Black Culture- The question and answer thread

[Selene]

I am not sure what to make of them yet because I have not had the time to work the numbers.

However, what does not surprise me is to see how cancerous the tyranny of the administrative state is.

I hope that folks truly get an understanding of how they can basically be "erased" from being a functioning individual or business in moments.

A...

moved to the S. Carolina thread

[RobinReborn]

Derek, you might like The Wire. The series definitely does not belong in the Romantic category of art. For the most part the acting isn't great (especially the first episode since the whole story is being set up there, nothing gets resolved), but the story is good and the dialog is good. The story is generally about institutional dysfunction, there are more characters than Atlas Shrugged (not really any main character, the characters are meant to offer a cross section of Baltimore). In some sense it is like a detective show where you try to predict how the events will resolve. It has been critical acclaimed by many.

I asked because the show has presented me with a vivid image of Baltimore as a city. So far nothing has contradicted that, but I'm still questioning just how accurate it is.

[Jonathan]

1. I agree that it does remind me of every comedian doing a man-in-a-woman-fat-suit routine (this includes Ms Doubtfire) The Madea character did get its start as a stage play and if you know theater, big bold characters steal the show. I believe that where it gets its popularity is in her flagrant use of saying what you wish you could say if you were in such a situation. So say you worked in retail and a customer did something like opened a sealed package on the sales floor and left the merchandise on the floor. When confronted the customer says "Oh, I found it that way" Your internal reaction (turned up to ten) is how Madea would react, like " B..tch! I just say you open that package, you think I'm stupid?!

Let me state though firmly that there are quite a few prominent blacks (Spike Lee for instance) who think that Madea is demeaning and bad for black people.

1. Lol. I like your analogy about it being a bad rip off. Madea is a common trope used in Black media. She is the "Matriarch". Also, men dressing as women for entertainment is a common theme across several comedy spectrum that dates back even before Robin Williams = Mrs. Doubtfire, John Travolta in HairSpray ( Click here for more references)

Yeah, you're right, the men playing female characters thing has been around for a long time. Many comedians in drag have been very funny. Monty Python, Kids in the Hall, Flip Wilson, Milton Berle, and even more recently, Key and Peele, who, in my opinion, should be much more popular, more wealthy and recognized for their talent than Tyler Perry. Madea, to me, is almost exactly like watching Vicki Lawrence's matriarchic character Thelma "Mama" Harper. >puke< It's like, "This is supposed to be funny, right?" It just seems so staged, canned and unclever compared to the artistry that performers like Key and Peele breathe into their characters.

2. My personal feelings on Interacial dating are "do you boo". In other words, whatever floats your boat. I dated a Jewish girl for 3 years. A good friend of mine dated a white chick from Iowa. Some people do get pissed off https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj6hrTItC9A

But honestly I don't get it. I understand that their argument is a never-trust-the-white-man attitude but I don't get that either.

I personally have never met anyone my age or younger that would care about dating outside their race. One thing though, the white girl has to have a black girls body. If the white girl has a big butt then most blacks guys will pursue her, no problem and their homeboys will give them respect for getting with them. Secondly, in lower income areas, there are low income whites living along low income blacks and trust me, they act and talk the same. Some white people are Blacker than black people depending on where they grew up and when you grow up together you are going to inter-date.

Maybe its a different thing for a black person to reach corporate America and meet a white person there and date. Maybe that where all the hate comes from because it appears to some that the black who did that feels like their race is no longer good enough. Sometimes they do feel that way, other times they just like the other persons personality.

In conclusion I do here most hate (online) from females who see black men date out side their race. Black men, when they see a black woman with a white man are more prone to say "He don't know how to handle that" (speaking of the white guy about the black girls body)

2. My perception is that generally we accept those things that we cannot change. In general everything that is accepted or tolerate does not equate to liking it or approving of it. From conversations that I have had Black women are particularly annoyed. 1 because they feel like there is a shortage of Black men and someone outside of the race/social group are adding to the depletion when they date them. 2. Black women seem to have less of a range in the race of males they attracts so when that supply is depleted they have little alternative. 3. For Black people rooted in their culture and history it seems a betrayal to date a white mate because the history of oppression. I could actually write a chapter on how deep the feeling goes but those 3 points will have to do for now.

Thanks for sharing. There's a lot in there that I didn't know and wouldn't have thought of.

J

[Selene]

Good points.

In NY the white boys are tagged as Wiggers****, or, wanna be Niggers.

Similar to the Eddie Murphy routine with the Brooklyn Sicilian gold chained horn around the neck "Guido," who gets his ass kicked.

The black dude says "Oh, yeah...you just musta seen Rocky."

-------------------------------------------------

Derek:

In light of what you explained about personal experiences.

I personally have heard from the get go about "CP" time.

I almost begin to expect a black person not to be on time. That is how strong the drumbeat was growing up.

Even in corporate structures, although the voice was sotto voce.

The, well we'll see if he/she is on CP time...

A...

****wigger

A male caucasion, usually born and raised in the suburbs that displays a strong desire to emulate African American Hip Hop culture and style through "Bling" fashion and generally accepted "thug life" guiding principles.

Often characterized by his car, or "whip": usually an econobox modified with at least twice the car's book value in non-power producing modifications or an SUV with at least 5500 lbs. of curb weight. Traditional trucks can also qualify here, depending on locale (southern states' percentages are higher). All vehicles are also mandated to have at least 19" chrome alloy wheels, regardless of make. The typical wigger is also characterized by a strong desire to adorn gold jewlery (especially heavy gold chains) and athletic warm up suits. All equipment and clothing will be paid for by the parents of the individual in question, or the parents of said individual's "shorty" through the use of said shorty's credit cards.

A general disposition of "hard" will be displayed among other wiggers and to kids around their neighbohood (usually labelled a 'subdivision' or 'gated community' due to its mass produced housing develoment origins). This disposition will immediately be dropped and replaced by a more typical "white boy" disposition when in the presence of actual African Americans ( with exceptions: Those whose origins trace to the suburbs being the most prominant.).

Wigger: "Yo kid, you best be watchin' ya step!"

Typical Suburban White Girl: "Didn't you get that Do-rag at Hot topic?"

Wigger: "Yeah, well.. you know how we do!"

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

*****CP Time

Colored People's Time. also see: CPT

The usually correct stereotype that African-Americans are incapable of punctuality, and are chronically tardy in both arriving at and beginning events and functions.
1)
White girl: Why are we still waiting? It should have started 15 minutes ago.
White guy: The organizers are black so we're on CP Time. They're probably backstage talking or eating.

2)
Black organizer thinking to herself: Well, we should probably start, even though most of my friends haven't arrived yet because of good old CP Time. I guess we'll wait another 30 minutes for the black folks to show up.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=CP%20Time

Not sure whether that highlighted red phrase is an error, bad phrasing or....

[Derek McGowan]

So, good news is that I was able to borrow the go-pro, bad news is it rained on Saturday so I had to move my 20+ mile exercise ride to Sunday when I was supposed to do the first of many community tours. Then couldn't do it today because I was in closing. Hopefully I can get something up next weekend. The full plan (not to be done in one day mind you) is a tour of the black community I live in vs the mostly-white neighborhood one street away.

A tour of several college campuses, Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, University of Baltimore, Morgan State University (HBCU) Maryland Institute of Art

Purposefully seeking out of housing projects

Purposeful seeking out of boarded up homes

Well manicured and pristine (non-rich) black neighborhoods

The route from my mothers house to a grounds tour of the elementary, middle and high school I went to

City Hall

The Inner Harbor, Fells Point and Canton

etc

The videos will only be ten minutes or less so you dont have to sit through a documentary and hopefully the on board mic will pick up any environmental sounds.

[Derek McGowan]

*****CP Time

Colored People's Time. also see: CPT

this is an issue....

From my position, it seems that more blacks practice cpt then don't. Happens at dinners, weddings, church events, dates, work, etc. Most older folks don't do it but 40 and under... its a problem. And it pisses me off because I was raised "if you are late then it shows you don't care about the other person's time" In fact, I was an hour early to the closing today.

I've been at dinner parties where the time that the event was supposed to start is the time some attendees began getting ready. I could make mention of elite society 100+ years ago purposely arriving fashionably late but whe you have kids arriving to work 15 and twenty minutes late, its a problem

[Selene]

*****CP Time

Colored People's Time. also see: CPT

this is an issue....

From my position, it seems that more blacks practice cpt then don't. Happens at dinners, weddings, church events, dates, work, etc. Most older folks don't do it but 40 and under... its a problem. And it pisses me off because I was raised "if you are late then it shows you don't care about the other person's time" In fact, I was an hour early to the closing today.

I've been at dinner parties where the time that the event was supposed to start is the time some attendees began getting ready. I could make mention of elite society 100+ years ago purposely arriving fashionably late but whe you have kids arriving to work 15 and twenty minutes late, its a problem

Thanks. I do not understand it either, however It does get my attention.

Do you notice a significant difference between blacks from the Islands and or Africa and American blacks in basic core behavior/values?

A...

[william.scherk]

The route from my mothers house to a grounds tour of the elementary, middle and high school I went to

City Hall

The Inner Harbor, Fells Point and Canton

etc

The videos will only be ten minutes or less so you dont have to sit through a documentary and hopefully the on board mic will pick up any environmental sounds.

Great stuff. What a great idea put in practice. It beats the limited options of Google Streetview.

[Derek McGowan]

*****CP Time

Colored People's Time. also see: CPT

this is an issue....

From my position, it seems that more blacks practice cpt then don't. Happens at dinners, weddings, church events, dates, work, etc. Most older folks don't do it but 40 and under... its a problem. And it pisses me off because I was raised "if you are late then it shows you don't care about the other person's time" In fact, I was an hour early to the closing today.

I've been at dinner parties where the time that the event was supposed to start is the time some attendees began getting ready. I could make mention of elite society 100+ years ago purposely arriving fashionably late but whe you have kids arriving to work 15 and twenty minutes late, its a problem

Thanks. I do not understand it either, however It does get my attention.

Do you notice a significant difference between blacks from the Islands and or Africa and American blacks in basic core behavior/values?

A...

My experience with West Indies or African blacks is limited. I have a Jamaican commercial tenant. He is a one man operation- seamstress and also drives for the airport. He opens everyday (he is below my art studio) but I can't say its a regular-hours sort of thing. I usually get there early 8-830 and he is there when I leave out for lunch then he stays till after I leave. One bad thing, when I took over the building, he was already there. We agreed that since there was only one service to the building (the original owner lived above their shop, so my studio is in what was living quarters) he would pay the electric bill and I would pay the water bill. Appears he never paid and last year I had to pay his 3000 gas/electric bill to get the service to get my lights turned back on. He has been making payments back since that time.

I used to work in a area called Rockville. It is in Montgomery County a suburb of DC and is very metropolitan. I had employees from China, El Salvador, Jamaica, Sudan, Brazil, etc We would have customers in line speaking French and Italian. But all the kids working there were in the 16-19 year range and no I didn't see a difference in their behavior but that average behavior was better than those in some other stores I've worked in.

My wife is from Florida and currently she works at a HBCU so she has probably has had more experience in the matter. Hopefully I can get her comment tomorrow.

[syrakusos]

… so, if I have an interview with Thomas Sowell, should I expect him to be late, dating a white woman, not listing to rap, but on probation or parole?

And, Derek, if I may ask, how does that inform me about to expect from Neil deGrasse-Tyson? (Adam, do you have any experience in court with Puerto-Rican-African-American-Astrophysicists? Is it true that they get off without fines for traffic violations because they play the Doppler Shift Card?)

I know a chimp who thinks more clearly than you guys, but this is inspiring. (See the Humor forum.)

[Mikee]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

or

Whatever...

Edited to add: this post is directed to MEM and his post only, not to anyone else or anything anyone else may have said in this thread.

[Derek McGowan]

… so, if I have an interview with Thomas Sowell, should I expect him to be late, dating a white woman, not listing to rap, but on probation or parole?

And, Derek, if I may ask, how does that inform me about to expect from Neil deGrasse-Tyson? (Adam, do you have any experience in court with Puerto-Rican-African-American-Astrophysicists? Is it true that they get off without fines for traffic violations because they play the Doppler Shift Card?)

I know a chimp who thinks more clearly than you guys, but this is inspiring. (See the Humor forum.)

I think you may perhaps have a slight misunderstanding about what this thread is about

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Derek,

LOL...

Oftentimes with Michael M, you have to shift to an alternate reality where metaphor is fact and fact is metaphorical. If you can imagine a universe like that, things start to make sense.

That's a quip, but I'm serious.

He's a good dude and highly intelligent.

And then there are those sporadic challenges in human communications...

(It's a good thing Michael doesn't aspire to stand-up comedy as a profession. )

Michael

[Brant Gaede]

… so, if I have an interview with Thomas Sowell, should I expect him to be late, dating a white woman, not listing to rap, but on probation or parole?

And, Derek, if I may ask, how does that inform me about to expect from Neil deGrasse-Tyson? (Adam, do you have any experience in court with Puerto-Rican-African-American-Astrophysicists? Is it true that they get off without fines for traffic violations because they play the Doppler Shift Card?)

I know a chimp who thinks more clearly than you guys, but this is inspiring. (See the Humor forum.)

I think you may perhaps have a slight misunderstanding about what this thread is about

M M does drivebys on OL. It's harmless but distracting. Usually worth reading but don't expect much conversation.

--Brant

[BaalChatzaf]

The usually correct stereotype that African-Americans are incapable of punctuality, and are chronically tardy in both arriving at and beginning events and functions.

1)

White girl: Why are we still waiting? It should have started 15 minutes ago.

White guy: The organizers are black so we're on CP Time. They're probably backstage talking or eating.

2)

Black organizer thinking to herself: Well, we should probably start, even though most of my friends haven't arrived yet because of good old CP Time. I guess we'll wait another 30 minutes for the black folks to show up.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=CP%20Time

Not sure whether that highlighted red phrase is an error, bad phrasing or....

CP time. I laugh. Do you know JST (Jewish Standard Time)? For cultural and historic reasons Jews tend to run a quarter to a half hour late. I remember when my oldest son had his bar mitzvah I invited all my Jewish guests to show up at the synagogue at 09:30 and my gentile guests to show up at 10:00. The service was scheduled to begin a 10:00. Anyway just about everyone arrived on time.

Here is one for you---- Who knows what Evil lurks in the Heart of Man???? The Shadow do....

[Derek McGowan]

The usually correct stereotype that African-Americans are incapable of punctuality, and are chronically tardy in both arriving at and beginning events and functions.

1)

White girl: Why are we still waiting? It should have started 15 minutes ago.

White guy: The organizers are black so we're on CP Time. They're probably backstage talking or eating.

2)

Black organizer thinking to herself: Well, we should probably start, even though most of my friends haven't arrived yet because of good old CP Time. I guess we'll wait another 30 minutes for the black folks to show up.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=CP%20Time

Not sure whether that highlighted red phrase is an error, bad phrasing or....

CP time. I laugh. Do you know JST (Jewish Standard Time)? For cultural and historic reasons Jews tend to run a quarter to a half hour late. I remember when my oldest son had his bar mitzvah I invited all my Jewish guests to show up at the synagogue at 09:30 and my gentile guests to show up at 10:00. The service was scheduled to begin a 10:00. Anyway just about everyone arrived on time.

Here is one for you---- Who knows what Evil lurks in the Heart of Man???? The Shadow do....

thats interesting, I never heard of that but I guess I don't have many Jewish associates. The one stereotype you always hear about them is that they are cheap

[dldelancey]

Great idea for a thread, Derek. Thank you for starting it and thanks to your wife for participating.

Here's a question. When I was pregnant, black men would approach me in just about any kind of situation or setting - the grocery store, the library, the bank, in the doctor's office waiting room - sometimes to blatantly hit on me, others just to say hello or offer a compliment. It was the strangest thing, like my huge belly was some sort of attraction, almost an aphrodisiac. I've always wondered what that was about?

[Brant Gaede]

I would have done the hello or compliment.

--Whitey

[BaalChatzaf]

.

thats interesting, I never heard of that but I guess I don't have many Jewish associates. The one stereotype you always hear about them is that they are cheap

not cheap. Prudent and Thrifty.

[Derek McGowan]

Great idea for a thread, Derek. Thank you for starting it and thanks to your wife for participating.

Here's a question. When I was pregnant, black men would approach me in just about any kind of situation or setting - the grocery store, the library, the bank, in the doctor's office waiting room - sometimes to blatantly hit on me, others just to say hello or offer a compliment. It was the strangest thing, like my huge belly was some sort of attraction, almost an aphrodisiac. I've always wondered what that was about?

Sorry, DL, I havent ignored your question, I've been trying to get my wife to give her perspective along with mine since I don't have much to say on the subject.

I personally haven't felt extra attracted to pregnant females. A few of them are quite cute while pregnant but I feel that they would probably be cute to me if I saw them and they weren't. None of the guys I've been friends with have mentioned being attracted to them, at least not verbally.

I've seen pregnant girls from teenage to adulthood and ..... I don't know, maybe you had some physical changes? Breasts, hips, etc?

I did have sex once with a pregnant girl but it surely wasn't because she was pregnant.....

