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5 thoughts on “Is this cartoon offensive?”
I believe it is an acceptable statement, since the people in question are white, and from a Red state. Correct?
I think I read somewhere they called each other ‘crackers’ at some point. Sort of how blacks call each other “niggas”, but we aren’t supposed to call them the n-word, because that would be inappropriate. It gets so convoluted.
I’m Hispanic and I have white friends I’ll call a ‘cracker’ if I think they’re acting particularly backward. They are the first to laugh when I say it, because it has a double meaning for us. If you met me in person you’d know I’m very pale and have green eyes and before dyeing my hair was a blonde, so I look whiter than they do. It’s a joke for us and we all have a good laugh about it. But there are times I have to step back and think about what I’m saying. Why not just say “you’re acting like a moron” as opposed to using what is considered in most circles a racial epithet? The answer for me is that it’s understood there is no malice on my part, but I can see how someone else could take offense. And frankly, I know there is one person who it annoys and I use it as often as possible when I’m around him to let him know just how much he annoys me. hehe
I wouldn’t find the joke offensive but of course, he isn’t calling them “spics”…
The term “cracker” doesn’t upset me. I’m a Southerner, live in the South, and hear that term used periodically. It’s just a name, and sometimes is used almost as a term of endearment, when coming from a friend. My college roomate (who is half Puerto Rican, half Italian) and hallmates (who were Korean, Pakistani and one Jew from the northeast) used to affectionately call me that all the time, since I was the only Southern, anglo-caucasian. Didn’t bother me in the least, it was meant with affection and humorously to acknowledge MY ethnic heritage.
Now if somebody is truly trying to insult me, it really makes little difference what words they use. People say stupid, mean shit when they are trying to get a rise out of someone. It annoys me when people (read: knee jerk liberal media) try to use those incidents to indict the entire culture as racist.
The only thing that annoys me about the use of the word “cracker” is the double standard that exists which is accepting of insults someone’s caucasian background and generalizations about white person’s attitudes, habits, and eccentricities; but puts so many other ethnicities on this pedastal of untouchability, and vilifies anybody who may in turn speak about them in general terms or have anything less than positive to say about that culture, lest one be swiftly given the obligatory label of “racist.”
In the academic, and especially in the professional world, I have witnessed this double standard in action and seen a handful of people purposefully use that double standard to gain economic and political advantage.
I just think we should be careful how much meaning, intent and power we inherently assign to certain words.
And here I thought the punch-line was going to be in reference to Communion crackers (i.e. matzah!)
I think most of us have hidden biases about people whether we care to admit to them or not. The cartoon certainly make one reflect.