Derogatory Jokes Or Nicknames?

Words are often deemed derogatory by the way they are said. A perfectly harmless word repeatedly said in a hurtful manner will eventually become derogatory. This was the case with the term "Redskin". Although the word is often used in a well meaning way, there are still those who use it to try to bring down those of that race. In California, the word has been banned, but that doesn’t mean the derogatory words to those of Native American decent are going to go away. Basically any word used to describe Native Americans can be taken in a harmful manner if said a certain way.

If I were to uninvent something I would chose the derogatory labels that we use in every day language such as race, religion, sexual orientation and gender. Although these labels are used for the purpose of describing people, they are more commonly used to group and segregate individuals. Although words are not tangible objects and therefore cannot be invented, they still have to have a creation and the world would be a lot more positive without these words.

Every part of the country has their own stereotype the west coast has people in bikini and partying non-stop, east coast is where all the famous movie stars hang out and Arizona is where “cowboys” are. The middle states, on the other hand, get look down because they aren’t as incredible and exciting as the east or west coast. The Midwest really doesn't get mentioned during besides begin tornado territory. In “The Horizontal World” by Marquart she explains how the Midwest gets looked down for its dull appearances while using visuals, allusion, and anecdote to give the reader the sense of the Midwest.

In “One for the Road” by Stephen King, Gerard Lumley is an example of the ignorant stereotype because he wouldn’t listen to any of the locals. First, he burst into the bar freezing to death. He was pale and unfamiliar to the locals. Second, he tells the bartender, Tookey, that his wife and daughter were trapped down the road in his car. “Where did you go off the road?'

People who hear hear about the South, particularly the women, have these preconceived notations about them already. People who came to the South for vacation or site see think most southern women stay at home and cook, clean, and take care of the family. The media is a huge part of why people view southerners as a uneducated hillbillies. The media pick out people who can live up to the stereotypes that people have of the South, and sadly the women face the brunt of it. In “8 Absurd Myths About Southern Women” by Sheryl Germain, “19 Stereotypes About Southern Women We Can Dismiss Right Now” by Caroline Bologna and Taylor Pittman, and “5 Big Media Stereotypes About the South” by Kristin Rawls, all describe and provide examples of the stereotypes

The dictionary defines “stereotyping” as “a simplified and standardized conception of image invested with a special meaning and held in common by members of a group: particularly in social, ethnic, or age groups.” Stereotypes about the Appalachian people are made of its people and culture as a whole. These people face a number of negative stereotypes. The people of Appalachia are often portrayed as white, lazy, tobacco smoking, overall-wearing, poor farmers (High Mountains Rising). It is because of these views that people who originate from the Appalachian region are looked down upon by others. Many students are taught that a better lifestyle, or the possibility of higher education are out of their reach. I’ve experienced

The Southern States of the United States of America have been victims of perceptions and stereotypes that tend to describe them as different from the rest of the United States, especially in terms of culture. These portray the South as rural, uneducated, conservative, racist, and violent. While

a couple of extra words so that it would not sound so boring? That is basically what stereotypes are. People usually do not dig down into the culture or history of someone. They just get the general thought of a person and their culture from what other people have said or told them. I have done a little experiment where I have asked some random people questions about the south. My reason of doing so was to see what the average person thought of southerners. I have asked people a serious of questions, having to do with the southerner culture such as; knowledge, general actions, language, communication, and differences. These people

In the sword and shield metaphor the audience faces two contrasting sides that deal with stereotype humor. The first side is the sword. The sword represents a weapon designed to mock and insult minority groups. The second side is the shield, which can be represented to serve the interests of minority groups. The shield side of the metaphor can be used in an effective way by minorities as a way to claim pride in their identity. Together, these two sides can either offend a group, or make them laugh. For example, Rappoport includes a joke to further prove that a joke can be offensive,

A sensitive, controversial topic today regarding slurs is the conversation of “reclaiming slurs”. This idea

The old idiom, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” has been used for decades, and although a good sentiment, can be disproven by any person with an basic understanding of their feelings. The power of the words one hears can greatly affect their self esteem and confidence. The fact that words hurt is an issue everyone faces, but some words hold too much power, power that can be used in not so ideal ways. Slurs, or words that are used to oppress minority groups, are used too casually in the modern world, with grave consequences on the minorities they are used against. The word faggot, a term used to describe gay men, has become popular in modern America between school boys as a way to either mock their peers or intentionally hurt an actual queer person. This word in particular moves farther away from offensive and can be categorized as oppressive due to its both psychological and social ramifications. The use of the word faggot is an act of oppression when one looks at both the social and psychological effects the word has on both the user and the recipient of the slur.

Like a countless number of other jokes, the humor in stereotype driven jokes depends on our understanding o f the subject at hand. However, we are not born with the knowledge about every race and the ignorance that we inherit prevents us from seeing the bigger picture in such comedy. As the world globalizes, it gives us an opportunity to acquire knowledge and understanding. Globalization exposes people of different races helping us see the realities of those races resulting in the purge of the ignorance that it takes to assume that stereotypes are accurate by aiding us in gaining understanding of different races, and in the process, allowing us to see the humor of the exaggerations when we compare our pre-globalized mindset composed of generalizations, to that of our globalized mindset enriched with the comprehension of others.

     In “The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” a group of inappropriate people are thrown out of a small western town. What I mean by “inappropriate,” is that they were not liked by the local citizens. They were considered outcasts. The outcast characters were, "Duchess,” also known as "Mother Shipton," and "Uncle Billy," a suspected sluice-robber and confirmed drunkard. The other character in the story is Mr. John Oakhurst, a gambler. Bret Harte establishes regionalism through description of his characters and also the dialogue that he gives his characters. For example, Uncle Billy says "Is this yer a d---d picnic?" ‘With inward scorn, as he surveyed the sylvan group, the glancing firelight, and the tethered animals in the foreground hurst returns to the group he speaks in a particular dialect.’

“The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue but, that they are incomplete, they make one story become the only story” Chimamanda Ngozi discusses the misrepresentation of stereotypes.

Of course, all of us have ways that we use diminutive versions of racial slurs to imply endearment. Still unconvinced? I think of how my aunt would endearingly talk about “those gays” or “the Indians.” – If only they would stop drinking and get a job. – All in a hushed voice.