was on the hypocrisy of being able to say one but not the other. If someone was to use the term 'black boy' or 'brown boy' or 'yellow boy' in the same tone then there would be many who would be upset, yet white boy gets a pass(even from me).

[xultar]

14. Not if they were boys. What should I call a white boy a turtle? You can call be a black girl

cuz I look much younger than I am. You can also call me a black woman.

[shance]

3. Question: Who is starting all the wars and who is profiting from them?

Is it women?

Is it blacks?

Is it hispanics?

Is it Muslims? No. They are being scapegoated.

[ProSense]

12. Sadly, they're now being aided by a cast of sellouts:

Condi Rice
Alberto Gonzales
Colin Powell
Hector Barreto
Alphonso Jackson
Armstrong Williams

[shance]

18. Good point Prosense.

n/t

[yardwork]

5. The history of the term "black boy" is one of slavery and oppression

The term "black boy" used to be applied to ALL African-American males, even if they were sixty years old. It was a deliberate put-down, calculated to remind black people that they were inferior to whites in all respects. Even professional black men, including physicians, scientists, military officers, and ministers, were likely to be insulted in this manner. Therefore, the term "black boy" is loaded with negative connotations.

In contrast, the term "white boy" has virtually zero historical negative connotations. It is beginning to take on negative connotations, however, as it appears to be used in a slightly derogatory manner to imply childishness or someone who has benefited from patronage. It's best not to use any term with derogatory connotations.

However, the suggestion that "white boy" is as insulting as "black boy" betrays a lack of knowledge of the historical contextual connotations of this term.

[Orrex]

8. I was once called "white boy" while managing a fast food restaurant

I confess that, at the time, I didn't even understand that it was meant as a zinger of a put-down. It just sounded like part of the string of insults that the guy was throwing at me.

This reveals two things to me:
1. The term "white boy" has little/no derogatory historical momentum behind it
2. I'm too dumb to be an effective racist. If I can't keep up with racial epithets regarding my own supposed race, I'm clearly not qualified to use them properly.

[supernova]

9. Yes, exactly

[SayWhatYo]

10. I got that much...

I understand how black boy has more history and has been an insult for much longer. However, white boy is used in a negative way now. Perhaps as a reaction to the usage of the word black boy. Does that mean since one has been around longer that it means that it should be worse than the other insults?

[plcdude]

13. Thank you

that is the point and context for the offensive nature of black boy. How many old white men have been called boy? Hasn't happened and won't happen. So context and knowing the history of racism is so important.

[supernova]

7. Dirty White Boy

Hey, baby, if youre feelin down
I know whats good for you all day
Are you worried what your friends see
Will it ruin your reputation lovin me

cause Im a dirty white boy
Yeah a dirty white boy
A dirty white boy

Dont drive no big black car
Dont like no hollywood movie star
You want me to be true to you
You dont give a damn what I do to you

Im just a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, dirty white boy
Dirty white boy

Well, Im a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, yeah, dirty white boy
A dirty white boy

Ive been in trouble since I dont know when
Im in trouble now and I now somehow Ill find trouble again
Im a loner, but Im never alone
Every night I get one step closer to the danger zone

cause Im a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, yeah, dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, Im a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy

Cmon, cmon boy
Dirty white boy, white boy
Dirty white boy, Im a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy

Hey, Im a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, yeah, Im a dirty white boy
Dirty white boy, dirty white boy, yeah

[AspenRose]

15. Play that funky music, white boy

play that funky music 'til you die! :-)


There's also "Pretty fly (for a white guy)"

[Virginia Dare]

20. That's the terminology as I use it...

a suburban white boy trying to act like a home-boy in the 'hood.

[frylock]

35. she's a white girl

i'm livin with a white girl

[AspenRose]

16. dupe

[Buzz Clik]

11. It's a direct quote from one of the Durham officials.

In an interview in front of the court house, this jackass called the three indicted and, by inference, the lacrosse team "a bunch of rich white boys".

Nauseating, isn't it?

[RaleighNCDUer]

19. You mean they AREN'T a bunch of rich white boys?

That's news to me.

[Buzz Clik]

24. To whom are you referring?

The three who were charged, the entire team, or the male student body of Duke?

You know, Rush Limbaugh is a disgusting excuse for a human being, but he contends that a lot of liberals suffer from class envy. I used to find that laughable. Until this Duke case broke. I now realize that his is generally wrong, but a lot of people here simply cannot accept the fact that some people are successful. It is sad to see that kind of serious inability to fit into society.

[RaleighNCDUer]

28. Let's get this straight. The kids are not successful. Their rich

white FATHERS are successful. And the kids coast on that priviledge.

Now, I do know that there is a high proportion of scholarship students at Duke. But you're not going to find them on the fucking lacrosse team. Guilty or not, this was the first, and likely the last real challenge these kids are going to face.

Rush call call it 'class envy' if he likes - I call it class warfare. And they are the ones who have all the weapons.

[Buzz Clik]

29. Wow. You really know that no "scholarship" players are on the lacrosse team?

And how would you know that?

And it is your opinion that none of these kids have achieved, but are merely riding on their fathers' coattails?

Issues. Lots of issues.

