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[Arials]

Why is the only hispanic guy on the simpsons a lame bumblebee?

I've always thought that the producers of The Simpsons missed a trick by not making their show completely race neutral. They could have just made everyone "yellow" and let people project whatever race identity they want onto any of the characters, but instead they introduced black/asian/hispanic characters so people can't help but see all the yellow characters as white.

 

[Stereogatari]

I've always thought that the producers of The Simpsons missed a trick by not making their show completely race neutral. They could have just made everyone "yellow" and let people project whatever race identity they want onto any of the characters, but instead they introduced black/asian/hispanic characters so people can't help but see all the yellow characters as white.

It is kind of funny to sit there and think about the Simpsons' whole yellow = White thing. It's taken for granted, having grown up with Simpsons it's almost a second nature thing my mind doesn't make a fuss about it. But then I contemplate how all the other races are closely approximated to their real colour and all of a sudden the whole yellow = white sticks out.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

Today, I've learned that crocs and meth are racist..

 

[mujun]

snip

I clarified what I said. I made a mistake by choosing the word culture. Are you okay with media made by white people, eating at restaurants that are predominantly staffed by white people, etc.

I personally don't see avoiding that sort of stuff or favoring say, content made by people more representative of yourself as racist, not in the case of a minority. Across the board African Americans have it harder than white people in America so I think that gives them the right to try and improve their position in society by supporting each other in ways like this.

I guess I haven't addressed the OP:

I have no thoughts on white culture, as its the fundamental culture of the country I live in. The people you describe you avoid content created by and for white people are what are referred to as racists, and while there are a shamefully large number of them in the black community, there are also a shamefully large number in the white community. I don't think you should let people like that influence your view of what black people want to, choose to, and do consume.

See what I posted above for my thoughts as an outsider with some limited knowledge on the subject. I guess never giving anything a chance just because of the color of the person who made it, serves it, cooks it, whatever is racist but trying to elevate people from your own community in an effort to achieve equality doesn't strike me as racist or negative.

These are all no's for me. I vote based on platform. Who's going to make where I live a better place. I've never paid mind to races in video games. I watch a film a month in theatres; there isn't a blank film released every month so am obvious no. I also love food too much to restrict myself.

It's pretty impossible for us to avoid "white culture," and while there are some people who try I don't know how they go outside. In my house there was definitely an amplification of more black media, if only because it was amusing. The Cosby Show, Good Times, Sister Sister/Smart Guy, Dif'rent Strokes, Wayans World, Jamie Foxx Show, Good Times, The Steve Harvey Show, Meet The Paynes, The Browns, etc. The list goes on still. The fact BET exists makes it easy to keep to music and awards of our culture, too, I guess, but I'm positive plenty stick to YouTube instead of hearing Chris Brown perform at the Soul Train Awards or something.

Thanks a lot for giving a detailed honest answer.

 

[User 73706]

It is kind of funny to sit there and think about the Simpsons' whole yellow = White thing. It's taken for granted, having grown up with Simpsons it's almost a second nature thing my mind doesn't make a fuss about it. But then I contemplate how all the other races are closely approximated to their real colour and all of a sudden the whole yellow = white sticks out.

Yeah, I've never understood that either. You could just as easily have characters with visible traits associated with their ethnicities and keep them yellow, considering Groundskeeper Willie exists.

 

[danwarb]

It's majority culture in the US, so it's everything and nothing.

 

[BPoole]

Today, I've learned that crocs and meth are racist..

They are not racist in and of themselves, but when they are said to be "white culture" it is offensive.

I'm not even going to use a counter example since I know the outcome of that will be.

 

[wildfire]

I guess it's all coming out now in preparation for February

This is the perfect meta-answer.

You didn't answer the question. But you answered the question behind the question.

Well played sir.

 

[wildfire]

Has OP ever met a black person?

He's an expat. So this is the closest to a black person he's been to in awhile.

 

[poppabk]

Whiteness is 100% a cultural construct, much more so than the Black identity. While being Black is closely tied to having African heritage, being white just means having light skin and calling yourself white. In the United States, there are people of Polish, Kazakh, Lebanese, Italian, Irish, Moroccan, Mexican, and Iranian descent who identify as white, even though their cultures don't have much in common. What they share in common is light-ish skin, round eyes, and a white identity.

If you identify as white and are viewed by strangers as white, then you're white. I think that the rules for passing are also constantly becoming looser. A century ago Italians were universally considered non-white. Fifty years ago the same could be said about Cubans.

