rolling "Is This Racist?" thread

that book is awesome and hilarious!

tho idk where you'd get a death's head temporary tattoo

it's bad that the first thing that came to mind was one of those 50 cent toy dispensing machines in the grocery store in HSTNGS, right

hahahahahaa

if south saint paul had a chuck e cheese i bet they would have those at the skeeball ticket redemption counter next to the oversized sunglasses and switchblade combs

omg OTM

There's a very real possibility he got his mother to draw it on with a felt-tip pen that morning. I don't think war re-enactments carry much political charge in the UK. The chances of him being an actual Nazi-sympathiser rather than a dude who has a strange hobby are probably smaller than is being made out.

sure, there's a chance. people who aren't tend to pursue hobbies where there isn't much cause for that kind of confusion, though.

It's one of the biggest re-enactments in Europe - the whole thing is pretty much dedicated to glorifying the British war effort. It would be a bit odd for actual Nazis to want a big part of that. It's one of the only chances you'd get to parade around in a uniform if you were that way inclined, i suppose, but it probably needs to be seen in context.

don't know where else to put this, but for christ's sake:

http://www.tmz.com/2012/07/05/michael-johnson-slavery-speed-olympics/

my questions:

a) If mom drew that on his hand, how come she doesn't have an art career?
b) If that's not a real tattoo, why is it being featured in a photoarticle about tattoos?

I'm not sure how the person putting the article together could possibly know if it was real or not.

a) you have a point
b) could be a big mistake

haha this is some magnificent 'benefit of the doubt' ish

It's a fantasy battle in which guys dressed up as British and US soldiers defeat guys dressed up as German soldiers. I think benefit of the doubt plays a part.

I don't know but photo #11 could be titled "Pictures of people who are not underrated aerosmith songs."

lol maybe a whooooooole lotta beers ago

how the hell do you even go about reenacting WW2

first you invade poland

xxp Let's say from the neck up. It was the wire-rimmed glasses that decided me.

c) Why would someone draw an SS Death's Head tattoo on his hand as part of his costume? Was that common?
d) How many pies has this dude eaten since he bought/made that costume?

(I understand that question d is a total dick question.)

If that's not a real tattoo, why is it being featured in a photoarticle about tattoos?

Me & my coat were once in a photoarticle about polka dots when really the coat was WOVEN CHECKS. Wake up sheeple!

sure, there's a chance. people who aren't tend to pursue hobbies where there isn't much cause for that kind of confusion, though.

― some dude, Thursday, July 5, 2012 4:38 PM (30 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This really doesn't fit in with your party line of "Maybe the nice kids on TV Tropes just want to document every instance of L0lita panty-flashing in animes"

sorry i'm in your awesome thread, bro, i'll show myself out

i'm just saying!

is there a reverse godwin's law for people that equate dressing like a nazi to much milder things?

so want to create a poll thread called "TS: dressing like a Nazi vs cataloging panty-flashing anime Lolitas" right about now

don't be stupid be a smarty, come and join the panty-flashing anime Lolitas party

Can we talk about Michael Johnson now? Because that is IMO a simultaneously controversial and uncontroversial thing to say.

Obviously the british people who wrote the article don't know the "black people can't swim" stereotype or it would have been a slam dunk

nice basketball ref

I wasn't even trying, damn my colloquialisms

at any rate, if my personal experiences are at all universal, this is a conversation many black people have had with each other with both sides being argued strenuously

I think there's something... I don't know if "seductive" is the right word, possibly "romantic"?... about the idea that this horrible suffering placed upon African-Americans created this weird unintended boon in later generations.

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infocus/tat070512/s_t32_RTR31P4P.jpg

lol, not intended as a response to your post dan. just pretty amazing.

as i have often attempted to inhabit the mind of a southern plantation owner in my astral projections, i can say that 'olympic running away speed' is the last trait i would select for.

i am curious though if pol pot inadvertantly cured astigmatism for a generation.

I was about to take this conversation in a direction where I would have offended MYSELF

The Michael Johnson quote is like exactly like what got Jimmy the Greek fired 25 years ago!

malcolm gladwell has a good rebuttal to the 'genetic advantage' argument. quandary!

Michael Johnson is presenting a documentary in the UK on this theory. It hasn't shown yet so not drawing any further conclusions but just to put it in context, that was why doubtless why he was asked about it, he didn't just come out with that reply out of nowhere.

it has shown now

link to gladwell's rebuttal?

y'know, I wonder how the evolving field of epigenetics relates to michael johnson's theory

http://www.gladwell.com/1997/1997_05_19_a_sports.htm

like most things gladwell, i think it's good in that it's likely true, and a breezy read.

breezy and headspinning both

bringing it all back to our "wwii re-enactor" friend:

http://brnewsblog.brandrepublic.com/2012/07/03/topshop-sells-t-shirt-featuring-nazi-ss-logo/

like most things gladwell, I found it self-contradictory, and sort of glib.

but yeah, the whole genetic athleticism thing is pretty widespread. i don't think it's racist (although it opens that door), but it sort of flies in the face of a fair amount of science, and i can see as a myth how it's sort of comforting and empowering in a certain way -- like dan sez, romantic. strength through adversity, etc.

xp I'm guessing that shirt arose when some design intern google image searched "skull and crossbones" and picked something cool-looking to trace in illustrator

guys, gladwell is reductive and the points he makes are usually reasonable but never really supported scientifically by his "evidence". dude is an anecdote-seller and iirc took tobacco lobby cash at one point

none of that has much to do with this piece, though. which i think is interesting and a fairly engaging read. i like the way he leads you toward certain conclusions, then undercuts them, keeping his larger point in doubt.

That TopShop SS thing made me think of that Mitchell and Webb skit. "are we... the BAD GUYS?"

Seems entirely in-keeping with Slayer's aesthetic - to the point where i'm wondering whether it's not a reproduction of one of their own designs. Topshop are idiots for carrying anything connected to the daft Nazi fetishists in the first place.