Racism on The View
I’ve seen this topic come up before on Twitter several times in the past few weeks and I think it’s worth posting about. (It’s not the exact definition of cultural appropriation, but I think it’s a sneaky passive aggressive form of cultural appropriation, like when someone not part of a minority tries to take on the elements of a particular minority.) In this case, Rosie O’Donnell was trying to tell Whoopi Goldberg what racism is and how she understands it as well as Whoopi.
Of course that’s not possible to know unless you’re African American. If you come from a place of privilege and dominance you can’t take on the feelings of a minority that way. Rosie O’Donnell might be gay and she might know what gaycism is…I know what gaycism is…but she, nor I, know what racism is because we’re not African American. I’ve seen what can only be termed as cries of distress on Twitter from other African Americans who find it insulting and racist when white people claim to know and understand how African Americans feel. It’s something that really bothers me.
In any event, Whoopi put Rosie in her place:
Nicole: “Do you all think we live in a racist country?”
Rosie: “Without a doubt!”
Whoopi: “Is it just ridiculousness or is it racism?!”
Rosie O: “It’s racist and it’s stupid!’
Rosie P: ‘It’s both!’
Rosie O: “It’s two things at once!
Whoopi: “I just see it as stupid!”
And it continued:
Rosie O: “I am a gay American who has been called a [bleeped word] and I know what hatred and homophobia looks like!”
Whoopi: “It’s not the same!”
Rosie: “I have a black kid I raised Whoopi! I have a kid in my house!”
Whoopi: “That is not the same!”
Rosie: “You don’t have to be black to know what racism is!”
Whoopi: “Yes you do!”
Rosie: “No you don’t!”
Whoopi: “Yes you do baby!”
Rosie: “No you do not!”
Sorry Rosie, I’m with Whoopi on this one. It’s not the same. And Rosie would be the first one to stand and shout foul if someone tried to use that kind of subtle cultural appropriation on her as a gay woman.
And here’s an excellent piece on cultural appropriation I think is worth reading just so you know what it is. Here’s an excerpt. It’s not directly related to Rosie and Whoopi, but there’s a lot of it going on these days everywhere you look.
Why Cultural Appropriation Is a Problem
Cultural appropriation remains a concern for a variety of reasons. For one, this sort of “borrowing” is exploitative because it robs minority groups of the credit they deserve. Art forms, music forms, etc., that originated with minority groups come to be associated with members of the dominant group. As a result the dominant group is deemed innovative and edgy, while the disadvantaged groups they “borrow” from continue to face negative stereotypes that imply they’re lacking in intelligence, creativity and more. In addition, when members of a dominant group appropriate the cultures of others, they often reinforce stereotypes about minority groups.
Rimming Safety Tips
Every once in a while the topic of rimming comes up again and it’s always so surprising that so many know so little about it…from a clinical POV. So here’s a link that talks about safety tips I think are important. And, it’s short and sweet with links to other excellent articles. Unfortunately, when you search for rimming you find mostly porn…which doesn’t help at all in real life. I’m going to work on that more in the future. Maybe one long post on the topic from a more clinical POV.
hepatitis , some forms of which aren’t curable?
Virgin Robbie Rogers
Robbie Rogers isn’t a virgin anymore, but he was at one time. And this article has a few direct quotes from him on the topic. He talks about losing his virginity to a woman first, and then to a man. And for those of you who don’t think there’s a difference, like Rosie O’Donnell with racism, you’re wrong. There’s a huge difference.
“My first time with a guy was actually not until I was 25, after I came out,” 27-year-old Rogers explains.
He describes the experience as “super awkward,” but leaves it at that. No sordid details, unfortunately. Though we’re sure it couldn’t have been any worse than what these guys went through.
“I mean, can you imagine dating and hooking up with a guy after 25 years?” Rogers asks. “I’m sure that he was like: What is going on?!”
It’s typical poorly written magazine tripe…he explains, he asks, he quips, etc… But I think it’s interesting to note that even Robbie Rogers waited until he was 25 to have his first gay experience. Most of us did wait until our twenties. I was a lot younger, admittedly, but most gay guys seem to be about 25…or older. So if you’re pushing 30 and still a virgin you’re not doing anything wrong. It’ll happen eventually.