Have you been to Africa or ever met more than one person from Africa? You seem to be assuming a hegemony in Africa that doesn't exist. It doesn't even exist within most countries in Africa, which have multiple tribal groups with different languages and customs.

 

[Stereogatari]

Have you been to Africa or ever met more than one person from Africa? You seem to be assuming a hegemony in Africa that doesn't exist. It doesn't even exist within most countries in Africa, which have multiple tribal groups with different languages and customs.

I don't think he meant that. His point was that Black is at least focused on dark skinned African people, whereas White is vague since it can be Europe, Central Asia, North Africa, Middle East and even Northern parts of South Asia.

 

[Laieon]

Because it's generally crap.

I'm assuming you just go by what you hear on the radio without going the extra mile to look elsewhere? There's plenty of great, modern country artists.

You guys should probably make an effort to be around people that aren't white, especially if it's not in a public place.

I'm white and live in Korea, couldn't tell you what "white culture" is if my life depended on it.

 

[TalonJH]

My opinions are based only on my own experiences.

Having said that though, I grew up withing both white and black cultures, and I would say that everything on TV more closely resembled white culture when I was growing up, at least from my perspective.

Of course, I'm not saying your absolutely wrong. Most TV is targeted at white audiences. The other shows you listed I agree with. Not many people can really identify with the Cosby show. I believe it was more about being the complete opposite of the stereotype of poverty.

Spoiler

I think

 

[TalonJH]

It is kind of funny to sit there and think about the Simpsons' whole yellow = White thing. It's taken for granted, having grown up with Simpsons it's almost a second nature thing my mind doesn't make a fuss about it. But then I contemplate how all the other races are closely approximated to their real colour and all of a sudden the whole yellow = white sticks out.

Lol, Similar to how minorities in Doug are a shade of Blue/green/purple and white people are closer to a natural tones with orange being "tan". (Man, I so miss that show.)

 

[PdotMichael]

Have you been to Africa or ever met more than one person from Africa? You seem to be assuming a hegemony in Africa that doesn't exist. It doesn't even exist within most countries in Africa, which have multiple tribal groups with different languages and customs.

You could argue that most African American lack the heritage component like most other groups of immigrants.
Sure, they are obviously from Africa but how many know from which African coutnry they are or know anything about African culture? So black people were forced to define an own new culture more than any other group in America.

(ignoring the people who came from Africa in the last 100 years obviously)

 

[User 73706]

They are not racist in and of themselves, but when they are said to be "white culture" it is offensive.

I'm not even going to use a counter example since I know the outcome of that will be.

This reasoning is just skewing the viewpoints even further. It's not a fair parallel to draw, because they aren't flip sides of the same coin - they're opposite ends of the spectrum. "White culture" in America belongs to a majority that's in no danger of being subjugated totally or otherwise obfuscated. As a result, the "acceptable targets" that fall under white culture are more numerous than those in black culture, because institutionally speaking most stereotypes about black culture have been codified by white culture. Maybe not necessarily created, but they were absolutely responsible in perpetuating it. For example, while a plethora of black individuals have naturally tighter hair that grows out rather than down, white culture was responsible for subtly demonizing or at least discouraging it because it's "nappy," etc.

That's not to say there aren't acceptable targets with black individuals. A stronger parallel to draw would be all of the memetic jokes about Drake, or Obama being a dork for liking Star Wars. If you realistically, absolutely, with all good intentions think it's not fair that "white culture is Starbucks and fair judicion" can hold the same weight - be held on the same pedestal - as something like "black culture is Roscoe's and rap cars," then I really don't know what to tell you.

 

[TalonJH]

You could argue that most African American lack the heritage component like most other groups of immigrants.
Sure, they are obviously from Africa but how many know from which African coutnry they are or know anything about African culture? So black people were forced to define an own new culture more than any other group in America.

(ignoring the people who came from Africa in the last 100 years obviously)

This.

 

[Shanlei91]

Everybody loves Die Hard.

But what about Die Hard: With a Vengeance?

 

[OG_Original Gamer]

I can't pinpoint a instance where I felt I was experiencing white culture. There are to many cultures to label them as white. Irish, Scottish, German, Russian, English, these all have there on distinct differences.

When I'm watching a movie, whether or not the cast has African American representation never crossed my mind.

What would be the answer in vice-versa?

