Monkeying Around

Posted on 04/26/06 @ 9:39 pm

I can always count on Goofball these days to give me his unfettered suburban upper-middle-class thought processes, however unsolicited they may be. While on the way back from lunch yesterday, he lobbied this at me.

"Now I don't mean to be racially insensitive, but…"

*screech* Stop. Hold it right there. Stupid rhetoric coming.

"…why is it that some ethnic groups get offended when they're called a monkey? My mother used to call me a monkey, and I never saw it as a racial slur, but I've seen some folks take it that way."

"Black folks, you mean," I say.

"Yeah. African-Americans. Why is that? Like when I think about Howard Cosell saying 'Look at that little monkey run'…why is that offensive? I mean, we're all simians. We all have similar appearance and genetics to monkeys. I just don't get it."

"I think it started from a myth that folks believed back in the day that Black folks were close cousins to monkeys because of head size and facial structure."

"But we're all monkeys! That's what I'm saying!"

This back and forth went on for about five minutes before I just halted the conversation. It's like I could see him rubbing the lamp of consciousness trying to conjure forth the magic negro. I ain't the one.

So I ask you: The word "monkey" — is it a racial slur or just another misappropriated term?

Discuss.

Filed under: Q&A
Comments:

Comments

I don't think the word is a racial slur. But if you call me a monkey, which a person is not, I think its a racial slur.

Said by Carla — 04/26/2006 @ 11:51 pm

I think that it really depends on the context and it's not because we are all simians that some people can be called monkeys. I think that a monkey and a person are very different in mind and intelligence. People who call other people "monkeys" are very very racist because they think that these people are less developped than other humans. That's exactly what it means.
About the fact that his mother called him "monkey", it's very different and there's no link between those two things as she said that to be nice as she had called him "girafe" or "lion" or that kind of thing parents tell their child.
I think that his main problem is that he creates a link between two things which have absolutely none.
It's very racist too that he asks you this question : this guy is weird…

Said by jay — 04/27/2006 @ 9:12 am

When they refer to black people as monkey's its a racial slur. That's why white folks use to call black people that back in the day. Monkeys were considerd dumb and ugly. That's how they felt about the black folks. Its like calling a white person a cracker…its racist.

Said by 4GOTTEN1 — 04/27/2006 @ 10:08 am

As much as we may like to look at it from different angles, we all know the racist association between people of African descent and monkeys that have been an ugly part of not just American popular culture but the global diaspora as well. The stereotypic caricatures of us being portrayed as simpleton jungle dwellers, whose intelligence, demeanor and even physical appearance are similar to that of monkeys are so in place, one doesn’t have to look too far back in our culture to find evidence of it. Just check out some of the American movies and cartoons from the 40’s through the 60s or footage from some of Josephine Baker’s acts in the Paris Revue and judge for yourself whether its racist or not.

Said by byron — 04/27/2006 @ 10:35 am

first the hip-hop and now this. yes, it's a racial slur when referring to Black ppl. as previously mentioned, history is all too telling about this word and the negative images it conjures and the relationship to Blacks.

Said by MsKrys — 04/27/2006 @ 11:59 am

yes i'll have to co-sign wth byron since i am too tired to come up with my own opinion. this is exactly why i don't use certain words- the racist connotations are too evident-especially calling a black person a monkey. thems fightin' words

and no karsh, you shouldn't have to be anyone's Magic Negro

Said by kristen — 04/27/2006 @ 2:17 pm

I would apologize for this ignorant ass . . . I find myself having to do that for the ignorant folk I share a skin color with. But, I'll let his stupidity embarrass him all by his lonesome. There's a lot of fellow whitees that feel this need to deny any inherent racism that exists in themselves and their familial background ("My mother always taught me not to see color . . ." which is usually followed by some similarly insensitive remark) by trying to prove how "tolerant" they are by "speaking with ease" about sensitive subjects, etc. A fellow co-worker the other day felt "comfortable" using the "n" word, quickly following her remark with "Oh, I'm not saying that . . . I was quoting a client!" To my fellow caucasians, if you feel the need to broadcast your "openeness" and "tolerance" and "sensitivity" . . . chances are you still some residual "ism's" to work on yourself. You can't understand why those remarks are insensitive, you won't understand, you weren't there and you don't have the history. Acknowledge it, forgive yourself, ask forgiveness (if you've hurt others with your "tolerance"), and stop pretending to "feel the pain." (stepping off of soapbox)

Said by qt — 04/28/2006 @ 12:30 am

see, it would be some stupid kr*kka comin' out they mouth with bullshit like that. some days, a brutha's just too tired for diplomacy.

Said by karamale — 04/28/2006 @ 8:58 pm

considering the historical context and racial overtones…it is best left alone.

Said by Ms. B. — 04/28/2006 @ 11:17 pm

Simple - because the general population of whites when using the term were never anthropologists. They were talking perceived, believed, or insulting physical similarities akin to 'ugliness' or 'animal.'

Then, evolutionary theory was popularized. That was after the fact. You know, knowledge.

And that's why the term, when not used to discuss evolutionary theory, and instead use it as a denigration, well, is a denigration. As some one mentioned above, the popular cultural evidence is simply there.

Have a good one!

Said by Starmaiden — 04/29/2006 @ 5:28 pm

I think it depends on the context too. Your post brings up another pet peeve of mine. Why folks assume that you're the ambassador for the entire black race.

Said by E — 04/30/2006 @ 4:10 pm

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