| THIS IS A READ-ONLY ARCHIVE FROM THE SORABJI.COM MESSAGE BOARDS (1995-2016). |
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several weeks ago my sister and i were walking down near the lake in Toronto, and among the ritzy hotels and shops there was a place with a bright blue sign above- ESKIMO ART GALLERY Aside from the bright sign (with a polar bear, no less) it seemed a really posh style gallery, like the others downtown, with tiny spotlights on white pedestals showing off the usual green/grey soapstone native carvings, and a tigh-faced woman at the desk in a power suit. It was strange as well, in that it had a sign out front advertising it's *Happy Birthday Nunavut!* price sale. I don't know about you, but all through my education here, one key cultural thing was drilled into us, starting in the earliest grades, and carrying straight through to highschool and beyond and even in general conversation now: you do not say eskimo. Do NOT. I find it strange to even type it now. No one says eskimo. Uttering this word would cause the most easy going of elementary school teachers to gasp and launch into a verbal frenzy. You do not say eskimo. You do not THINK eskimo. Our northern natives are called Inuit, and nothing else. That other word is racist and vile and saved only for very old history books that are to be laughed at for their ignorance. Eskimo is raised to the level of words that are beyond obscene, words never to be used under any circumstance, words that were used a long time ago and never again, words used now only by drunk nazis, a slur right up there with gook, spic and etc. You get my point. So i'm staring at this storefront, as is my sister, mouths open, twin cigarettes in hand buring unattended. And how we laughed, and pointed, and gasped, and suggested to each other and the busy street that for all the subtleness and historical compassion of this brilliant business, they might as well open a gallery beside it of African art and call it *Nigger Art Gallery*. I wish i had a camera, at one point we had a few hurried business people stop and start laughing with us, looking at what was causing us so much myrth, seeing said storefront, exclaiming "what the FUCK? Gerry, come look at this!! Shit!! I walk right past this thing every day!" A good hardy-har-har for the Bay St. subway commuters. Mrs.Tighface inside had no idea what was going on, of course. I have no idea how to end this story. |
Does that distract from your lame ending? ; ) |
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i think this is funny because of the new age, native american spiritual movement that has led so many people to believe the natives were these noble, spiritually advanced, tree-hugging warm-fuzzy peoples when in reality they were just as petty and bitchy and xenophobic as anyone else on this miserable little ball of mud. you have to admire their sense of humor, though. |
Kangaroo is supposedly a translation of "I don't understand", which is what an aboriginal replied when some white imperialistic asshole asked what they called it. There's quite a few examples of place names in Australia which translate to things like "woman's pissing hole", thanks to some twisted humour. |
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I'm the only one I know I'm the only gay Eskimo In my tribe I go out seal hunting with my best friend Tarka But all want to do is get into his parka I'm the only gay Eskimo In my tribe Well me and Muk-Fluk-Chuk-Buk We both like blubber But me I've got this crazy fetish for rubber I'm the only gay Eskimo In my tribe I make a wish on the Northern Lights That I can find a decent pair of whaleskin tights I'm the only gay Eskimo In my tribe And the seals they sing now... ar!-ar!-ar!-ar!-ar!-ar!-ar!-ar! These cold winter nights Are taking their toll I even get excited when I see the North Pole See the North Pole... I'm the only gay Eskimo Only gay Eskimo I'm the only one I know The only one I know-oh-oh-oh I'm the only gay Eskimo In my tribe. |
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i asked more than a few people afterwards what they thought, and almost all of them replied with some version of the "nigger art gallery!?" idea, nor could many of them believe this place was actually real. They did think it was damn funny though, too, in a really sick shit kind of way. It would be hilarious if it was actually run by Inuit people, i guess, according to the unwritten idea that people can use their own people's slurs but no one elses. I'd die laughing if i walked past a building on Church st. with a giant sign that said FAG BAR. But this was very clearly not the case. And anyway, Eskimo is regarded as a plain vulgar word, tastless in any situation. i'm wondering if i should really have put this thread in "Words" now ;) Someone asked if we have Eskimo Pies here, and i dont think so, i've only seen them on tv. Although i'm not much of a frozen snack fan. |
i wondered a lot about the GMC Sonoma, when they started that line. you wouldn't see anyone roll out a Toyota Jew. injuns fair game. |
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ROTFLMAO. "Now batting for the San Francisco Fags, Richard Simmons, wearing his cute little daisy dukes. Look how his cute curls hang out of his batting helmet. Watch out, outfielders, he can really swat that ball out of the park." |
