I didn't want to start a new thread, but I was asked to, I know a lot of people don't want so much off-topicity, and I suppose there's a lot to say here.erik wrote:Anyone can jockey a camel. Anyone can chuck a spear. Anyone can get their back wet. Start another thread if you want to illogically defend racial slurs.Lord of Oats wrote:He makes a good point, though. Towel head isn't racist; anyone can wear a towel.
Here are some thoughts.
I'm not racist. I don't walk around spewing out this sort of garbage. He's probably a racist, but towel head is not intrinsically racist. It's hardly a slur. It's a silly way to look at an adaptation to climate. It really has very little to do with race, though, because it's such a widespread practice in places outside the West. Xenophobic and jingoistic? Sure. Racist? Not really. Basically, people using it generally aren't educated enough to properly be racist. But if I were to say it, which I very likely wouldn't, as it would imply that I were some bigoted American retard, I certainly wouldn't mean it the same way as they would. There's a big difference between me going, "Hehe, isn't it funny how other peoples' cultures are different?" and these folks that are all, "Fuck those motherfuckers blowing up our buildings and shit." Not that the people who are blowing up our buildings don't deserved to be fucked. The problem is when you say that, and you somehow mean half the globe. I suppose ignorance is a large contributing factor, as always.
I usually get upset when I hear these kinds of things, myself. But it's all in how you mean it. Do I question the intent of the fellow making the argument? Yes. But it doesn't make his argument less valid. Towel head isn't racist. It's an ignorant cry for help. Headwear is such a ridiculous thing to make fun of, it shouldn't be offensive. If nothing else, it sounds cool. It's got a nice ring to it. I love hats of any kind. I have the utmost respect for turbans. I wish I had one. But let's be realistic. It is a towel. I don't see the problem there. I love towels. Shouting, "It's not a towel!" forty fricking times makes you sound like a dumb whore. I find interrupting an artist at work a lot more disrespectful than using generalized, non-vulgar gestures to describe people. Assaulting an artist at work, no matter how bad he is at what he does, or how much you dislike him as a person, takes it a step further.
Towel head is a neutral thing, despite what I think about it sounding cool. It's meant negatively, but it's really ridiculous that it can be used that way. Camel-jockey is even worse. I wish I could ride camels. In fact, I hope to, someday. It should be a point of pride, not an insult. But I guess I can't expect most of the populace to have the same respect for Arab culture that I do. I always thought spear-chucker was a little beyond ridiculous, and I suppose the other ones are, too, if we're trying to use any of them to refer to participants in mainstream American society. I guess the turban is the only thing that really holds up, and probably only for Sikhs, who are required to wear it as a religious thing, and, well, they're not the same thing as Arab Muslims, are they? Yeah, I don't know, as if everything from the Arabian peninsula to the Indian subcontinent were just one big mass of terrorist lunatics. What a bunch of fucking idiots we are. I guess I can see why we get upset with each other like this.
But to sum up. Asshole guy has a point, but he really looks like an idiot when all he can say is, "CUNT!" So, he's probably an idiot. Hecklers need to lay off, especially such self-righteous ones. And storming the stage?! People should fucking calm down. Basically, everyone should strive to have more respect for others. A lack of respect for people, their cultures, and their opinions is responsible for all of the problems in the video, which are further aggravated by an all-around failure to think critically.
