Altered Maps 15

[Silurian]

It seems to me that coloured is a word that should be reclaimed from the racists. If someone has one white and one black parent and you call them black it seems that blackness is some sort of implied taint. Maybe someone should start a thread on this.

 

[warpus]

I don't like the term "coloured" or "person of colour", since it implies that white people are "vanilla humans" aka a default.

But calling a black person black isn't racist, is it? It's used all over the place. If I'm playing soccer and there is 1 black guy on the other team and everybody else is white or asian, and I want to quickly point him out to my teammates, of course I'm going to say: "Mark the black guy!". What else could I say?

 

[Manfred Belheim]

I think the worst one is when (certain) Americans use the term "African American" to refer to any black person in the world. Makes me want to start punching things that one.

 

[Silurian]

Warpus@
Even if they have one white and one black parent.

 

[Arakhor]

I think the worst one is when (certain) Americans use the term "African American" to refer to any black person in the world. Makes me want to start punching things that one.

Oh, yes. That's particularly bad when it comes to the TES universe and some lazy person or other refers to the Redguards as African-Americans.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

Oh, yes. That's particularly bad when it comes to the TES universe and some lazy person or other refers to the Redguards as African-Americans.

They should clearly be referred to as Yokudan-Hammerfellians.

 

[warpus]

I think the worst one is when (certain) Americans use the term "African American" to refer to any black person in the world. Makes me want to start punching things that one.

I've only seen stupid people do that, to be honest.

We don't use that term here in Canada, the only term really available to us is really "black person" or "black dude" or whatever. So I'm not really sure how it can be racist or improper, if there's no good alternative for us to use instead.

 

[Hygro]

Funny how "people of colour" isn't offensive, whereas "coloureds" is, when both terms are expressing pretty much exactly the same idea (i.e., "not white") and even using the same word. It would be a bit like getting offended by being called English, but not by being called a person of England. Or something. But then that's how language works sometimes isn't it, so ho-hum I suppose.

One is calling someone a person and the other is calling someone a designator.

 

[madviking]

 

[Arakhor]

So the lesson is that if you ever design a map that looks like that, scrap it and start again?

(Besides which, please spoiler that large image.)

 

[ArneHD]

So the lesson is that if you ever design a map that looks like that, scrap it and start again?

(Besides which, please spoiler that large image.)

More that if your fantasy map looks like that you are not as original as you think you are. A cliche done well is is just as fun.

 

[Arakhor]

Very true. I'm a big fan of David & Leigh Eddings' The Belgariad, after all.

 

[Hygro]

D&D should be rife with well executed cliches.

 

[Kyriakos]

"Gondar", "Gothmor"

 

[Manfred Belheim]

One is calling someone a person and the other is calling someone a designator.

Seems a very minor and arbitrary distinction on which to draw offence. Also, I'm betting that "coloured person/woman/guy" would be considered equally offensive anyway.

 

[Hygro]

Seems a very minor and arbitrary distinction on which to draw offence. Also, I'm betting that "coloured person/woman/guy" would be considered equally offensive anyway.

Sure, but so what?

 

[Manfred Belheim]

If you agree, but still have to ask that, then I have no words I guess.

 

[Hygro]

I'm agreeing that "colored person" would be also offensive. I'm not sure I understand which you're trying to get at:
1) That it's amusing this divisions get made despite the language or
2) That this division is dumb because of the language used

 

[Manfred Belheim]

I think both things concurrently.

If you agree that that would also be offensive then doesn't that undermine the reason you gave before as to why one term is offensive in the first place?

 

[Hygro]

I think both things concurrently.

If you agree that that would also be offensive then doesn't that undermine the reason you gave before as to why one term is offensive in the first place?

Words signify identity and history, so when you say "coloreds" you're invoking a different history and identifying your association with more hostility than if you said "person of color". Saying "colored person" is a halfway point but still from the same vantage as saying "colored".

Saying "person of [x]" instead of "[x] person" is verbally stressing "person" harder. Try saying it out loud.