Is It Racist?

Migration.

2011-05-15T16:01:00.004-05:00

Is It Racist? is moving to a new site:

http://isitracist.tumblr.com/

In the interest of letting submitted items speak for themselves, I've eliminated all annoying framing material. Faithful submitters, you may now submit directly to the blog (click "submit" on the right). Good times.

Authentic British racism?

2011-04-28T07:03:00.001-05:00

Sheyda submits this London Groupon for "Three Courses of Authentic South African Cuisine And Cocktail for £19.95 at Shaka Zulu" for our consideration. It does sound like a good deal.

Problema?

2011-04-28T06:43:00.001-05:00

#yesitis submitted by Will.

Food, fat, and racism?

2011-04-28T06:40:00.002-05:00

Found by Jenn and Lance.

If you can read this, are you racist?

2011-04-25T11:14:00.001-05:00

Bumper sticker found in Texas by Amy H.

Back in action.

2011-04-25T11:09:00.001-05:00

Dear readers, apologies for the inadvertent hiatus. I have been happily receiving you submissions while being too busy to post them, and will begin catching up posthaste. Considering a move to Tumblr or some such thing to make updating easier and more democratic. Considering.

File under "really"?

2010-11-18T17:02:00.001-06:00

Every Day Should Be Saturday reports that Auburn lineman Ryan Pugh made a recent appearance thus:

And that's all I have to say about that. Submitted by Derek.

Is King Chin racist?

2010-11-18T16:59:00.001-06:00

Jenn writes that while registering for her upcoming nuptials, she and her betrothed happened upon these kitchen gadgets at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and had to ask the question.

King Chin Spice Grinder

In signature Alessi style, this eclectic spice grinder will add contemporary style to your kitchen. Inspired by the beauty of Asian culture, this hand-painted grinder is reminiscent of a wooden soldier or porcelain doll. Constructed of thermoplastic resin. Grinder measures 6" H.

Mr. Chin Kitchen Timer

In signature Alessi style, this captivating kitchen timer will add contemporary style to your kitchen. Inspired by the beauty of Asian culture, this hand-painted timer is reminiscent of a wooden soldier or porcelain doll. Constructed of thermoplastic resin. Timer measures 2 1/3" H.

Jenn adds, "Can anyone tell me what 'Asian culture' is?" Anyone??

Is your AutoCorrect racist?

2010-11-16T12:16:00.001-06:00

From my new favorite blog, Damn You AutoCorrect!:

Shared by Dolly.

Yes it is.

2010-11-12T17:02:00.000-06:00

Just echoing Jezebel's helpful clarification, in response to a Macleans article about how some Canadian universities are "too Asian," that yes, calling a school "too Asian" is racist. The Macleans piece is really mindblowing; its central argument is that white Canadian students are being cheated out of a fun time at school by excessively Asian student populations that set the academic bar too high. No, for real. That is actually what the article is about.

Just 'cause you didn't mean it don't mean it's not racist.

2010-11-10T17:47:00.000-06:00

I'm proud to say that we've already featured a few of these images here on IIR? ("Black Kid's Computer Desk" just never gets old, does it?), but a visit to HuffPo's slideshow of accidental racism is still full of rewards, including an adorable cake for "the best daddy in the hole white world" and directions to "China-Manville."

Submitted by Sheyda.

Racist or delicious?

2010-11-10T17:40:00.000-06:00

Nancy asks, "What exactly is 'oriental flavor'? And more importantly is it racist if it tastes really good?" These are indeed the things that keep me up at night.

Is JT-face racist?

2010-11-10T17:36:00.000-06:00

Dwyane Wade dressed as JT for Halloween, courtesy of Got 'Em Coach. Submitted by Derek.

Ch-ch-ch-racist?

2010-11-10T16:54:00.000-06:00

If this were a joke, it would be a racist one, right? But it is a real thing, and part of a patriotic series that also includes "Chia Washington," "Chia Lincoln," and "Chia Liberty." Which may simply be surreal. Submitted by Sheyda.

Adorable, or racist?

2010-11-05T14:10:00.001-05:00

From the Disney FamilyFun 2008 Halloween Costume Contest. Submitted by Derek.

Are these Google ads racist?

2010-11-05T14:08:00.003-05:00

Submitted by Dolly.

Is the prediction racist?

2010-11-05T14:07:00.001-05:00

Submitted by Allan.

Is your taste in "portable valets" racist?

2010-10-11T22:07:00.000-05:00

Discovered on a friend's wedding registry by ever-alert Stephanie and Dolly.

Is Das Supertalent racist?

2010-10-11T22:01:00.000-05:00

Via Bossip, this story out of the world of German reality TV:

Das Supertalent, the German X-Factor ripoff that brought us such spectacles as the lady smashing beer cans with her boobs, the man who farts on cue, and the guy who paints with his dick (NSFW/L), has stooped to a new low. On Saturday’s episode they featured a white dude in blackface who did a cringe-worthy impression of the black judge on the three person panel, an American-born model named Bruce Darnell who also used to judge on Germany’s Next Top Model. It was embarrassing and racist and not funny at all, particularly since the guy repeatedly mocked Darnell’s effeminate walk.

Darnell took it in stride and just said that the impression could have been better. He then got up on stage and posed next to the impersonator, who took off his shoes to show that he’d even painted his feet black. Then the guy got out some red stiletto pumps and put them on to sashay around the stage. You could tell that it made Darnell uncomfortable, but he continued to coach him and critiqued his technique, even hugging him afterwards and joking that he’d make him a star.

When it came to whether the guy would stay on the show, Darnell agreed but his voice got squeaky when he said “ja” and it was clear he was just trying to be a good sport. The other two judges said “nein” thankfully.

Bossip also shares this video—the audio is useless, but the visuals really say it all:

Submitted by Shelia.

Is High Expectations Asian Father racist?

2010-10-09T10:31:00.000-05:00

It's a whole tumblr. Submitted by Tyrel.

Is hipster retro-porn racist?

