4 ms·
In the context it was not meant literally as people who are white and male in the same way that blue collar worker does not refer to all workers wearing blue sh
by danbruc 11y ago
In the context it was not meant literally as people who are white and male in the same way that blue collar worker does not refer to all workers wearing blue shirts.
- shrewduser 11y agothen "white male" has no meaning, unless you mean "white male and privileged" in which case it's redundant and racist to have the "white male" part
- delinka 11y agoDid you actually mean 'redundant'? If so, you first said 'white male' has no meaning. For it to be redundant in the 'white male and privileged' then it must also mean 'privileged.' I certainly agree on the racist point.
- cicero 11y agoHe said, unless you mean...privileged. In THAT case, it's redundant.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- hnthrow165038 11y agoThe problem is that lots of people don't get that nuance, and then carry the thought along thinking it really does literally mean people who are white and male. Memes morph as they're passed along, and a complex sociological understanding of abstract "whiteness" has no chance of surviving into the popular understanding. So for each person like you who means "white male in the abstract sense", there are ten people in the movement who literally hate white males for running the world. When we want to talk about privilege we should say just that: "privileged people". Don't shit on arbitrary subsections of the population.
- geon 11y agoReally, just use words that describe the concept. "White male" has a very specific inherent meaning. Don't use it to describe something completely different, like racism or sexism.
- Chris2048 11y agolots of people don't get that nuance, because that nuance doesn't generally exist and was just made up now to win the argument. "white male in the abstract sense" ffs!
- hnthrow165038 11y agoOh, definitely. I don't believe in the religion myself. I have heard that cop-out before though: "but we're only talking about the successful white males". I think the term for the argument technique / fallacy is motte-and-bailey (you might be aware but for the benefit of anyone reading): http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/11/03/all-in-all-another-brick-in-the-motte/ http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/11/03/all-in-all-another-bric...
- Chris2048 11y agoupboat for a brilliant article there!