Let Me Entertain You...

[Tequila Zaire]

Contrary to what the Civil Rights Movement taught us people pretty much ignored it as time went on. It didn't continue and the struggle faded away as soon as it was no longer fashionable. Thankfully the dedicated and directly effected rose up from the streets and into the court rooms...that's where you win civil rights.

Now unless you are part of an ethnic minority it's hard to see the big deal of it all. Black men aren't lynched in public anymore, slavery is gone, and minorities get an equal break and speak good english in the modern western world.

Total fucking bullshit. It's all gone underground is why. Minority males are still mysteriously killed by the powers that be only now it's called "resisting arrest." Higher Education had to be fought over and still largely depends on scholorships and underfunded community colleges. Slavery is in full bloom if you're from a spanish speaking or asian country...visit the back room of ANY L.A. Resteraunt and talk to the workers candidly for example. Look at the fruit feilds of agricultural CA. Each nation not jsut the U.S. has this problems...from White Washed Canada to the great bastion of Human Rights known as France (just ignore what they did in Algeria and recent laws agaisnt religious attire).

It's sucks not to be white at times. Personally I'm pale as hell but look Mid-Eastern to most in my neck of the woods...needless to say that's a liability when I head to LAX. When I tell them I'm mexican I get "you don't have an accent!" then a smile like I managed to do something great and noble. Fucks sake I grew up in the states how was I suppose to have an accent? NO spanish speaking person I know born in the states has an accent unless you WANT to have one or it's part of local dialect. New Yorkers have an accent for example. Gang Land barrio boys have an accent...and for the record those fucks are not even considered anything BUT American in other spanish speaking nations. You take a stereotypical east L.A. mexican gangbanger and plop him in Mexico he is not considered mexican...hell most of them don't even speak proper spanish...just spanglish.

It's not all white america's fault. I'm not a fan of the "Blame is on the white man" mentality. In most nations unless you can entertain the mainstream in popular culture you're not going to be accepted and many doors of opportunity will be closed to you. Few talked about Gays untill TV made them funny...same with African American's and Asians. It sucks...but it's the truth. A minority can do great things for their nation and rise into the high above where they started...but unless the contribution to Pop Culture has been equal to all that...you're fucked. That's the problem Asian and Spanish Speaking communities have at the moment...we're not all that well represented on TV in case you haven't noticed. We're few and far between with roles as either stereotypes or charicatures. While it's not as bad as "blackface" sketches of the past...it's damn close at times. Be it the image of the smart asian tech junkie who liked japanese imports of the heavy accented spanish speaking gang banger with shaved head and thick mustache.

Is it natural for those in racial majorities to be more comfortable with minorities if they are entertaining first? For those in these majorities what made minorities acceptable in your eyes? What did you do if anything to get the REAL image of reality of a minority? Was it Pop culture related or soemthing else?

The reason I ask all this is one I'm tackling it in a new project but mainly I'm curious how modern white america and other dominant white majorities see minorities now nearly 50 years after a major civil rights movement...cause for all the change it brought much is still the same. Segregation is alive and thriving as many have confused racial pride with total identity and refuse to really mix together with other races unless they have to for social and workplace reasons. Seems kinda sad really.

Racism may no longer be as black and white as it was before but isn't it jsut as bad to go through life thinking minorities are exactly how they are pictured and sold in pop culture?

[Morning Glory]

it is, and that's the real problem. I brought this same issue up in the gay marriage thread, there is definatly a connection between pop-culture and social attitudes. but that's just the begginging, you have to exame why this is, for one it's all about our culture that is obsessed with the media, in older days it was a luxury that people could hear the news and some entertainment on the radio and television, now with cell phones jacked into the interent and mass media at your disposal on the go, it's impossible to even image daily life that's not fundementally integrated with the mass media... and it's really a shame, because god knows that it's far from impartial, fair and blanced, and in same casues out right lies. more and more generations are becoming raised on televsion by absent parents, it's no wonder they beleive what they see on tv. and the bottom line issue is profit margins. when the majority of consumers are white middle class americans, them companies know it, and it doesn't create an outpuring of intrest in the public view of poor minorities.