2010-10-04T12:48:00.002-05:00

Wendy calls our attention to this post from Japanistic, which addresses some kind of new hipster porn thing called "Jacques," which, frankly, interests neither Japanistic nor me in and of itself, though apparently the New York Times finds it newsworthy. Here is Japanistic's real concern:

My issue is this, quoted from the NYT article today: “The Fall 2010 issue, which will reach newsstands this week, has an Asian theme and includes articles about massage parlors and martial arts.” YES-it actually says this!! WTF!
The Asia Issue includes such riveting articles as Kung Fu Cinema, and Sex in Asia. Cutting edge stuff, I know.
Here’s what I can comfortably show you of the cover of The Asia Issue:
Yup-Geisha face, and a half-worn kimono. Truly the face of Asian women today, don’t you think? “Real Beauty of Real Women”? I don’t think so.
It’s nothing new to recognize that Asian women are fetishised. But that’s the problem with it. This is STILL happening? Does retro-styling mean that we have to employ old imagery and stereotypes? Is this the only option available to us?
It’s something we talk about a lot at Japanistic. In fact, we jokingly say that Japanistic is “cool Japanese stuff, without the porn.” When we compare what we’re doing with a lot of the other Japanese product sites, it’s fair to say that many of them employ that same fetish-based imagery.
It’s upsetting to see that a new group of hipsters is doing this too. (Need I mention that the husband and wife team behind Jacques are not ethnically Asian?)
And you know what NYT? You are equally guilty here for lauding the work of folks who utilize this vision of ethnically Asian women. Nothing about what is being done here is clever, edgy or cool. It might be retro, but sometimes, retro just sucks.

Our astute submitter Wendy sees this as a larger problem with "hipster" culture, to the extent that such a thing can be said to exist. "My question is," she writes, "are hipsters (and not just their hipster porn) racist? The Asian issue of this retro hipster porn mag reminds me of the Korean American hipster grifter from last year. A big part of her con involved playing up the exotic, Oriental thing (e.g. one of her pick-up lines was something like, 'I am Korean Abdul Jabbar.' Do hipsters have an Asian fetish? And are they trying to avoid the racist label by calling it 'retro'?"

Is the Taco Bell Sandwich Lady racist?

2010-09-23T13:26:00.001-05:00

Submitted by Bernie, who votes #yesitis.

Is your attempt to eschew racial terms paradoxically racist?

2010-09-21T13:07:00.001-05:00

Jackie shares this tidbit of (our) local news reportage from CHML news radio:

Niagara Regional Police are looking for two men after an LCBO Avondale combo store in Vineland was held up
Police say the suspects grabbed a quantity of booze around 7:30 last night and took off in a brown minivan.
A citizen was struck by the van and received minor injuries as he and a store employee gave chase.
The minivan was found abandoned later.
One of the suspects is non-white and 20 years old, the other is white and 17.

The only reason I can think of for using the (not at all helpful) adjective "non-white" to describe the first suspect is a desire to avoid using an actual racial adjective. Unfortunately, this calls attention to the whole problem, i.e. that he is "racial." Oy.

Yes it is.

2010-09-20T07:12:00.001-05:00

On his blog, Roger Ebert points out this rare delightful moment on Fox News, when some GOP "strategist" who hates the US Post Office gets called out by Fox's token "liberal" (read: not totally insane person) and then by Senator Al D'Amato on, and I quote D'Amato, his "racist bullshit."

Note that the host dubs this rare moment of truth on FoxNews an instance of "going postal."

Is your improvisational cocktail party performance racist?

2010-09-17T09:50:00.001-05:00

Dolly inquires about the marketing of this dress from Studio 5050—which suggests that Soho shoppers might appropriate Masai wedding traditions to their own urban leisure activities:

The copy reads:

Masai dress

Inspired by Masai wedding collars, this dress salutes both our global provenance and our desire to create our own soundtrack as we move in mysterious ways. With every step, strings of hand-formed silver beads that hung from the collar brush against conductive threads sewn into the dress, generating a series of sounds. A leisurely walk or a night at a cocktail party turns into an improvisational performance.

A long asymmetrical swoop in the back of the dress recalls Balenciaga’s famed wedding dress – an homage to a maestro that visually and aurally blends cultures, traditions and emotions. The dress comes in a luscious deep-sky blue silk jersey and white nourishing Sea-Tiva (75% cotton, 25% algae).

A dress that heals body and soul.

...algae?

Are Jewly Bandz racist?

2010-09-16T16:15:00.001-05:00

The Consumerist poses the question, "Why is there a DOLLAR SIGN in the Jewly Bandz Chanukah set?"

Apparently the company's owner offered this explanation to TheGloss, who originally broke the story:

The dollar sign in the set is there to symbolize the "Chanukah-Gelt" - which is an old Jewish tradition. During Chanukah Jewish children all over the world are given coins or chocolate coins (to symbolize the real coins). The Dollar sign in the set comes to remind us of that. By the way, they were created by Rabby Moshe Rabin. Maybe it is not the best choice, but this is what the manufacturer chose for that symbol (probably if he would have tried to show coins it would just be a round silly band - and that would defeat the purpose).

Submitted by Will, who offers the alternative interpretation, "(it's funny b/c jews love money!!!)."

We all love them, but let's be clear: Museums of Natural History are racist.

2010-09-16T10:01:00.000-05:00

John and Nancy submit this photo, from a recent trip to the Museum of Natural History in New York:

Says Nancy, "I like the part where you can keep going straight for 'Asian mammals.'" Where does one draw the line?

What are you? Racist?

2010-09-16T09:31:00.000-05:00

One of the benefits of being ambiguously racial (like me) is that you get to entertain the perpetual question from people who don't know you of "what you are." My favorite formulation to date was from a guy I met back in my high school open-mic coffeehouse poetry days who approached me outside Java Joe's and declared, "YOU—you are definitely some kind of culture." I would like to extend that observation to the lady gracing this product, found by Cassie at Fred's ("a Dollar General type store," she explains):

"Calypso," Cassie writes, is a "line of products meant for African American hair. On some product, there's a woman who is clearly 'ethnic.'" Exactly.

Is "taming the beard" racist?

2010-09-16T09:23:00.000-05:00

Chad submits the following:

He notes, "So the magazine is for metro-Muslims, but I love the article tag line that is 'Tame that Beard,' which is kinda racist." I myself am a bit concerned about the advice dispensed under "Black and Can't Get a Wife?"

Are your tea towels racist?

2010-09-16T09:19:00.001-05:00

Shaun and Dolly found these delightful tea towel patterns while out and about at the local fabric store:

I have been assured a complete set is in the works.

Is Asian Ken racist?

2010-09-15T13:15:00.001-05:00

Dolls of Color invites us to consider the new Asian Ken:

Oh, and his sidekick, Asian Barbie:

I...just...*sigh* Submitted by Susanna.

Yes it is.

2010-08-26T18:43:00.000-05:00

Consumerist has the story on the North Carolina woman who received this receipt with her Domino's pizza:

Shared by Shelia.

Yes it is.

2010-08-18T15:09:00.001-05:00

My favorite quotation: "They're turban toppers. What's racist about that? They wear a turban."

Submitted by Kansas resident Sheyda, who notes that while it is definitely racist, "'turban topper' does show a flair for alliteration, no?"

Is it racist if it's true?

