little stuff that bothers me

[chronovore]

I dislike the phrase "white trash" intensely. It's racist and manages to get classism in at the same time.

Comments

[imlac.livejournal.com]

I disagree, at least about the classim part. Think about it: who are the largest examples of white trash in America today? Jeff Foxworthy, Larry The Cable Guy, Brittney Spears. All of them are millionares, several times over. They are upper class (at least if you define class in terms of income) but still trash.

And you're right about it being racist, as only a white person can be white trash, but I don't really see this as offensive, as for the most part it's used by white people. Just like the N-word isn't offensive when used by black people...

[ferricide.livejournal.com]

Just like the N-word isn't offensive when used by black people...

oh really?

http://www.naacp.org/news/press/2007-07-09-2/index.htm

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

That's pretty wild.

So now that the NAACP has stated it's so, that means everybody agrees with it, right? ;-)

[ferricide.livejournal.com]

well, no, but it made big news over here.

Yeah, really

[(Anonymous)]

http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/?lnk=v&ml_video=84493

Re: Yeah, really

[imlac.livejournal.com]

Sorry, that was me.

Re: Yeah, really

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

YOU ARE A BIG ANONY-MOUSE.

[chronovore.livejournal.com]

You're calling out mutations, exceptions, not what the standardized image is. Actually, if you want to go for a non-racist, but still classist term, "trailer trash" is an easy overlay, although it lacks the historical significance of having been a term invented by non-whites to be applied to whites.