rolling "Is This Racist?" thread

rhonda lee petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/ktbs-tv-give-rhonda-lee-her-job-back-asap#

is it racist to wear a du-rag if you're not black? having a disagreement with my gf about this.

Only if you are an eastern european babushka.

Er, only if you are not. Also pirates, and gypsies, and circus folk can get away w it.

not so much racist as questionable judgment

http://www.etsy.com/listing/48554881/confederate-flag-do-rag

not black, makes doo rag work

is it racist against grits and headbangers?

xposts

Anybody can wear a kerchief on their head!

A du-rag is not a kerchief though. In its current incarnation, it has its own design that couldn't be confused for anything else, if I'm not mistaken. Anyway gf says that it's uniquely a signifier of black culture and non-black people can't wear it without being inherently offensive. I responded by saying that white people wear saris and kimonos and all kinds of other shit from other cultures all the time-- and at appropriate public events, for that matter. Wearing a du-rang is not racist as far as I can see, though as someone else mentioned, it might be "questionable judgement", though even that I'm not really sure why. Do some people just get to "own" certain fashion statements?

Oh, you're taking about the sheer stocking-looking kind. Yeah, idk, white people don't really wear those. I don't know if it's offensive as much as it'd just look weird because you don't have black person hair?

I'm weirded out by du-rag. I always see do-rag, as in it keeps your hairdo in check

:}

also wondering where these white people with kimonos are wandering around

eminem fan forums have discussed this very issue

also wondering where these white people with kimonos are wandering around
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_md73v3Cyxm1ru41p9o1_500.jpg

I responded by saying that white people wear saris and kimonos and all kinds of other shit from other cultures all the time-- and at appropriate public events, for that matter.

Is this about you wearing a du-rag at an "appropriate public event?" Concert?

duragpolice

I'm not going to run out and find pictures, but pretty sure well-known fashion houses have developed kimonos for consumption by the Western public.

anyway, that's not the point. It doesn't really matter if white people wear kimonos or not. Is it racist for a white person to wear one?

history has taught us that it's cool for a white person to do pretty much anything they want to, don't fret about it imo

i'd say that white cultural tastemakers have done a lot to propagate (or steal, if you prefer) other cultures' texts/fashion/music/etc, there's always kind of a sheepishness about it too

My local pub is having a New Year's Eve curry night with Indian-themed fancy dress suggested. The barman agreed with me that this was a poor idea, but I didn't determine whether he agreed with my unspoken subtext that it was a bad idea because it was (at the very least highly likely to end up being) fucking racist wtf.

Sorry, as you were.

btw, just to clarify-- I do not nor do I plan to wear a du-rag in public. The discussion came up as a result of a friend's "wear-a-funny-hat" party.

http://www.lib.unc.edu/rbc/keats/img/keats-hand-on-chin.jpg

I responded by saying that white people wear saris and kimonos and all kinds of other shit from other cultures all the time-- and at appropriate public events, for that matter.

you realize this shit has been getting called out as racist for decades tho right

um, not to suggest that du-rags are inherently funny, derp derp

you realize this shit has been getting called out as racist for decades tho right

sure. everything involving multiple cultures is called racist by somebody somewhere.

and I guess that kind of points out the ridiculousness of a thread called "is it racist", since it's fairly obvious that there isn't ever a straightforward answer to the question.

dü-rag

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6220/6364635019_1aed588e3e_z.jpg

poliopolice, huskers or mats?

keffiya.jpg

mats no question

nothing against the gays and their gay fashion or whatever

:-}

would it be racist if i dressed like bob mould?

http://www.boston.va.gov/images/OPT_man_sits_with_his_chin_on_his_hand.jpg

mats no question

OUT

So where do dreadlocks come into this? White w/dreads = always racist?

are those rolling hip-hop threads racist?

i find it really, really, really hard to agree to the idea that that some group can/should 'own' anything, whether it be a philosophy, word, fashion or anything else.

it understand that many signifiers and texts are connected to systematic oppression but it seems silly to me that someone can have full rights to dreadlocks.

it = i

i think it's pretty okay to wear hats and such

I sometimes use crutches because I like Itzhak Perlman.

Is this polioist?

imo dreads actually have a better claim to being culturally bound than the do-rag, which has been worn by people around the world for ages 'n' ages

You have dreadlocks

― Dom Passantino

dreads also have a better chance of being super nasty because you can't throw them in the washing machine