2010-08-18T15:04:00.001-05:00

From Paste Magazine's Disney Characters and the Entertainers Born to Play Them:

Submitted by Adam, who notes, "The one Jewish actor was matched with the one character with stereotypical Jewishness. But Brody really does look like Ichabod...." So who's more racist—Disney, Slate, or GOD?

P.S. I have a huge celebrity crush on Adrian Brody. That is all.

Is this stuff racist?

2010-08-18T14:59:00.001-05:00

Emma submits for our consideration the Edinburgh store White Stuff.

What does it even mean??

Is this pub racist?

2010-08-18T14:57:00.001-05:00

Submitted by Emma, who notes that this pub in Putney actually has a really good pub quiz.

Married to a racist?

2010-08-18T14:56:00.001-05:00

Is it necessary to be Married to a Mexican to cook Mexican food?

Apparently.

Submitted by Amy B.

Is using "blues" as code for "black" racist?

2010-08-18T14:45:00.001-05:00

From US Magazine's 25 Things You Don't Know About Big Boi:

See #13. Via @noz.

Yes it is.

2010-08-05T09:55:00.000-05:00

Reports the Christian Science Monitor:

'Anti-Islamic' bus ads appear in major cities

A group called 'Stop Islamization of America' is promoting ads on major city public transportation that urge people to leave the Muslim faith. The anti-Islamic campaign is sparking thought about the religion's place in American society.

The group Stop Islamization of America paid for bus ads, such as this one in San Francisco, to promote its viewpoint. The ads, which read, ‘Leaving Islam?,’ are intended to be a resource for former Muslims. Muslim rights groups and others consider the ads to be anti-Islam.

Submitted by Rob.

Is FFFFUUUUUU Racist racist?

2010-08-02T16:24:00.000-05:00

I'm usually totally onboard with the FU comix over at fuhx.com, but this one may have kicked me fresh off the boat. SEE WHAT I DID THERE?

Does titling it "Racist" make it more or less racist? Submitted by Will.

Is this shirt racist?

2010-07-18T13:41:00.001-05:00

Luis writes in with the following query. Let's help him out, readers.

On a recent trip to Las Vegas, one of my black friends wore a t-shirt to which another black person on the street
objected (She said it was racist and he was doing a disservice to his people and walked away).
The shirt states, "You don't know black, Jack." and shows a picture of two cards, one of them a jack, who is black.

I thought it was quite funny and didn't see it as racist at all. To me, the pun means 1) that most white people
(Jack) don't understand blacks or black culture or 2) that you underestimate how well this black person can play the game of blackjack.
Am I missing something, or was the person being hypersensitive?

An excellent question. Plus, the issue of provocative t-shirts reminds me of one of my favorite real-life stories: My friend She-She, who is black, wore a t-shirt I bought her from a well-known hipster (read: white) t-shirt store to the grocery store. The t-shirt had a picture of a typical happy (read: white) family standing around a grill and said WHITE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY. Apparently some old white guy in the store went off on She-She about how her t-shirt was racist, and was so out-of-control that he had to be dragged off by his mortified and apologetic adult daughter. She-She simply replied, "He proves my point."

Is it racist to dress your wine like a Chinese call girl?

2010-07-18T13:34:00.001-05:00

Found in World Market, Auburn, AL by Dolly, Stephanie, Cassie, and Tracey.

Is this kid racist?

2010-07-18T13:32:00.001-05:00

Yellow kid FTW!

Submitted by Will.

Are good old-fashioned ethnic jokes racist?

2010-07-05T11:52:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Awful Library Books:

Shared by Dolly.

Is it racist if it's true?

2010-06-16T08:22:00.000-05:00

This does help explain some of the trends I've observed in southern Ontario. Submitted by Hitesh, who cannot do whatever.

Is giving the company (a white) face racist?

2010-06-16T08:04:00.000-05:00

The Atlantic has this crazy story from Mitch Moxley: Rent a White Guy: Confessions of a fake businessman in Beijing:

Not long ago I was offered work as a quality-control expert with an American company in China I’d never heard of. No experience necessary—which was good, because I had none. I’d be paid $1,000 for a week, put up in a fancy hotel, and wined and dined in Dongying, an industrial city in Shandong province I’d also never heard of. The only requirements were a fair complexion and a suit.
“I call these things ‘White Guy in a Tie’ events,” a Canadian friend of a friend named Jake told me during the recruitment pitch he gave me in Beijing, where I live. “Basically, you put on a suit, shake some hands, and make some money. We’ll be in ‘quality control,’ but nobody’s gonna be doing any quality control. You in?”
I was.
And so I became a fake businessman in China, an often lucrative gig for underworked expatriates here. One friend, an American who works in film, was paid to represent a Canadian company and give a speech espousing a low-carbon future. Another was flown to Shanghai to act as a seasonal-gifts buyer. Recruiting fake businessmen is one way to create the image—particularly, the image of connection—that Chinese companies crave. My Chinese-language tutor, at first aghast about how much we were getting paid, put it this way: “Having foreigners in nice suits gives the company face.”

Submitted by Hitesh.

Is the World Cup racist?

2010-06-15T19:39:00.001-05:00

Via 2DopeBoyz, submitted by Sonya.

Arizona sets the racist bar even higher.

2010-06-04T17:42:00.000-05:00

I wasn't going to bother posting coverage of the ongoing asshattery in Arizona on this blog since it falls so firmly in the category of "Yes It Is," but this story from Wonkette deserves a link. Really, Arizona?

An Arizona elementary school mural featuring the faces of kids who attend the school has been the subject of constant daytime drive-by racist screaming, from adults, as well as a radio talk-show campaign (by an actual city councilman, who has an AM talk-radio show) to remove the black student’s face, and now the school principal has ordered the faces of the Latino and Black students to be changed to Caucasian skin.

How to date a racist?

2010-06-04T15:37:00.001-05:00

Today's HuffPo features a piece by Andrea Miller, apparently the Founder and CEO of YourTango, on "How to Date an Indian (Advice for the Non-Indian)." No, for serious.

Before getting to "how," let's start with "why." There are obvious reasons one would want to date an Indian, such as how successful and professionally desirable they are. Indians dominate as engineers, doctors, lawyers, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. They make up a large proportion of our graduate students -- just walk around the campuses of Harvard, Columbia or Stanford or and you will see these incredibly attractive brown people all over the place. Which leads to point number two. Indian people tend to be really good looking. According to Wikipedia*, "India holds the highest number of Miss World winners, only to be tied with Venezuela." (*That feels a little like citing The National Enquirer but I am going to go with it.)
Most Indians are innately gracious, social creatures; they highly value friends and family and have a calendar filled with various holidays and occasions to celebrate, which they typically do with gusto. Those endless jubilant dance numbers in Bollywood movies pretty much channel the Indian soul. Moreover, Indian men love to dance. If for no other reason other than you want someone to dance with you (or without you for that matter), date an Indian.

