To contact this jazz band and tell them to stop using this word?

[FauxWhiteOrchid]

There’s a local jazz event taking place soon and the bio describes the band as “Dixieland”. I remember the Dixie Chicks apologising and changing their name.

The word derives from the American South and is also used in a Confederate song. Here’s the full Wikipedia page for “Dixie”. Basically, its usage is racist.

I was surprised to see the word at all but also not surprised as I live in a very white Reform/Tory voting area.

AIBU to contact the band and ask them to change their description? Or leave them alone? I know what the reaction will be if I do contact them: just music blah blah been a traditional word for this style of jazz blah blah world gone mad woke blah joy thief etc. But I see no reason to use this word in this day and age.

WWYD?

I don’t. It must be seriously dull to perpetually be in faux outrage at every thing in the world.

The OP seriously needs to get a life; get hobbies, read more, get some exercise and not pickle in their own bile.

Who is this band to you? If it’s a friend asking advice then mention it. If this is just some band appearing at the local pub next week, then it’s nothing to do with you.

YABVU and I hope they tell you to get fucked. Stop tying to police other people’s language.

So you're asking them to stop describing their music?

Are you actually offended OP, or are you taking offence on behalf of others, you know, people who are perfectly capable of deciding for themselves what they find offensive or not, without some bloody virtue signaller telling them?

I've read the wiki article, and I'm trying my best to be offended, but actually I've no idea what this is about or why OP is in a flap about it.

Unfortunately there's nothing much you can infer from that number, because the YABU votes aren't going to mean just one thing. Maybe some are about the acceptability of the word Dixieland, or about when it's okay or not okay to challenge language use. Personally, I voted YABU purely because you asked if YWBU to tell someone not to use a particular word.

If you'd asked if YWBU to "let them know I found it upsetting" or "contact them about the history and connotations of the word" or even "ask them to consider changing it", I'd have maybe not bothered reading the thread, or read and not voted, or voted YANBU. And of course you can always make your own judgements on people based on the language they use, and make choices based on those judgements, so if you'd said "AIBU not to go to a concert that's advertised like this", that's your prerogative.

I'd generally be okay with "telling" if it were something more personal to you, like a psychologist describing you in a letter as "queer" when you dislike that term, or an acquaintance repeatedly referring to you as black when they know you refer to yourself as mixed-race. Or, if you control a particular platform, you can tell people what language they can use on that platform, obviously.

But generally, acting like you have the right to tell random people or groups what words you'll permit them to use would BU, IMO. I voted based on that, so, yeah, maybe not so "interesting"

Guarantee the op is white and is pretty clueless.

It’s a style of jazz, based on the name of a geographical area. You’re being over-sensitive.

If you think the band might be unaware of the derivation of the name or the fact that it might upset some people you could write to inform them of the facts, but asking them to change their name is just being a busybody and would put their backs up.

I'm sure if we tracked the derivation of many words they would refer to things that would now be considered unacceptable but languages, like attitudes, are constantly evolving. Just because a word meant one thing 20 or 100 or 500 years ago doesn't mean it means the same thing now. It won't even mean the same thing in two different countries or even two different areas of the same country.

You can't erase history from language.

I was surprised to see the word at all but also not surprised as I live in a very white Reform/Tory voting area.

OP - this statement is seriously offensive - epecially to the people who live in your area, how dare they be white in a white country, how dare they not vote the way you do.

Doubt it as she has already been a bit judgmental about 'white' areas,

Oh, I think the area known as Dixie and Dixeland jazz were coined well before anyone had identified dyslexia as a condition!

Many faux's today
It's not even fauxday, it's saturday

Probably, but we are talking about a name someone has chosen to use in 2024, and it has more than one meaning

…on behalf of people that OP things WOULD be offended, but aren’t 🤷‍♀️

They clearly play that style of jazz. It's not the type of jazz I like, but it really does mean just that. If I was invited to a jazz concert my 1st question would be ' what sort?'. If it was Dixieland I wouldn't be interested. It really is that simple.

I would be most interested in hearing the views of black Mumsnetters on this.

Which black people though. Black Americans, black Africans, black Carribeans, black British, black European etc? They all have a different heritage and it's racist to think they are all the same based on the colour of their skin. I'm actually horrified you think this is the best way to find out.

As for the OP, Dixieland is a type of jazz, same as swing. What word would you use instead so other people will immediately know the style?

You must not have much going on in your life, op. Get a hobby

No probably, both were.
And like it or not, Dixieland is the name of a genre of jazz. Yes, it is now larely played by white men in stripey waistcoats and straw boaters, as mentioned by a previous PP, but do you really believe that when this type of jazz developed, by largely black muscicians, they saw it in the way it is being interpreted by some here?
No, I am not black, so of course, I cannot know, but I would have thought that if they created the music, they could define it. Or boycott it if necessary

@FauxWhiteOrchid you are a prime example of a "thief of joy!" go and get a life and let other people enjoy theirs!

I've just had some joy by listening to the divine Django Reinhardt. The best guitarist ever, IMHO.

Just shocked you refer to your area as “Tory”like all people there hold views you think are racist because the majority voted Tory. Much more to political voting than “race”.

Like to see you on Question Time asking about Dixieland. See how your favorite party responds.

You should move to area with a MP that represents your narrow mind.