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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Racist or not?

419 replies

claw3 · 26/01/2009 09:55

At our local train station at the weekend with ds 12, he was looking at news stand, while i was getting train tickets.

Anyhow at news stand there was a section which had black magazines ie black hair, black beauty, black music etc, etc. Ds asked me why do black people have their own mags and would it be racist if white people had their own magazines ie white hair, white beauty etc etc.

Your thoughts, would it??

OP posts:
ladyjuliafish · 27/01/2009 11:48

Claw3, Do you think it having white in the title would be pointless as it is implied, or would you find it useful in your search for a magazine?

ManIFeelLikeAWoman · 27/01/2009 11:48

Claw3

I took the trouble of restating your original questions exactly. There is no mention of whether "black" should be in the title.

But since you ask, that's been done to death in this thread too. The answer is that it has nothing to do with the politics of race and everything to do with good old fashioned market positioning. You might not like it, but it's hardly a contentious issue, is it? What is it that you are still hoping to extract from this dead discussion?

In the mean time, I think that what we need is a great big melting pot, big enough to take the world and all it's got.

We could stir it for a hundred years or more, producing coffee-coloured people by the score.

When WILL there be a harvest for the world?

daftpunk · 27/01/2009 11:50

manifeellikeawoman.....i really like your style....you make me laugh.

Monkeytrousers · 27/01/2009 11:50

Well yes, nothing is "regardless of content based on history" basically

BitOfFun · 27/01/2009 11:50

ROFL @ MIFLAW

spokette · 27/01/2009 11:51

Do you think that mainstream magazines will be carrying articles by Michelle Obama's hair? Nope!

claw3 · 27/01/2009 11:53

Lady - Sorry but we really are going round in circles now. Totally not your fault or anyone just joining the thread, but i have already answered your question.

Im off to do some work

OP posts:
BitOfFun · 27/01/2009 11:53
Pingping · 27/01/2009 11:54

I love curried goat and ackee and saltfish and fried plantain mmmmmmmmmm oxtail, pattes, Guniess punch yum the list goes on I love going to ethnic shops and finding different spices foods there will never be a day when I don't have reggae reggae sauce in my cupbored I use that for everything.
I have never felt out of place or alienated when going in these shops I find the people there very helpful in fact as I ask plenty of questions about everything lol.

I am now hungry

Pingping · 27/01/2009 11:54

PMSL at Kum Bi Yah bitoffun your too funny.

TheDevilWearsPrimark · 27/01/2009 11:56

Oh pingping invite me to the next bashment rave followed by jerk (pork mmm)rice and peas!

Pingping · 27/01/2009 12:00

TDWP If you live in London I am going to one on Saturday in Wandsworth

I am also holding my own one on the 16th of May in aid of Breast cancer research and local london youth clubs its going to be BIG!!!!!

Are you on facebook?

Pingping · 27/01/2009 12:00

I think everyone should go to at least one bashment rave in there lifetime

BitOfFun · 27/01/2009 12:03

Wish I was down there- have no idea what bashment is, but I do like a good scran

FAQtothefuture · 27/01/2009 12:05

more

Do they sell "eet sum mor" biscuits - they're nothing special but I just LOVE the name

TheDevilWearsPrimark · 27/01/2009 12:24

Pingping, I'm not anymore. I was getting too stressed out with it so did facebook suicide this weekend.

What times is the one in Wandsworth?

claw3 · 27/01/2009 12:29

Monkeytrousers - Sorry couldnt resist, finding your replies really interesting.

'Well yes, nothing is "regardless of content based on history" basically' If white people cant use the word white descriptively, without it being linked to racism, obviously times have changed, is it really necessary to carry this link into modern times?

OP posts:
MarsLady · 27/01/2009 12:49

You know claw3 it is NOT racist to use White as a descriptive word. Yes I too like white tea. What I can't understand is the fact that you seem to refuse to debate and instead keep stating the same thing over and over without any expansion.

