From the March Madness thread:


You can usually count on Chip to make his "jokes" obvious.

I would not consider this obvious. I want to avoid a long discussion on "What does and does not define a ChipMunky joke" -- but, to an outsider: he is using an archaic, anti-semetic symbol as a synonym for "unlucky" or "robbed."

"Jewed" is okay, when you're with your Jewish friends. But it is not - and never will be - part of modern, acceptable jargon.

How jewish of you.

You aren't helping yourself here, bud.

I don't even have jewish friends. If that makes it worse.

If not... then I have tons.

Whichever makes it worse.

Just because I called you a prick doesn't mean you should go above and beyond at being one.

Also:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jewed

What do you think the word is derived from?

There's nothing "urban" about it. It's been around for centuries.



And, Rev? That's gross.

Now you're just being an idiot.

You really aren't one to speak. This has nothing to do with you calling me a prick.

You're just friggin' ignorant.

No, it's not. I don't know where you get this idea from, but if I saw you using it in my presence, I'd kick you in the balls, whether you're Jewish or not.

*kicks Munk-E in his balls*

i agree with torri. some words are ok said around certain groups because it isn't derogatory in nature when said in the group. It's not double standards.

It's not just derogatory. It's not funny, not perceptive, not necessary, not anything. It's just silly and ignorant.

did u even read what torri and I wrote. box, seriously sometimes I think its best for you to be a figment of my imagination.

Take the n-word, for example. Maybe it doesn't add anything to my conversations, but when I use it, it has some significance as a symbol of bondage, admiration, even respect - among certain, well-chosen friends. When I address someone with nigga, it means I've reached a certain friendship level, where I can trust them and express myself fully without limitation. The word itself doesn't contain the meaning, but being able to use it liberally in a PC world, without scrutiny...does.

I would never argue for someone who used it on a web forum, but I would (and am) defending myself for using it in private, safe circles (and in a non-derogatory sense), with my colleagues who understand what I mean.

Chip, though, cannot assume that closeness, where he can throw the word "jewed" around without caution. By using it, without fully understanding the word's possible implications, makes him either racist or ignorant.

i don't agree with you anymore.

Why?

If you and your friend have a mutual understanding of a word, use it all you want...WITH THAT FRIEND. But not in public.

I DO make Jew jokes. But I keep them to myself on KJ, because you guys aren't in my social circles and I cannot predict how you might react.

Not that the use of 'nigga' is right (I will think less of anyone who uses it, in private or not), but the n-word and all variants of it is more diluted than the derogatory jew and its variants. There are far fewer things, and far fewer "benevolent" things, that jew could mean.

At any rate, on a basic level, I find the use of such terms to be vulgar. What it tells me personally is that the person has a narrower vocabulary. Whether that's fair or not is a different matter. I'm telling you why I think it's low from my perspective for someone to say these things.

I've never ever used either the n-word, or "jew" negatively, mainly because I understood their meanings before I ever had a chance to. I think the closest I've come is some post here at KJ where I replied to Krem with "Krem, how could jew?!", but I'm certain the meaning didn't extend beyond the pun.

I understand what you mean. ChipMunky may be racist, but he used "jewed" because he couldn't think of a better synonym. Narrow vocabulary indeed!

Nonetheless, "Yo, nigga!" is just an informal, meaningless expression. You may think less of me, but you will never hear me use it anyways! ChipMunky, though, is blindly attaching jew to something that can only be interpreted negatively. That's the key difference.

Don't mix up nigga with dude.

(Nope, but I used to play hockey...Heh)

you shouldn't use the n-word unless you are of African American decent. there are better words to use anyway. "Yo cunt" comes to mind.

It's not meaningless. The fact that a phrase that to you is meaningless is inextricably linked to a term invented and used to degrade black people (a link you obviously acknowledge) alone makes it meaningful.

When you said ''Jewed' is okay" at the beginning of this thread, you had to immediately qualify it with "when you're with your Jewish friends," and when you talked about "nigga", you had to qualify your usage of it as well by pointing out that it signifies a level of intimacy between you and your listeners. In both cases, the qualification points implicitly toward instances where the use of the term/phrase is inappropriate (ie, when you're not among friends, etc.), because the term/phrase by its nature is inappropriate.

It makes no sense to me why a term that explicitly or implicitly is always acknowledged as offensive has to be in circulation. I don't mean to suggest that people should be forbidden from using it, by no means. But I question the motives of anyone who does.

Box, the context and meaning of the word matters.

"Yo, nigga!" is positive. It's a greeting. The word itself may be derogatory, but the meaning of the overall phrase is not. I use it with select friends who do it back, in one-on-one conversations. Is it right? No. But are we hurting anyone, or implying anything about African-Americans? Absolutely not. The expression just came to be in a social circles - with a specialized meaning that everyone in that circle digs. Add., one of the people I use the word with is black - that's how my whole nigga phase got started. Wow that sentence sounds funny

"I got jewed" is negative. The word always carries the same connotation, to the point where ignorant little ChipMunky learned the word not because he's racist, but because it carries more emotion than "to be ripped off." Need I say more?

This is different than two Jews joking about their grandmother. These are people who are the subject of the derogatory statement, and thus understand the full, unaltered meaning of the word. They can dismiss their grandmother as "Such a Jew," because they are subjected to the stereotypes on a day-to-day basis.

I am getting tired. Let's discuss this tomorrow. It's been fun.