OK, me and several of my friends were conversating last night after playing intramural hoops at our university. Well we got on the subject of women. Me and one of my friends mentioned a young lady who we thought was attractive and she is black, as are we. One of our white friends then says these exact words: Well the friend I was talking to about the woman became extremely angry at this comment and went on to say it was racist and so was he (the person that said it) and they began to argue about it. I just disregarded the statement as him saying he wasn't attracted to black women, just like I'm not attracted to large women. Then my friend became angry at me because I failed to realize what was just said in my face. Now I maybe naive, stupid, or just trying to keep the peace but what do you all think? I mean was this a racist statement or was I correct in taking the stance I took on it and just leaving it alone? I'm not trying to start another racist debate, just trying to get some opinions from people who have encountered this subject a lot on this very board. Thanks!
If he's a racist, then what's he doing playing hoops with you guys? Sounds like black women just don't give him a stiffy. Like you said, large women don't give me a willy... Just preference, I guess. Not really something we have control over. Has he ever intimated that he might be racist before? I mean, has he said other things that could be construed as racist before? If so, then there might be a pattern, and he might be. But if not, then it's probably just a matter of what makes his Johnson stand up... Sounds like if anything, your other friend overreacted.
That's not racist, just a matter of what you find attractive or not. African American, Asian, Hispanic, blonde, brunette, whatever...some people are just attracted to different things.
I do not think it's racist. But there's a fine line. If he just meant it as he doesn't find black women attractive based on their features and looks, it's the same as finding any white or other woman unattractive because he doesn't like how she looks. No one has the exact same features and many cultures have distinctive features (like Jewish people who have big noses). Black people do have a set of distinctive features that just might not appeal to people. If he doesn't like her because she's black, that's different, and possibly racist. I was thinking about something similar to this last week. If someone of one race says that they would not marry someone outside of their race, does that make them a racist and why?
Not sure if that was racist...this probably is though: or this probably is... You mean like being black? No you couldn't mean that because you said a set of features. Did you mean something like big lips? Please elaborate. Uh, I thought that was the point?
I don't think it's racist. I do feel sorry for the guy-- I can't imagine crossing that many women off the list of potential candidates based on their skin color.
I don't think it's a racist comment. People sometimes don't find members of others races attractive on the whole as, maybe, their own race or another that they find good-looking. Other people are different and are really attracted to the opposite sex of another race. Like some white guys like black girls or latin ladies and some black guys like white women or whatever race. I don't know how this guy, and others, can stereotype like that, however. I mean, he doesn't find Tyra Banks attractive or Halle Berry or any other fine black woman. I just don't see how if he is heterosexual. I'm white and am attracted to fine white girls, fine black girls, fine latin, indian and asian girls. I'm not too attracted to fat girls, though. Although, I have seen some that are attractive in their own right. Now that I think more about it, it may be a racist comment. Africa is a large continent and black people within the African race have many different characteristics. Maybe he just can't see past the color of skin. That would be racist, wouldn't it? I don't know?
No, none of that is racist. Geez, why do I even bother. Every race has particular features. I am not saying any of them are bad or ugly. All I was saying is that some people find some things more attractive than others. If you didn't like big noses, you wouldn't like people with big noses, and if they happen to be from one race, so be it. And I did not say any of that as a stab at races. Traditionally, Jews had big noses. There's nothing wrong with that. Lots of people who are not Jewish have big noses. And black features are different from white people's features. German people's features are different from English people's features. Most Europeans have light skin. Many Africans have black skin. I think it's totally okay to not be attracted to people because their skin color is different. It's just like not liking brown hair or blue eyes. ALL RACES HAVE DISTINCT SETS OF FEATURES. But as more and more people marry across cultures and races, the features become less distinguishable of one culture or another. I'm really sorry if I offended anyone with my post. I honestly did not mean to. He didn't say "I hate black people because they are ugly." He said that "most black people are not attractive to me." I think the first of these two is racist while the other is not.
I don't think it's racist. I would suspect that it is cultural, as opposed to anything biological, though. You're brought up to consider certain things attractive, etc...
Anybody that says "black girls just aren't attractive to me" has already excluded the entire race. I'll leave it to the higher minds in this thread to decide whether or not that's racist or not. I, for one, think he's an idiot. Halle Berry and a can of whipped cream... that's all I ask... I'll prove I'm not racist.
