OT: Is It Racist?

[Spacegrass]

To say a black person is "Out of their cotton picking mind"?

All I know it from is Looney Tunes as a kid. Heard it occasionally when I was little from older folks in rural Eastern NC where they grew cotton crops.

Don't think the announcer should apologize either , especially publicly. If he wants to do it face to face with Westbrook that is his and Westbrook's business. He should say nothing more than I won't use it anymore since it hurts peoples feelings and leave it at that.

 

[WojoRising]

I highly doubt it was said with racial intent, but it sounds really bad and I can see how that would be offensive.

Announcer deserves backlash simply from a stupidity standpoint.

 

[Spacegrass]

I highly doubt it was said with racial intent, but it sounds really bad and I can see how that would be offensive.

Announcer deserves backlash simply from a stupidity standpoint.

That sounds like we have a lot of people in this country , that have been conditioned just to look for any little thing to pick out and scrutinize. This is a big deal because it stirs the race pot within the media. Not because it was actually something terrible to say.

 

[JimboBBN]

I highly doubt it was said with racial intent, but it sounds really bad and I can see how that would be offensive.

Announcer deserves backlash simply from a stupidity standpoint.

Yup, pretty much this. Don't think the guy meant anything by it, but his stupidity in wording definitely justifies getting ripped.

 

[B-Westy]

Yes that's absolutely racist. Good lord. The fact that you even have to ask that question is majorly suspect.

 

[Spacegrass]

Yup, pretty much this. Don't think the guy meant anything by it, but his stupidity in wording definitely justifies getting ripped.

It's not like that phrase is all of a sudden gonna get new life and start being used by kids. "Rule of Thumb" history to it that people try to justify as being "anti women" because as long as a stick wasn't wider than a thumb a husband could hit his wife with it back in the 17th century. Nobody actually thinks that "Rule of Thumb" means that today. Look at it as a simple phrase for "a standard".

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

Saw title. Was expecting this.....

 

[Spacegrass]

Yes that's absolutely racist. Good lord. The fact that you even have to ask that question is majorly suspect.

Why just because an old white man said it? Come with something better than the status quo FB response.

 

[WojoRising]

And let’s be honest here, this isn’t a common expression to 99% of America

 

[Spacegrass]

And let’s be honest here, this isn’t a common expression to 99% of America

Exactly. It's an older generation phrase only heard in the south. So let's see if we can make it a big racist deal. You know if it's a southern phrase "it's gotta be racist".

 

[B-Westy]

Why just because an old white man said it? Come with something better than the status quo FB response.

No, because you're trivializing slavery by mocking cotton picking (an activity that is synonymous with slavery by the way) to a person whose ancestors were slaves. Good lord. Have some sense.

 

[Jaycg15]

No, because you're trivializing slavery by mocking cotton picking (an activity that is synonymous with slavery by the way) to a person whose ancestors were slaves. Good lord. Have some sense.

I think you're arguing two different things. The intent was not to be racist. The phrase itself is how you described it above. The announcer didn't use good judgement in his selection of phrasing.

 

[Spacegrass]

No, because you're trivializing slavery by mocking cotton picking (an activity that is synonymous with slavery by the way) to a person whose ancestors were slaves. Good lord. Have some sense.

Origin of the phrase meaning from the 17th century was to express the difficulty and harshness of gathering the crop. 19th century "Dixie Term" Cotton Picker was started and used as a derogatory name at the time. My dad picked cotton as a kid , lots of white people did it prior to slavery and post slavery.

 

[WeAreDePaul]

Is it racist that I get annoyed and won't use the thumbs up emoji on my phone cause it's black? I feel like it's not my thumb and feel weird using it.

 

[B-Westy]

Origin of the phrase meaning from the 17th century was to express the difficulty and harshness of gathering the crop. 19th century "Dixie Term" Cotton Picker was started and used as a derogatory name at the time. My dad picked cotton as a kid , lots of white people did it prior to slavery and post slavery.

300 years of slavery trumps what your dad did or what other white people did at the time. Sorry man.

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

No, because you're trivializing slavery by mocking cotton picking (an activity that is synonymous with slavery by the way) to a person whose ancestors were slaves. Good lord. Have some sense.

How are you to know that Westbrook's ancestors were slaves? Not all black people were slaves. Have some sense.

 

[B-Westy]

I think you're arguing two different things. The intent was not to be racist. The phrase itself is how you described it above. The announcer didn't use good judgement in his selection of phrasing.

You're right. The intent wasn't racist, but the phrase is clearly racially insensitive.

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

300 years of slavery trumps what your dad did or what other white people did at the time. Sorry man.

You're so brave.

 

[B-Westy]

How are you to know that Westbrook's ancestors were slaves? Not all black people were slaves. Have some sense.

So you're trying to rationalize this by suggesting that maybe Westbrook's ancestors weren't slaves? What the hell does that matter?

 

[Spacegrass]

I think you're arguing two different things. The intent was not to be racist. The phrase itself is how you described it above. The announcer didn't use good judgement in his selection of phrasing.

