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Bad example. Here in Australia, I call my mate a cunt all the time. But if my mate and I worked as store cashiers in the US, we'd be expected to refrain from d
by saithound 5y ago
Bad example. Here in Australia, I call my mate a cunt all the time.
But if my mate and I worked as store cashiers in the US, we'd be expected to refrain from doing that. Or we would have to look for new jobs in short order. And that's fine.
- bedobi 5y agoYeah nah mate, the example is good. Assume you're not dropping the c bomb all the time. The point is, no one would say it's OK to pressure speakers to not speak Australian English. And not only are they not stigmatized the way AAVE speakers are, in addition to that, it's kind of expected that people who work with Australians make an effort to get used to and understand the Australian variety of English. That certainly isn't the expectation for AAVE - with AAVE, it's them who should make the effort to speak like everyone else, not anyone else making an effort to get used to and understand them. Even those who speak perfectly grammatical Standard American English, but with an African American accent only, are still stigmatized. So it's not enough for speakers to speak grammatical Standard American English, they have to completely change they way they speak in order not to be stigmatized. This is very revealing, because Standard American English, just with an African American pronunciation, is less foreign than Australian English, which has not only different pronunciation but different vocab etc as well.
- pelagicAustral 5y agoMaybe because AAVE is just bad English and is intrinsically understood by people that going to a place and learning localisms is not the same as impersonating another individual. Furthermore, in the current social spectrum it would take no time for someone even trying to be accused of cultural appropriation... no thanks.
- bedobi 5y agoBut that's the thing, AAVE is not "just bad English", or a localism. (unlike Australian English, which really is just bad English, and a localism) You really ought to get off your high horse, watch the video. You might learn something.
- bedobi 5y agoFor anyone triggered by the above comment saying Australian English really is just bad English... I don't actually believe that, I just wrote it trigger you on purpose. Now go and think long and hard about why it's ok for you to be upset when someone says your variety of English is just bad English, but it's totally OK for you to say AAVE, or even just Standard American English spoken with an African American accent, is just bad English.
- Cthulhu_ 5y agoYou perceive it to be bad English, others perceive it as the language and colloquialisms they grew up with, making it part of themselves. Some white guy like you coming in and scoffing at it as bad english really isn't helping and shows both your perceived privilege and elitism, and your ignorance.
- pelagicAustral 5y agoDont hold back...