-ist

[Monterey Jack]

I don't even understand where half these slurs/stereotypes come from (think specifically of the jew comment). I'm always like, "Huh, I don't see it."

The term "Jewing something down" refers to the stereotype that Jewish people are good with money and stingy spenders.

[Food Lady]

I understand the meaning, but what I'm saying is that I don't actually see that in reality. So to me the stereotypes are sometimes weird ideas people have pulled out of the air with no rhyme nor reason to them.

[Monterey Jack]

I understand the meaning, but what I'm saying is that I don't actually see that in reality. So to me the stereotypes are sometimes weird ideas people have pulled out of the air with no rhyme nor reason to them.

I get that...like the whole "black people love fried chicken and watermelon" thing. I read somewhere that some company banned these food items from company picnics so as not to offend their black employees, but...who doesn't like fried chicken and watermelon? Chris Rock even did a standup routine about it, "Y'see, when I was a kid, I ate that shit [fried chicken] 'cause I thought it was delicious...I didn't realize that I was genetically-predisposed to like it!"

[Aragarthiel]

My husband's one of those people who will say something without realizing it's offensive. I've had to explain to him SEVERAL times the origins of phrases that would be offensive, or that the word he just used isn't nice. It doesn't matter if his dad (who is one of those stubborn old bigots who spends all day yelling at FOX news or watching NASCAR) says it all the time, he should know better. Since he grew up around someone using derogatory terms so often, he never really got a chance to see that they were offensive, so I'm trying to teach him what is and isn't acceptable to say.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I get that...like the whole "black people love fried chicken and watermelon" thing. I read somewhere that some company banned these food items from company picnics so as not to offend their black employees, but...who doesn't like fried chicken and watermelon? Chris Rock even did a standup routine about it, "Y'see, when I was a kid, I ate that shit [fried chicken] 'cause I thought it was delicious...I didn't realize that I was genetically-predisposed to like it!"

Heh. I always told people I know of quite a number of white folk who like watermelon and fried chicken just as much.

But as for the "ist" folks who automatically think we agree w/them: we have a regular guy who comes in just about every morning and not only drives our dairy guy nuts talking about football, but he'll start spouting off about whatever controversy is currently in the news (aka Munch). And it doesn't matter if others are shopping nearby . . . he'll blather on unless a black person shows up, and then it's on.

Let's just say Grasshopper got a good dose of what the morning shift listens to Thursday when Munch came in. He was within earshot when Munch started blabbling to me about how he could do whatever he wanted to on his property.

I just shook my head and told him "That's your perogative . . . but it's not mine." And to the back room I went. I have no time for these shit-stirrers.

It's only a question of time before this guy incites a riot inside our store. I hope Grasshopper can get him banned by then.

[Jay 2K Winger]

It was always a very rare thing I'd run into bigotry on the clock. But whenever someone said something like that at me, I tended to just switch off "friendly Jay" and turn on "coldly efficient Jay" to conclude whatever business we had to conduct, and send them on their way.

[Argabarga]

For the most part, I just ignore it. Sadly, I'm usually outnumbered because until recently, a lot of my coworkers WERE the ones being the bigots and were certainly not changing their ways, so it was best to just let them wallow in their ignorance since we had to work together, for the sake of peace.

Though I'd occasionally get in a good zinger when they didn't take the hint and leave me alone.

Them: You're not Jewish, are you?
Me: (ice cold) Tell a joke and find out.

He didn't :P

[Agent Paperclip]

Back to Caitlyn Jenner...

A coworker got a verbal warning when a male SC came through her lane and started talking about Jenner in a very negative way dropping every slur you could imagine and when the SC finally stopped and asked coworker the infamous, "Am I right?" she replied, "Well I don't know but if that sort of thing floats your boat then go for it." Cue SC tantrum about how he wasn't gay (not the word he used btw) and that's not what he meant and he wasn't into guys blargh blargh blargh!!

SC complained. Awesome Coworker got a verbal warning that wouldn't go into her file and the MOD brought her lunch from the Subway in our store

[Seshat]

I don't even understand where half these slurs/stereotypes come from (think specifically of the jew comment). I'm always like, "Huh, I don't see it." Like, where did people even get the idea? I think next time someone uses a term like that I'll ask them about the etymology, all curious-like, and make them think about what they're saying.

I happen to know the origin of the 'jew' one.

For a long period of time, Christians in Europe were forbidden to loan money for interest, with excommunication as one of the possible punishments. Jews, on the other hand, didn't have to obey the Pope or the Christian rules: and since the wealthy and the nobility wanted to be able to borrow money from someone, a class of Jewish moneylenders developed.

This is also the reason for Shylock, the stereotypical 'Jewish moneylender' of the Shakespearean play "Merchant of Venice".

I'm sure there's a great deal of detail to the situation that I don't actually know; but this is the basic background.

[gerund]

gay pride rainbows that show up in the sky after it rains.... who's responsible for THAT recent development?

It's been like that for a while.

[Shalom]

I never cared about Jenner back when she was a he; why should I care about her now? Just another celebrity that has no relevance to my life. I don't watch TV (I don't even have a TV), so basically all I know about the situation is what I hear on the radio. I gathered that there seems to be some connection to the Kardashian family; wonderful, more people who are famous for being famous.

What bugged me though was when someone on the radio got on her for the spelling of her new name. How else would you spell Caitlyn? That is the correct spelling, as far as I know.

As far as bigotry in the workplace ... hasn't really happened to me, as far as I remember. As I am visibly Jewish (I wear the yarmulke at all times, and have had a more or less full beard since 16, though I don't have the long sidelocks), people don't tend to tell me ethnic jokes to my face. I did have one elderly Gazan come in my store and start ranting at me out of the blue, back in the early 90s, but I wouldn't call that bigotry as such (more like we were on opposing sides of a war), and in any case I was the target, not the audience for slurs against some other target.

[Hermione]

Miss Manners recommends a chilly "I beg your pardon?" to such remarks. If the remarks were supposed to be a joke, she says a silent, cold stare that lets the remark hang in the air while you are visibly not laughing is also effective.

I am stealing this idea! That is fantastic!

[Minflick]

Maybe the guy with the 'gay NBC peacock' just got his first color TV? Because I can remember watching the peacock spread it's tail back when I was small, and then color came around, and - wooo, it has COLORS! And I was still young, but no longer small.

[EricKei]

What bugged me though was when someone on the radio got on her for the spelling of her new name.

Sometimes, when you don't have anything newsworthy to run, you run with what you've got. Sad.

[Soulstealer]

I happen to know the origin of the 'jew' one.

For a long period of time, Christians in Europe were forbidden to loan money for interest, with excommunication as one of the possible punishments. Jews, on the other hand, didn't have to obey the Pope or the Christian rules: and since the wealthy and the nobility wanted to be able to borrow money from someone, a class of Jewish moneylenders developed.

This is also the reason for Shylock, the stereotypical 'Jewish moneylender' of the Shakespearean play "Merchant of Venice".

I'm sure there's a great deal of detail to the situation that I don't actually know; but this is the basic background.

That's true, I'd also point out that Jews were restricted from entering many professions as well so some of them had to go down that career path.