I know within a week something new in the news will have pissed everyone off and this will be forgotten before you know it.

300 years of slavery trumps what your dad did or what other white people did at the time. Sorry man.

What are you apologizing for? My families came to this country a good 30 years after the civil war. Never owned any slaves either. Yea racism has existed and it will still exist. But stressing over the phrase "lost your cotton picking mind" isn't some grave injustice it's being made out to be. Poor outdated wording? Sure , but nothing more.

 

[Jaycg15]

You're right. The intent wasn't racist, but the phrase is clearly racially insensitive.

Yep.

 

[B-Westy]

I know within a week something new in the news will have pissed everyone off and this will be forgotten before you know it.

What are you apologizing for? My family came to this country 30 years after the civil war. Never owned any slaves either.

You can't brush off a racially insensitive remark that is synonymous with slavery simply because your dad picked cotton. Was he in chains too?

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

So you're trying to rationalize this by suggesting that maybe Westbrook's ancestors weren't slaves? What the hell does that matter?

Well. Your above post where you acknowledged that the intent wasn't racist, but it is "racially insensitive" is the correct response. The rest of your outrage is just regurgitated nonsense.

 

[AWilli6995]

To say a black person is "Out of their cotton picking mind"?

All I know it from is Looney Tunes as a kid. Heard it occasionally when I was little from older folks in rural Eastern NC where they grew cotton crops.

Don't think the announcer should apologize either , especially publicly. If he wants to do it face to face with Westbrook that is his and Westbrook's business. He should say nothing more than I won't use it anymore since it hurts peoples feelings and leave it at that.

Nope, it’s not racist.

 

[Spacegrass]

You can't brush off a racially insensitive remark that is synonymous with slavery simply because your dad picked cotton. Was he in chains too?

Dude I gave you the origin of the phrase and it's meaning. We are trying to operate this conversation on information not feelings. Were you ever in chains?

 

[Spacegrass]

Not sure if we have any Southern born and raised black people on this board?

But would like to get that perspective more.

 

[B-Westy]

Dude I gave you the origin of the phrase and it's meaning. We are trying to operate this conversation on information not feelings. Were you ever in chains?

The origin of the phrase does not matter. Those "might be the facts", but a remark like that will illicit a negative response for most because it's a clear reference to slavery.

 

[AWilli6995]

Not sure if we have any Southern born and raised black people on this board?

But would like to get that perspective more.

I’m black, from NC (Catawba County) and no that comment isn’t racist.

 

[Spacegrass]

The origin of the phrase does not matter. Those "might be the facts", but a remark like that will illicit a negative response for most because it's a clear reference to slavery.

So how do we operate in this world where we only speak what will make everyone feel good?

So where have you historically confirmed that phrase as being a reference to slavery? Who taught you that?

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

The origin of the phrase does not matter. Those "might be the facts", but a remark like that will illicit a negative response for most because it's a clear reference to slavery.

You are contradicting yourself here. If you can acknowledge that the intent wasn't racist, why are you assuming he said this knowing it was a clear reference to slavery. If he said it knowing that, wouldn't the intent be racist?

 

[Spacegrass]

I’m black and from NC (Catawba County) and no that comment isn’t racist.

@AWilli6995 how old are you? If you don't mind me asking.

 

[AWilli6995]

51

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

I’m black, from NC (Catawba County) and no that comment isn’t racist.

I was born in Orange County and am black from the waist down. Does my opinion matter?

 

[bMORE607]

I doubt he meant it like this but

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=out of your cotton-picking mind

 

[AWilli6995]

I was born in Orange County and am black from the waist down. Does my opinion matter?

Of course it does.

 

[B-Westy]

You are contradicting yourself here. If you can acknowledge that the intent wasn't racist, why are you assuming he said this knowing it was a clear reference to slavery. If he said it knowing that, wouldn't the intent be racist?

There's a difference between the intent and the phrase itself. The phrase can still be racially insensitive even though the intent was not to harm.

 

[Spacegrass]

You are contradicting yourself here. If you can acknowledge that the intent wasn't racist, why are you assuming he said this knowing it was a clear reference to slavery. If he said it knowing that, wouldn't the intent be racist?

Because he is likely unwilling to accept the fact that diction and phrasing in this country is very regional specific. In how it's interpreted and it's meanings within that more regional culture. I have friends from the North that moved down to NC later in life and love it. But have said that the South is portrayed as a bunch of backwards traitors historically by a lot of folks where they came from. While have had people born and raised here in NC that have moved North later in life be judged the same way simply because they are from and family heritage was southern. Remember that those who win wars get to write the history they want. It's the ultimate spoil of victory!

 

[hailtoyourvictor]

Never heard the phrase before so at first take it sounds blatantly racist. If it’s a common saying down south then maybe it wasn’t meant to be racist.

 

[Spacegrass]

51

Good to know these things. Had no clue. So you started to go to school post desegregation?

 

[I am stupid]

I'm 1/4 Cherokee. This offends me because in my mind it insinuates my people were not smart enough to pick/use cotton.

Am I doing it right?