 

[Valhelm]

Have you been to Africa or ever met more than one person from Africa? You seem to be assuming a hegemony in Africa that doesn't exist. It doesn't even exist within most countries in Africa, which have multiple tribal groups with different languages and customs.

See:

I don't think he meant that. His point was that Black is at least focused on dark skinned African people, whereas White is vague since it can be Europe, Central Asia, North Africa, Middle East and even Northern parts of South Asia.

I was mostly speaking in a US context, too. While being Black is pretty tied to having at least some Sub-Saharan African ancestry, white people aren't really forced to make claims of ancestry. A lighter person from a country like Syria might be accepted as white, but I don't think any very dark Indian people would be accepted as Black.

 

[User 73706]

See:



I was mostly speaking in a US context, too. While being Black is pretty tied to having at least some Sub-Saharan African ancestry, white people aren't really forced to make claims of ancestry. A lighter person from a country like Syria might be accepted as white, but I don't think any very dark Indian people would be accepted as Black.

I just call white progenitors "honeymooners." Y'know, because of the fertile crescent, us gamers huh

 

[studyguy]

Lol, Similar to how minorities in Doug are a shade of Blue/green/purple and white people are closer to a natural tones with orange being "tan". (Man, I so miss that show.)

Was Skeeter supposed to be black?
He was right? I loved that show as a kid but the only takeaways I have from it is that whoever wrote the Beets music did a great job.

 

[Darkangel]

From a global perspective I suppose Christianity is the closest thing to a universal "white culture."

White American culture is pretty much the "default" culture so it can be hard to notice. Hockey and other winter sports are usually viewed as "white" things.

 

[Stereogatari]

From a global perspective I suppose Christianity is the closest thing to a universal "white culture.".

Indeed, generally that's the unspoken definition of White anyway (European Christian to be precise) and under that definition it becomes more than a colour descriptor since a dark/olive skinned Greek, Italian or Spainard is counted as white, but a pale blue-eyed blond Turk, Tatar or Caucasus Muslim isn't.

 

[Furyous]

I've always wondered this.

I get the feeling that most? many? almost all? only a small percentage? try to avoid it.

Between music, movies, TV, etc the overall impression I have is that African Americans feel that they are better off sticking with entertainment, media, etc made by other African Americans.

Do you avoid books written by white people? Only vote for black politicians?

What about video games? Movies? Restaurants? etc?

I'm asking out of interests sake. I don't think either way is better than the other and firmly believe that provided what you do doesn't hurt others then you should live your life what ever way you want to.

I hope this thread is just people answering the question and not people judging how others choose to live their lives.

Spoiler

There's no such thing as white culture. The words "white culture", imply that art in particular medium originates from where you claim it does. The OP confuses imperialism and appropriation for culture. Go look up the origin of the particular entertainment medium and the inspiration behind your (the OP) artist. LOL at the origin of this country in the face of "white culture". This is wait.... WAT, post.

Is this an attempt to troll?

We don't discuss things like this at the weekly black people meeting. There isn't this mythical hatred of all things "white people". The political question is blatant hypocrisy. Political pundits chastize candidates that cannot convince people from the same state to vote for them because of their origin. It's an incendiary question only asked to people from my particular diaspora. No one asks insert ethnicity if they voted for politican because he or she shares the same ethnic heritage.

Your overall impressions are loud and wrong. Interact with more people outside whatever insulated possibly privileged environment you live in.

Spoiler

Once again, avoiding all things allegedly white culture were not discussed at the weekly black people meeting.

 

[BennyBlanco]

White culture is so vague. Is an italian american in bensonhurst experiencing the same culture as a WASP cattle farmer in minnesota or a portugese american in the Ironbound?

 

[The Beard]

Lol, Similar to how minorities in Doug are a shade of Blue/green/purple and white people are closer to a natural tones with orange being "tan". (Man, I so miss that show.)

It's on Amazon Prime. I've been meaning to revisit it. Loved that show.

 

[The Beard]

From a global perspective I suppose Christianity is the closest thing to a universal "white culture."

White American culture is pretty much the "default" culture so it can be hard to notice. Hockey and other winter sports are usually viewed as "white" things.

There isn't just One white culture. "White people" encompasses people from all over the world.
Because I'm a white American I should have the same culture as a white Canadian ? I should have the same culture as a white man from Switzerland? A white man from Africa ? A white man from Israel ?


This is why this thread is absurd. Saying white people have no culture, or white peoples culture is meth, hockey, and Christianity is fucking insane.

