Laura Bell Bundy's racist(?) caricature — Page 3

Okay, what I meant by that was she used to have a big wide thick colored lady nose. It would have been perfect.

(In case you didn't get my meaning.)

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And then Alice revived Side Show with Catherine Zeta Jones! Or Catherine Zetas Jone, as her black hairdresser character would probably say it.

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I think Laura is incredibly funny...loving it!

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Don't stop, Namo, it's perfect.

The thing is, white people in our culture are racist. All of us. And any white person with half a brain (like myself) can plug right into the underevolved chunks of our brains and come up with "Catherine Zetas Jone" in our sleep. The question is, SHOULD we? And if we do, should we do it in public? I think not. And that goes for Shirley Q. Liquor, and Tracey Ullman too. Her airport scanner woman always made me very uncomfortable.

I know we want to really believe that only bad people are racist. And that since we know and love Laura Bell we KNOW what she's doing isn't racist because she's so nice and talented and funny. All of those things can be true but it doesn't mean it's not racist.

I think all white people everywhere need to acknowledge our racism and ask ourselves what we can do to work against it. I'm always a little shocked when I hear white people declare themselves to be not racist. I wonder how they lucked out and escaped what we all have in us.

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Right, prejudices and whatnot. But as far as the "ism" is concerned, that's something that can only come from a member of the dominant culture when aimed at members of minority cultures.

And yes, it can come from people with good hearts and "no harm" can be meant by it, but when it's a white person "doing" racial stereotypes, it's racist.

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No, it's not. It may be a prejudice, but people who have historically been marginalized by the dominant culture don't suddenly have the wherewithal to harness the systemic, institutionalized power that has been used to keep them down and turn it back on the culture that oppresses them. That's what racism is.

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Semantics aside, I agree with Namo. The distinction of historical marginalization is very important.

It's interesting to be someone who follows scientific development through the ages, and realize that 'race' hasn't been a viable distinction in that realm for some time. Culturally, however, it is still dominant, and MUST be dealt with - and our current US president and the fallout has made that crystal clear.

Actually, I pulled it from the actual dictionary.

Sorry, but people being offensive to other people based on their race is people being offensive regardless of their race and to which race it is directed. To believe otherwise, in my opinion, is racism. Equality, which I imagine is what everyone wants here, is a two way street.

Didn't we cover all of this in 2003?

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So the Tatianna and Justice Goode characters are less offensive because of their skin tone?

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Updated On: 7/17/10 at 01:34 AM

Which brings up classism - its own kettle of fish.

But maybe one of some importance, given our current world situation.

How is this supposed to be viewed? Why is it funny to you?

I can't help but feel it boils down to 'we' are better than 'them' - whatever distinction you're making in your mind.

"How is this supposed to be viewed? Why is it funny to you?"

I think it's funny because it's a ridiculous character, just as I find MANY ridiculous characters funny, regardless of their race. How is this crazy gangsta-talking character any less/more offensive than the dumb blonde valley girls we love to laugh at in movies? Or dumb horny alcoholic frat guys for that matter, to take gender out of the question? Isn't to say one is "worse" than the other just categorizing crazy stereotypes into "classes" based on race? Isn't THAT incredibly racist?