Why is it socially acceptable to stereotype and vilify white women as a whole?

[TheTERFnextDoor]

I've seen this a lot recently, often from other white women bizarrely, and I don't understand why it's socially acceptable?

I think it goes without saying that in most groups, you get good and bad people. White women are surely no different in that respect? Yes, many of them are privileged, and they don't face the discrimination that other categories might. I accept that. However, that doesn't change the fact that they aren't some homogeneous mass of people, surely?

I am genuinely trying to learn here, so I'd appreciate all responses, particularly those that disagree

I haven't seen much in the way of tears, but maybe it's an internet language creep thing. Like on here where every neighbour and in law 'screams' at people.

Some people get a power trip out of making people cry don’t they? Sick bastards.

I would have said the same. But I've become more aware of it and seen in myself online and in person. A white woman being accused of racism, rightly, and instantly dissolving into tears rather than taking the accusation on board and doing better.

Ah that phrase 'do better' how is that actually measured and when will someone be reassured they have achieved 100% 'betterment'?

"When accused of witchcraft, she reacted like a witch, so we burned her"

This is what it’s all about isn’t it?

Witch hunts. Looking for witches Karens, to accuse of witchcraft racism, in order to burn them get them to do better.

I get the sense that some witchfinder generals are rather fond of their hobby and don’t want anyone spoiling their fun.

And note that Karens can magically kill black men with their tears, but leave no evidence. If you query this, or ask for proof, you are yourself a witch.

(Were some white women involved in lynchings in the US in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries? Yes. Is this proof that white women's tears kill black men in 21st century Britain? No).

I'm not talking about the UK, although I'm sure Brits have functioning tear ducts, I'm talking about Australia which has its own unique brand of entrenched racism thanks to the British Empire and where many people - men and women - are often utterly unaware of in themselves and do become upset when they have it pointed out to them.

But I have committed the sin of not reading the whole thread and will do that before posting further.

To follow up on something I said at 09:44 yesterday, it seems that some people like to sound as though they are ‘anti-oppression’, using all that lingo, but the truth is, they just want to be the oppressor themselves.

Very true. Tears of a white woman are a potent and insidious poison, deployed to kill, destroy crops, dry udders and cause underweight infants.

If I was accused of racism and I felt it was unjust but I wasn't allowed to defend myself and the only acceptable response was to admit guilt. I'd cry.
With frustration and outrage at the injustice, and my helplessness to defend myself.

Crying seems like a reasonable response when unjustly accused of something you didn't do.

Yes it's modern day witches. Trying to defend yourself proves your guilt. And being emotional increases your guilt.
It's grotesque.

So true @StrawberryWasp

I'm talking about Australia which has its own unique brand of entrenched racism thanks to the British Empire

Australia gained independence in 1901. Is blaming the British Empire really that constructive when addressing racism in contemporary society?

Australia gained independence in 1901. Is blaming the British Empire really that constructive when addressing racism in contemporary society?

Yes. The British Empire almost wiped out the world's longest continuous living culture, and 1901 is not that long ago. I know it's not comfortable for the British to admit that, and I know it's something that everyone prefers to pretend didn't happen, but it's undeniable.

Yes. The British Empire almost wiped out the world's longest continuous living culture, and 1901 is not that long ago. I know it's not comfortable for the British to admit that, and I know it's something that everyone prefers to pretend didn't happen, but it's undeniable

No, sorry. Take responsiblity for your own society.
I'm not saying it's not useful to understand the origins of issues - context is important - but don't try to pass the blame for your own failings.

It's not that it's uncomfortable for the British. It's that those people are all long dead.

This thread is really astonishing. Not only are posters falling over themselves to excuse women who, at best, overreact massively, they are now excusing British colonialism.
Can you imagine living in a country for hundreds of years, being invaded by a country who mainly want to keep prisoners there and then being accused by those invaders of things, and still being treated unfairly three hundred years later?

This thread is really astonishing. Not only are posters falling over themselves to excuse women who, at best, overreact massively, they are now excusing British colonialism

I never excused British colonialism. Do not put words in my mouth.
I suggeted that if people are attempting to address their own racism they need to take personal responsiblity.
Honestly, this is ridiculous.

I‘m not surprised, i find this really interesting and not so dissimilar to how men react to sexism or women raising issues with make behaviour of course though - not all male behaviour :)

No one is excusing British colonialism. Just pointing out that it is misogynist to blame women for it. That and racism.

This is what I understand to be what's meant by white women's tears.

Note, she places her handbag under her head. However, it's a very American phenomena, and also very much entwined with an outwardly liberal woman caught on camera being at best hostile and/or unwell.
Racist women on other videos I've seen tend to double down and not cry at all.

None of this extrapolates to all women or women from other countries though, but it is transplanted from the USA, and used as such.

For a long time you could reduce a lot of white people to a state of self-abnegating, cringing apology by bringing up colonialism and racism.

It just been over done now. We can see people get off on the power trip doing it.

So it’s not going to work any more.

Doesn’t mean racism isn’t a problem or sexism or whatever else.

Just that the game is up.

More fruitful methods for addressing inequality will need to be deployed.

Except it's a false premise because no one has defended colonialism. You can acknowledge the appalling mistreatment of First Australians by the British, and its legacy, but still think the last 122 years of Australian independence are more relevant to the current day than the events of the 19th century.

Meanwhile, some astonishingly hyperbolic accusations have been flung at white women - that they are literally responsible for the deaths of black men because they cry.

But, of course, if women defend themselves from the charge of witchcraft, it's proof that they are witches, isn't it?

I see ‘Karen / White women's tears’ as yet another

’gammon’
’snowflake millennial’
’woke brigade’
’angry black woman’
‘OK boomer’

etc etc

It doesn’t matter whether it’s coming from the right or the left, liberals or neoliberals, it’s all the same - stupidly easy little boxes to put people in and make snippy comments or all-out rants about on social media.

We really are fucking regressing as a human race.

Life is more nuanced and complex than this stupid shit.

I find that title ‘Karen goes crazy’ so offensive. I wouldn’t click on any link entitled ‘[stereotype] goes crazy’. It’s like providing visitors to Bedlam sticks to poke the patients with, in order to watch them have an amusing meltdown. People attracted to click on that kind of video need to work on their empathy.

Wow that’s so awful and also so mortifying in its American-ness ott ness. I assume the British version would have been like a “tut” or a passive aggressive remark from a white women and then when called out on it/filmed they would either leave or ignore because “making a scene” is so culturally unacceptable, probably more than being accused (justifiably)of being racist in public.

If I saw someone behaving like that in a shop in the uk I’d assume they were mentally unwell and call the police

The grooming gangs is actually a case where girls were targeted based on their ethnicity, and the men who did it were protected based on theirs.

To this day I do not believe that the inaction of the authorities was due to the ethnicity of the perpetrators but rather to do with the low status of young teenage girls, especially if they are working class or in care. Which is where it is extremely annoying for people to bang on about their "privilege"

To this day I do not believe that the inaction of the authorities was due to the ethnicity of the perpetrators but rather to do with the low status of young teenage girls, especially if they are working class or in care. Which is where it is extremely annoying for people to bang on about their "privilege"

I certainly agree that was definitely a big factor in it. The police and other authorities clearly thought those poor girls were worthless.