Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) Forgets The Talking Points

I don't think "uppity" is anything but a generic insult.

Applied to a racial term, it could be considered "racist" - but "the" can be in a racially tinged sentence too. I object to this on the same basis that I object to the phrase "Weapons Of Mass Destruction Related Activities."

This is manufactured bullshit.

Okay, not intelligent or intelligible phrasing, and stupid, but not racist.

I've heard "uppity" refer to women more than minorities.

I have to disagree with my wife here. I know, shocker!

Uppity, when used as a description of someone means "above oneself", to act above one's station.

If used to describe a woman, it would be sexist.
If used to describe a black person, it's racist.
 
I have to disagree with my wife here. I know, shocker!

Uppity, when used as a description of someone means "above oneself", to act above one's station.

If used to describe a woman, it would be sexist.
If used to describe a black person, it's racist.

But what if it's used in England where it's neither sex nor race that determines class?

Then it'd just be...bad judgment. Just like in this case.

Excuse me...we're arguing offline.

We'll be back.

*Jeopardy tune playing*

He's more fun than you guys. So...
 
Seriously.

I'm not saying it's a nice word.

But it ain't racist.

It's all in the context. It can be used as an insult, a chide, or in humor. It's just an adjective.

I can appreciate that you may not like the word. Don't use it then.

But you're correct, the word in and of itself has no racial connotation at all.

Ishmael
 
It's all in the context. It can be used as an insult, a chide, or in humor. It's just an adjective.

I can appreciate that you may not like the word. Don't use it then.

But you're correct, the word in and of itself has no racial connotation at all.

Ishmael

All the descriptors were regarding class.

Now this gentleman believes in a class system in America.

I'd like to give follow up questions regarding what he considers proper class, proper class behavior, and why someone in America shouldn't aspire to a higher class (Although I don't actually think the President is a higher class...)

I can compare this word to the word "feisty" - it's always applied to women and little dogs and it always has to do with how they're acting tougher than they are or should be.

It's never applied to men. So although I can buy that "feisty" might have a sexist (or caninist?) connotation, by definition...that's just some of its usage. Not the meaning of the word.
 
All the descriptors were regarding class.

Now this gentleman believes in a class system in America.

I'd like to give follow up questions regarding what he considers proper class, proper class behavior, and why someone in America shouldn't aspire to a higher class (Although I don't actually think the President is a higher class...)

I can compare this word to the word "feisty" - it's always applied to women and little dogs and it always has to do with how they're acting tougher than they are or should be.

It's never applied to men. So although I can buy that "feisty" might have a sexist (or caninist?) connotation, by definition...that's just some of its usage. Not the meaning of the word.

When was the last time you ever heard the term "uppity" used (in the USA) to describe a white man?

When a white man aspires to greatness from humble beginnings it's always the American Dream, when it's a black person, a woman, or heaven forbid, a black woman.. they get described as "uppity".
 
When was the last time you ever heard the term "uppity" used (in the USA) to describe a white man?

When a white man aspires to greatness from humble beginning it's always the American Dream, when it's a black person, a woman, or heaven forbid, a black woman.. they get described as "uppity".

I get to be uppity and feisty.

You get to be oppressive and racist.

They're both obviously true 'cause they're common usage.

I'm not defending what the dude said. I'm saying it's not - per that context - slam dunk racist. It did in fact refer to class. As you've mentioned, that doesn't make it much better, but it does make it different.

I can refer to you as uppity if you're feeling left out.
 
All the descriptors were regarding class.

Now this gentleman believes in a class system in America.

I'd like to give follow up questions regarding what he considers proper class, proper class behavior, and why someone in America shouldn't aspire to a higher class (Although I don't actually think the President is a higher class...)

I can compare this word to the word "feisty" - it's always applied to women and little dogs and it always has to do with how they're acting tougher than they are or should be.

It's never applied to men. So although I can buy that "feisty" might have a sexist (or caninist?) connotation, by definition...that's just some of its usage. Not the meaning of the word.