This situation has shown me a side of DU that is none too pretty.

[RaleighNCDUer]

31. If they look and act like spoiled rich white boys then they either

are spoiled rich white boys, or they wish they were - which is the REAL class envy. Young republicans. I've got no use for them.

And where do you think lacross scholarships - if there are any such things - would come from? Is it played anywhere but prep schools? As far as I know there has never been a lacross team in any school that anyone in my family has ever been to.

If they were not rich white jocks, but were black football scholarship jocks, do you think we'd have ever heard about the case, much less seen them get the expensive legal help they got?

Considering that all we know about the case has been deliberately leaked to the press from one side or the other, all for partisan reasons, why can anyone here believe they know the truth of it?

[Buzz Clik]

32. Point by point.

I like this quote a lot:

If they look and act like spoiled rich white boys then they either are spoiled rich white boys, or they wish they were - which is the REAL class envy. Young republicans. I've got no use for them.

Do you know these kids? Personally? My son does. Two of them were on his dorm floor at the time of the arrest. Young Republicans, eh? My son is a registered Democrat. He isn't rich. I like the "I have no use for them" comment; it reveals a lot, and makes the next comments all the sweeter:

And where do you think lacross scholarships - if there are any such things - would come from? Is it played anywhere but prep schools?

There are lacrosse scholarships. Keep in mind that Duke was national champions, and they compete against some big schools. And, yes, they play lacrosse at schools other than prep schools. Our next door neighbor plays lacrosse for our public high school. (Do ever research anything before you post? Seriously -- you should.)

If they were not rich white jocks, but were black football scholarship jocks, do you think we'd have ever heard about the case, much less seen them get the expensive legal help they got?

Did you hear about Coby Bryant? The University of Colorado "escorts" for recruiting scandal? Probably a lack of research again; just because you don't know of these things doesn't mean they don't exist. And, for the record, this case may not have made much of a splash without Nifong sticking his sorry, stupid, cracker ass in front of the cameras on a daily basis.

You have a real problem here, my friend. You don't know much of the case, you don't know the young men involved, and you have serious preconceived notions -- some of which are blocking any chance you have of being objective.

[RaleighNCDUer]

34. You're right, I did post without research.

As it turns out there is a large scholarship, to the tune of half a million or so, for Duke lacrosse. And apparently it is played a little more commonly in the NE. That doesn't change the fact that no school I've ever gone to had it, and across the country it is rare, at best. It is still primarily a prep school sport.

Also, your son doesn't figure into this, unless, of couse, you think he acts and looks like a rich white kid. The fact that he is a democrat has no bearing on this in any way - I was not talking about him. So he knows a couple of them. I once dormed with two Iranians, but that doesn't make me Muslim. Clearly, your son goes to Duke - and you talk to me about objectivity?

Coby Bryant also is not relevant - as a star, he got attention. He was a star before the incident, and remained one after. If he'd been some second bench lineman, we'd have never heard about it.

Yeah, I have some issues -- issues with unearned priviledge. Call it reverse snobbery, if you will, but if someone is going to an expensive private school I'm going to demand clear evidence of their capabilities before giving them the benefit of the doubt - after all, * went to Yale. And drunken parties with strippers is not a good start.

[Madspirit]

23. Hmmm

I thought they were a bunch of rich white boys.
Lee

[Buzz Clik]

25. Good for you. I was answering the question from the opening post.

However, it was good of you to add your comment -- which was identical to the one immediately above yours.

Gotta the posters at DU: "We aren't functionally illiterate, but we can act like it."

[jaksavage]

17. We don't even mention race, if they are white

We only identify the race in relation to crimes.
My youth sports page doesn't list race.

two black men shot by police
three illegal aliens arrested at border
a group of arabs prays in the airport

two men rob bank, kill guard....

Uptight white men rule our world.

PS. al queda group strikes US , 16 from saudi arabia
in retaliation US invades Afghanistan and Iraq...?

Every day I cry.

[supernova]

21. Best response so far!

:thumbsup:

[valerief]

22. Troll talk most likely. nt

[Buzz Clik]

26. that, too.

[Catherine Vincent]

27. And your point, white boy?

:)

[ItNerd4life]

30. White men can't jump

was considered a funny saying. But if you say "Black men can't swim" it's not funny, it's racist.

With my friends, they'll tell me not to make ribs because white people can't make them as well as black people.

I believe it all comes down to whether people take it personally or not. White people don't take them personally, because they have never actually been insulted because of their skin color.

Black people on the other hand, deal with racism all the time. There was a different thread about how a black lady got 'the look' from some people because she was black. This personalized it and now she believes (rightfully so) that any time someone says something about her, it's a personal attack.

With my friends, we know each other and we know it's not personal, therefore it's fun to tease each other. But if it ever get's personal, then it's all over.

[yardwork]

33. White people (and I am one) haven't been killed, tortured, raped, and enslaved

because of the color of their skin. African-Americans have had all these things happen to them - not just 150 years ago, but right up to the present time. I'm not 50 and I can remember restaurants that wouldn't serve black people - in the north.

It's disingenuous or uninformed or something worse to pretend that "white boy" is as insulting as "black boy." Not even in the same ballpark.