NationStates Jolt Archive

The town manager in some Florida town got into some trouble for calling her assistant Mammy. When the assistant was offended the town manager explained that she "loved aunt Jemimah". WTF? Is Al Jolsen reincarnated as a Florida town manager? How could anyone think "I loved aunt Jemimah" makes her any less racist?

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16092419.htm

It's a take on the Mel Gibson defence.

How could anyone use the words, "I'm not a racist, some of my best friends are *insert ethnicity* BUT"...

...and not think they're going to come across as racist?

It's a take on the Mel Gibson defence.

You mean the SugarTits defence.

Reminds me of someone I saw on London news: I'm not racist, but I've emigrated to Cyprus because London is full of blacks and Asians.

Mammy is a racial slur? Since when?

And ze link, she no work for me.


EDIT:Ze link, she works. Ze brain, she understands.

Mammy is a racial slur? Since when?

And ze link, she no work for me.


EDIT:Ze link, she works. Ze brain, she understands.

The link is fine. Your 'puter is all screwed up.

'As most everyone knows, a `Mammy' (including Aunt Jemima) is a derogatory persona invented by whites to represent the black female servant,'' Colella-Battista wrote. ``The Mammy epitomizes servility with exceptionally natural cheerfulness. For many blacks, this sort of sentiment is as ridiculous and demeaning as any pickaninny
I seriously did not know this. I always thought "Mammy", was a deliberate mispronounciation of "Mommy"...

that is nice to know... even tho I don't use "Mammy" at all...

How could anyone use the words, "I'm not a racist, some of my best friends are *insert ethnicity* BUT"...

...and not think they're going to come across as racist?
Oh, never underestimate the depth and breadth of human stupidity. Besides, you're just being so PC, Neesika, that's so 20th century.

Reminds me of someone I saw on London news: I'm not racist, but I've emigrated to Cyprus because London is full of blacks and Asians.

The key word there is "full." The city was just getting so crowded, it was impossible to live there. Cyprus is much more open and free.

You mean the SugarTits defence.

Is "sugartits" a 'racial slur'?

I seriously did not know this. I always thought "Mammy", was a deliberate mispronounciation of "Mommy"...

that is nice to know... even tho I don't use "Mammy" at all...

its important to take note that MAMMY is not the same as MAMAW (or however the word would be spelled).

mammy is your black slave nanny, mammaw is your grandmother.

Most irish kids call the mother 'mammy'.Don't really see the racisim here.I know an 80 year old woman who's nickname always has been 'Baby'.I suppose its how its used.

But I call my grandmother Mammy, and she's white...

Seriously, though, she's French-speaking and 'Mamy' is a less formal verison of 'grandmother'; more like grandma or nana.

Also here in Ireland 'Mammy' is how children (at least of a certain background) say mother, or mummy.

I hadn't realised that it had another meaning. That puts "Gone With the Wind" in a slightly new perspective for me.

Ah, now I remember. This (http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/) site seems amusingly appropriate to post now. Not totally the same as the article, but along the same vein. Well, apart from the whole being satire. I hope.

Is "sugartits" a 'racial slur'?

No, those are the nice things Mel Gibson said to the officer that negated all the bad, racist things he said. What woman doesn't like to be referred to as sugartits?

No, those are the nice things Mel Gibson said to the officer that negated all the bad, racist things he said. What woman doesn't like to be referred to as sugartits?

Diabetic women?

Diabetic women?

And breast cancer survivors, yes. But they are clearly the exception and not the rule.

No, those are the nice things Mel Gibson said to the officer that negated all the bad, racist things he said. What woman doesn't like to be referred to as sugartits?
Hell if I wanna piss off my girlfriend I just have to call her 'woman'.You know as in ~ Woman, stop bothering me~ try never to do it as I am not fast enough to get out of her way before getting clattered.;)

its important to take note that MAMMY is not the same as MAMAW (or however the word would be spelled).

mammy is your black slave nanny, mammaw is your grandmother.I use Oba-san myself...

actually, I use Onesan... it makes the grandmothers laugh and the young women happier.

Most irish kids call the mother 'mammy'.Don't really see the racisim here.I know an 80 year old woman who's nickname always has been 'Baby'.I suppose its how its used.

But I call my grandmother Mammy, and she's white...

Seriously, though, she's French-speaking and 'Mamy' is a less formal verison of 'grandmother'; more like grandma or nana.

Also here in Ireland 'Mammy' is how children (at least of a certain background) say mother, or mummy.