 

[Lime]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0415095379/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Acinixys]

I don't understand the bolded. If you cover yourself in a thick layer of mayonnaise the dirt doesn't even have a chance of touching your skin. Using a wash cloth will just remove the protective layer of mayonnaise.

Well thanks

Got water everywhere

 

[karasu]

I don't know what white American culture is. It's not christianity. That's been in Ethiopia as long as it's been in Europe. I thought American culture was for all of us

 

[TwEE-N-Toast]

As somebody who grew up and lives in poor area where a year can't go by without somebody I know oding the meth, talk in here is seems pretty fucked up. Especailly if your goal is to try to make people look like fools on a forum while championing your own empathy.

 

[blakep267]

Yeah I don't think there is a singular "white " culture. For example I find the Hollywood culture to be annoying. It just happens many music artists and actors/actresses are white but I wouldn't lump the rest of white America with my disdain for Hollywood

 

[brinstar]

If white culture is really a thing then death / heavy metal (or similar) must be part of it. I've never seen some non white people listen to this kind of music.

You... you do realize there's metal subcultures all over the world, right?

 

[Vicetrailia]

I'm sorry, I don't understand your post.

I was saying that "blacks who avoid white culture" must be very uncommon. I wonder how they do it.

 

[djtiesto]

Minorities can't really avoid white culture, if they did then they wouldn't be on a video game message board.

I don't know how it is for other people, but the majority of games I play aren't made by white people...

 

[Valhelm]

Lol, Similar to how minorities in Doug are a shade of Blue/green/purple and white people are closer to a natural tones with orange being "tan". (Man, I so miss that show.)

Were the non-pasty people supposed to be analogous to different races, though?

I think that the different shades were more like hair or eye color. Doug is a normal (white) tone to make him relatable, but his skin tone is no less unusual than pink or green skin.

 

[User 73706]

As somebody who grew up and lives in poor area where a year can't go by without somebody I know oding the meth, talk in here is seems pretty fucked up. Especailly if your goal is to try to make people look like fools on a forum while championing your own empathy.

I live in an area that looked like it was ripped out of Trevor's intro in GTAV 20 years ago. Minus the military installations, my residence is a similar level of shitty. It happens.

 

[foxtrot3d]

I hate posting in a thread that has gone past 5 pages but I just wanted to say that, as a black person, I reject the premise of OP's question and thus could not respond if I wanted to.

 

[Yoda]

Culture, reasonably understood, isn't tied to skin color generally. American blacks are an exception, which I'll get to in a second. Culture is generally understood to be a product of shared morals/virtues/aesthetics/etc that happen in geographical proximity. Culture is tied to where we are, not what color we are, generally. Black british citizens are culturally british. White Brazilians are culturally Brazillian, as are brown Brazillians, and black Brazillians.

So it's not white culture, but rather European, or American culture.

Now to my earlier exception. American blacks are an exception because they were lifted, en masse, from their homes and transplanted into America, where their native cultures were systematically squashed. People without traditions and cultures invent them, and borrow from others nearby. Americans themselves are mostly transplanted, and in some case jettisoned their native cultures for political or social reasons and attempted to start over. So we wound up with a bunch of Europeans who had rejected their native culture, trying to impress a new culture on a bunch of black people from different locations, while simultaneously forcing them to jettison THEIR culture.

So black slaves melded multiple African cultures and the variety of European cultures in ad hoc ways to create anew culture and identity, because they weren't given any other choice. Since the number of historical slave transplants of this magnitude are fairly small, the birth of this new culture was unusual, both in its speed of spread and its creativity. With traditions stripped away, artistic black people had a clear field in which to create anew, and they did.

And since culture is proximity driven, that new culture became part of mainstream American culture, too. Slave owners forced Christianity on black slaves, who responded by creating gospels, which were picked up by European descended Americans and fed right back into the burgeoning American culture. They gave recently freed but still uneducated black musicians European notation and symphonic instruments, and in return blacks created Jazz, which Was absorbed into American culture.

And it's not just blacks in America, but virtually all of the immigrants. Jews gave us comic books, movies, and vaudeville, which led to stand-up comedy, another American art form. Virtually all the American art forms came from the melding of our immigrant and/or slave cultures.

So, my answer to the OP is that you've misunderstood the nature of culture, and consequently asked a question that doesn't make any sense. While groups can try to carve out their own pocket, or sub-cultures, inevitably the syncretic American culture is voracious and will adopt them all. It's not because white peope are bad and mean, or even because they really intend to, it's because culture spreads with contact. If you want to keep a sub-culture to yourself, as any hipster knows, you can't share it with people.