Ms. Miller proceeds to list the names of the most famous Bollywood stars for easy reference and offer up such exquisite gems of advice as, "Showing an appreciation for Bhangra will score you points. Finding a place that plays Bhangra music and going there together is sure to get you something straight from the Kama Sutra" and "Food. Indians love their food. Probably more than they love dancing."

But what if, despite Miller's enormously persuasive arguments, you don't want to date an Indian? Fortunately for you, Neel Shah has posted "How to Date a White Bitch (Advice for the Non-White Dude)" at the Awl.

Are Red Vines racist?

2010-05-27T22:00:00.000-05:00

From Crazy Things Parents Say:

Dad: *while eating a bag of Red Vine licorice* I’ve got red ones and black ones, but they’re both called Red Vines! Why is that? Are they racist? That reminds me, I walked in on a bunch of guys having sex while I was in jail…

Submitted to CTPS by Calu; submitted to IIR by Cassie.

Is this costume racist?

2010-05-26T15:49:00.000-05:00

Via Trudymade. Shared by Chris.

Is "getting lost (in a fantasy about being a sexually vulnerable white woman surrounded by black people)" racist?

2010-05-14T10:39:00.003-05:00

From HuffPo, some concern over the politics of the recent Daria Werbowy piece for Interview, "Let's Get Lost," shot by Mikael Jansson. "The whole spread," they note, "has a rather racist vibe that we can't get down with."

Is it racist? You can vote on HuffPo's poll here.

Thanks for sharing, Rosaleen.

Yes it is.

2010-05-03T12:47:00.000-05:00

From The Guardian: British family 'demanded white staff at Florida hotel':

A British family has been banned from staying at a chain of luxury hotels after allegedly requesting not to be served by "people of colour" at a Florida resort.
The demand, allegedly lodged by the family on arrival, has emerged in a claim by a Haitian-born waiter against the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Naples, Florida. The family, named by the hotel as the Morgans, are said to have checked in on 28 February.
According to the writ, the hotel – at the direction of its managing director, Edward Staros – recorded on its computers the "preference" that the family not be served by "people of colour" or staff with "foreign accents". The note reportedly added: "This couple is very very prejudice".
The claimant, Wadner Tranchant, 40, a naturalised US citizen who has worked at the Ritz-Carlton for 15 years, said that on 12 March the hotel "instructed the serving staff regarding the stated prejudice of the Morgan family" when they reserved a table in the restaurant. Tranchant's attorney, Michael McDonnell, told the Guardian: "As a lawyer you are required to conduct an investigation before taking a case, and we have done that. There are a number of witnesses to support his story."
Tranchant is still employed at the Ritz-Carlton despite his lawsuit against the hotel chain, McDonnell said.
The lawsuit seeks more than $75,000 (£49,000) in compensation for Tranchant, who was "humiliated, embarrassed, frightened, intimidated, subject to undeserved shame and suffered severe emotional distress". No date has been set for a hearing. The hotel has 20 days from when the lawsuit was filed on Tuesday to submit a formal response.
The Ritz-Carlton's website promises "world class restaurants and impeccable service" at its Naples property, a 450-room waterfront hotel with panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico, two heated swimming pools and two golf courses designed by the former world No 1 Greg Norman where rates start at $439.
Tranchant's claim states that staff in the restaurant were advised "through its computer notification system and word of mouth" of the family's "stated prejudice", and that as Tranchant began to serve them "he was prevented by his supervisors from doing so because they did not want to be waited on by a black person".
The lawsuit adds: "Other employees also encountered similar treatment on multiple occasions", with "such conduct so severe or pervasive that a reasonable person in [Tranchant's] position would find the work environment to be hostile or abusive".
The Ritz-Carlton group declined to say whether any staff had been disciplined, but confirmed the family had been contacted and "banned from staying at any Ritz-Carlton hotel". Vivian Deuschl, a company spokeswoman in Washington, said the hotel "does not tolerate or condone discrimination of any kind by its employees or visiting guests."
Bruce Seigel, the hotel's director of marketing, added: "The hotel has very strict policies in place to prohibit discrimination and harassment and we take very seriously any allegation of discrimination or harassment."

Shared by Sheyda.

Is racism racist?

2010-04-30T09:59:00.000-05:00

Hitesh directs my attention to the brouhaha in the wake of an email sent by a Harvard Law student clarifying her position on the intelligence of African Americans:

… I just hate leaving things where I feel I misstated my position.

I absolutely do not rule out the possibility that African Americans are, on average, genetically predisposed to be less intelligent. I could also obviously be convinced that by controlling for the right variables, we would see that they are, in fact, as intelligent as white people under the same circumstances. The fact is, some things are genetic. African Americans tend to have darker skin. Irish people are more likely to have red hair. (Now on to the more controversial:) Women tend to perform less well in math due at least in part to prenatal levels of testosterone, which also account for variations in mathematics performance within genders. This suggests to me that some part of intelligence is genetic, just like identical twins raised apart tend to have very similar IQs and just like I think my babies will be geniuses and beautiful individuals whether I raise them or give them to an orphanage in Nigeria. I don’t think it is that controversial of an opinion to say I think it is at least possible that African Americans are less intelligent on a genetic level, and I didn’t mean to shy away from that opinion at dinner.

I also don’t think that there are no cultural differences or that cultural differences are not likely the most important sources of disparate test scores (statistically, the measurable ones like income do account for some raw differences). I would just like some scientific data to disprove the genetic position, and it is often hard given difficult to quantify cultural aspects. One example (courtesy of Randall Kennedy) is that some people, based on crime statistics, might think African Americans are genetically more likely to be violent, since income and other statistics cannot close the racial gap. In the slavery era, however, the stereotype was of a docile, childlike, African American, and they were, in fact, responsible for very little violence (which was why the handful of rebellions seriously shook white people up). Obviously group wide rates of violence could not fluctuate so dramatically in ten generations if the cause was genetic, and so although there are no quantifiable data currently available to “explain” away the racial discrepancy in violent crimes, it must be some nongenetic cultural shift. Of course, there are pro-genetic counterarguments, but if we assume we can control for all variables in the given time periods, the form of the argument is compelling.

In conclusion, I think it is bad science to disagree with a conclusion in your heart, and then try (unsuccessfully, so far at least) to find data that will confirm what you want to be true. Everyone wants someone to take 100 white infants and 100 African American ones and raise them in Disney utopia and prove once and for all that we are all equal on every dimension, or at least the really important ones like intelligence. I am merely not 100% convinced that this is the case.

