BLACK PPL: do you think my [black] friend was overreacting in this situation or not?

Question

.

This happened a while back but I was just reminded about it from my last question....

There was one time when I was sitting in my friend's dorm room (when we were in the military) drinking beers; it was me, him, and his [also black] friend.....we were just BSing and watching TV when my friend mentioned the word "moolie", and then he looked at me and said "yeah mofo, I know about those Italian words for black ppl" (I'm of Italian descent)...

...so I was said "yo, moolie just means eggplant, and eggplants got dark skin -- it don't mean 'N'" .....and then him and his friend looked at each other and said "I can't believe he actually said it" and they got offended

I just used this word as a reference....do you think that is offensive, or were they just trying to act all pissed off for whatever reason?


(I've only said that word to black ppl twice in my life, once was that time and once was when I was with my GF singing a song....both times got me in trouble, lol)
.

Answer 1

Like I've said before- People give words their power. It's your friends' fault that they were offended. If they didn't give "moolie" the power to dictate their emotions then they wouldn't have had to experience being offended.

Answer 2

"Moolie" is slang and a shortened version of the actual Italian word that does mean eggplant. It is offensive because the only times I have ever heard it used was when the speaker intended to offend. Certainly there are other Italian words that could be used to describe people with dark skin-- ones that are not meant to offend.



In this situation I believe your friends became offended because you tried to make it seem like the word could not be considered offensive in any way thereby playing on their intelligence. In other words they were thinking: "He must think we are stupid!" AND then you dropped the bomb which added injury to insult.

Answer 3

I'm black, and I honestly don't see a problem. Could you have withheld from saying moolie? Yes. Did you mean any harm by saying the N-Word? No. I think he should have seen you were using slang, and didn't intend to upset him in anyway. Just apologize for the confusion, and he'll get over it.

Answer 4

Well as a white person I myself would never say the word even if it wasn't meant in a derogatory way. It bothers some and doesnt bother others but you never know what an individual has experienced. You should of referred to it as the "n" word or better yet just said it wasn't a racist term. I hope you learned your lesson and never use the word again.

Answer 5

I'm not black, but it sounds like you're reinforcing the stereotype of "dumb" italians.



Your slang word, "moolie", is exactly like using the "N"-word .... it can even be considered worse, since it implies that they're "vegetables". The "N" word was a slang word, modified from a latin term meaning "black". The italian slang-word is even more insulting.



Smarten-up.

Answer 6

I am not black but it is not for you to decide what is offensive. Maybe people have grown a little oversensitive but it comes from years of hearing those words. It applies to everyone. I hope you just apologized and explained you were carried away by the moment. I think it would be wrong of them to hold it against you, but expressing offense was just fine.

Answer 7

I'm fairly sure eggplant is used as a racial slur. It is not a benign term, dude. But yes, your friends overreacted. Unless they were just pretending to be offended.

Answer 8

That's true Bubu, but I have heard Italians refer to blacks as eggplant....nice try, lol. With the other situation, I don't see where you were being racist. You seriously never heard black people referred to as "eggplant"????

Answer 9

black people get really offended about stuff like that. but my dad said it once around a lot of blacks and they had no idea what he said

Answer 10

You were making a reference so I don't see anything wrong with it. Good Luck!

Answer 11

im not black...infact i didnt meet any non white people until i moved to the city [16yrs old] but i have this black friend now and he calls white people names all the time [as a joke] but if anyone says anything back he plays the race card. i think some black people act that away just because they can



ps he freely admits that he does it just to annoy people

Answer 12

you have responded your person question truly. She would not have any acquaintances simply by fact she's manipulative and you do unlike her now do you for the comparable reason. She's no longer an extremely super person to be with. She would not show you how to out and she or he pinches your chocolate. confident, she is manipulative and confident, she is grasping, yet maximum of all, she's controlling. She likes being in cost and she or he LOVES you no longer status as much as her. She's a bully. Now you'll have a super massive row together with her, tell her a majority of those domicile truths and say you're no longer any further her buddy as she's pushed you away in basic terms like she's pushed all and sundry else and so long. or you should take the better direction and in basic terms use your regular way of doing away together with her. i think of you're able to desire to get rid of her someway. i would not have the argument, i could in basic terms be assertive and shop on asserting NO to any of her ideas for a stroll etc. Say NO and persist with it. She'll have a lot of tries to answer it, yet there's no respond in case you in basic terms refuse to budge.

Answer 13

I thought you were a jew?

Answer 14

what sence does it make to say a second time if you knew you got in trouble the 1st time



to make the same mistake twice makes it seem like you knew exactly what you were doing



EDIT: i dont see how they were unrelated, it was the same word right? if i got in trouble for something i would learn right then and there that i shouldn't ever do that again.......

Answer 15

i dont see anything wrong with it

Answer 16

ya they are retarded, you did nothing wrong, espesially since your cool with them - ...

Answer 17

very much so -- tell him to chill!!!

Answer 18

how is that racist?

Answer 19

thats racist

Answer 20

So racist

Answer 21

Wtf is a moolie?