Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
Emily Esfahani Smith, Ed. ·
Feb 17, 2011 at 7:43am
According to a British elementary school principal, a brownie is not just a delicious dessert.
It is a racial slur:
According to The Daily Mail, a 10-year-old boy named Harrison Weiner was taunted by another child who called him "Sausage Boy." So Harrison called the boy, who is white and whose last name is Brown, "Chocolate Brownie."
Harrison was ordered to the principal's office where he received a reprimand and was reported to local education authorities for using "racist language."
Someone should report the principal to these "local education authorities." He gets an F for common sense.
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Comments :
Jun '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
Turns out the whole damn thing is a Granola Bar: What isn't flakes is nuts!
May '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
I'm really torn on how to view this story. There are two possibilities. One is that the principal is a moron who is trying to find raaaaacism where there is none, probably out of some desire to be a moral crusader. The other is that the school system itself is so overzealous about stamping out raaaaacism that the principal reported the student lest the higher ups come down on the school like a ton of bricks.
Either way, this is absurd.
Jun '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
My first name is Ted. In Junior High, my good friend dubbed me with the nickname "TTT" ("Ted the t*rd"). Since flatulence and anything to do with the digestive track is funny to any male (whether in Junior High or not), I took it as a term of endearment.
While I have suffered massive blows to my self-esteem (e.g. still have not been named one the Fifity Sexiest Men by People), I have been able to deal with the nickname. In fact, when my friend (we're both in our late fifties) sees me, he still calls me "TTT," and I still answer to it.
Has PC outlawed the sense of humor?
May '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
My mom taught at all-black schools in Stone Mountain, Georgia and Mobile, Alabama in the 70s. Sometimes, she'd overhear the students talking about the "honkies" or "crackers". Then they'd see her looking and yelp, "Not you, Mrs. Miller! Not you!"
No one went to the principal.
Jun '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
Apparently, not everyone takes offense.
http://www.browniesdowntown.com/contact-us.html
Oct '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
This is delicious! Its this sort of overreaching rediculosity (handy word from a college professor of mine) that holds Political Correctness up to the light of day and will be its end. Nothing stops a social movement faster than ridicule. If the Daily Mail thought this was a reasonable reaction on the schools part, it wouldn't be newsworthy. The fact that it's a story at all is a good sign.
Nov '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
tabula rasa: My first name is Ted. In Junior High, my good friend dubbed me with the nickname "TTT" ("Ted the t*rd"). Since flatulence and anything to do with the digestive track is funny to any male (whether in Junior High or not), I took it as a term of endearment.
· Feb 17 at 8:20am
I just had dinner the other night with three buddies. We got onto the topic of how to pass gas without offending the wife. The stories told elicited laughter that nearly sent us to the emergency room to fix a hernia. We’re all over 60.
Some wives are good sports. On one occasion one of my friends said to his wife, “Gosh honey, something is giving me gas.” Wife’s response, “Ice water gives you gas."
We fell out of our chairs.
Edited on Feb 17, 2011 at 8:39amMay '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
"Is "Brownie" a racist word?"
Yes...
May '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
There is a racial slur formula whereby an ethnic food is employed as an adjective to a derogatory term. Its an excellent way to pass the time with some politically incorrect colleagues at work.
Sep '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
Sausage Boy? I think Harrison has a case against Brown for homophobia. "He slurred me first!"
Jul '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
Michael Labeit: "Is "Brownie" a racist word?"
Yes... · Feb 17 at 8:50am
It is?
Jun '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
Michael Labeit: "Is "Brownie" a racist word?"
Yes... · Feb 17 at 8:50am
If someone (like me for example) can live in America for over 50 years, and never hear a particular word/name used in a racist way, then it ain't much of a racist epithet. The only way I've ever heard it used is for someone with the last name "Brown." And in none of those cases did the person take offense. My dad had a friend, last name "Brown," that everybody called "Brownie"--a very popular guy. He'd introduce himself as "Brownie."
May '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
Jimmy Carter
Michael Labeit: "Is "Brownie" a racist word?"
Yes... · Feb 17 at 8:50am
It is? · Feb 17 at 10:11am
"Brownie, your'e doin' a heck of a job." - noted racist George W. Bush.
Absurd.
Jun '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
What does all this mean to the Girl Guides? Will they have to change the colour of their uniforms? And what about the cookies, should we outlaw the sale of Oreos? Black on the outside white on the inside? Bad enough we can't eat fried chicken and waffles on MLK day. I just reread my post and found that I'd mistyped cookies and coolies. Was that a typo or a Freudian slip? Does that make me a bigot? It just occurred to me that as a man it might be considered sexist to write about slips. Do women still wear them?
Jun '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
For those who care, one way of getting around the prohibition on chicken and waffles on MLK day, we could only serve white meat on Belgian waffles. Are Belgians a protected minority? Mark Steyn's mum is Belgian, maybe we could ask her?
May '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
I was hoping the "..." would sound the sarcasm alarm. I think it was too subtle. From now on, posts that ask a yes/no question will get a yes/no answer from me.
Jul '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
The only time I've ever been met with racism in my life was in England. I was about 10 or 12 and was sitting on the swings at a park with my cousins (my mother grew up in Gillingham, Kent and most of her family nows lives in and around London) when some white girls around our age came up to us and started shouting. I had a hard time understanding their accent at first, but it became clear they were saying something along the lines of "Go home you Pakis! F--- off, brownies!" I responded in kind, but in a Long Island accent, much to the embarrassment of my cousins.
Long story short, brownie is used as a racial slur in the UK, but clearly not in the situation cited by Ms. Smith.
Jun '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
TeeJaw
tabula rasa: My first name is Ted. In Junior High, my good friend dubbed me with the nickname "TTT" ("Ted the t*rd"). Since flatulence and anything to do with the digestive track is funny to any male (whether in Junior High or not), I took it as a term of endearment.
· Feb 17 at 8:20am
I just had dinner the other night with three buddies. We got onto the topic of how to pass gas without offending the wife. The stories told elicited laughter that nearly sent us to the emergency room to fix a hernia. We’re all over 60.
Some wives are good sports. On one occasion one of my friends said to his wife, “Gosh honey, something is giving me gas.” Wife’s response, “Ice water gives you gas."
We fell out of our chairs. · Feb 17 at 8:36am
Edited on Feb 17 at 08:39 am
TeeJaw: Among many universal truths is this one: Passing gas is funny to all males all the time. I think it may be a nonpartisan truth. Burping is also funny.
Nov '10
Re: Is "Brownie" a Racist Word?
I really want to believe that, but people have been ridiculing political correctness since Clinton's first term, and it still isn't going anywhere. :(