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Republicans not racist!

Discussion in 'The Dungeon' started by 999, Jul 16, 2008.

  1. RCjohn

    RCjohn Killin machine.

    Because you can't dance. :D
     
  2. RCjohn

    RCjohn Killin machine.

    I shouldn't have painted my motorcycle black. :D
     
  3. RCjohn

    RCjohn Killin machine.

    These rappers now can't hang with the Sugar Hill Gang. :p
     
  4. RCjohn

    RCjohn Killin machine.

    Super monkey muts. :crackup:

    Is a white man allowed to laugh at that? :p
     
  5. Orvis

    Orvis Well-Known Member

    I have a couple of questions about black culture and I'm not trying to insult you or anyone else. I'm really curious and would like an answer from a black person that lives within, or around, that culture.

    When you mentioned Ebonics it made me wonder. Why do so many black people still hang onto speaking in Ebonics? The second question is; Why do so many black people get mad at Cosby and Obama when they urge the black race to change some of their ways?

    I know that when I hear black men, or women, using proper English it really impresses me, and when I hear those using Ebonics one of the first things that I think of is that they have no education.

    As I said to start with, I'm not trying to insult you or demean you. I'm just trying to understand.
    Thanks
     
  6. 999

    999 Well-Known Member

    Why do so many southern rural whites talk redneck?

    You know:
    purty = pretty
    aight = alright
    sheeit = shit
    gawldayum = god damned
    barred = borrowed
    ignert = ignorant

    It is a tribal thing, a specialized way of speaking (vocubulary, accent) that is typical of lower class groups worldwide.

    Other examples would be a Brooklyn accent.
    A Cockney accent in England.
    A cajun accent
     
  7. R Acree

    R Acree Banned

    To differentiate themselves from condescending assholes like you? With all due respect, of course.
     
  8. 999

    999 Well-Known Member

    I'm sorry if I've made madder than a queer with tonsilitis on Valentines Day.

    To paraphrase my buddy Orvis:

    I have a couple of questions about rural white culture and I'm not trying to insult you or anyone else. I'm really curious and would like an answer from a rurla white person that lives within, or around, that culture.

    Why do so many rural white people still hang onto their backwoods talk like "Fixin' ta" and "I might could"?

    I know that when I hear rural white men, or women, using proper English it really impresses me, and when I hear those using one "backwoods talk" the first thing that I think of is that they have no education.

    As I said to start with, I'm not trying to insult you or demean you. I'm just trying to understand.

    Thanks


    Kind of insulting isn't it, skeeter?
     
  9. R Acree

    R Acree Banned

    Please accept my apology. I hadn't seen Orvis' post.

    To answer, sometimes because it is comfortable and familiar. Other times it is due to lack of education. I suspect this is also the answer to Orvis' query.
     
  10. RCjohn

    RCjohn Killin machine.

    When anyone comments on the souther accent all I can say is spend some time in New England. Now that's some messed up shit.

    Either way it's just regional accents. When you move to another area you lose some of your accent and terms and pick up some of where you live. It has happened to me everywhere I've lived.
     
  11. 999

    999 Well-Known Member

    Wow. Apology accepted, sir. And I'll try to be less dickish.

    I agree, it's comfortable, familiar and it is a sign of membership in "the club".

    And to be fair, it isn't necessarily a sign of ignorance or lack of education, it can be a concious decision to be true to your roots by those who can get away with it.

    FWIW- even though I'm from just north of the Mason-Dixon line my grandmother was southern as hell, and I love "country talk".

    I'm fixin' to go cut the grass. :D



     
  12. Steeltoe

    Steeltoe What's my move?

    A linguist will tell you there is no such thing as "proper english". A Shakespearean vocal coach will tell you the Appalachian "hick" accent is the closest thing to the original Queen's English in America. It fits wonderfully in iambic pentameter. Surprisingly it is relatively unchanged from the time of the Pilgrims. It is we who's speech has digressed.

    Lesson complete.
     
  13. 999

    999 Well-Known Member

    When I was kid (60s) and we used to visit the Outer Banks, the accents used to blow me away, particulary with the older folks.
     
  14. HPPT

    HPPT !!!

    Wow! :wow:

    Chris Rock has a good line about people like you reacting to Colin Powell. :D
     
  15. Orvis

    Orvis Well-Known Member

    Ok. Now that some of you have completely missed the point of my questions I'll say this. While I was growing up, and taking English in school, I was taught how to use the English language in it's proper form. Yes, "proper English" does, in fact, exist. Is the phrase "I be going to de store" correct, or is "I'm going to the store" correct? Which one do you suppose is "proper English?"

    When I said that I was impressed when I hear a black person using "proper English" I'm referring to their being able to say something, while hidden from view, and those hearing it spoken not being able to tell what color skin the person has. Hearing someone like Condi Rice, Colin Powell, etc. use the English language correctly is in direct contrast to what we hear from a large part of their race. Why does it have to be that way?

    All I'm trying to do is find out, from a black person, why he/she feels that so many of their race uses Ebonics and improper English. I know that some white people use improper English because of lack of education. Is that the case with black people or is it a "black" thing?

    An accent has nothing to do with it. I have a definite Texas accent but I still try to use proper sentence structure when I speak. For example, I don't use "ain't" when I speak. In spite of the fact it's in the dictionary now doesn't make it a proper word.

    Do you see where I'm coming from with my questions? By the way, since I directed these questions to a black person, imagine my surprise upon learning how many black people we had on the board.
     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2008
  16. Orvis

    Orvis Well-Known Member


    Papa, thanks for misconstruing what I was trying to say. I appreciate it. :up:
     
  17. HPPT

    HPPT !!!

    More often than not, you can identify an African-American by sound alone even if they're using proper English.

    Close your eyes, listen to Cornell West, and tell me if it sounds like Ebonics to you. Yet, do you think you would have any trouble guessing it's a black person talking?

    Yup, a really ignorant place, brother Orvis.
     
  18. Mongo

    Mongo Administrator

    Gotta agree with Papa - the simple fact that you felt the need to put how impressed you are when black people use proper English puts you firmly into the ignorant category.

    I'm not really impressed when anyone speaks properly, I have this odd habit of expecting it from people, regardless of race.
     
  19. Steeltoe

    Steeltoe What's my move?

    "A lot of criticisms of non-standard English are criticisms of the people that use it."- Geoffrey Nunberg PhD, a Linguist.


    http://thelanguageguy.blogspot.com/2005/04/proper-english.html

    Again, no linguist will agree there is any such thing as "proper english". Maybe we should also criticize Ben spies for wearing his hat backwards and "improperly. It's an elitist argument which holds no weight.
     
  20. Orvis

    Orvis Well-Known Member

    I guess that I could have left out the statement about being impressed. The whole point of my questions was an attempt to have a discussion with a black person about why some things are why they are. I agree with you. I don't care what race someone is when it comes to speaking. Use proper English. Period.

    To a lot of whites, seeing black people seemingly dumb themselves down by using improper English, just seems so, useless. Everyone wants to be treated equal but why deliberately do something that gives others a bad impression?

    Also,I disagree with Papa about the sound of a black person's voice. There are a several black news anchors and sports reporters in our area that have a totally neutral voice. I'm sure they have trained their voice to be that way but they have achieved it regardless. Having an accent is ok as long as it's used to speak properly.
     

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