It's doesn't even refer to class directly, although it can be inferred if one choses to do so. (And I'm sure it's been used with that in mind.)

up·pi·ty

Pronunciation[uhp-i-tee]
–adjective Informal.

1. affecting an attitude of inflated self-esteem; haughty; snobbish.
2. rebelliously self-assertive; not inclined to be tractable or deferential.

Ishmael
 
When was the last time you ever heard the term "uppity" used (in the USA) to describe a white man?

When a white man aspires to greatness from humble beginnings it's always the American Dream, when it's a black person, a woman, or heaven forbid, a black woman.. they get described as "uppity".

"White trash" is referred as uppity all the time. That's racist AND classist. But it sounds yummy.

Snack Mix: White Trash Recipe

White Trash

2 cups peanuts
2 cups broken pecans (large pieces)
1 box (13-ounce size) Golden Grahams cereal
24 ounces of white almond bark


Combine peanuts, pecans, and cereal in a very large bowl. Melt almond bark according to package directions and pour over. Mix thoroughly and spread onto two wax-paper lined cookie sheets. Let cool and break into pieces. Store in a covered tin.



Uppity White Trash

2 cups salted cashews
2 cups broken pecans (large pieces)
1 box (13-ounce size) Golden Grahams cereal
24 ounces white chocolate


Combine cashews, pecans, and cereal in a very large bowl. Melt white chocolate according to package directions and pour over. Mix thoroughly and spread onto two wax-paper lined cookie sheets. Let cool and break into pieces. Store in a covered tin.
 
I get to be uppity and feisty.

You get to be oppressive and racist.

They're both obviously true 'cause they're common usage.

I'm not defending what the dude said. I'm saying it's not - per that context - slam dunk racist. It did in fact refer to class. As you've mentioned, that doesn't make it much better, but it does make it different.

I can refer to you as uppity if you're feeling left out.

Take it as a classist statement if you wish then.

I would be interested in exactly what class Mr. and Mrs. Uppity Obama should belong to according to Sen. Westmoreland.

That, and why exactly wanting to rise above one's "expected" station in life is a bad thing (uppity) when you're a black Democrat coming up from humble beginnings and not when you're a white woman from rural Alaska.
 
Take it as a classist statement if you wish then.

I would be interested in exactly what class Mr. and Mrs. Uppity Obama should belong to according to Sen. Westmoreland.

That, and why exactly wanting to rise above one's "expected" station in life is a bad thing (uppity) when you're a black Democrat coming up from humble beginnings and not when you're a white woman from rural Alaska.

Okay. Well. There we agree.

The Southern Class system really doesn't necessarily discriminate by color (although it can and does). It's by wealth or family history predominantly. Enough money or influence gets you in.

The distinction is as different as Kanye West saying "President Bush hates black people!" and my view, which is just that President Bush doesn't give a damn about poor people because they don't have a lobbyist.

It's a more genteel, and less personal form of neglect. It's not hate. It's disinterest because someone has no influence, therefore they are a no count.

It's not better by any means, but I prefer if it were defined properly.
 
Do a search for uppity. It's usually followed by NIGGER.

It's like calling someone who's a suck up Uncle. It's usually followed by TOM.

even when you spell it out for people blatantly, they wanna argue that it isn't that. :rolleyes:

and I usually hear "uppity negro." in fact, a black woman came to my college trying to convince the black students that particular term was a compliment. ha. she felt the backlash, I'm sure.
 
even when you spell it out for people blatantly, they wanna argue that it isn't that. :rolleyes:

and I usually hear "uppity negro." in fact, a black woman came to my college trying to convince the black students that particular term was a compliment. ha. she felt the backlash, I'm sure.

Yet redneck and cracker are not racial slurs. Nice double standard. You are just another political correct racist. Grow up, all racial slurs should be condemned regardless of who says them.
 
