Uncomfortable topics: Let's talk about race

[Faust]

It's not that hard:

dún-mharú
is pronounced:
dune varoo

[Nephew Twiddleton]

It looks weird as fuck, but the spelling rules are more consistent then they are in English.

Also, how the hell did I manage to become this hung over on so little liquor?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Doesn't necessarily belong here, but this letter from a former slave to his former master is politely, scathingly delightful: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/to-my-old-master.html

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Doesn't necessarily belong here, but this letter from a former slave to his former master is politely, scathingly delightful: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/to-my-old-master.html

Speaking as an avid poison-pen writer, I am humbled by the awesomeness.   

[East Coast Hustle]

That is fucking stellar.

100% PURE O NAGE.

[Juana]

THAT is how you do it. Beautiful!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Doesn't necessarily belong here, but this letter from a former slave to his former master is politely, scathingly delightful: http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/to-my-old-master.html

Speaking as an avid poison-pen writer, I am humbled by the awesomeness.   

It's truly a work of art. I could feel the burning from 147 years away.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Another form of racism:  White people instinctively feel that Black people are cooler than they are.  There may be something to this, speaking objectively, because when you put the screws to people, when you CLAMP DOWN on them, weirdness - which is almost always cool in some way or another - oozes out the sides.

That's how we got R&B, Blues, Rock N Roll, dance (Soul Train could never have been masterminded by a straight White male.  It was too fucking FABULOUS.), nerdcore, really good comedy, Liberace, Hank Sr, Gloria Gaynor, and Johnny Cash.

Sometimes, the people in question just snap in half, which is never a pretty sight.  But when they don't, you get amazing things.  Since most of the obvious squeezing in this country is exerted on minorities, particularly Black people, the perception - right or wrong - is that they're cooler.

[East Coast Hustle]

I don't think it's necessarily that black people are automatically cool, more that white people are usually terribly lame.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Another form of racism:  White people instinctively feel that Black people are cooler than they are.  There may be something to this, speaking objectively, because when you put the screws to people, when you CLAMP DOWN on them, weirdness - which is almost always cool in some way or another - oozes out the sides.

That's how we got R&B, Blues, Rock N Roll, dance (Soul Train could never have been masterminded by a straight White male.  It was too fucking FABULOUS.), nerdcore, really good comedy, Liberace, Hank Sr, Gloria Gaynor, and Johnny Cash.

Sometimes, the people in question just snap in half, which is never a pretty sight.  But when they don't, you get amazing things.  Since most of the obvious squeezing in this country is exerted on minorities, particularly Black people, the perception - right or wrong - is that they're cooler.

I think this is a very valid observation, and also applicable for gays and other similarly marginalized groups... as you noted.

[East Coast Hustle]

I'm going to posit that the myth of the BBC falls under that category as well.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Another form of racism:  White people instinctively feel that Black people are cooler than they are.  There may be something to this, speaking objectively, because when you put the screws to people, when you CLAMP DOWN on them, weirdness - which is almost always cool in some way or another - oozes out the sides.

That's how we got R&B, Blues, Rock N Roll, dance (Soul Train could never have been masterminded by a straight White male.  It was too fucking FABULOUS.), nerdcore, really good comedy, Liberace, Hank Sr, Gloria Gaynor, and Johnny Cash.

Sometimes, the people in question just snap in half, which is never a pretty sight.  But when they don't, you get amazing things.  Since most of the obvious squeezing in this country is exerted on minorities, particularly Black people, the perception - right or wrong - is that they're cooler.

I think this is a very valid observation, and also applicable for gays and other similarly marginalized groups... as you noted.

I was going to make this a full out rant, but it occurred to me the other night that the "clamping down" part of the process involves a hell of a lot of personal misery on the part of the group in question, and that all of this misery is personal and very, very real to the people it happens to.

And suddenly I didn't feel like a sociological genius, anymore.

[Elder Iptuous]

I'm going to posit that the myth of the BBC falls under that category as well.

so, it's my understanding that this is, in fact, a myth. (based on research studies that i've heard about)
that gets me wondering why it is born out in porn, then.  i mean there's some porn with white guys that have massive cocks, but not a ton. (big, to be sure, but not massive)  there is, however, a bunch of BBC porn.
is this because the market doesn't want to see white guys that are extremely endowed?  does it make white porn watchers feel lesser if it's another white guy so well hung, but if it's a black guy they can shrug it off because, "well, he's one of them"?
that's all i could figure.

[Vanadium Gryllz]

I'm going to posit that the myth of the BBC falls under that category as well.

so, it's my understanding that this is, in fact, a myth. (based on research studies that i've heard about)
that gets me wondering why it is born out in porn, then.  i mean there's some porn with white guys that have massive cocks, but not a ton. (big, to be sure, but not massive)  there is, however, a bunch of BBC porn.
is this because the market doesn't want to see white guys that are extremely endowed?  does it make white porn watchers feel lesser if it's another white guy so well hung, but if it's a black guy they can shrug it off because, "well, he's one of them"?
that's all i could figure.

Holy shit, right up until I read your reply I was trying to think up myths involving the British Broadcasting Corporation. It was confusing.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Another form of racism:  White people instinctively feel that Black people are cooler than they are.  There may be something to this, speaking objectively, because when you put the screws to people, when you CLAMP DOWN on them, weirdness - which is almost always cool in some way or another - oozes out the sides.

That's how we got R&B, Blues, Rock N Roll, dance (Soul Train could never have been masterminded by a straight White male.  It was too fucking FABULOUS.), nerdcore, really good comedy, Liberace, Hank Sr, Gloria Gaynor, and Johnny Cash.

Sometimes, the people in question just snap in half, which is never a pretty sight.  But when they don't, you get amazing things.  Since most of the obvious squeezing in this country is exerted on minorities, particularly Black people, the perception - right or wrong - is that they're cooler.

I think this is a very valid observation, and also applicable for gays and other similarly marginalized groups... as you noted.

I was going to make this a full out rant, but it occurred to me the other night that the "clamping down" part of the process involves a hell of a lot of personal misery on the part of the group in question, and that all of this misery is personal and very, very real to the people it happens to.

And suddenly I didn't feel like a sociological genius, anymore.

It's still a valid observation... misery does generate some of the most interesting and compelling art and cultural artifacts.