I hadn't realised that it had another meaning. That puts "Gone With the Wind" in a slightly new perspective for me.


yes it IS necessary to be in the united states and be talking to an african american before it can possibly be considered racist. the town manager wasnt using it as an insult she was just implying that her assistant was more like a house slave than an employee.

I use Oba-san myself...

actually, I use Onesan... it makes the grandmothers laugh and the young women happier.

I suppose you need to be careful, or you'll be using "Onan-san" and sleeping on the couch. :D

I suppose you need to be careful, or you'll be using "Onan-san" and sleeping on the couch. :D

... I already sleep on the couch...

I really, Really need a girlfriend. :(

Hell if I wanna piss off my girlfriend I just have to call her 'woman'.You know as in ~ Woman, stop bothering me~ try never to do it as I am not fast enough to get out of her way before getting clattered.;)

Why restrict it to your girlfriend? Referring to them as "Woman" is a great way to get a girl annoyed.

Why restrict it to your girlfriend? Referring to them as "Woman" is a great way to get a girl annoyed.

Pfft. Try "person".

Why restrict it to your girlfriend? Referring to them as "Woman" is a great way to get a girl annoyed.
Its really more of an in joke between us in that I get away with calling her 'girlie'~ nickname~ but the minute she hears 'woman' she looses it and of course I know she will, and she knows I know she will, so it gets used to diffuse a situation.We've faced a lot of shit together and we both know how far we can push each other for fun.

Ah, now I remember. This (http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/) site seems amusingly appropriate to post now. Not totally the same as the article, but along the same vein. Well, apart from the whole being satire. I hope.

ROFLCOPTER!!!

PS: 400th post!

No, those are the nice things Mel Gibson said to the officer that negated all the bad, racist things he said. What woman doesn't like to be referred to as sugartits?

Doesn't it sound like a cereal? Sugartits... part of a complete breakfast.


Whoa... I'm not the first to think of this:

http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/gallery/v/archives+--+all+the+old+stuff+is+here/SugarTits+Songs+_and+boxes_/sugartits_box.jpg.html

I use Oba-san myself...

actually, I use Onesan... it makes the grandmothers laugh and the young women happier.

So... I can call you Baba and not get clobbered? :D

Why restrict it to your girlfriend? Referring to them as "Woman" is a great way to get a girl annoyed.
Mother's included. I learned from experience. Ouch. That's a painful memory. :(

Forgive my ignorance, but what does Mammy mean? I just looks like a weird way to say 'ma'am' to me.

Derogatory term for a female black servant.

Danke. Went back and saw it was already answered. ^^;

Ah, now I remember. This (http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/) site seems amusingly appropriate to post now. Not totally the same as the article, but along the same vein. Well, apart from the whole being satire. I hope.

ROFL!

No, those are the nice things Mel Gibson said to the officer that negated all the bad, racist things he said. What woman doesn't like to be referred to as sugartits?

Obviously, much like being asked the much beloved "Missus - do ye like chicken....(pause for effect)....You'll love this (gesture to groin) its foul" by drunken eejits on a Friday/Saturday night.

I was just curious if it race specific in some strange way, me being not American etc.

No, those are the nice things Mel Gibson said to the officer that negated all the bad, racist things he said. What woman doesn't like to be referred to as sugartits?

A lesbian?

So... I can call you Baba and not get clobbered? :D

*Shuffles after Kryozerkia with walker while waving cane*
Why you... :p

Whats wrong with Aunt Jemimah? I love Aunt Jemimah syrup when I can't get Maple.

Doesn't it sound like a cereal? Sugartits... part of a complete breakfast.


Whoa... I'm not the first to think of this:

http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/gallery/v/archives+--+all+the+old+stuff+is+here/SugarTits+Songs+_and+boxes_/sugartits_box.jpg.html
*tries to imagine the mascot*

Why restrict it to your girlfriend? Referring to them as "Woman" is a great way to get a girl annoyed.

I have to admit to calling all my female friends, and my sister, woman. And I'm a girl. It doesn't piss me off if it's done in a joking manner by a friend, but if some guy I didn't know said it, or said it while beating me, I might not be so amused.

*tries to imagine the mascot*

*imagines with you*


Sigh.

I have to admit to calling all my female friends, and my sister, woman. And I'm a girl. It doesn't piss me off if it's done in a joking manner by a friend, but if some guy I didn't know said it, or said it while beating me, I might not be so amused.

We can say it among ourselves. And I don't really care what the person beating me is saying, unless I can get the upper hand and make him say, "Ow! Hey, quit it! Ow, look, I'm bleeding now, help, help!"

