A black mans Cadillac

No, I'm not looking to get another post deleted so PLEASE read before you ban me.
I was watching a past episode of Top Gear yesterday on Netflix (that alone is worth the price of admission) and they had a spot on the Escalade. They opened the show by saying "today we drive a black mans Cadillac". Then, during the piece they mentioned more than once that this truck was perfect for a black man and went on to talk at length about how it was a terrible car but the bling aspect of it it was makes it so perfect for the rap set. They even had a black comedian talking about how his black friends would be all over this because you can tint the windows and put bit wheels on it, even though they couldn't afford to put more than 7 pounds of gas in it at any given time (do they actually weight the fuel as they put it in?)
So, that begs the question. Are we (here in the U.S.) really THAT hung up on being terrified of offending other people? I know that in Europe you can occasionally see topless women on TV, not skinemax or ho-time but regular TV. We all know that would never fly here. It seems we here are so worried about offending the easily offended that we are constantly censoring ourselves.
I was talking to a teacher when I was in high school about racism and race relations. He said something I've always found very interesting. I can't remember exactly what he said but it was basically, the longer we dance around racism, the longer we keep certain things taboo, the longer we try so damn hard to remember the past the longer it'll be before we move on.
It was refreshing.

Are we (here in the U.S.) really THAT hung up on being terrified of offending other people?

Yes, and being next door, you're screwing things up here, too. Stop it.

Well, if you have to ask...

Yes, we are. You have emboldened me to remind the community that "Begs the question" refers to the logical fallicy of assuming the point you are trying to prove. That term is not a proper substitute for "raises the question." Thank you.

You can stuff stuff under the mattress but that only makes for a lumpy mattress.

It is what it is (or was) and we will be considered unenlightened by future decades.

DrBoost wrote: ...even though they couldn't afford to put more than 7 pounds of gas in it at any given time (do they actually weight the fuel as they put it in?)...

Perhaps referring to the British unit of currency, rather than a weight measurement?

Race relations in this nation took a giant step forward when I first learned of this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlKL_EpnSp8 from Johnny Tavo.

EDIT - Real opinion: Too many people want to pretend that E36 M3 was never bad. Too many people also want to pretend that E36 M3 is still bad. Is it perfect? Nope. But it's pretty solid. And yes - dancing around issues, being PC, etc. just hinders progress IMO.

bludroptop wrote:

DrBoost wrote: ...even though they couldn't afford to put more than 7 pounds of gas in it at any given time (do they actually weight the fuel as they put it in?)...

Perhaps referring to the British unit of currency, rather than a weight measurement?

I tell my wife this every time we have a "discussion". Stop muddying this argument with truth and logic".

You are asking this on a forum where every now and then someone asks:

"Is the (insert car name here) a woman's car?"

Here's a Top Tip: Don't trust the British when it comes to how people get along in America. You might want to give everyone the benefit of a doubt, come to think of it.

As for the the whole sketch, I love to know what episode its from. It does sound offensive, though. Using a stereotype like that is what I've heard from people in my parents generation, and not in a good way either. Some of them meant it to be offensive, others just didn't know how they did it.

I can talk about this at length, if anyone is curious. I won't waste time if it'll just get locked however.

DILYSI Dave wrote: EDIT - Real opinion: Too many people want to pretend that E36 M3 was never bad. Too many people also want to pretend that E36 M3 is still bad. Is it perfect? Nope. But it's pretty solid. And yes - dancing around issues, being PC, etc. just hinders progress IMO.

I also agree with this view, if you want the TL:DR version.

Season 4, episode 2.

Sounds like the trip the TG crew took to the US and drove across the south. Jeremy Clarkson kept referring to Camaro owners as "murderers". I own a Camaro and it didn't offend me, I thought it was funny. Not sure if the Escalade bit was in the same tone, but I could imagine it was.

I have always found it odd that you can find drug use, grizzly murders, autopsies and violence everywhere on TV, movies, sports, etc... and nobody covers their kids eyes or gets outraged ... but one nipple pops out and mother of god! Look the eff out. Fines and apologies galore.