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Then there was the time on Kids in the Hall when Buddy coached the lesbian baseball team. "they said my new uniforms were too girly....as if ANYTHING can be!" Classic. i always shake my head uneasily when i see highschool or college sport teams called the Crusaders. That's just sick. and funny. But mostly sick. |
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the "elimination" aspect and the fact you had to "hit" others was too much for their overly PC-ed asses. While cursing the TV...an 8 year old put it so succintly and sharply i was floored..."if dodge balls goes...then they should stop football too" even an 8 year old gets it. its currently banned in like 5 states to play dodgeball. texas being one of them. Hmmm |
these two condoms are walking by a gay bar, and the one condom turns to the other and says, "c'mon, let's get shit faced." ALSO: did you hear about the midget psychic that just escaped from prison? yeah, i saw the headline in the paper yesterday, "SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE". (i'm covering my face and torso and wincing) |
Also, back when the USFL started, some comedy show (I wanna say it was The New Show, who else remembers that? but I could be wrong) did a sketch about the USGFL...the US Gay Football League, featuring the San Francisco 69ers as one of the teams. I can't really remember the rest of the sketch, and only just recalled that bit now. |
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Forgive me? I should go back. But I've been online so much less these days. I met me a nice jewish girl who pretty much rocks my world. I'm all pining right now, since this is the first weekend we haven't spent at least some time together since our first date. I was actually going to post elsewhere about all of that today. Might still. |
It's not on Bay, it's on Queens Quay West. Between Younge and Bay, on the north side of the street. It's sort of set back under a concrete overhang with some other stores. The sign is BRIGHT, you can't miss it if you know what to look for. Take a pic!!!! |
I think my sis is bailing on the family for the whole Pride deal. |
Last trip was also the last time I saw my great uncle. He died shortly after I left him, while I was heading back home. Turned around, and flew out to cali to be with the family and sit shivah, and the whole deal. That was a turning point for me in a lot of ways. I grieved for my own grandpa, who'd died some fifteen years earlier, but there was so much tsuris around his funeral and unveiling that I couldn't do a proper grieving then. Made me think of my own mortality. Put me onto a spiritual path, that I hope to stay on, and follow more closely when I actually have friday nights to light candles and sit down to a shabbat dinner.... |
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Actually, I was originally going to post as Patrick, shortly after I arrived here, but that's right when you stopped being Waffleboy, and I assumed you had seniority rights. |
I have always though of you as a girl. damn |
Maybe you were thinking of my sis, from Bluestockings. btw, I owe you a thank you. That discussion about the Lisa Diaries you had with Dinner Lady a ways back pointed me to Nerve, which is where I met my sweetie. |
nerve is hooking peeps up left and right. the sight printed a photo of mine...we befriended Lisa Carver and her hubby dave...met a few other folks whom we have become friends with...and some pals of mine i know hooked up across the pacific. He was from St. Louis, she from New Zealand. He went, the met, and he stayed. |
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i'm glad that such a nice boy as yourself found a good jewish girl, but explain the nerve.com connection, please? and, i would appreciate some clarification about the "walking your dog" reference above. are you in denial, or did you get a new doggie? if so, i need pics. |
Nerve's got a whole host of personals. They're good because the format gives you a little more room to show your personality than other personals sites I've seen. I had one up there for a bit, met about half a dozen women, mostly jewish. I've been dating m since april. This is actually my first serious relationship. As for the dog walking reference...there's not one, but two new women in my life...come at just about the same time, too. Gracie's a two and a half year old shepherd mix, still adjusting somewhat, but sweet as can be. And my housemates have been incredibly accomadating around walking and feeding her when I've disappeared to Sommerville for a night or two. No pictures yet, but there should be some soon. Did I ever send you any of Soba? I have one or two scanned. Oh, I do have a pic of Gracie in front of Soba's cairn, up in the Berkshires. I'll have to scan that. |
i think i just wet myself. |
thats funny. |
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and did JusMice ever find that store? i wonder. |
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Enjoy! |