Please don’t pull a Larry Summers on me,

Stephanie Grace

As Jill at Feministe points out, "You know you're an extra-special racist when you send out an email clarifying that your views are actually more racist than those that pissed people off at dinner." Read Jill's whole piece for the full story, and why this is a larger problem than Ms. Grace alone.

Brilliant or racist?

2010-04-29T21:21:00.003-05:00

Either way, I would totally read this. Via Good Show Sir, shared by Ed.

Does Jesus love racist puppets?

2010-04-28T10:35:00.001-05:00

Really worth watching all the way through—trust me. Submitted by William.

Is this tagliatelle racist?

2010-04-19T10:15:00.001-05:00

So here's how the BBC tells it:

An Australian publisher has had to pulp and reprint a cookbook after one recipe listed "salt and freshly ground black people" instead of black pepper.
Penguin Group Australia had to reprint 7,000 copies of Pasta Bible last week, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported.
The reprint cost A$20,000 ($18,000; £12,000), but stock in bookshops will not be recalled as it is "extremely hard" to do so, Penguin said.
The recipe was for tagliatelle with sardines and prosciutto.
"We're mortified that this has become an issue of any kind, and why anyone would be offended, we don't know," head of publishing Bob Sessions is quoted as saying by the Sydney newspaper.
Penguin said almost every one of the more than 150 recipes in the book listed salt and freshly ground black pepper, but a misprint occurred on just one page.
"When it comes to the proof-reader, of course they should have picked it up, but proof-reading a cookbook is an extremely difficult task. I find that quite forgivable," Mr Sessions said.
If anyone complains about the "silly mistake", they will be given the new version, Penguin said.

"Silly mistake"? Yeah, tell that to all the black people sacrificed to this admittedly delicious-sounding dish. Submitted by Emma, Eve, a bunch of other people, but first of all, Brian.

Is a tap-dancing octopus racist?

2010-04-17T09:49:00.002-05:00

Ramon submits the following for our consideration:

So I'm watching cartoons with my daughter, we were watching Pinky Dinky Doo and they were under water in a submarine. So they are going through the water watching fish and things like that. Here comes this tap dancing octopus and his name was Jo Bangles... yeah yeah like Bo Jangles. Was this racist?

Not being familiar with the show myself, I had to do a bit of research on this particular question. It turns out Pinky Dinky Doo is produced by Sesame Workshop, of which I am a great fan, having been raised on the excellent (and commendably antiracist) Sesame Street. But, like so many children's shows today, Pinky Dinky Doo has one of THE MOST ANNOYING WEBSITES I have ever visited. She seems to be one of those characters who talks like adults think kids talk, and she WILL NOT SHUT UP. I have had to mute my computer for the duration of this post, until I'm through with all the Pinky Dinky Doo links.

So between my devotion to Sesame Street and my irritation with Pinky, I think I am entering into this Jo Bangles business from a "fair and balanced" perspective, as they say.

Exhibit A: Jo Bangles, the tap-dancing octopus:

Exhibit B: Naim Omari, the young man who provided the voice of Jo Bangles, the tap-dancing octopus:

And with that, I leave this matter to the jury. If you want to see a clip of the episode, go here and click on the #10 flower in the top right-hand corner ... but if you leave the page up and lose your mind because Pinky Dinky Doo will NOT STOP BOSSING YOU AROUND, I take no responsibility.

Yes it is.

2010-04-15T11:42:00.000-05:00

Via Vintage Ads, h/t Sheyda.

Racist heritage month?

2010-04-08T16:05:00.001-05:00

In case you didn't know, April is apparently Confederate History and Heritage Month. Thanks for the tip, Nancy.

No, actually, that is racist.

2010-03-31T15:27:00.001-05:00

That's Chris Baker guest hosting "The Glenn Beck Program." It's also one of the more bizarre deployments of a classic form of racism-disavowal: the old "I'm not racist; he's racial" gambit. Submitted by Sheyda.

Is your winning smile racist?

2010-03-29T07:16:00.000-05:00

Via Listverse. Shared by Laine.

Oh-So racist!

2010-03-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

Via Vintage Ads. Shared by Sheyda.

Is science racist against black penguins?

2010-03-12T14:53:00.001-06:00

Shared by Chris, via Clusterflock:

King Penguins are notorious for their prim, tuxedoed appearance — but a recently discovered all-black penguin seems unafraid to defy convention. In what has been described as a “one in a zillion kind of mutation,” biologists say that the animal has lost control of its pigmentation, an occurrence that is extremely rare. Other than the penguin’s monochromatic outfit, the animal appears to be perfectly healthy — and then some. “Look at the size of those legs,” said one scientist, “It’s an absolute monster.”

Let's be sensitive here, Scientist.

What's racist about a "towelhead"?

2010-03-12T12:59:00.001-06:00

Submitted by William.

It's great to be racist?

2010-03-10T13:02:00.001-06:00

Via People of Walmart. Submitted by Amy.

Bargain, or racist?

2010-03-06T14:25:00.000-06:00

Via certified bullshit technician. Submitted by Cassie.

Do I need to file this under “is you is or is you ain’t my lotus blossom?”

2010-03-02T13:13:00.003-06:00

I totally wish Nico Muhly read my blog(s) and so would have thought to submit his questions about Tan Dun's opera Tea: A Mirror of Soul to us here at Is It Racist?. Since he does not, I will submit on his behalf because this is too great.

