Hopefully it provides a bit of humor and perspective for women that have uttered these words to women of color. Although the intentions are not malicious, the words usually stay with us forever.
Watch the video and subscribe to Chescaleigh's channel on youtube. Can anyone relate to this? Do videos like this help or hinder race relations? Discuss in the comments!
Can I relate? This was my entire high school experience, and then it was entire undergraduate experience just amplified by 10. It's so dead on accurate I can't help but cackle. Le sigh.
ReplyDelete@caribbelle this is why the video is so popular it resonates with so many of us as our actual experience. i have heard almost all of these from friends who consider themselves progressive and wordly. i relate much to this video than i did to the shit black girls say (i found that one hilarious as well)
ReplyDeletefranchesa outdid herself with this video putting a humerous spin on a topic that isnt funny but sad. i love the vid
Francesca truly outdid herself. This is hilarious. I have to say, I couldn't tolerate anyone who would say any of these stupid things long term, although I have had acquaintances (brief) who have asked the requisite "can I touch it?"
ReplyDeleteI know it's easy to get annoyed with 'stupid' comments but if it's being said (and the person isn't being malicious) then it's only because they don't know--and the only way they will learn is by asking someone who does (YOU!) How else should people learn about an ethnic group or religious group or nationality, etc. unless they aren't afraid to ask and talk about it? But if they are going to laughed at and always afraid of coming across as politically incorrect, it isn't helping anyone. You might be thinking as a white woman, I can't comment on this, but if you replace the demographic groups, I could certainly relate to: "Things Germans say to Americans" or "Things all people say to People Who've Had Arranged Marriages"--(no I was not traded in for a goat).
ReplyDeletePS. It's meant to be a friendly comment--sorry if it doesn't come across that way. (It was pretty funny though).
ReplyDelete@herspective firstly this blog is for everyone, all respectfull comments are welcomed and since this is about race relations and making communication better it would be silly for me to not welcome opinions or comments from "white girls".
ReplyDeleteso thanks for contributing to the discussion :)
this is not really about being annoyed with "stupid" comments, this is about fielding ignorant and incentive questions from so called friends. this is about white associates asking their ONE friend of color to be the voice and translator of black culture. that's just not fair.
this video is a collection of comments that are racially incensitive and sometimes hurtful. reaching your hand out to pet someone as if they are animal is not cool. telling someone that you basically see them as a white person, or not like other blacks because you presume being NOT BLACK is the ultimate compliment is not cool either. i am all for cultural exchanges, i live in germany :) these questions/comment/shit is not coming from the interest of cultural exchange or learning, they stem from priveledge. they stem from being in a position to where you ask these questions cause you never took the time to open up your eyes or use common sense. they stem from priveledge of not needing to know the answers. they stem from the priveldge of being a member of dominate culture and never having to be the token or the representative of your race so you have no idea how frustrating being asked to explain "why white people do so and so". i have no issue answering questions but i hate being treated like some exotic animal that needs to be studied and understood.
my reply is also friendly so please dont think i am being harsh. just trying to explain the root of the issue. this is the dialog that needs to happen, its not about answering the questions its about finding out why people feel entitled to even ask the question.
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ReplyDeleteI thank you for your honest reply and dialogue. I totally agree that asking to touch someone's hair/reaching out to pet them, or making comments such as the ones you mentioned are insensitive and no doubt hurtful at times as well.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you & keep blogging.
@herspective we dont change their perspective, even after answering the questions and combating negative stereotypes simply by being ourselves. no matter how many examples some people in the dominate culture see of the contrary, an intelligent, well spoken, educated traveled woman of color is an EXCEPTION. they accept the stereotypical image of blackness and they refuse to make room for anything else.