Yet redneck and cracker are not racial slurs. Nice double standard. You are just another political correct racist. Grow up, all racial slurs should be condemned regardless of who says them.

Redneck and cracker ARE racial terms.

Unless someone has a sunburn or a Ritz.
 
Yet redneck and cracker are not racial slurs. Nice double standard. You are just another political correct racist. Grow up, all racial slurs should be condemned regardless of who says them.

I never said cracker wasn't a racial slur. it is.

redneck can & is applied to people of all races.

get over it.
 
Yet redneck and cracker are not racial slurs. Nice double standard. You are just another political correct racist. Grow up, all racial slurs should be condemned regardless of who says them.
"Redneck" and "cracker" are indeed racial slurs. And just as you'll almost never hear a black person called either of those, you'll also essentially never hear a white person--even a redneck, even a cracker--called "uppity." It's a heavily loaded, barely coded way of saying that a black person is inappropriately rising above his or her station (said station implied to be somewhere below white people--even the crackers and rednecks).
 
"Redneck" and "cracker" are indeed racial slurs. And just as you'll almost never hear a black person called either of those, you'll also essentially never hear a white person--even a redneck, even a cracker--called "uppity." It's a heavily loaded, barely coded way of saying that a black person is inappropriately rising above his or her station (said station implied to be somewhere below white people--even the crackers and rednecks).

Actually my family's from the South.

"White trash" is just as likely to be considered "uppity."

It IS a class statement.
 
Actually my family's from the South.

"White trash" is just as likely to be considered "uppity."

It IS a class statement.
No problem. Walk into a room of black business people, call them uppity, and then explain you really meant it in the way that can also apply to white trash (a term which is, by the way, itself an implied slur against blacks).
 
He said outright what most conservatives (other than AJ) only hint at:


Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland used the racially-tinged term "uppity" to describe Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Thursday.


wow...racially tinged indeed.
hey...would it be considered racist to describe Obama as "a black BOY"?
Jimmy Carter said that about to him.
I guess it was just an excusable "senior moment" for the peanut farming jackass of Plains,GA.
http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/video.aspx?RsrcID=34615
 
Actually my family's from the South.

"White trash" is just as likely to be considered "uppity."

It IS a class statement.
If you don't mind my asking, now that I think of it, how are a man who went to Harvard and a woman who went to Princeton and Harvard acting uppity? They went into community organizing. If anything, they're acting low-ity.

It's uppity because they're black. Joe Biden was and is one of the poorest members of congress, truly from a poor background. Is he called uppity?
 
wow...racially tinged indeed.
hey...would it be considered racist to describe Obama as "a black BOY"?
Jimmy Carter said that about to him.
I guess it was just an excusable "senior moment" for the peanut farming jackass of Plains,GA.
http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/video.aspx?RsrcID=34615

Oh come now, you know as well as anyone else that he was speaking of when Obama was a child, indeed, a boy. Stupid fucker.
 
No problem. Walk into a room of black business people, call them uppity, and then explain you really meant it in the way that can also apply to white trash (a term which is, by the way, itself an implied slur against blacks).

Why do people keep thinking I want to insult whole groups of people?

It's an insult. It's just not inherently racist.

If I walked in and called any group "stupid" it would be just as insulting as calling someone "uppity" but it wouldn't be racist. It'd just be offensive.

How in hell do you think "white trash" is a slur against blacks?
 
"Redneck" and "cracker" are indeed racial slurs. And just as you'll almost never hear a black person called either of those...

not true. at least where I come from. cracker, sure. no one's gonna call a black person that. but redneck is universal in Georgia.
 
Why do people keep thinking I want to insult whole groups of people?

It's an insult. It's just not inherently racist.

If I walked in and called any group "stupid" it would be just as insulting as calling someone "uppity" but it wouldn't be racist. It'd just be offensive.

How in hell do you think "white trash" is a slur against blacks?
I'll answer by asking a question: Why aren't they just called "trash"?
 
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