is the word 'cracker' racist?

[AGGAMEMNON66]

I spose it is, but it's just a word.

 

[Halge]

It's not.

Cracker, by definition, predominantly refers to poor, rural whites, although some people use it more broadly. The n-word refers to all black people without mitigation.

They are not the same because they are different in their scope of application. One applies to an entire group, the other only applies to a subset.

Look, I'm not from your neck of the woods, so I don't know how the word "cracker" is normally used by the general public (or how the n-word is used, for that matter).

But I very much doubt people only use it when referring to poor, rural whites specifically. It is used as a pejorative against any white person, regardless of class, place of birth or modes of behaviour.
Very much like the n-word does not have any restrictions beyond the racial.

Terms like "white trash" on the other hand, is commonly used about certain types of whites. Like "Uncle Tom" is commonly used about certain types of blacks.
These terms are not racist, whereas "cracker" or "n****r" are.

Arguing over whether "cracker" is worse than the n-word is like measuring degrees in hell. They're the same.

Except, of course, that there is nothing inherently disparaging about the n-word. But that debate is getting a bit old by now...

 

[Devout Pessimist]

It's not racist against white people in my opinion, they were the ones with the whip.

That is right, because historically speaking, White People are the only group of people who have ever owned slaves at any point in the history of the world. In fact, there was no such thing as slavery until Black people were brought to America. (/sarcasm)

Believe it or not there were Black Men who owned Slaves in the early days of America. Some Black Men even owned White Slaves.

"R. Halliburton shows that free black people have owned slaves "in each of the thirteen original states and later in every state that countenanced slavery," at least since Anthony Johnson and his wife Mary went to court in Virginia in 1654 to obtain the services of their indentured servant, a black man, John Castor, for life.

And for a time, free black people could even "own" the services of white indentured servants in Virginia as well. Free blacks owned slaves in Boston by 1724 and in Connecticut by 1783; by 1790, 48 black people in Maryland owned 143 slaves. One particularly notorious black Maryland farmer named Nat Butler "regularly purchased and sold Negroes for the Southern trade," Halliburton wrote."

http://www.theroot.com/articles/history/2013/03/black_slave_owners_did_they_exist.html

Seems to me Whites weren't the only ones holding the whip in America. The biggest problem is most people are learning history from Hollywood movies.

#ReadaHistoryBook

 

[__Big_D__]

Yes it is.

Reminds me of that time Kramer(Michael Richards) was at the Laugh Factory and called some drunk disrespectful hecklers the "n word" so they turned around and called him a cracker. Funny thing is, watching a follow up interview a few days later, they tried to claim he was a racist and they weren't because "cracker" isn't as bad as the n-word.... uhhh... dafuq?

 

[Devout Pessimist]

Yes it is.

Reminds me of that time Kramer(Michael Richards) was at the Laugh Factory and called some drunk disrespectful hecklers the "n word" so they turned around and called him a cracker. Funny thing is, watching a follow up interview a few days later, they tried to claim he was a racist and they weren't because "cracker" isn't as bad as the n-word.... uhhh... dafuq?

The group also failed to mention how obnoxious they were acting in the first place. They made it sound like Michael Richards just pointed them out for no other reason than being black, when they were being extremely loud and acting like idiots while Richards was trying to perform his act.

Its an understatement to say that Richards could have handled it better, but to act like children and pretend as though they didn't do anything to incite Richards temper is ridiculous.

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

They also failed to mention how obnoxious they were acting in the first place. They made it sound like Michael Richards just pointed them out for no reason, when they were being loud and acting like idiots while Richards was trying to perform his act.

Richards could have handled it better, but to act like children and pretend as though they didn't do anything to incite Richards temper is ridiculous.

Kramers biggest mistake was apologizing for doing it. He should have owned it and told everyone to go fuck themselves. Same goes for Imus (sp)

 

[__Big_D__]

The group also failed to mention how obnoxious they were acting in the first place. They made it sound like Michael Richards just pointed them out for no reason, when they were being loud and acting like idiots while Richards was trying to perform his act.

Its an understatement to say that Richards could have handled it better, but to act like children and pretend as though they didn't do anything to incite Richards temper is ridiculous.