My experience as pregnant woman was that ALL men where more attracted to me regardless of ethnic background. I figured it had something to do with pheromones and curvature. In general it has been my experience that Black men are attracted to curves and the more severe the curves the better. When you were pregnant did your breast and any other body parts swell along with your belly.

[Derek McGowan]

*****CP Time

Colored People's Time. also see: CPT

this is an issue....

From my position, it seems that more blacks practice cpt then don't. Happens at dinners, weddings, church events, dates, work, etc. Most older folks don't do it but 40 and under... its a problem. And it pisses me off because I was raised "if you are late then it shows you don't care about the other person's time" In fact, I was an hour early to the closing today.

I've been at dinner parties where the time that the event was supposed to start is the time some attendees began getting ready. I could make mention of elite society 100+ years ago purposely arriving fashionably late but whe you have kids arriving to work 15 and twenty minutes late, its a problem

Thanks. I do not understand it either, however It does get my attention.

Do you notice a significant difference between blacks from the Islands and or Africa and American blacks in basic core behavior/values?

A...

There is no monolithic Black person. Black encompasses people of African descent throughout the diaspora. There are as many intra-racial differences among Black people as their are among people of European descent. Also "The Islands" is pretty diverse as well. There are differences across Island culture. I'm afraid I'd have trouble answering this concisely without using gross generalizations or stereotypes that have limited basis in fact. There is differences in culture, language and experiences. With that obviously comes differences in behavior. If I'm understanding the question correctly it is very broad and would take a Black Studies course to explore. But if I had to summarize behavior across culture I would say that Black people from different geographical locations reflect the culture of their environment in nearly every way.

[Selene]

*****CP Time

Colored People's Time. also see: CPT

this is an issue....

From my position, it seems that more blacks practice cpt then don't. Happens at dinners, weddings, church events, dates, work, etc. Most older folks don't do it but 40 and under... its a problem. And it pisses me off because I was raised "if you are late then it shows you don't care about the other person's time" In fact, I was an hour early to the closing today.

I've been at dinner parties where the time that the event was supposed to start is the time some attendees began getting ready. I could make mention of elite society 100+ years ago purposely arriving fashionably late but whe you have kids arriving to work 15 and twenty minutes late, its a problem

Thanks. I do not understand it either, however It does get my attention.

Do you notice a significant difference between blacks from the Islands and or Africa and American blacks in basic core behavior/values?

A...

There is no monolithic Black person. Black encompasses people of African descent throughout the diaspora. There are as many intra-racial differences among Black people as their are among people of European descent. Also "The Islands" is pretty diverse as well. There are differences across Island culture. I'm afraid I'd have trouble answering this concisely without using gross generalizations or stereotypes that have limited basis in fact. There is differences in culture, language and experiences. With that obviously comes differences in behavior. If I'm understanding the question correctly it is very broad and would take a Black Studies course to explore. But if I had to summarize behavior across culture I would say that Black people from different geographical locations reflect the culture of their environment in nearly every way.

Agreed and that is why the differences played out differently in my evening classes than when I was working in the streets with different enclaves of island and African neighborhoods.

I also noticed in city government a significant difference between Southern black women and Northern black women in terms of style and reserve.

Thanks for the insights though.

We are all trying to feel our way through this. I think that NY City has done really well in terms of being a true melting pot, whether one thinks that is a good bad or indifferent effect.

However, we are being swept backwards with this newest street war that is finding fertile soil even in NY City.

Pisses me off because lots of regular innocent folks are going to get hurt and killed.

A...

[Derek McGowan]

test video

https://youtu.be/WZ4nlENMpf0

[Selene]

test video

https://youtu.be/WZ4nlENMpf0

Excellent Test Drive.

This looks like Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn which was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, built between 1974-1876:

Ocean Parkway extends over a distance of about five miles (8 km), running almost north to south from the vicinity of Prospect Park to Brighton Beach. The parkway runs roughly parallel to Coney Island Avenue, an important commercial avenue several blocks to the east. It consists of a central bidirectional avenue of seven lanes (the middle lane is for left turns or a painted median), two small parallel side streets, and two medians with trees, benches, and pedestrian paths. The west median, part of the Brooklyn–Queens Greenway, also has a bike path.

[william.scherk]

Great stuff, Derek. From Madison Avenue to Eutaw Place. My favourite part among many is the Francis Scott Key fountain.

That city -- or these neighbourhoods you showed -- show relative good shape for the urban fabric, well-treed, kept up. It's no wonder you are a real estate tycoon.