I went last night to the Philadelphia premiere of Tan Dun’s opera Tea: A Mirror of Soul. As with the best pieces, its triumphs and problems are encapsulated by the title. What I believe he means is Tea: A Mirror of the Soul, right? The libretto, which the composer co-wrote, is in a very stylized version of English. What you end up with is lines like “though bowl is empty, scent glows… though shadow is gone, dream grows.”
I am going to be really honest here and just say that I don’t really know where to file this re: like, Race & Language. This shit was written IN ENGLISH; the music is gorgeous, poetic, and fluid; surely this Mr. Miyagi-ass grammar is a hindrance to the flow? Or should I say: Pidgin: A Hindrance to Flow? The “bowl is empty” line occurs six or seven times over the course of the opera; each time, the vocal line would actually be helped by adding “the” to it. I will confess here to Not Getting It. All of this reaches a particularly distressing point with the climactic sex scene:
rubbing the…
oolong, dark dragon, rises.
squeezing the…
moli, jasmine flower, opens.
pressing the…
loonching, dragon well, overflows.
Okay. I think I just have to leave that alone. The commas, the dragon…I think it is speaking from a Place to which I Have No Access. Does anybody else know what a dragon well is? Because I didn’t. Apparently it’s Longjing tea? So then that line should read as, “pressing the Longjing tea, Longjing tea overflows?” If that’s what it means, what does that mean? The lines are translated inside themselves? Do I need to file this under “is you is or is you ain’t my lotus blossom?” I will leave you with my overall impression which is that the music is beyond gorgeous, an overflowing stew of textures, lines, and geologically percussive textures, all in the service of a libretto that literally sounds like a series of fortune cookies strung together in order to teach us the age-old lesson that Str8 Men Will Kill Each Other 4 Pussy.
(I will add here that it was fabulous to see that the three onstage percussionists were Haruka, Chihiro, and Yuri, all three my gurlz from Juilliard, whom Tan Dun employed with a series of Dada-esque tasks: ripping paper, spanking water, molesting giant scrolls).
What I am interested in, here, though, is the idea that maybe I’m crazy and maybe what occurred, vis-à-vis That Libretto, is totally great and fine and I’m just having a strange reaction. But the other thing is this: thousands of people have seen this opera, in a variety of stages. Did anybody every perhaps lightly interrogate the libretto? This is an issue particularly close to my heart at this time; my opera which is happening at the ENO in two years and at the Met in four had a workshop in October. We (that being me, the Met, the ENO, the director, the librettist) invited a small group of friends and trusted advisers to come and hear it, and before we started, I told everybody that one of the conditions of their presence was that they be completely frank about anything that struck them as weird: length of sequences, specific words, vocal quirks, plot issues, believability — literally all of the possible things. At the end of it, I got a series of emails from said friends & advisers which addressed a lot of those little details, and then some bigger things: “That whole section is way too long.” “That lady’s character is under-developed.” This is good to hear! I need to hear this stuff! And anybody, anywhere, who is ever invited to a piece of work in a developmental stage, is under a Literal Moral Obligation to make her comments known. That’s the whole point of the Process, of Life, of Making Art in the first place. Interrogate your friends and they will do the same for you; it’s about a project of complete honesty and gut reactions; between friends, wound heals quickly; with audience, much stifled laughter.

Are minority-themed amusement parks racist?

2010-02-25T13:01:00.004-06:00

Derek submits the following story from the NYTimes on Chinese amusement parks based on the nation's ethnic minority cultures, but which cater to Han Chinese:

Yuppies from China’s boom cities arrive by the busload to take part in a wild frenzy of dousing and dunking and drenching with 100 Dai women dressed in bright pink, yellow and blue traditional dresses — “our warmest and sweetest Dai princesses,” as an announcer calls them.
“A lot of tourists want to come see this, but it’s only a few days a year,” said Zhao Li, one of the management office employees, who are virtually all Han, the dominant ethnic group in China. “So we decided to make it every day, so everyone can experience water splashing.”

As the story notes, "For a while, English signs [at one such park] read “Racist Park,” an unfortunate translation of the Chinese name." Just sayin'.

Is this...what IS this?

2010-02-23T12:29:00.004-06:00

Another long-overdue post. Julie submitted the following:

Story at CTV; follow-up on their 4th-place Olympic finish submitted by Jenn.

Is Africa the new India? And is that racist?

2010-02-23T12:24:00.001-06:00

AGES ago, Kathy L. submitted this story from the NYTimes on the fashion industry's recent obsession with "Africa":

Now another Afrocentric wind is rising. “Its beauty is in having crossed all sorts of racial barriers,” said Malcolm Harris, the creative director of Unvogue, a popular fashion-focused Webzine. “It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from. People are incorporating bits and pieces into their wardrobes and their lives.”
That may be because in the popular imagination, African jungles, deserts and plains retain a near-mystical allure, which the reality of the continent’s political turmoil and poverty have never entirely dispelled.
“Africa has never become quantifiable or entirely knowable,” said Rick Carter, the production designer who helped to conceive the Edenic universe of “Avatar” with its obviously African elements. “It still suggests romance, and a sense of the abundance of life. Threatening or benign, it has something to teach us.”
To armchair travelers in the fashion world, many of whom are tapping the heritage of Kenya, Mali, Nigeria or Senegal in search of inspiration, Africa is playing the role that India had until recently, its themes embraced in the hope of making cash registers hum.

What is "Africa" teaching you?

Is Pizza Hut racist?

2010-02-23T12:18:00.001-06:00

Via Best Week Ever. Submitted by Emma.

Is Atlanta's new "Yellow Line" racist?

2010-02-10T21:18:00.001-06:00

From Gawker:

Residents of Atlanta's Asian enclave, Doraville, are thrilled to have their own MARTA train. They feel kinda awkward about it being called the "yellow line," though. [AJC] [Pic via]

Submitted by Amy.

The fine line between It Being Racist and You Being Racist.

2010-01-31T22:29:00.001-06:00

Concerned citizen EB submits the following:

So, I was walking through the union today, when I was stopped by one of my former students. He, along with several others, was selling raffle tickets to raise money for a new African American fraternity. I bought one (though I really don't need to win a romantic weekend for two). As I left, he told me to be sure to stop by the union next week...the fraternity would be holding a date auction. So, my question is...is it problematic for an African American fraternity to hold a people auction - or am I racist for thinking it's problematic?

Excellent questions. Excellent.

Spicy...and racist?

2010-01-31T22:25:00.001-06:00

Submitted by Bernie, who could not have known that my husband and I exchanged the patented "Is It Racist?" look when we saw this ourselves a few days ago:

The Great White Fleet, indeed.

2010-01-22T10:47:00.001-06:00

Via Vintage Ads.

Is that Chinese for "this is racist"?

2010-01-22T10:08:00.002-06:00

Via Vintage Ads.

If this is for real, it is racist.

2010-01-21T09:42:00.001-06:00

From Think Progress:

A new professional basketball league called the All-American Basketball Alliance (AABA) sent out a press release on Sunday saying that it intends to start its inaugural season in June, with teams in 12 U.S. cities. However, the AABA is different from other sports leagues because only players who are “natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league.” AABA commissioner Don “Moose” Lewis insists that he’s not racist, but he just wants to get away from the “street-ball” played by “people of color” and back to “fundamental basketball.” Lewis cited the recent incidents of bad behavior by NBA players, implying that such actions would never happen with white players:
“There’s nothing hatred about what we’re doing,” he said. “I don’t hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here’s a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like.” [...]

He pointed out recent incidents in the NBA, including Gilbert Arenas’ indefinite suspension after bringing guns into the Washington Wizards locker room, as examples of fans’ dissatisfaction with the way current professional sports are run.

“Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch?” he said. “That’s the culture today, and in a free country we should have the right to move ourselves in a better direction.”
The AABA is targeting Southern cities, but one proposed city — Augusta, GA — is opposed to the league. Several other cities have reportedly told Lewis to “stay out of town.”