Kids see genitals every damn time they take a bath. It's normal. Having them watch two 300lb men in armor smash each other over a little ball is damn strange.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I have always found it odd that you can find drug use, grizzly murders, autopsies and violence everywhere on TV, movies, sports, etc... and nobody covers their kids eyes or gets outraged ... but one nipple pops out and mother of god! Look the eff out. Fines and apologies galore. Kids see genitals every damn time they take a bath. It's normal. Having them watch two 300lb men in armor smash each other over a little ball is damn strange.

There is nothing quite as scandalous and shameful as the female body.

Joey

That last post was sarcasm....

My issue is it becomes offensive in how it's delivered. I find "this car is crap! It's good for a black man" offensive. I don't find "this car is big and flashy, good for a football player or rapper" offensive.

Joey

joey48442 wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I have always found it odd that you can find drug use, grizzly murders, autopsies and violence everywhere on TV, movies, sports, etc... and nobody covers their kids eyes or gets outraged ... but one nipple pops out and mother of god! Look the eff out. Fines and apologies galore. Kids see genitals every damn time they take a bath. It's normal. Having them watch two 300lb men in armor smash each other over a little ball is damn strange.

There is nothing quite as scandalous and shameful as the female body. Joey

You haven't seen me naked then, have you?

joey48442 wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I have always found it odd that you can find drug use, grizzly murders, autopsies and violence everywhere on TV, movies, sports, etc... and nobody covers their kids eyes or gets outraged ... but one nipple pops out and mother of god! Look the eff out. Fines and apologies galore. Kids see genitals every damn time they take a bath. It's normal. Having them watch two 300lb men in armor smash each other over a little ball is damn strange.

There is nothing quite as scandalous and shameful as the female body. Joey

And yet everything I do is because of it....

I miss early Saturday Night Live. Humor which pointed out the wacky differences between people. Done by an amalgamation of different kinds of people, who were able to get along well enough to to do a TV show.

Seems to me that in some ways it's a bit like language you don't want to use in front of a seven year old. But too many people are too seven-ish, and one worries about what they'll take away from what should be just silliness.

I have a tattoo of a pinup girl on my arm. To the right dimwit, it probably seems like a confirmation of his views on women as pieces of meat. In reality, it's a silly piece of artwork, it's got a little historical background, and it it suggests that yes, I appreciate the image of a pretty girl. The fact that I hold women in equal standing with men, that my S.O. is a very smart software developer with terrific insights on many topics... Totally lost of some people, and I don't want to get an asterisk and an explanation inked under the pinup.

To tie it back to the original Top Gear episode, I don't mind that sort of humor as long as its recognized by people that it's just silly. The problem is that too many people don't. I'm wondering whether some 10-year-old with a racist ass-hat dad is watching that episode and getting the impression that Clarkson agrees with his dad.

No, I do not have a simple answer. But I sure would like it if we could get to the point where we were all at a bit more ease with one another.

So what is a white man's Cadillac? I am smitten with the CTS-v Wagon myself.

I just don't get why we're so uptight compared to for instance Britain, you can tell a huge difference listening to TV over there including Top Gear.

Instead of just going with it, we create a problem or try to be so damn PC, it's ridiculous. It's like on the highway people are going 75, they notice a cop is cruising with them going AS fast, they freak out and slam on the brakes, while I just stay the speed, causing no problems, just act normal!

I'm restraing very much on what I really say

The way I've understood it - in the first half of the twentieth century it was very difficult and in some places illegal, for black folk to own real estate. If they were successful and wanted to let people know, instead of a big house, the option was a big, blingy car. Culturally, there's a remnant to it - so in the form of the escalade being a big, expensive blingy car - yes, it fits the notion other than saying it's crap - but then again, it's Clarkson and pretty much all American cars are crap to him. Doesn't offend my sensibilities - plus it's TV - saying crap to try to get a rise out of folks or taking a cheap shot (at America) is pretty normal.

It's not just TV, it's BRITISH TV. A lot of it gets messed up coming across the pond. By the way, my son drives an Escalade as a company car. Yeah, they like him a lot.

I don't know what constitutes being PC as opposed to being respectful and culturally/historically aware.

I do know that people who complain that the world is too PC are almost never funny. Sentences that begin with "I know this isn't PC, but..." pretty much always end with something really unfunny.

Then again, Clarkson is an ass, so you have to take that into consideration.