African American
Related: About this forum"Are you suuuuuuure that was pizza you had for lunch?"
Last edited Tue May 10, 2016, 03:36 PM - Edit history (1)
The line is not that funny taken out of context, but W. Kamau Bell, in his recent (still showing) special on Showtime, SXSW Comedy with W. Kamau Bell makes that line a hoot! If you have Showtime, or On Demand, record and WATCH his performance. It is very funny! Though I won't do it justice, let me set the scene for the subject line joke...
Bell is discussing racism. He says conservatives are pretty easy to identify (and can be easily dismissed by dropping them from Facebook), but it is the left and progressives which often are more problematic. He says there is a group, not all of them, who seem to always question racism or acts of racism. He personifies it by walking up to a mark, throws out his hip, with his hand on it, and in an affected "white accent" says, "Now, Kamau, are suuuuuuure that's racist?" He explains how absurd it is and exemplifies by doing the same actions, same accent, and the "person", upon being told about the other person's lunch plans, says:
"Are you suuuure you had pizza for lunch? How do you know it was pizza? Is it pizza because you think it is pizza but others may not? (and he goes on)."
Trust me, it is much funnier when you hear him saying it, understanding the reason why he is saying it. He even takes the pizza analogy and explains why it was pizza by giving a history lesson, the metaphor of pizza obviously being racism against African-Americans.
I looked at my husband and said, "I see that often (whitepslainin') when stories about racism crop up, but just as common and more defended is "Goy/Gentilesplainin'" (which is telling Jews what is and isn't anti-Semitism)." The compulsion some members of the majority have in telling a minority population what discrimination is or isn't to them is disturbing, but predictable because it is the majority trying to control the narrative and alleviate themselves and others of accusations of bigotry, often because the accusations are dead-on correct. This is especially true, and more common, among those of us on the left.
Seriously though, if you can, watch the show. It is hysterically funny. And if you haven't started watching his show on CNN, "The United Shades of America" (my earlier post)...set your DVRs NOW. Don't reply! Go do it now! It is worth it. (First episode was the Klan; second was Prisoners; third was Latinos, and coming up Sunday is about the Camden County (NJ) police. United Shades of America, Sundays at 9pm CST.)
JustAnotherGen
(32,066 posts)I'm intrigued!
Behind the Aegis
(54,074 posts)I thought it was hilarious. There is also a bit about his wife preparing for their first daughter (his wife is white) and the concerns she had about doing her daughter's hair. She found a website. As Bell says, once you hear the name you will never forget it! LOL!
ETA: Also check out the CNN link to see clips from his CNN show.
psychmommy
(1,739 posts)camden city no longer has its own police force. Union busting at its best.
Behind the Aegis
(54,074 posts)I looked at my DVR and it just said "Camden, NJ". I didn't realize the city had been stripped of it's police force. I'll update.
JustAnotherGen
(32,066 posts)With United Shades of America.
He's right - nothing says "New KKK" like hanging out with a black man.
ismnotwasm
(42,030 posts)A well-known Black women in my area, an activist and an advocate received a donation of clothing. In the clothing was a full KKK dress and hooded mask. It made the local news--she ended up burned the dress. They found the guy who left it, who said his Mom had cleaned out a house and sent him to donate some clothes.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/black-owner-to-sell-redmond-shop-burn-kkk-robe-left-there/
Anyway, these were the type of responses I ended up arguing with "how did the donor know it was a black woman"? Or my favorite; "maybe the donor was just dropping off an old by and didn't know what was in it"-- which may have been so, as the story unfolded.
What was horrifying was the implications that the woman "over-reacted", or worse was lying, or somehow trying to get attention. She has been so traumatized by the whole thing she is closing her cosignment shop. The person who donated, a white man, was certainly questioned by the police, but didn't receive the same level of slimy, oily racist distrust the victim did.