Stereotypes of African American Women...

[angela146]

I just saw a piece on CNN (transcript here) about stereotypes of African American women and how Michelle Obama is going to shatter them.

But what caught my ear was this statement from Allison Samuels of "Newsweek":

SAMUELS: We still have that negative image of black women being overweight and very loud and rolling their eyes and talking back and having these sassy one-liners all the time. And that's just not the entire community.

I think what Michelle Obama will be able to do is just show you a different type of African-American woman.​

(Let's set the "overweight" thing aside for the moment).

Instead of defending African American women (by saying, for example, that they are strong, independent, self-confident, able to think and speak for themselves, etc.) Samuels tells us that "... that's just not the entire community."

In other words, Michelle Obama is an example of a woman who doesn't "talk back", doesn't "roll her eyes" and isn't "sassy".

I was confused by Samuels' statement and had to re-wind it to hear it again. It took me a moment to remember that "talking back" is are supposed to be a bad thing for a woman to do.

You see, us white women know our place and maybe Michelle Obama can be an example of a black woman who knows her place too.

Thankfully, the rest of the article wasn't quite that sexist.

Maybe my problem is the fact that I'm not white enough to understand how a woman is supposed to act. Yeah, that must be it. It's that brown skin thing. [/dripping sarcasm]

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Obviously Samuels has not, as I have, an exposure to African American women who are educated beyond the batchelor's and very confident in their professionalism. He must be reading off a different list of stereotypes from mine . . . Whadda twerp!

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

There are always exceptions to the stereotype...two headed snakes and 6 fingered people do exist. Dwarfs exist.

But the bottomline is: Rats beget rats and Thoroughbreds beget Thoroughbreds.

 

[angela146]

Obviously Samuels has not, as I have, an exposure to African American women who are educated beyond the batchelor's and very confident in their professionalism. He must be reading off a different list of stereotypes from mine . . . Whadda twerp!

Um... not "he". She is an African American woman, attempting to educate us about what she and her kin are really like.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

You see, us white women know our place and maybe Michelle Obama can be an example of a black woman who knows her place too.

Thankfully, the rest of the article wasn't quite that sexist.

Maybe my problem is the fact that I'm not white enough to understand how a woman is supposed to act. Yeah, that must be it. It's that brown skin thing. [/dripping sarcasm]

Actually, it's an anti-black thing.

Obama didn't slap McCain silly a few times because he didn't want to be seen as a back talking kneegrow... an "angry black man".

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I'm so sick of identity politics I could puke.

Over on one thread we're talking about stereotypes of femdoms. On another we're talking about stereotypes of christians. now we're talking about stereotypes of black women.

Give it a rest! It's not the end of the fucking world.

 

[Liar]

Angela, methinks you're over-analyzing Allison Samuels' maybe poor word choices, instead of the gist of the message.

There's a negative sterotype of African American women as being loud, conflict thriving drama queens. All show and no substance.

And I don't know about you, but I don't equate traits like that with strength, independence, self-confident and wit. Quite the opposite. It's the empty wagon that rattles the loudest, the saying goes.

And this is where Michelle Obama comes in. She will be a perpetually visible example of an African American woman who isn't living up to the stereotype of loud and obnoxious, but is instead actually, genuinely strong, independent, self-confident, able to think and speak for herself and so on.

 

[sweetness6280]

Whether we want to admit it or not, those stereotypes do exist. I took an African American Lit class just over a year ago in which we took on a lot of those stereotypes. I was one of only 4 white women in the class, and I was surprised by the effect those stereotypes still have on young black women. These women were intelligent, poised, and beautiful, and yet still felt somewhat defined by their own culture and, in some ways, literature.

By the end of the semester, we had become great friends and had come a long way in realizing how much we are affected by our culture.

 

[SeaCat]

Stereotypes do exist. Unfortunately in many cases those that are being stereotyped seem to want to live down to those stereotypes. (Even as they complain about them.)

You want to break a stereotype? Live above it.

Cat

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

I'm sorry... maybe I'm missing something.

Are we objecting to the stereotype given by Samuels, or are we objecting to one particular interpretation of what Samuels meant by the stereotype?

From my experience, the stereotype exists. Thats not going to be popular to say, but its true. I'll be glad for a prominant example like Michelle on the national stage.

 

[Le Jacquelope]

I'm sorry... maybe I'm missing something.

Are we objecting to the stereotype given by Samuels, or are we objecting to one particular interpretation of what Samuels meant by the stereotype?

From my experience, the stereotype exists. Thats not going to be popular to say, but its true. I'll be glad for a prominant example like Michelle on the national stage.

And what's the difference between black women who backtalk and, say, white men who are the same way?

What's the difference between white empty wagons and black empty wagons?

Can anyone tell me that?

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

And what's the difference between black women who backtalk and, say, white men who are the same way?

One's a black woman and one's a white man. What am I missing, here?

What's the difference between white empty wagons and black empty wagons?

Can anyone tell me that?

I'm not sure how this answers my question... or if its not supposed to, what your point is? Or past that, whose disagreeing?

 

[NoJo]

I think the black empty wagon would probably have a better sense of rhythm.

 

[Stella_Omega]

As I've mentioned, um... somewhere, one problem for so many minorities is the impoverished supply of speakers within that minority. How many men still think that Andrea Dworkin speaks for feminism? She only speaks for what I would call "Dworkinists."

"yeah, but she's a woman, right? and a feminist, right?"

Do you consider Nietzche a "male" philosopher? How about Sartre? There are hundreds of them, and none of them are considered philosophers of Maleism.


