A racial question (personal relationships, Part 1)

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Wayne K

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If a white person likes black people it's said that they have Jungle Fever, it sounds a little racist, but if you've been-there-done-that you understand it's not. Anyway, if it's a black person into white people, is that called something?
If there is something about it I can't find it on the computer.
 

alleycat

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Uncle Tom.


Just kidding. :) I don't know.
 

CaroGirl

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Is that what "Jungle Fever" means? I'm obviously not equipped to help you here.

:)
 

indiriverflow

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A wealth of disturbing slang referring to the lucky lady involved:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=black+dude+white+chick

disclosure:this link leads to a listing of terms both misogynistic and racist. Provided for research purposes only.

But no, in popular culture "Jungle Fever" is used to describe either side of an interracial attraction. In that, it is not so racist.
 

Wayne K

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A wealth of disturbing slang referring to the lucky lady involved:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=black+dude+white+chick

disclosure:this link leads to a listing of terms both misogynistic and racist. Provided for research purposes only.

But no, in popular culture "Jungle Fever" is used to describe either side of an interracial attraction. In that, it is not so racist.
Yeah, I guess it is. If they're all bad I'd rather not click the link though, we heard them all. I made up a few of my own.
 

Wayne K

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In the show "The Jeffersons" George used to call them Zebras. I wonder if that was just a joke because I've never heard the term outside of that.
 

Kitty Pryde

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If a white person likes black people it's said that they have Jungle Fever, it sounds a little racist, but if you've been-there-done-that you understand it's not. Anyway, if it's a black person into white people, is that called something?
If there is something about it I can't find it on the computer.

Yeah, to quote Stevie:

I've got jungle fever, she's got jungle fever
We've got jungle fever, we're in love
She's gone black-boy crazy, I've gone white-girl hazy
Ain't no thinking maybe, we're in love
She's got jungle fever, I've got jungle fever
We've got jungle fever, we're in love
I've gone white-girl crazy, she's gone black-boy hazy
We're each other's baby, we're in love

So the term definitely works for both parties. The only other inoffensive thing I can think of is sometimes I say 'He likes a little cream in his coffee' and then the reverse, which is sort of stupid but amuses me anyways, 'She likes a little coffee in her cream'. I'm white and my partner of five years is black, and I've never heard any others. Maybe if you rent the movie they would use some other ones?
 

Kitty Pryde

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Brindle Chase

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Why does it need a term? One human likes another... if I were writing it, I wouldnt play the race card at all. Each character would be defined... including their race, but if two characters began a romance, I wouldnt define it as something other than romance, just because the two characters were of different races. *shrugs*
 

Kitty Pryde

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Why does it need a term? One human likes another... if I were writing it, I wouldnt play the race card at all. Each character would be defined... including their race, but if two characters began a romance, I wouldnt define it as something other than romance, just because the two characters were of different races. *shrugs*


Well, I'm guessing these silly terms aren't going to be in the narration, but in the dialogue of the characters observing the relationship. I can think of a zillion situations in which it makes perfect sense for a character to comment on the fact that other characters are in an interracial couple.
 

Brindle Chase

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Well, I'm guessing these silly terms aren't going to be in the narration, but in the dialogue of the characters observing the relationship. I can think of a zillion situations in which it makes perfect sense for a character to comment on the fact that other characters are in an interracial couple.


Ahh, dialogue. Yeah, I can see that. Thank you!
 

CarnalPIE

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Yeah, I was gonna say, just because we the author aren't racist doesn't mean every character in everyone one of our novels isn't. That's not a realistic view of the world.
 

Wayne K

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Why does it need a term? One human likes another... if I were writing it, I wouldnt play the race card at all. Each character would be defined... including their race, but if two characters began a romance, I wouldnt define it as something other than romance, just because the two characters were of different races. *shrugs*
Race is very important to the book I'm working on.
ETA: I'm old I don't know if you are. But it was a big deal not a very long time ago, especially in relationships.
 
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Race is very important to the book I'm working on.
ETA: I'm old I don't know if you are. But it was a big deal not a very long time ago, especially in relationships.

It was illegal to marry, within the living memory of many of our members.
 

benbradley

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If a white person likes black people it's said that they have Jungle Fever, it sounds a little racist, but if you've been-there-done-that you understand it's not. Anyway, if it's a black person into white people, is that called something?
If there is something about it I can't find it on the computer.

Yeah, I was gonna say, just because we the author aren't racist doesn't mean every character in everyone one of our novels isn't. That's not a realistic view of the world.
Furthermore, a character doesn't have to be racist to notice or mention the races of other characters.
 

CarnalPIE

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True. But do you ever find it odd when someone is telling you about an encounter they had with a stranger and mention the stranger's race even though it has nothing to do with the story? Are they just being descriptive, as we do in a novel, or are they racist to go out of their way to mention it?
 

Brindle Chase

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Race is very important to the book I'm working on.
ETA: I'm old I don't know if you are. But it was a big deal not a very long time ago, especially in relationships.


I'm old enough... sadly. I understand. I think I misinterpreted the question. I was referrring to the authors narrative voice, not the characters within the book. If you're speaking of the authors voice, then I advise caution. Using potentially racist terms where they aren't needed, just because it fits the period, is dangerous. =)

An example. If we're talking 70's (yes I remember them... ug!)... the term jungle fever would be appropriate to be used in a character's dialogue or thoughts. If its third person, the narrative shouldn't use that term, because now its the author's racist viewpoint and not of the period... IMHO. To me, its racist or not, depending on the viewpoint it is expressed within. Whether its the authors view or the characters... make sense?
 

Wayne K

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I was leading up to a playful mental thought, but I think Jungle fever works.
 

JS Emuakpor

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In the show "The Jeffersons" George used to call them Zebras. I wonder if that was just a joke because I've never heard the term outside of that.
There was a movie starring Michael Rappaport, in which he dated a black woman. It was called "Zebrahead" so I guess you can call the collective members of an interracial relationship a zebra.

I believe these both refer to someone who is black but 'acts like a white person', however one would define such, rather than a black person who is attracted to white people. But yeah, not nice.
I think Oreo goes deeper than merely "acting white". People call me an Oreo - even some white people - and I don't take offense to it. Obviously I'm not black on the outside and white on the inside, but socially, you could say that I am.

Most people have preconcieved notions of how other races behave. The "bad" occurs when these preconcieved notions take a derogatory turn.

The fact that I relate more to white Americans than to black Americans clearly illustrates that there are cultural differences between the various races. Although, I think the chasm between the cultures is wider when the various races exist within the same country.
 

vixey

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I remember Halle Barry saying she once received a package of Oreos in the mail (or someone stuffed them in her mailbox). And she implied it's because she had a white parent and a black parent.
 

Deleted member 42

True. But do you ever find it odd when someone is telling you about an encounter they had with a stranger and mention the stranger's race even though it has nothing to do with the story? Are they just being descriptive, as we do in a novel, or are they racist to go out of their way to mention it?

I think it's unconscious bigotry/prejudice.

It's like when we refer to a "lady doctor," when the sex of the physician is not actually relevant information.

Or when--I've had this happen--someone is telling me about a student and says "he's [black/gay/catholic]" in a discussion regarding what the studnet has and has not done in terms of completing assignments, for instance.

It's something we can learn not to do though; to not add extraneous information--note that sometimes it may be relevant, but mostly, it's not.
 
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