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| I took a picture of this at the main library in Downtown Belfast, Northern Ireland. They have their share of problems concerning Racism, especially during the troubles. |
A. Race and Ethnicity
B. Bilingual Education
C. Spanglish
D. Spanish in America
E. Accents
F. Stereotypes
One of the central themes that came up again and again is that there is nothing that is black and white. That includes the law, which should be clear. Race is not an easy question to answer. What am I? What's my ethnicity? What is ethnicity? I am Mexican. What is Mexican? Am I Mestizo, Mezclada, Spanish, Aztec, another indigenous group? What language do you speak? Nahuatl, English, Spanish, Spanglish, a non standard variety of all of the above? Even the concept of gender is not as simple as male or female. Everything that we have read has caused me to think of things in a different way. At the same time, I am studying Latin American Literature. One important theme that runs through Modern Latin American Literature is the influence of western mass media. So I took Race and Ethnicity, Spanglish, Spanish in America, Accents and Stereotypes and combined it with Mass Western Media and came up with a topic of Racism in Comedy on American television.
Many people of high school and college age watch and enjoy these "adult"cartoons. If one looks for racism in these cartoons, it can be easily found. Or because this is comedy or a joke, does that make it alright?
Here is Consuelo the Mexican maid from Family Guy. The problem here is that Mock Spanish or Junk Spanish is used as she hears the ad on television. It makes the language seem simple or elementary by using only 2 words; accidente (accident) y abogados (lawyers) and the phone number (555-5555 cinco said 7 times) The subject itself is explicitly racist. It pokes at the stereotype that a Hispanic person always needs a lawyer suggesting criminal activity. Also, that this criminal activity is commonplace.
This presents the question I am trying to answer. The horse is made fun of because he has a long face. It is an inherent value. The men claim that it's OK because its a joke. It says in a very subtle way that racism is OK if flown under the banner of comedy. The horse comes back with a racist African American joke and the man is offended claiming that this situation is different. Does this kind of humor promote a lax attitude toward racism, or is it just a joke? Does this kind of humor shape our views, or are these just the expression of values already in place?
This was seen on a social media sight.This seems typical. Make sure the race you're about to make fun of is not within an ear shot because you're going to say something that you'd be ashamed to let them hear. This one even isolates that racist jokes are African American jokes showing even more how narrow this view is. This is a white space border. It's like saying to the audience, "We all feel this way, and it's OK if we just keep it between ourselves" It is the exclusion of whatever race that is being targeted that creates this border. If it's just a harmless joke, why can't everybody hear it?
Since it's only a joke, here are some about Americans.
Jokes about Americans
What do you call someone who speaks three languages?
"Multilingual".
"Multilingual".
What do you call someone who speaks two languages?
"Bilingual".
"Bilingual".
What do you call someone who speaks one language?
"An American".
"An American".
A Cuban, a Frenchman, an American, and an American lawyer are riding on a train. The Cuban begins praising one his nation's most famous products.
"In Cuba", he says, "we make the world's finest cigars. Just smell this beautiful hand-rolled cigar. Furthermore, we make them in such abundance that we can waste them with impunity". Saying that, he tosses the cigar out the window of the speeding train.
The Frenchman responds, "Oui, that is quite true, and in my country we make the finest cheeses". He displays a hunk of fine cheese to the others and says, "France is famous for its fine cheeses, and we produce so much that we too can waste them without a thought." Saying that, he casts the cheese out the window of the train.
The American gets up and throws the lawyer out the window.
An American was telling one of his favorite jokes to a group of friends. "Hell is a place where the cooks are British, the waiters are French, the policemen are Germans, and the trains are run by Italians."
The lone European in the group pondered all this for a second and responded, "I can't say about the police and the trains, but you're probably right about going out to eat. A restaurant in Hell would be one where the cooks are British and the waiters are French - and the customers are all Americans."
What do you call a county that lacks a modern telecommunications system?
"Technologically backward"
"Technologically backward"
What do you call a county that lacks a fully integrated banking system?
"Economically underdeveloped."
"Economically underdeveloped."
What do you call a country that lacks a well-connected public transportation system?
"America"
"America"
A Canadian couple was strolling through a park in London and sat down on a bench next to an elderly Briton. The Brit noticed their lapel pins sporting the Canadian flag and, to make conversation, said "Judging by your pins, you must be Canadians".
"Indeed we are", replied the Canadian gentleman.
"I hope you won't mind my asking," said the Brit, "but what do the two red bars on your flag represent?"
"Well," replied the Canadian gentlman, "one of the bars stands for the courage and hardiness of our people in settling the cold expanses and broad prairies of our country. The other is for the honesty and integrity for which Canadians are known."
The Brit mulled this over and nodded. Having poor eyesight at his advanced age, and not being familiar with maple leaves, he then asked, "And what's that six-pointed item in the middle of your flag?"
"Oh, that's to remind us of the six words of our national motto," the Canadian lady piped up.
The Brit asked, "And what are those six words?"
The Canadian smiled and replied, "They are 'Don't blame us - we're not Americans.'"
How many American tourists does it take to change a light bulb?
Fifteen. Five to figure out how much the bulb costs in the local currency, four to comment on "how funny-looking" local lightbulbs are, three to hire a local person to change the bulb, two to take pictures, and one to buy postcards in case the pictures don't come out.
Only in America:
(Begun as a fictional list, but the real "Only in Americas" are funnier, or at least stranger)
(Begun as a fictional list, but the real "Only in Americas" are funnier, or at least stranger)
Drive-through banks, pharmacies, and liquor stores.
Parking lots (car parks) larger than the buildings they serve.
Sugar-frosted honey-coated deep-fat-fried cheese sticks - and a Diet Coke.
Bumper stickers that say "Honk if you hate noise pollution".
Creationists who insist that the pharmaceutical drugs they use first be tested on monkeys and chimps.
Football in which the ball is carried or propelled much more by hand than by foot.
People who argue that human life is so sacred that abortion justifies capital punishment.
A country where the "Lower Forty-eight" states are north of Hawaii, and where the "Continental U.S" doesn't include Alaska, which is clearly on the same continent.
A country where everyone has time to mow their three-acre lawn each week, but no one has time to cook their own food.
People who value equality so much that they think discrimination should be used to create it.
Academic institutions known more for their athletes than their scholars.
A country where the Big Ten has eleven schools, and a fifth is four fifths of a quart.
A country where "evil-doer" and "do-gooder" are both negative characterizations.
A country that claims to hate lawyers, and that elects only lawyers to public office.
Prices of gasoline (petrol) prices that are a fraction of the price of drinking water - and people complaining about the price of gasoline.
A State Department that has nothing to do with the states.
"In God We Trust" written on every piece of money of a nation that alleges to separate church and state.
A country where only the well-to-do ride bicycles.
One of the world's most technologically advanced countries, with the most antiquated system of weights and measures.
"The Land of the Free" with the world's second highest incarceration rate.
From; http://hateusa.narod.ru/jokeusa.htm
From; http://hateusa.narod.ru/jokeusa.htm
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