On Autoracism.

It’s generally accepted that it’s not good to say anything negative about any sect of people or peoples. We should be accepting of people of all races, religions, sexual orientations, etc. We can all agree on this? Right? Okay, moving forward.

But what about this idea that it’s only okay for people of said sect to judge or make fun of their own sect. Should only catholics or ex-catholics be allowed to make fun of catholicism? Should only african-americans be allowed to comment on their socioeconomic situation? Should only lesbians or someone involved in the community be allowed to comment on.. shit I don’t know what you can possibly say negatively about lesbians, but there has to be something.

Does being a part of something, or “getting” something make it somehow okay? Because clearly if you’re not of that sect, you “don’t get it”?

I could generalize even further to include certain “shared experiences” that seem to be a necessity to “enter the conversation”. Hard to discuss death unless you’ve faced it. Hard to discuss love without having had it or lost it yourself.

Discuss.

lehper

November 18, 2010

Good points! Best Jewish Joke I can remember was told to me bay a Rabbi. 🙂 – – – –

One Angry Dwarf

It extends beyond cultures, too. For instance, it’s okay for someone to make fat joks about themselves, but other people aren’t allowed in on it. I’m not sure why. I guess because people use self-deprecating humor as a way to avoid social scorn. But with race… Even saying positive things that are race-specific is reserved for those in the group.

So, merely pointing out that another culture is different is reserved for those within the culture, right? BUT, to abide by this rule, we have to be cognitively aware of the difference. And that’s the exact thing we’re trying not to do when we pretend there are no cultural differences between any race, gender, sexual orientation… ANYthing. It’s stupid. STUPID STUPID.

I was just thinking about this today, about how when certain groups of people make comments about themselves, but get angry if others do it, even jokingly. It’s like a defense mechanism for being “different” or something? The thing is, EVERYONE is different in some way. I think it is divisive and hostile behavior when any group of people act like they should be the only ones allowed to comment

on or relate to a community/group. One situation comes to mind- about a year ago a friend, who happened to be a lesbian invited me to her party. It turned out everyone else at the party was lesbian, and they all knew each other. My friend was introducing me around and everything was fine until the wife came to meet me. I made an offhand comment about how the lesbian community seemed to be really

tight knit, and I thought that was interesting. She got really weird and said, in this accusing tone, “you must be a lesbian then!” (She knew I was married to a guy). I told her no, and she repeatedly asked me if I didn’t like girls. It made me feel really awkward and not a part of the crowd, all because of my sexual orientation. Maybe she was acting that way because she feels judged by society,

however excluding people who don’t share the same sexual preferences seems hypocritical in that case. Humans are interesting.