Submitted by NKB, who wonders if this could possibly be for real.

Is My Button New, Pink, and Racist?

2010-01-18T09:53:00.005-06:00

Um, ok?

From the FAQ:

Q. “Help! I've noticed I am turning a more brown color down there on my inside lips, is this normal”?

A. Yes, it’s perfectly normal and there are many factors that can contribute to this. Ethnicity is a big factor, also age, hormone change, surgeries, childbirth, sickness, health, diet and medications can all contribute to a change from “Pink” to “Brown” in a woman's genital area.

H/t I, Asshole.

Is Harry Reid racist?

2010-01-09T23:40:00.001-06:00

From The Washington Post:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) apologized today for referring to President Barack Obama as "light skinned" and "with no Negro dialect" in private conversations during the 2008 presidential campaign.
"I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words," said Reid in a statement. "I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments."

Via Matt Yglesias. H/t Sheyda.

Are you...racist?

2010-01-09T12:35:00.001-06:00

Via Failblog. H/t Dolly.

Is Haagen Dazs racist?

2010-01-04T13:15:00.001-06:00

Some time ago, Bernie submitted the following story via Boing Boing:

The inaugural Delhi outlet of Haagen Dazs (A Danish phrase that means, "Made in New Jersey," apparently) opened with a "no Indians allowed" policy. The sign on the door read, "Access restricted only to holders of international passports." After a public hue and cry, the franchise operator (who is Indian) dropped the policy and claimed it had never existed.

Read more from blogger Rajesh Kalra at The Times of India: Sorry, Indians not allowed

One of these wise men is not like the others.

2010-01-04T13:06:00.001-06:00

What a deal! Why so cheap, Wise Man #2?

Oh.

Courtesy of Dolly and Shaun.

That burley is racist.

2010-01-04T13:00:00.001-06:00

From Vintage Ads.

My white heart is racist.

2009-12-31T12:07:00.001-06:00

Via Vintage Ads.

Lucky white families are racist.

2009-12-29T21:15:00.001-06:00

From Vintage Ads.

Are HP computers racist?

2009-12-21T16:29:00.001-06:00

Love this: "And the worst part is, I bought one for Christmas."

h/t Laine.

Vintage racist comedy: Oh, Buddy.

2009-12-21T13:31:00.001-06:00

BUDDY HACKETT - “HOW YOU DO?” (1963?)

Via Egg City Radio. Follow the link if you want to listen, but heed this disclaimer by the post's author: "I dare you to make it all the way through to the end of this record without hating me."

Vintage racist.

2009-12-19T18:22:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite blogs is Vintage Ads, which is an excellent feed for nostalgia, inadvertent humor, and, of course, concepts both questionably and unquestionably racist. Here are just a couple of recent examples:

Definitely worth adding to your RSS reader.

Was it racist?

2009-12-15T13:44:00.001-06:00

Jenn shares this excellent tidbit from Gizmodo. Apparently it's now fixed, but for a time this was up at Target.com:

Good times.

Is the oil lobby racist?

2009-12-11T10:49:00.001-06:00

Sheyda calls our attention to another Photoshop scandal. Talking Points Memo reports that a recently distributed American Petroleum Institute pamphlet features some strategically placed "diverse" individuals (11 and 1 o'clock):

...who are actually black and Asian heads 'shopped onto white guys from the company stock photo:

Not creepy enough for you? Well, an astute TPM reader noted that in the stock photo, "the two men who are now Asian and black are the same man in the photo twice. Even the stock photo is doctored." Is the oil lobby The Matrix?

What is up with this Palm Pre commercial, and is it racist?

2009-11-19T14:05:00.001-06:00

Eons ago, Amy B. submitted the following ad for Palm Pre. She wrote, "I saw this commercial, and though I don't have the chops to dissect it, I KNOW this is not ok. Asian people as pixels? For a white lady's mp3 player?"

Years ago, this guy hit on me at a coffee shop by saying, "You know, you are definitely some kind of culture." To this ad, I say, "You know, you are definitely some kind of ... something." But I leave it to you, readers, to explain to me what that something is.

Are "ethnic helpers" racist?

2009-11-19T13:54:00.001-06:00

Amanda asks us about the curious case of "Asian Helper":

at first i thought it was just racist and now that i think about what i just saw in the grocery store i'm also annoyed because it's kind of semantically out of order too. look, "hamburger helper" means stuff you add to your hamburger to stretch it into extra servings. "tuna helper" means stuff you add to your tuna to stretch into extra servings. so is "asian helper" stuff you add to your asian? oh wait, it does say "chicken" really small between the asian and the helper. it's like betty crocker had the last minute thought that it might be racist. eagerly awaiting "mexican helper" which is sure to come out any day now.

I think if Helper is going to go in this direction, it should go whole-heartedly and put the little glove guy in ethnic hats.

Are ads from the sixties...yes, yes they are.

2009-11-19T13:45:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Laura for submitting (a long time ago—sorry for the delayed post!) this classic ad for our consideration. Great Western Invention (spoon) Make Chinese Baby Velly Happy! Oh, Jello.

Is "Couples Retreat" UK marketing racist?

2009-11-19T13:33:00.001-06:00

Both Sheyda and Bernie call our attention to the brouhaha raised over Universal Studios' decision to edit out the black couple from the UK promotional poster of the film "Couples Retreat."

The Huffington Post reported that "Universal changed 'Couples Retreat' marketing material for the film's UK release, and removed the black actors from both the poster's photo and the list of stars typed out ... The studio said it regretted causing offence and has abandoned plans to use the revised poster in other countries.... A Universal spokesman said the revised advert aimed 'to simplify the poster to actors who are most recognisable in international markets'."

So I guess what the studio is saying is, "We're not racist; international markets are racist."

Does that make it less racist??

Is this makeup racist?

2009-11-16T09:49:00.001-06:00

Wendy submits the following find from Sephora:

Napoleon Perdis "China Doll Foundation" is described as "a lightweight, long wearing luxe formula that combines the benefits of a self-setting foundation and powder in one. Designed for ample playtime before setting to a soft-velvet finish that takes you from perfect to precious."

I have no idea what that last phrase means.

Wendy writes,

Given the name, I was surprised that the packaging is not "Chinese red." It also doesn't use that Chinese take-out carton font, and I'm surprised by the lack of Chinese characters and/or dragons. So is it still racist?

This is an excellent question. Do things get points for being less racist than one can imagine them being?

Is racist praise racist?