As a young woman growing I could never find anything that talked about my skincare/hair etc. Even buying products for myself involved travelling to specific shops. To discover magazines called Black Beauty was an absolute joy to me because I knew by the title that this magazine was specifically for me and people who looked like me. I don't consider myself dim etc but I knew from years of looking through magazines that I would not be represented by them. When I buy Marie Claire (and I like Marie Claire) I'm saddened but not surprised to see myself unrepresented. I think it speaks volumes that Vogue had to advertise the fact that they were only using black models (despite the many white models still used in the advertisements). It also spoke volumes that Italian Vogue was warned that it would not sell enough copies because "there is no market for that sort of thing".

And I feel the need to stop myself from doing what others have done adequately (and some more than adequately) before me.

Yes you can use the word WHITE descriptively. It is NOT a racist thing. BUT if you follow through the logic of the arguments (note I said argument in its proper definition not quarrel) that you have asked for it has been pointed out that it is an UNNECESSARY description as the Mainstream media is targetted towards a WHITE audience.

YES it is important that BLACK magazines etc state that they are catering to a BLACK audience just as (and I repeat the examples from further down the thread) FISHERMAN weekly is catering to people who fish. If you have "black hair" (and I know several white women who do) and you want to know how to care for it you will go for the SPECIALIST magazine. The NATURAL SKINTONE colours offered in freebies offered in the mainstream magazines doesn't really cut it for me. My skin is infinitely darker.

And here I go ad nauseum. So let me be direct and answer your OP (before I bore myself)

By claw3 on Mon 26-Jan-09 09:55:25

Anyhow at news stand there was a section which had black magazines ie black hair, black beauty, black music etc, etc. Ds asked me why do black people have their own mags and would it be racist if white people had their own magazines ie white hair, white beauty etc etc.

Your thoughts, would it??

No it would not be racist but it would be pointless. And those (and the things I've said previously) are my thoughts!

Pingping · 27/01/2009 13:03

The one in Wandsworth is at 10pm @ blend bar there is also one in shoreditch over 25's I be going to both I get the details for you

Pingping · 27/01/2009 13:05

Well said Marslady :-D

Salem1 · 27/01/2009 13:20

Probably a little late here but I honestly don't get the sentiments of people who think that having a specialist Black mag is racist or 'selfish'. Also, some people are suggesting that if they descriptively called a mag 'WHITE' it would be deemed racist.

Firstly, there is mainstream mags and there are specialist mags. Mainstream are for the masses, specialists are for the minorities.

Now if the mainstream are mostly white you don't need to make it descriptive and there's a choice for minorities to purchase them as they already do.

If people think that mainstream mags are racist to black people then consider that they are also

Sexist towards men (men are not heavily featured in these mags. Men have their own mags. Also would WOMAN's own be sexist against men. Women can by GQ mags although it's targetted to men.

Weight-ist - are these mags discriminating against larger sized people.

Hair colourist - are these mags discriminating against ginger haired people?

claw3 · 27/01/2009 13:24

Marslady - Im not refusing to debate, the reason im finding Monkeytrousers replies interesting is because he/she has been to first to acknowledge that historically the word white is linked to racism. Rather than pretending it doesnt exist or shouting racist at the mere suggestion that it exists.

OP posts:
ManIFeelLikeAWoman · 27/01/2009 13:24

Claw3.

The key word in your last post is "descriptively".

It means, "describing something."

Describing something unnecessarily or superfluously comes under the general heading of tautology. It is very rare, outside of the language of non-native speakers, the very young and the clinically insane, for this to occur as anything other than an occasional slip of the tongue.

Describing magazines for general distribution amongst a population that is 90% white as "white" would pretty much fit this bill, I reckon.

MarsLady · 27/01/2009 13:32

My thoughts on the matter are that you refuse to debate.

Do you accept that people are saying the use of the word WHITE is superflous in a society where the mainstream is WHITE?

Do you accept why there is a need to label a specialist magazine according to its target audience?

(I need to go out now but will pop back to see if you've answered. Should have left 20 mins ago)

Pingping · 27/01/2009 13:35

Bitoffun for you
Bashment: (A Jamaican Patois term) Derived from the word "bash". A party, concert or major social event. The music is dancehall style of upbeat reggae Shabbaranks Mr Loverman is old skool dancehall umm if you can download music then Elephant man Lady Saw Mr vegas Sean Paul Movoda etc is the kind of music played at these events also
Slow jams RnB garage and usually has hosts and the sing along crew and I am usually one of the few white girls there doing the dutti whine LOL.

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