ReplyDeleteafter all these black women answering all the questions about "being black" in the world their ignorance persist. its ignoring the full picture and electing to engage on a human level. black women have been having banter with white women (similar to the examples in the video) for years. this is why the video has 1.5 million views in 24 hours. it tells the story of so many of us. and yet in 2011 the conversation hasnt evolved. the questions are still as dumb as they were in in the 1960's. why is that?
i live in berlin, germany. i am of course interested in germans and german culture, I am immersed in it. Could you imagine me saying "Not to sound racist but, are all Germans Nazis?" Maybe 5 minutes after WWII that would be an understandable question but in 2011. no way. There is no excuse for a question like that IMO. The asker would have elected to be blissfully ignorant and accept negative sterotypes of Germans because they want to and because they can.
you might like the idea of being one of the others when you visit another country. but to live with constant question and answer session you whole life from people who are your neighbors and "friends". its tiresome! and its a huge responsibility to put on the one person. "hey nicole do black people like mushroom??" are you serious? i cant spend my time entertaining stuff like this or "checking" people everytime they say something ignorant or ridiculous. so sometimes you have to laugh it off, because you dont want to into the angry black woman.
man i'm rambling. :) you will be okay in korea. you will probably get the best service of your life. in korea, fairer skin people are held in higher regard than not so fair. extra points if you have blonde hair :)
thanks!
whoa you changed your comment, now people are gonna think i went nuts. LOL. i tried to address everything you said in your comment before it was edited.
ReplyDeletecheers
Sorry for deleting the comment on you like that--but after I spent some time thinking about it, I wasn't totally sure I agreed with my own answer--haha... hope you get what I mean.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to write such a thorough/honest response. It's refreshing to hear. I'll be back!
Mit freundlichen Gruessen :)
diana
AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Hilarious, and what makes it more funny is that it is so true. I can't tell you how often I have had my hair felt up.
ReplyDeleteIt is true! My white friend said to me once- you don't act black at all, I think I'm more black than you, hahahaha! I was so pissed off. I mean what the hell does that mean? I've heard it more times than I wish to think- what does acting black mean? Does it mean you can't say intelligent things? We can't even listen to other music besides rap or rnb? And why on earth do people think it's ok to stick their hands into your hair and ask-- is it real? Um yeah, it's been growing out of my head all my life, but maybe I'm not so sure, yes please continue touching it to find out. Ahhh! Sorry that was a rant, lol.
ReplyDeleteI love this video! It's hilarious as heck and totally true! When I lived in the States this happened to me a lot. Now that I live in Norway this happens to me almost on a daily basis. I'm currently wearing my hair in its natural form - curly and somewhat big (not a fro), and I've been called everything from a Rasta to a "furry mutt" followed by that silly question about if they can touch or ruffle my hair. WTF ... so I'm a hound now??? And these are people I've been acquainted with since I moved to Norway some 10 yrs ago! No, you may not bloody touch my hair, and no I'm not a Rasta (lol!!!), my hair looks nothing like a Rasta's nor am I a furry mutt (furry mutt?!?). I've been fielding this damn question so long that they no longer anger me. I just laugh them off and ask in return if that's there real hair colour. Hehehe
ReplyDeleteAnd Nicole, kudos to you. I agree with every point you made above. I don't believe its ignorance. Many of them know better. Some Europeans just like to test how far you will let them to go at exploiting you.
Going to predominantly White schools and having a majority of White friends growing up, these are exactly the kinds of comments I would try to "laugh off" years ago.
ReplyDeleteBut sometimes they really hurt or offended me.
"You're such an Oreo!"
"Why do you put all that stuff in your hair?"
"Does your family live in the ghetto?"
I'm proud that Chescaleigh has the wit to pull off addressing a subject like this with intelligence and humor - all while not letting offenders "off the hook" for racial insensitivity. And I'm glad it's opened up so much dialogue about race relations... We can do so much better as a nation if we just LISTEN and TALK to one another.
Also - Ich liebe Deutschland! Ich wohnte in Frankfurt für ein Jahr in 2005. Dieses Jahr werde ich drei monaten in Stuggart wohnen :)
Why do I keep watching this video? So Funny!!
ReplyDeleteJesuschristonabike I hope such shite never came out out my mouth even during my out of control verbal diarrhoea.
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