2009-11-12T14:26:00.001-06:00

Um, yes. Sheyda sent this story in a while ago, and I'm only now getting around to posting it, but it's still worth doing so. The Huffington Post reports that two members of the GOP attracted criticism for their suggestion that Senator Jim DeMint watches over money "like a Jew":

The two South Carolina Republican chairmen who compared Sen. Jim DeMint to a penny-watching Jew have apologized for the remark. DeMint himself called it thoughtless and hurtful.
Ulmer, the Orangeburg County chairman, said the remark was "truly in admiration for a method of bettering one's lot in life" and he meant nothing derogatory.
Added Merwin, the Bamberg County chair: "I have always abhorred in the past, and shall continue to do so in the future, anti-Semitism in any form whatsoever. I ... beg that any and all who were offended will accept my deep felt apology."

* * * * *
Two South Carolina County Republican Party chairmen stepped up to rebut criticism of Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) in a newspaper editorial Sunday. But their defense of the senator might be overshadowed by their use of an anti-Semitic stereotype to praise him.
After a Democratic state senator wrote in The State that DeMint didn't bring enough money back home, Bamberg County GOP Chairman Edwin Merwin and Orangeburg County GOP Chairman James Ulmer responded that he was just looking after the nation's pennies -- like a Jew would.
"There is a saying that the Jews who are wealthy got that way not by watching dollars, but instead by taking care of the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves," Ulmer and Merwin wrote in a joint letter published by The Times and Democrat. "By not using earmarks to fund projects for South Carolina and instead using actual bills, DeMint is watching our nation's pennies and trying to preserve our country's wealth and our economy's viability to give all an opportunity to succeed."
"It's people like Ulmer and Merwin that make many folks fear for the future of the once Grand Ole Party," wrote the conservative Palmetto Scoop.

Even if it's coming from a place of "admiration," it's really not okay, guys.

Racist or tacky?

2009-11-11T10:03:00.002-06:00

Mariana writes:

is it racist to have a faux prehispanic destination wedding about 500 years AFTER prehispanic people were decimated after mexico was conquered??? or is it just tacky???

It is so hard to go right with destination weddings.

Is United first class racist?

2009-11-04T18:23:00.002-06:00

Consumerist.com reports that Armando Alvarez, vice president of Best Buy, had his first class upgrade revoked by a United Airlines agent at the gate because he was wearing a tracksuit:

MyFox Atlanta says that Best Buy vice president Armando Alavarez's first class upgrade was revoked last week, after the gate agent saw he was wearing a Puma running outfit. He said he frequently checks his suits and wears more comfortable clothes for the flight. You can see by the photo or the video clip below that his Puma running outfit was in excellent shape.

For those who don't want to watch the video (are you sure? you'll miss Alvarez talking about his Puma running outfit!), MyFox Atlanta says Alvarez wrote a letter to United to complain about having his upgrade revoked, but he hasn't heard back from them. The network says it contacted their customer service department three times but never heard back, either.

I have a hard time believing someone who looked like Paris Hilton would have faced the same shit.

Can the BNP not be racist?

2009-10-15T10:44:00.001-05:00

Thanks to ever-vigilant Sheyda for the tip. The Guardian reports that the British National Party has just agreed to amend its constitution to allow non-white people to join:

The far-right British National party has agreed to change its constitution to allow non-white people to join, it emerged today.
The BNP confirmed it would consider changes to its rules and membership criteria after the Equality and Human Rights Commission launched county court proceedings against the party's leader, Nick Griffin, and two other party officials: Simon Darby and Tanya Jane Lumby.
Robin Allen QC, counsel for the commission, said Griffin had agreed to present members with a revised constitution at its general meeting next month.
He added that the party had agreed not to accept any new members until the new constitution was in place.
John Wadham, group director legal at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: "We are pleased that the party has conceded this case and agreed to all of the commission's requirements. Political parties, like any other organisation are obliged to respect the law and not discriminate against people.
"It is unfortunate that the BNP spent several months before conceding and dealing properly with our legal requirements. We will be monitoring the BNP's compliance with this court order on membership, and its other legal obligations, including to its constituents."
The Central London county court heard Griffin would be given 10 days to submit a signed undertaking confirming the proposed changes.

Somehow, the fact that the BNP had to be legally forced to be less racist only makes it more racist, don't you think?

Is It Racist?

Migration.

Authentic British racism?

Problema?

Food, fat, and racism?

If you can read this, are you racist?

Back in action.

File under "really"?

Is King Chin racist?

King Chin Spice Grinder

Mr. Chin Kitchen Timer

Is your AutoCorrect racist?

Yes it is.

Just 'cause you didn't mean it don't mean it's not racist.

Racist or delicious?

Is JT-face racist?

Ch-ch-ch-racist?

Adorable, or racist?

Are these Google ads racist?

Is the prediction racist?

Is your taste in "portable valets" racist?

Is Das Supertalent racist?

Is High Expectations Asian Father racist?

Is hipster retro-porn racist?

Is the Taco Bell Sandwich Lady racist?

Is your attempt to eschew racial terms paradoxically racist?

Yes it is.

Is your improvisational cocktail party performance racist?

Are Jewly Bandz racist?

We all love them, but let's be clear: Museums of Natural History are racist.

What are you? Racist?

Is "taming the beard" racist?

Are your tea towels racist?

Is Asian Ken racist?

Yes it is.

Yes it is.

Is it racist if it's true?

Is this stuff racist?

Is this pub racist?

Married to a racist?

Is using "blues" as code for "black" racist?

Yes it is.

Is FFFFUUUUUU Racist racist?

Is this shirt racist?

Is it racist to dress your wine like a Chinese call girl?

Is this kid racist?

Are good old-fashioned ethnic jokes racist?

Is it racist if it's true?

Is giving the company (a white) face racist?

Is the World Cup racist?

Arizona sets the racist bar even higher.

How to date a racist?

Are Red Vines racist?

Is this costume racist?

Is "getting lost (in a fantasy about being a sexually vulnerable white woman surrounded by black people)" racist?

Yes it is.

Is racism racist?

Brilliant or racist?

Does Jesus love racist puppets?

Is this tagliatelle racist?

Is a tap-dancing octopus racist?

Yes it is.

Racist heritage month?

No, actually, that *is* racist.

Is your winning smile racist?

Oh-So racist!

Is science racist against black penguins?

What's racist about a "towelhead"?

It's great to be racist?

Bargain, or racist?

Do I need to file this under “is you is or is you ain’t my lotus blossom?”

Are minority-themed amusement parks racist?

Is this...what IS this?

Is Africa the new India? And is that racist?

Is Pizza Hut racist?

Is Atlanta's new "Yellow Line" racist?

The fine line between It Being Racist and You Being Racist.

Spicy...and racist?

The Great White Fleet, indeed.

Is that Chinese for "this is racist"?

No, actually, that is racist.