True, he overreacted, I suppose.. but those audience members deserved to be berated. And to watch the media afterwards pander to them like they were victims Ugh

 

[RR]

What about "Snowflake", "White bread" and ghost"? Lets get them all in the mix. Leave no stone unturned

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

What about "Snowflake", "White bread" and ghost"? Lets get them all in the mix. Leave no stone unturned

Don't forget 'vanilla face' bro

 

[36thDisciple]

Buttermilk biscuit

 

[IDL]

Don't forget 'vanilla face' bro

Round eyed pale faced white devil cracker!

 

[LucasWithLidOff]

Peckerwood.

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

Round eyed pale faced white devil cracker!

That's the spirit

 

[Devout Pessimist]

Kramers biggest mistake was apologizing for doing it. He should have owned it and told everyone to go fuck themselves. Same goes for Imus (sp)

That would have been hilarious.

I also said that about Tiger Woods. He should have just took on the bad-ass role and responded to reporters with statements like, "I loved banging those countless beautiful broads, you're just jealous because you can't get any and your wife looks like a bloated walrus."

People need to stop apologizing to these crybabies and either ignore them or start telling them to piss off.

 

[LucasWithLidOff]

People need to stop apologizing to these crybabies and either ignore them or start telling them to piss off.

Completely agree.

 

[Devout Pessimist]

True, he overreacted, I suppose.. but those audience members deserved to be berated. And to watch the media afterwards pander to them like they were victims Ugh

Its how things are these days. You can poke a dog with a stick, and people will be angry at the dog when it bites you.

 

[RR]

Don't forget 'vanilla face' bro

Good call. We are coming full circle here

 

[panamaican]

Look, I'm not from your neck of the woods, so I don't know how the word "cracker" is normally used by the general public (or how the n-word is used, for that matter).

But I very much doubt people only use it when referring to poor, rural whites specifically. It is used as a pejorative against any white person, regardless of class, place of birth or modes of behaviour.
Very much like the n-word does not have any restrictions beyond the racial.

Terms like "white trash" on the other hand, is commonly used about certain types of whites. Like "Uncle Tom" is commonly used about certain types of blacks.
These terms are not racist, whereas "cracker" or "n****r" are.

Arguing over whether "cracker" is worse than the n-word is like measuring degrees in hell. They're the same.

Except, of course, that there is nothing inherently disparaging about the n-word. But that debate is getting a bit old by now...

Respectfully, I disagree and I somewhat agree.

People may use cracker more broadly but the term itself has a somewhat narrow definition. You could almost say that if you use for all white people, you're using it wrong. Whereas the n-word has always had a broad definition.

I agree when it comes to terms like white trash or Uncle Tom that those are narrow terms but cracker is a narrower term than the n-word (although not as narrow as white trash). Even when used broader than just rural, poor whites it also has a regional component, in that it's mostly applied to Southern whites. Some people may use it more loosely (than poor, rural whites who live in the South) but they're off.

A similarly narrow word that's often used incorrectly is "city slicker". It applies to city people who aren't comfortable with rural living. But it's sometimes used to describe the fast-talking sly, city stereotype regardless of affinity for common sense or country living. But the term itself, while always intended disrespectfully, wasn't limited to just "slick" urbanites but all urbanites who lacked what rural Americans considered essential skills/knowledge but still considered themselves superior.

Cracker falls in that vein. It's a narrower term but some people use it beyond it's intended range. So, sometimes it's a racist term and sometimes it's not. Depends on the speaker and whether or not they're using it correctly.

 

[IDL]

That would have been hilarious.

I also said that about Tiger Woods. He should have just took on the bad-ass role and responded to reporters with statements like, "I loved banging those countless beautiful broads, you're just jealous because you can't get any and your wife looks like a bloated walrus."

People need to stop apologizing to these crybabies and either ignore them or start telling them to piss off.

Tiger appealed to a wide audience including family people. I think he was trying to keep his demographic the best he could.

Pretty sure he had a damage control team working with him.

 

[Devout Pessimist]

Tiger appealed to family people not bar stars. I think he was trying to keep his demographic the best he could.

What did he have to lose? He lost the crybaby, overly-judgmental family demographic the second it was revealed he had an affair.

Tiger would have brought a new and exciting demographic to golf. It would have been like the movie Happy Gilmore where hippies pro-create on the 9th hole, wild women reveal their breasts to get on TV, and fist fights break out during match play.

:icon_lol: