Apparently when Sergio Garcia made the crack about serving Tiger Woods fried chicken when asked if he would cook him a meal, there was an audible wince from the audience.
Woods is said to be 'upset' by the comment and Garcia has been suitable contrite and apologetic as a man who is in danger of losing his million pound sponsorship deal with Adidas is expected to be.
If i had been in the audience i would have been one of the few which the comment would have gone completely over my head as racist because somehow saying that black people like chicken has completely passed me by as a racist insult.
I did feel slightly less confused when the newspaper reviewer on Sky News this morning asked the same question i asked of why was it racist to the host who did his best to expand on the theme of 'because it is' without actually explaining it.
To an European ear, the fried chicken comment might seem harmless, but it obviously isn't if you're from the US, it's racist.
I'm guessing Garcia knew it would be taken as so and showed his contempt to Woods and a lack of class by making it and if he suffers a slandering for it then it's his own fault, but i'm struggling to make a connection between black people and fried chicken.
Is there particularly something bad about eating friend chicken that i'm unaware of or is it like saying the English drink a lot of tea or that Essex girls are a bit dim but is worse because it brings race into it?
I expect the answer lies somewhere in Wikipedia but i will play it safe and if Tiger Woods turns up for dinner one day, i will just serve beans on toast unless wheat based products are taboo also in which case i will just give him a cup of tea laced with Bromide and make sure he isn't parked anywhere near a tree.
7 comments:
I believe that it's a bit like calling an Indian a 'curry muncher'.
The people who use this stereotype are usually trying to deploy a racist insult, I would say, but as usual only ever end up looking quite stupid themselves.
"...trying to deploy a racist insult,?"
How easily Americanisms enter the speech of nations, even pretentious ones filled with pie-eaters and warm-beer-swiggers!
Why is much of the world aping the most uncivilized, brutal, mediocre, psychopathic nation the world has ever seen, the U.S.?
I'm sure Cheezy will have some theory lurking in the dim recesses of his tiny mind.
Perhaps he will collude with Q on this subject.
Such a lovely couple!
P.S. Take care, Lucy.
Ooohhhh... yeah... don't start making fried chicken jokes with African Americans. Not that fried chicken isn't fantastic.
It would go about as well as an American in England talking about someone's "fanny" (probably the least offensive and entirely nonvulgar synonym for butt in American).
Fried chicken is a traditional stable of the cuisine of the South. At one point long ago, I presume that there was an economic connotation to someone who eats fried chicken which lingers on in the African American community.
You think the word 'deploy' is an Americanism, David?
Once again, you've revealed your pathetically childlike ignorance of the world.
It comes from the French words déploiement and déployer, and it's first recognised use in English (particularly North English dialect) was in 1722.
But here's a genuine Americanism for you, David, as you're interested: You're a retard.
retard (v.)
late 15c., from French retarder (13c.), from Latin retardare (see retardation). Related: Retarded; retarding. The noun is recorded from 1788 in the sense "retardation, delay;" from 1970 in offensive meaning "retarded person," originally American English, with accent on first syllable.
Well, Lucy, at least that brought in a few comments from the peanut gallery, eh!
I'll call by more often!
Thanks Q, the whole chicken watermelon thing completely passed me by.
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