So, is that guy arguing that no one should pay any attention to what people want to be called, just call them what is convenient to you? He does make some good points about the mishaps in trying to call people by what is percieved by their actual name, but just because it's hard to pronounce doesn't mean it's ok to just call them by the old name. I mean, is he really calling for a return to the term "Orientals"? I note that he doesn't seem to have a similar problem with United States citizens being called "Americans" when EVERYONE in the western hemisphere is an American. |
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Likewise, may Yupik and Inuit peoples in Alaska call themselves by whatever collective name they prefer, even if that term is "Eskimo"? As for the article, I don't think the author is calling for a return to old or hurtful lingo. I believe he is pointing out the complexity and paradoxes that arise when names are changed. I certainly haven't gotten it figured out! BTW, always nice to see a forum without a huge amount of flaming (the cruel impersonality of the Internet). Well, back to the grind. . . -T |
-T |
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The Inuit/Eskimo confusion continues. I saw someone call themselves 'Eskimo' on another message board and had nothing but questions for them. I must have come off as a total linguistics freak. I'm just going to play it safe and keep up with the use of 'Inuit', unless I'm in Alaska, where i guess they like Eskimo better. In Canada, Inuit is the only way to go. It still makes me very uncomfortable to see. Are you in Japan to teach english? I assume that only because so many people are right now :) I'll try to spare you the many questions i have about Japan. Here's a funny story about nationalities and names: One of the dudes I live with goes to Taiwan every summer to teach english, and he has a girlfriend there. She was visiting a few years ago and they went to a supermarket. She was looking at all the Ramen noodles and picked up Oriental flavour- "What's this flavour oriental? What's an oriental?" "Well that's, uhm.....you." He didn't really know what to say. |
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He couldn't just say "Oh, that's what they used to call people like you, honey! But it's mean!" |
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shit, now this is gonna show up in google. |
the guitar is fucking gorgeous. just as good as in this pic: http://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/sg/SGSpecialFadedC_inlay.html and here's a review of the amp: http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data/Traynor/TS_200-01.html holy shit!! i'm gonna teach her ramones tunes and we'll rock out in the garage. neighbors are gonna hate us. |
i thought you didn't like the ramones. i once taught a bluegrass player from sparta, texas how to play "i wanna be sedated." |
the ramones aren't my favorite at all. but all i know are barre chords (and jangly funk riffs) so, they're perfect for teaching what i know to her. and i can probably manage the drum parts while she plays guitar, and vice versa. i was listening to that mclusky riff on the fox news link rowlfe posted a couple days ago. i know i can play that. simple rock. rock simple. droop, you don't want me for your dad. you want your dad to have my friends. |
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be my rock daddy. |
and she learned how to play iron man on the guitar. (prolly just the riff) i'm grinning like a mofo. |
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http://videos.antville.org/stories/1154976/ |
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ex wife. What a journey it's been since then. |
You said it, brother. |
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this thread. I've known Alaskans who called themselves Eskimo without stigma. I guess it's a Canadian thing. "Ginger" is an epithet unknown in the U.S. but which is scandalous in the U.K. Someone at b3ta (I think) took comments from a Guardian article about gingers and substituted "ginger" with "nigger". There was much trolling bloodbath but it was a good bloodbath. In the U.S. African-Americans calling each other "nigger" is alright but that doesn't mean people from other races can gladhappily use that term. It's like saying "My mother is a cunt". If that is something you say about your own mother then peace out to your angry self but that does not make it OK for anyone else to say it. Or does it? I don't fucking know. I have not dated a strictly "white" woman in +/-10 years. Race, even with completely Caucasian white women, has become a focal point of everything I've been in since ~2005. Race is one powerful motherfucker. I found that USGFL skit mentioned 14 years ago. I looked it up because a friend and I were talking about the USFL and, tangentially, Mad Magazine's "BASEBRAWL". I thought this USGFL gag might be germane to that discussion but I don't think it is. Had to watch into it a while before concluding that the actor was not Robin Williams, who I was watching last night in "The World According To Garp": http://bit.ly/1mhkV10 |
Here is the link:https://www.uaf.edu/anlc/resources/inuit-eskimo/ In Canada, they called "Inuit" while the other were called " First Nation", or "Metis" which is known to Canadian Indians, Metis are referring to be residing at the Red River or Saskatchewan River in Saskatchewan. Boy, you got to love Saskatchewan and my Canadian parent are proud of me for knowing the history of Canada. Hello Justin Trudeau! |