Anyway, that problem is really exacerbated for black women.

 

[SlickTony]

talking back and sassy one-liners is a bad thing?

 

[dr_mabeuse]

This thread is so stereotypical of stereotype threads.

 

[Liar]

And what's the difference between black women who backtalk and, say, white men who are the same way?

What's the difference between white empty wagons and black empty wagons.

The difference between white empty wagons and black empty wagons is other people's attitude towards them.

One is more subject to common racist prejudices and stereotypes and the other is less so.

 

[Liar]

talking back and sassy one-liners is a bad thing?

Not in itself. You can do everything with or whithout class, thought and sense of decorum. Do it right and you're a sharp player. Do it wrong and you're a windy douchebag.

 

[emap]

So I'm confused, why are we talking about this? I mean seriously, why has the entire world boiled down to what one person says on TV?

Let's step back for a moment and discuss stereotypes. By definition a stereotype is an impression of every single person who has this one or several things in common. Who believes these things? People who don't know anyone of that particular thing or things.

Apparently it is a stereotype that all redheaded women are screamers in bed, at least I know that alot of guys will just outright ask me if I am since I have red hair. Does it bother me? Well no since I do tend to scream.

Do all asian men get upset that people stereotype them as all having small penises, good in math and knowing karate? Probably since men seem to be preoccupied with the size of that certain part of them.

See that's the thing about a stereotype, it only bothers the people who let it, take a look at the mentally challenged, they call themselves retards. Does it bother others? I beleive it does, it shouldn't since a word only has as much power as you give it, if you take away the power it no longer means anything. FUCk is a very good example, at one point it was a punishable offence, as in it was having sex with someone your not married to, does it have any power now? Well yes more than it should though really it's just a naughty word.

Bitch is moving along in the same direction, the N word would if certain portions of the american populace would let it.

So yeah, I think I'll just let an old phrase sum it all up.
Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Not in itself. You can do everything with or whithout class, thought and sense of decorum. Do it right and you're a sharp player. Do it wrong and you're a windy douchebag.

Windy Douchebag. I think that's my new Cowboy name.

Thanks, Liar.

--Windy

 

[cloudy]

So I'm confused, why are we talking about this? I mean seriously, why has the entire world boiled down to what one person says on TV?

Let's step back for a moment and discuss stereotypes. By definition a stereotype is an impression of every single person who has this one or several things in common. Who believes these things? People who don't know anyone of that particular thing or things.

Apparently it is a stereotype that all redheaded women are screamers in bed, at least I know that alot of guys will just outright ask me if I am since I have red hair. Does it bother me? Well no since I do tend to scream.

Do all asian men get upset that people stereotype them as all having small penises, good in math and knowing karate? Probably since men seem to be preoccupied with the size of that certain part of them.

See that's the thing about a stereotype, it only bothers the people who let it, take a look at the mentally challenged, they call themselves retards. Does it bother others? I beleive it does, it shouldn't since a word only has as much power as you give it, if you take away the power it no longer means anything. FUCk is a very good example, at one point it was a punishable offence, as in it was having sex with someone your not married to, does it have any power now? Well yes more than it should though really it's just a naughty word.

Bitch is moving along in the same direction, the N word would if certain portions of the american populace would let it.

So yeah, I think I'll just let an old phrase sum it all up.
Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.

Spoken by one who has never been stereotyped as anything but "a screamer in bed."

Stereotypes hurt. No, they're not just sticks and stones. They affect children's views of themselves, lead to self-esteem problems, etc. Ever heard of the baby doll experiment? Obviously you haven't seen it, or you wouldn't have such a childish view of the issue.

Jumping away from what it can do to one's self-image, it can affect your chances of getting a job, how you do in school, have an effect in a myriad number of ways.

So...no, it's not just sticks and stones. Thinking that that's all there is to it is so simplistic as to be ridiculous.

 

[emap]

Ah yes the board simpleton speaks. Here I'll explain it for you in simple plain terms so you can understand. Getting rejected for a job because your black or redhead or well anything, is grounds for a lawsuit. No i've not only been thought of as a screamer, it's just the only thing I felt like mentioning simply because it's amusing. Not that you understand amusing of course, oh no the great all knowing always perfect cloudy can't be bothered with amusing.

Let's move on to well something maybe you can understand. Someone elses opinion of you only hurts when you care. If you simply can remember that what someone else thinks is exactly that, someone else life gets so much easier. Course the great all knowing cloudy can't do simple so has to mire in the stereotypes and lash out at anyone that strikes her fancy.

I'm not seeing how it affects how you do in school unless say, you let what others think of you determine what you do. I'm sure you have plenty of experience with that one.

Well yes they can affect someones view of themselves, if they let it, did you not catch that part? Granted you can't catch it anyway but perhaps someone will be nice enough to explain it in grunts for you.

I must say thank you for establishing just how completely baseless your thinking is, well lack of thinking, calling what you do thinking is an insult to thinking.

 

[cloudy]

Ah yes blah blah blah ramble ramble ramble blah blah blah ramble ramble ramble blah blah blah ramble ramble ramble

*snort*

Yeah, okay, whatever.

 

[neonlyte]

Windy Douchebag. I think that's my new Cowboy name.

Thanks, Liar.

--Windy

Me thinks a Windy Douchebag needs a non-return valve... to prevent an inadvertant overload

Cowboy... pffft Do they still load steers in Windy C?

 

[Guest]

Windy Douchebag. I think that's my new Cowboy name.

Thanks, Liar.

--Windy

Do you wear spurs when you ride, Windy?