4 ms·

The articles about the issue clearly state that the list in question contained examples that mocked Asian and African names, so your comment is moot in this con

by p49k 5y ago

The articles about the issue clearly state that the list in question contained examples that mocked Asian and African names, so your comment is moot in this context.

Uhhrrr 5y ago
Sorry, I'll make it clearer for you: the metric for being on the list is "sounds funny in English", not cultural origin. Thus there will be names from all different cultures, but for any given culture, most names won't be on the list. Edit: according to this article, "Many of the names were of American or European origin. But others were Asian, or African, and eventually the list — titled “Best Names Ever” — began to make people uncomfortable." https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/27/22406673/basecamp-political-speech-policy-controversy https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/27/22406673/basecamp-politic... So really, the people practicing cultural discrimination were the ones who were ok with the list so long as only European names were in it.
- p49k 5y ago
  You are Gish-galloping at this point. Yes, Anglo-Americans making fun of Anglo American names is not racist, nor is a group of people exclusively joking about names from their own culture. But that’s not the situation here. Jokes that begin more innocently can turn racist; happens all the time. It’s best not to allow them to turn in that direction by including the types of jokes that racists always love to latch on due to an element of plausible deniability. If people took all the mental energy they expended in being apologists for inappropriate behavior and simply applied it to finding ways to enjoy time with others that don’t have all these issues, none of this would ever be a problem.
  - Uhhrrr 5y ago
    A Gish gallop involves many points. Mine is singular: a list of names that sound funny in English is not racist. If a racist enjoys the list, that does not make it racist. Racists also eat toast. That does not make toast racist. If people took all the mental energy they expended in labeling things as racist, and simply applied it to finding ways to enjoy time with people who don’t have all these issues, none of this would ever be a problem.

by p49k 5y ago

The articles about the issue clearly state that the list in question contained examples that mocked Asian and African names, so your comment is moot in this context.

Uhhrrr 5y ago

Sorry, I'll make it clearer for you: the metric for being on the list is "sounds funny in English", not cultural origin. Thus there will be names from all different cultures, but for any given culture, most names won't be on the list. Edit: according to this article, "Many of the names were of American or European origin. But others were Asian, or African, and eventually the list — titled “Best Names Ever” — began to make people uncomfortable." https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/27/22406673/basecamp-political-speech-policy-controversy https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/27/22406673/basecamp-politic... So really, the people practicing cultural discrimination were the ones who were ok with the list so long as only European names were in it.

p49k 5y ago
You are Gish-galloping at this point. Yes, Anglo-Americans making fun of Anglo American names is not racist, nor is a group of people exclusively joking about names from their own culture. But that’s not the situation here. Jokes that begin more innocently can turn racist; happens all the time. It’s best not to allow them to turn in that direction by including the types of jokes that racists always love to latch on due to an element of plausible deniability. If people took all the mental energy they expended in being apologists for inappropriate behavior and simply applied it to finding ways to enjoy time with others that don’t have all these issues, none of this would ever be a problem.
- Uhhrrr 5y ago
  A Gish gallop involves many points. Mine is singular: a list of names that sound funny in English is not racist. If a racist enjoys the list, that does not make it racist. Racists also eat toast. That does not make toast racist. If people took all the mental energy they expended in labeling things as racist, and simply applied it to finding ways to enjoy time with people who don’t have all these issues, none of this would ever be a problem.