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Mark wrote:I, and I'd guess most of my fellow Wisconsinites, don't equate redneck with race.

You and your fellow Wisconsinites must be in a very tiny sheltered minority. Google images for the term "redneck" and see what you come up with. And from the link I provided above (again),

Redneck
a disapproving and insulting term used to refer to uneducated or poorly educated White persons in the U.S. who are of lower socio-economic status, or live in a rural area

Further,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redneck

Redneck refers to a person who is stereotypically Caucasian (i.e. white) and is of lower socio-economic status in the United States and Canada. Originally limited to the Southern United States, and then to Appalachia, the term has become widely used throughout North America.

Redneck could not be used on every white person the way nigger could be used on all blacks. I think that's a big distinction. I don't think redneck is anywhere year as offensive either. You see 'My big redneck wedding' on CMT or whatever channel. I'm not seeing MY BIG FAT NIGGER WEDDING on BET... yet. But of course blacks are largely hypocritical on that term, but thats nothing new.

Redneck is a behavior of choice. Not racial. If certain whites choose to act like rednecks, then they're opening themselves up to being labeled as a redneck. Apparently, blacks, hispanics and other non-whites choose not to be rednecks.

Maybe, but a black can choose to be a "nigger". Remember, Chris Rock has a skit that differentiates between the two.

GQfluffy wrote:Nice job of throwing gas on the fire, Cadet.

Tell that to those who get offended over a word.

Cadet57 wrote:

GQfluffy wrote:Nice job of throwing gas on the fire, Cadet.

Tell that to those who get offended over a word.

You mean like blacks?

GQfluffy wrote:

Cadet57 wrote:

GQfluffy wrote:Nice job of throwing gas on the fire, Cadet.

Tell that to those who get offended over a word.

You mean like blacks?

Im not sure what blacks have to do with saying the word redneck. But sure

Mark wrote:Redneck is a behavior of choice. Not racial. If certain whites choose to act like rednecks, then they're opening themselves up to being labeled as a redneck. Apparently, blacks, hispanics and other non-whites choose not to be rednecks.

And "wetback" is also a behavior of choice. Does that make the term acceptable?

Not to be nitpicky, but the conversation had strayed away from that until you brought it up again.

Cadet57 wrote:

Click Click D'oh wrote:

Cadet57 wrote:So I guess Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall(sp) Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White are just perpetuating the stereotype, huh? If you cant laugh at yourself....

Funny, there was some outrage not to long ago about the use of the N word by comedians... I guess if they can't laugh at themselves...

Redneck and Nigger (oh no! A white man said the n word! ) Are two seperate things. Dont try to make one as offensive as the other.

Mark wrote:Redneck is a behavior of choice. Not racial.

So, then... Porch Monkey is okay?

Wow. Really? Getting offended with the term "redneck?" Remind me again when slave owners referred to their slaves as rednecks. Oh you mean it doesn't have a terrible and historically painful meaning behind it? Redneck is applied when someone fits that description. "Nigger" or "porch monkey" aren't used as a specific description. If someone said "hey look at that porch monkey," you would think they were talking about a black person. If someone said "hey look at that redneck" you would think of someone like Mark described. They're terms that are used to describe blacks. Redneck isn't used to describe all whites. It's an easy distinction to make.

Click Click D'oh wrote:

Mark wrote:Redneck is a behavior of choice. Not racial.

So, then... Porch Monkey is okay?

What about the term "Nigger Rigging?" It has been used in a more PC term as "Afro Engineering." Is that offensive?

davestan_ksan wrote:If someone said "hey look at that redneck" you would think of someone like Mark described.

... and what ethnicity would you think of them as when you thought of Marks description?

Multiple choice
A) African American
b) Hispanic
C) Caucasian
d) Other

Be honest now.

I'd consider redneck as similar to beaner. It could be offensive, but its usually not, or not that bad.

davestan_ksan wrote:Wow. Really? Getting offended with the term "redneck?" Remind me again when slave owners referred to their slaves as rednecks. Oh you mean it doesn't have a terrible and historically painful meaning behind it? Redneck is applied when someone fits that description. "Nigger" or "porch monkey" aren't used as a specific description. If someone said "hey look at that porch monkey," you would think they were talking about a black person. If someone said "hey look at that redneck" you would think of someone like Mark described. They're terms that are used to describe blacks. Redneck isn't used to describe all whites. It's an easy distinction to make.

And all that makes the use of the term "redneck" acceptable? What about "wetback"?

Click Click D'oh wrote:

davestan_ksan wrote:If someone said "hey look at that redneck" you would think of someone like Mark described.

... and what ethnicity would you think of them as when you thought of Marks description?

Multiple choice
A) African American
b) Hispanic
C) Caucasian
d) Other

Be honest now.

C.

Next?

Click Click D'oh wrote:

davestan_ksan wrote:If someone said "hey look at that redneck" you would think of someone like Mark described.

... and what ethnicity would you think of them as when you thought of Marks description?

Multiple choice
A) African American
b) Hispanic
C) Caucasian
d) Other

Be honest now.

Point missed. "Redneck" isn't a term that describes all white people. It's a specific type of person. "Nigger" and "porch monkey" are slurs designed to describe ALL black people.

davestan_ksan wrote:Point missed. "Redneck" isn't a term that describes all white people. It's a specific type of person. "Nigger" and "porch monkey" are slurs designed to describe ALL black people.

Actually, porch monkey is a term directed at a specific behavior that originates from when most black people in the south were to poor to afford air conditioning and would sit on the porches of their houses.

Just like how redneck is a pejorative term for lower socio economic white people, largely those attached to agricultural industries.

Words have meaning, learn them.

PS. Nice to see Cadet just admitted to being racist.

Click thats the funniest thing all day. I am not a god dam racist. Oh boo hoo I said Rednecks are white. Waaaaaaa Cadet is a racist!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/1477/saturday ... ssociation

Gee, are they racist?

Click Click D'oh wrote:
Words have meaning, learn them.

PS. Nice to see Cadet just admitted to being racist.

Cadet57 wrote:{rotfl} Click thats the funniest thing all day. I am not a god dam racist. Oh boo hoo I said Rednecks are white.

Yet again, claiming not to be a racist while saying that it's okay to use a pejorative term directly aimed at white people...

I really question the comprehension here..

davestan_ksan wrote:"Nigger" and "porch monkey" are slurs designed to describe ALL black people.

That's not true at all! As an example, Certain people would use terms such as those to describe people exhibiting urban thug rapper culture but would not use those terms for people like, for instance, Clarence Gilyard Jr., Denzel Washington, and Ving Rhames.

Click Click D'oh wrote:

Cadet57 wrote:{rotfl} Click thats the funniest thing all day. I am not a god dam racist. Oh boo hoo I said Rednecks are white.

Yet again, claiming not to be a racist while saying that it's okay to use a pejorative term directly aimed at white people...

I really question the comprehension here..

I'm not a racist. I'll ask you again. How is being redneck a race? You arent a different color.

I don't think the term redneck can be construed as racist, that's just my personal opinion. While all rednecks are white, not all whites are rednecks, and therein lies the difference. Racial slurs usually apply across the board to encompass all members of that race, where as the term redneck is more specific to geographic location and socio-economic standing. That's not to say that it can't be used or perceived negatively. While it isn't as offensively classist or elitist as "trailer trash", the fact that some here consider it's usage derogatory means we need to continue to maintain respect for one another.

Putting my Tower Chief hat on, I think we're skirting the edges here - so please continue to keep this conversation respectful of one another.

Thanks.

Click Click D'oh wrote:I really question the comprehension here..

Ditto..