Amazing post.

 

[rexor0717]

Nope.

Thats our music.

This is something I don't get. While rock may have started with black musicians, you can't diminish the massive contributions to the genre from white musicians. Rock music is shared by a lot of cultures.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Thats our music.

What did *you* contribute to rock music to make a claim over it?

"our music..." Fucking hell.

 

[akira28]

Today, I've learned that crocs and meth are racist..

I want to wear comfortable shoes while working at hyper speeds because I'm taking amphetamines for fun, brehs.

 

[CONRAD]

Ain't nothing new under the sun. Everything is just an extension of Africa; the birthplace of everything.

Black people have history that dates back to the beginning of time.
Who gives a fuck about 'white culture'? Shits awesome when its not racist.

 

[User 73706]

What did *you* contribute to rock music to make a claim over it?

"our music..." Fucking hell.

jesus

 

[wildfire]

I hate posting in a thread that has gone past 5 pages but I just wanted to say that, as a black person, I reject the premise of OP's question and thus could not respond if I wanted to.

I hear you man. I found the question about asking if black people only vote for black politicians as so tone deaf I was left dizzy in bewilderment. I don't care if the OP is an expat. He hasn't been paying any attention to the country he used to reside in at all.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

jesus

Sorry if that offended, but I just found the sentiment to be quite ludicrous.

 

[Derwind]

I think what I enjoy most are mediums that are universal. Science and History. Its the closest thing to cultural neutrality there is.

That aside, I don't avoid anything unless its intentionally hateful.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Culture, reasonably understood, isn't tied to skin color generally. American blacks are an exception, which I'll get to in a second. Culture is generally understood to be a product of shared morals/virtues/aesthetics/etc that happen in geographical proximity. Culture is tied to where we are, not what color we are, generally. Black british citizens are culturally british. White Brazilians are culturally Brazillian, as are brown Brazillians, and black Brazillians.

So it's not white culture, but rather European, or American culture.

Now to my earlier exception. American blacks are an exception because they were lifted, en masse, from their homes and transplanted into America, where their native cultures were systematically squashed. People without traditions and cultures invent them, and borrow from others nearby. Americans themselves are mostly transplanted, and in some case jettisoned their native cultures for political or social reasons and attempted to start over. So we wound up with a bunch of Europeans who had rejected their native culture, trying to impress a new culture on a bunch of black people from different locations, while simultaneously forcing them to jettison THEIR culture.

So black slaves melded multiple African cultures and the variety of European cultures in ad hoc ways to create anew culture and identity, because they weren't given any other choice. Since the number of historical slave transplants of this magnitude are fairly small, the birth of this new culture was unusual, both in its speed of spread and its creativity. With traditions stripped away, artistic black people had a clear field in which to create anew, and they did.

And since culture is proximity driven, that new culture became part of mainstream American culture, too. Slave owners forced Christianity on black slaves, who responded by creating gospels, which were picked up by European descended Americans and fed right back into the burgeoning American culture. They gave recently freed but still uneducated black musicians European notation and symphonic instruments, and in return blacks created Jazz, which Was absorbed into American culture.

And it's not just blacks in America, but virtually all of the immigrants. Jews gave us comic books, movies, and vaudeville, which led to stand-up comedy, another American art form. Virtually all the American art forms came from the melding of our immigrant and/or slave cultures.

So, my answer to the OP is that you've misunderstood the nature of culture, and consequently asked a question that doesn't make any sense. While groups can try to carve out their own pocket, or sub-cultures, inevitably the syncretic American culture is voracious and will adopt them all. It's not because white peope are bad and mean, or even because they really intend to, it's because culture spreads with contact. If you want to keep a sub-culture to yourself, as any hipster knows, you can't share it with people.

Quoting this great post again.

Some of you make me wonder why you're on the Internet all day if you don't intend to actually learn anything from it.

 

[Stereogatari]

I think what I enjoy most are mediums that are universal. Science and History. Its the closest thing to cultural neutrality there is.

I see what you're saying. But modern international Science and History are still informed heavily by the Western "White" side of things. Especially in the case of History but even Science is often framed as being a footnote to the Ancient Greeks.

If you approach it with an open minded mentality to look beyond the Western academical canon (within reason) then I certainly agree with you.