Hmm

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

Somebody just doesn't get white-male privilege? Or is there a stronger point: one should not be harsh to anyone, not even whites, men, nor even Christians or libertarians?

Comments

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

In the world of privilege, context and history don't exist.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

But what about the argument for the high road that says we shouldn't take shots at the privileged, either, that they are, after all, humans?

[wight1984.livejournal.com]

Seems fair, but no need to make that point by pretending that all insults are equal.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

But I'm also thinking: wouldn't this high road take all 'the funny' out of the world, or at least much of it?

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

Social justice warriors lack the basic understanding of humor, so they have no context of what's being lost.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

I don't mind if the 'social justice warriors' manage to carve out some safe places, in which everyone must be on their absolutely best behavior, where never a suggestively ill word is said against anybody else, but I sure do hope we maintain a strong 'free speech' rule overall in this country. I like having forums where we can be a little raw.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

As do I. But those sorts of closed-down forums are where I've seen this posted before. It's a criticism of the culture (or, as put in the OP, ignoring the concept of "white privilege") by people who have made a hobby of shouting down those who hold incorrect viewpoints about issues of race and gender relations.

[macychick.livejournal.com]

My way of thinking is that it's okay to be politically incorrect at home with your family and friends; but out in public you have to be politically correct.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

There's being respectful around your intended (and unintended) audience, and then there's the bullying callout culture (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/18/online-bullying-ugly-sport-liberal-commenters) that tries to police that respectful appropriateness. This comic is more about the latter than the former.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

it's okay to be politically incorrect at home with your family and friends

Shouldn't we have greater leeway than that, such as comedy night clubs, for instance? Do we really want our movies and books to be scrubbed for only the most sensitive expressions? Surely, some of the Internet should be free-speech fire zones. Though, I appreciate that, on the Internet, we have enough forums that go way over any generally accepted lines - the true hate stuff. But, in priniciple.

[rowsdowerisms.livejournal.com]

Who are these social justice types shouting down others?

Check out this dude destroying classical and contemporary liberalism using his inside voice!

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

This is quite brilliant, and so is Dr. Mills. I'm borrowing this for my blog.

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

That a huge challenge in othersise nominally "liberal" spheres such as the skeptical community. Look at the huge backlash against the idea of an "atheism +" movement (meaning adding questions of social justice to the mainstream atheist movements, addressing more concerns than just debunking bigfoot and religions), or the hatred in response to even just the basic statement of: "we could do more to address the concerns of, and recruit the interest of, people of color and other minorities."

What Mills is saying is very easy to respond to defensively, and that's almost instinctive for most of us who have been so ingrained with the status-quo, but it's neccesary to surpress that instinct and actually listen, because UNDERSTANDING these things is the way we can then move forward and avoid the pitfalls CAUSED by what he describes.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

All you have to do is put on skinny jeans, black rimmed glasses and acknowledge your privilege, then all of your racist jokes are ironic!

[wight1984.livejournal.com]

"But I'm also thinking: wouldn't this high road take all 'the funny' out of the world, or at least much of it? "

Nah.

A broad sense of humour can survive a few bits being clipped off anyway, but I'm not sure that's necessary.

In many ways, this is about when people aren't laughing. If I make a joke about you, and you don't find it funny, then the joke failed. If I make a joke to someone else about you, and they laugh but you find out and they're sad, then all the good in the humour is cancelled out by your sadness.

However, if we're just good friends engaging in casual mockery of each other, and we both laugh and no one is offended, then that's fine.

Also; whilst I try to avoid bigoted humour, I don't avoid humour about bigotry. I think there's a difference there.

[macychick.livejournal.com]

THIS.

I know a Jewish man and an Italian-American man who have been best friends for years. The Jewish man sometimes jokes that the Italian is secretly in the Mafia; while the Italian jokes about his friend's Jewish nose. They both think it's funny and no one is offended. Neither the Jewish nor the Italian jokes are intended to be racist; but more of "we're so comfortable with each other that nothing is taboo." They both completely understand that if they were to make those kind of jokes in a different context, it would NOT be okay.
That's an example of what I meant about "it's okay among friends and family."

[trog.livejournal.com]

What units are privileges measured in?

[new-wave-witch.livejournal.com]

Breitbart disqus comments.

[peristaltor.livejournal.com]

Zing!

[american-geist.livejournal.com]

Bitcoins.

[trog.livejournal.com]

lol

[telemann.livejournal.com]

[peristaltor.livejournal.com]

"Say, what?"

[dwer.livejournal.com]

I can't come up with a more clever way to say this, and frankly, almost all of the rest of the discussion on this post proves exactly this point. So, well done.

[dexeron.livejournal.com]

People trying to hash out the minutia of some nebulous "privilege score" (as below) are missing the point, since really all anyone talking about privilege is saying is: "Hey, nothing happens in a vacuum, so the next time you ask 'why is there no White History Month?', crack open a history book instead."

The entire original picture is a strawman anyway, because most folks would object to ANYONE being called "worthless," regardless of race. But I'll damn well fight for the right for marginalized folks to have safe spaces where, yes, those rules might be different.

Ugh, it reminds me of a friend who FREAKED out when I tried to explain "enthusiastic consent" for sex. Like, he literally started arguing minutia, weird "what-if" scenarios, as if he was legitimatelly afraid that he might never get to have sex again, or might accidently sexually assault someone while driving home from work or something. He was literally getting furious at the concept that maybe he should take the time to be sure his partner was actually consenting. And all I'm thinking is: "Jesus... freaking consent IS NOT THIS HARD."

Thing is, neither of these concepts are really all that difficult: unless you're intentionally trying to build strawmen or refusing to listen to what's actually being said here. And most of the objections I'm seeing to the concept of privilege smack of just a little intellectual dishonesty.