Well DOD, I'll take that as a yes. After reading that part you said about the exclusion of an entire race, I am starting to see where my friend is coming from, maybe it was a racist statement.
Well, he's definetly an idiot at least. And making an entire judgement based solely on a person's race, that is suspect. Oh well, one less competetitor for me . . . Come on Tyra, I won't fold during crunch time.
Lil Pun, I think intent or perhaps reasoning should explain this more. I can understand why someone might get offended. If he just generally doesn't find black women attractive, I don't see anything wrong with it. It's just a matter of preference. If he says something like "Tyra Banks is not gorgeous because she is black and black people are unattractive" then that is a different comment. Does that make any sense. Very attractive people of almost any race will probably be at least somewhat attractive to everyone. Tyra Banks is not your average looking black person just as Britney Spears is not your average looking white person. I would think there are lots of black men that don't prefere white women and lots that do prefere white women. It's just about taste, IMO. It is an exclusion of one race, but it's different. It is about what an individual finds appealing to him. If he excluded them all on the basis that they are black, that's racist. If he excludes him because they don't appeal to him, it's not. There is a certain amount of our preferences that we control and a certain amount that you don't. These are just my thoughts. I think it is a fine line. No one can really tell you how and what to think.
I'm with Puedlfor - one less competitor. I will say that while the guy probably isn't racist, he does need to learn some tact. When asked whether he found this particular girl attractive, he should have stuck with the familiar "she doesn't do it for me." Princess, Not all African American or Jewish persons share the characteristics you mentioned (although many do). Even though you clearly didn't mean to upset anyone with your comments, I'd be very careful about these kinds of generalizations. You're not racist, but you may unintentionally push some buttons.
Here is why your statement above is bizarre: The quote said "black girls just aren't attractive to me". Now I don't know about you, but I can find some unattractiveness in any race and attractiveness in any race. For anyone to say "black girls are unattractive to me" is making a generalization that all "black girls" have quality X or don't have quality Y, and, in turn, they find this unappealing. Now you tell me what that quality may be, and then you tell me how that is not a boneheaded statement. Better yet, since you seem to think that there may be some quality in a race that is not appealing to a person, clue me in as to what on earth every race possesses that's constant througout that race. So constant that you can just sit back and say "i don't like that race because..." Ugliness knows no racial bounds and neither does a fine woman. The guy's an idiot.
Thank you subtomic. I'm glad that you can see that. And not all people of one race have characteristic X. I was trying to point out why someone might make this call. DoD-How is it racist? Here's the original statement : I really don't think the guy's a racist or an idiot. I think he was making a generalization. Generalizations are OK, which is a direct quote from a professor, who is Middle Eastern. We need generalizations to funnel information out. Without them, we would take too much time in making decisions. If someone doesn't like a feature that most people of race X have, it's fine to say 'I don't find people of race X attractive.' It makes decision making and information processing quicker. It's not always bad. I would say that most black people share characteristics just as most white people share characteristics. What appeals to one person might be a quality that one race has more frequently than another. Like I said, a black person could not find white people attractive and I don't think it's racist either. Even if the guy doesn't like people with a different skin color doesn't make it racist to me either. Skin color is a feature just like eye color and hair color and nose shape, thin or fat lips, and breat size. Why would not liking someone because their skin color doesn't appeal to you be any different than not liking people with small lips or breast size??? How does preference make someone a racist? It's one thing. If any exclusion of a race is racist, then maybe you're right. But I think that's a very broad generalization that could get you into trouble. I can't get into a black sorority because I'm white. I can't even have a white sorority because it's racist. That's racist too under your definition. Not all discrimination is racism.
Where did I say it was a racist statement? If you're in the Honors Program at UH, the Honors Program at UH quite frankly sucks. Instead of "The Human Situation" you need to be taking "Reading Comprehension 101". And since you casually ignored my request. Once again, since you say that black people and white people share characteristics, please let us know what characteristic black people or white people all share since the guys quote didn't say anything about "majority", "some", or any such qualifiers, and you seem to be defending him. He simply said black women don't do it for him. Go.
Personally, I don't think there's any way anyone on this board can say whether or not he's racist. He definitely is not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. I would've just told him what an idiot he was and moved on. Usually it takes making an idiot to feel like an idiot to let him know he's an idiot. I've done it at work - it does wonders. Anyway, it was a tactless, stupid statement to make. Now quit hoopin' and get back to compiling that Java...