[One Eyed Cat]

[QUOTE=Tequila Zaire]Total fucking bullshit. It's all gone underground is why. Minority males are still mysteriously killed by the powers that be only now it's called "resisting arrest." Higher Education had to be fought over and still largely depends on scholorships and underfunded community colleges. Slavery is in full bloom if you're from a spanish speaking or asian country...visit the back room of ANY L.A. Resteraunt and talk to the workers candidly for example. Look at the fruit feilds of agricultural CA. Each nation not jsut the U.S. has this problems...from White Washed Canada to the great bastion of Human Rights known as France (just ignore what they did in Algeria and recent laws agaisnt religious attire).

I know a bit about racial profiling. It is basically bullshit.

It's sucks not to be white at times. Personally I'm pale as hell but look Mid-Eastern to most in my neck of the woods...needless to say that's a liability when I head to LAX. When I tell them I'm mexican I get "you don't have an accent!" then a smile like I managed to do something great and noble. Fucks sake I grew up in the states how was I suppose to have an accent? NO spanish speaking person I know born in the states has an accent unless you WANT to have one or it's part of local dialect. New Yorkers have an accent for example. Gang Land barrio boys have an accent...and for the record those fucks are not even considered anything BUT American in other spanish speaking nations. You take a stereotypical east L.A. mexican gangbanger and plop him in Mexico he is not considered mexican...hell most of them don't even speak proper spanish...just spanglish.

They're poncing u to make sure you are not arab.

It's not all white america's fault. I'm not a fan of the "Blame is on the white man" mentality. In most nations unless you can entertain the mainstream in popular culture you're not going to be accepted and many doors of opportunity will be closed to you. Few talked about Gays untill TV made them funny...same with African American's and Asians. It sucks...but it's the truth. A minority can do great things for their nation and rise into the high above where they started...but unless the contribution to Pop Culture has been equal to all that...you're fucked. That's the problem Asian and Spanish Speaking communities have at the moment...we're not all that well represented on TV in case you haven't noticed. We're few and far between with roles as either stereotypes or charicatures. While it's not as bad as "blackface" sketches of the past...it's damn close at times. Be it the image of the smart asian tech junkie who liked japanese imports of the heavy accented spanish speaking gang banger with shaved head and thick mustache.

Every ethnic group gets it. At one time, being non-anglo or germanic was the same way.

Is it natural for those in racial majorities to be more comfortable with minorities if they are entertaining first? For those in these majorities what made minorities acceptable in your eyes? What did you do if anything to get the REAL image of reality of a minority? Was it Pop culture related or soemthing else?

Absolutely. Many feel threatened by minoritities of any type. The laughter alleviates it in a sense, but at the same time it intensifies the stereotypes. I don't have an "image" of minorities, they are individuals first. Racism is alive and well. I doubt it will ever completely disappear. I sometimes wonder if "soft racism" is worse than segregation.


OEC

[Tequila Zaire]

when the majority of consumers are white middle class americans, them companies know it, and it doesn't create an outpuring of intrest in the public view of poor minorities.

That's the other side of it...the image of all minorities being poor. Poor in these of fair and ethical treatment yes...but their is a huge demand to be proper consumers if the opportunities arose to make more cash that was consistent. Kinda hard to do that when so much exploitation goes on unchallenged on a level that can change it. Some two bit journalist trying to earn a pulitzer is no help in the long term...a dedicated congressman on the other hand is. Hard to fill congress with minorities though...representatives yeah...but representatives are nowhere near as powerful as senators...and that's where the real congressional power is.

Plus the mass media is not entirely to blame...minorities themselves are accountable for allowing their worst to be thought of as their best or normal standard...that's just as bad as having the image of being a bunch of poor people.

[Morning Glory]

well, it goes for poor white's too. but it seems that it's double for a minority. I mean sure there are rich minorites, but they are the biggest minority of all. haha. seriously though, you're right. it's not so much that "a few bad apples have ruined it for everyone" but it's just that such exposure has been pointed that way, that they are seriously under represented, and have trouble turning the image around.

[karyn]

what does poncing mean? i can guess from context but would like to know the actual definition.

[One Eyed Cat]

what does poncing mean? i can guess from context but would like to know the actual definition.

In that context, I believe they were patronizing him frivolously. I use the term poncing as a colloquial term to express that sentiment.


OEC