I have to admit to calling all my female friends, and my sister, woman. And I'm a girl. It doesn't piss me off if it's done in a joking manner by a friend, but if some guy I didn't know said it, or said it while beating me, I might not be so amused.

Yeah, I only do it girls I know. Most respond by calling me boy. :)

Most irish kids call the mother 'mammy'.Don't really see the racisim here.I know an 80 year old woman who's nickname always has been 'Baby'.I suppose its how its used.

Well, in America, it's a very complex word. As was stated earlier, it was used to describe black slave nannies, and continued to be used as a pejorative term by whites, just as this store manager used it.

Well Aunt Jemima does make the best syrup I must say.

Well Aunt Jemima does make the best syrup I must say.

Have you ever tasted real natural maple syrup? Makes Aunt Jemimah look like a two dollar crack whore.

Aunt Jemima's ingredients

INGREDIENTS: CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, CELLULOSE GUM, CARAMEL COLOR, SALT, SODIUM BENZOATE AND SORBIC ACID (PRESERVATIVES), ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLAVORS, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE.

Have you ever tasted real natural maple syrup? Makes Aunt Jemimah look like a two dollar crack whore.

Aunt Jemima's ingredients

Do you have her number? For a friend...

Have you ever tasted real natural maple syrup? Makes Aunt Jemimah look like a two dollar crack whore.

Aunt Jemima's ingredients

The real syrup and Aunt Jemimah's awesome cheap syrup taste the same to me.

Liking a particular member of a particular race is mutually exclusive with being racist against the aforementioned group, as least in a pejorative manner. If you like Mr. T, Eddie Murphy, or Aunt Jemimah, you cannot be prejudiced against blacks, as that necessarily implies that you bear a grudge against all individuals in that particular set.

Ah, now I remember. This (http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/) site seems amusingly appropriate to post now. Not totally the same as the article, but along the same vein. Well, apart from the whole being satire. I hope.
Ah that was a great NS thread.

Ah, now I remember. This (http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/) site seems amusingly appropriate to post now. Not totally the same as the article, but along the same vein. Well, apart from the whole being satire. I hope.That site is satire at its best. :p -After saying a multisyllabic word such as "understand," Johnny will often follow it with a translation for my benefit like "Dig?" I am glad that he makes his big words accessible to me.

-Johnny always alters his given name and refers to himself in the third person -- for example, "J-Dog don't play that" or "J-Dog wants to know wusssaappp." It comforts me to know that my parlance has such broad appeal.

-Sally has a habit of showing me her running tally of the number of black people she greets everyday. I feel unique and special to be part of her statistical list.Sally is so thoughtful. She always tries to set me up with every black man she knows. Since we're both black that means my date and I will have so much in common.

Liking a particular member of a particular race is mutually exclusive with being racist against the aforementioned group, as least in a pejorative manner. If you like Mr. T, Eddie Murphy, or Aunt Jemimah, you cannot be prejudiced against blacks, as that necessarily implies that you bear a grudge against all individuals in that particular set.

Aunt Jemima doesn't even exist.

Aunt Jemima doesn't even exist.

Is she an imaginary friend or a departed relative?

Is she an imaginary friend or a departed relative?No, she's God, and therefore...

Is she an imaginary friend or a departed relative?

She's the mascot for a brand of syrup.

She's the mascot for a brand of syrup.

So the individual in question respects what a fictional black woman represents; therefore, he is not racist.

So the individual in question respects what a fictional black woman represents; therefore, he is not racist.

What bizarro definition of racism are you using?

So the individual in question respects what a fictional black woman represents; therefore, he is not racist.

Not quite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aunt_Jemima

Servile, slave, a female Uncle Tom -- these connotations are definitely not what someone wants to be associated with.

Not quite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aunt_Jemima

Servile, slave, a female Uncle Tom -- these connotations are definitely not what someone wants to be associated with.

I was considering bringing that up by just switching out Aunt Jemima for something a bit more obvious, but then decided that he probably wouldn't know about Little Black Sambo.

I was considering bringing that up by just switching out Aunt Jemima for something a bit more obvious, but then decided that he probably wouldn't know about Little Black Sambo.

Used to be a restaurant chain called Sambo's in the south; they had murals from the story on the wall. Then they switched their name to Sam's.... then they went out of business.

Oops, not quite....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambo's
http://www.sambosrestaurant.com/

lol. Thats like saying "I don't hate jews, I have a Matisyahu CD"