How many people know or care about the origins of "gyp," other than a bunch of Buffistas?

I imagine a lot of Gypsies know and care.

But the point is, that a lot of language started out in a lot of sources and evolved.

If we are going to rip apart our language to remove any last trace of former evils and dig up old rivalries, we might as well give in to the Bushes and the Rush Limbaughs in this world as well.

Sure language isn't perfect. the past isn't perfect, the present isn't perfect. What we have to strive for is a world where it's all just a "huh" to *everyone.*

It's the education factor, as well. I used to watch old cartoons that featured what are now considered racially-based characters. And yet, if I see a Speedy Gonzalas character, I can say, "funny fast mouse" and not think "Because all mexicans are like that." I can see PePe Le Pew and not think "All French stink and think they are good lovers." I can watch The Honeymooners and not think "All bus drivers are jerks who threaten to beat their wives."

The point is to make it not matter anymore by education and examples and showing people these stereotypes are to be laughed at and disregarded.

I'm not trying to put down the suffering of all the peoples who have suffered, it's just that every culture has had enemies that caracaturize and demonize the others. Racism, Sexism and jingoism and patriotism have been with us, and are still with us and the world wasn't built, for good and bad, by sterilizing the language.

The only thing a big outcry against the MooLatte does is reintroduce the concept of the mulatto to a larger audience. Great. Now more people will know how to use the word, and try to hurt people with it.

Sometimes it is better for a small number of people to roll their eyes than to stir up old hatreds.

It's only a ice cream coffee drink. It will run it's course and be dropped in favor of another item.

I figured it was a play on the fact that Moo is a slang for milk from the 90's (?) that I didn't fit the demographic which which to use it.

And Latte being a coffee drink that already contains steamed milk.

Well, yes, of course, that's what they're going for. It doesn't change the fact that they managed to make up a word that [to some of us] clearly recalls another word, not as archaic you might think. And they're using it in a context that also resonates (coffee and cream, cafe au lait) as skin color terms. I don't doubt that they were entirely unaware of these connotations - but I'm more than a little appalled that they could have been. It's idiocy, not malice, but still worthy of note (IMO, of course).

The only thing a big outcry against the MooLatte does is reintroduce the concept of the mulatto to a larger audience. Great. Now more people will know how to use the word, and try to hurt people with it.

Errrrmmmm... not sure I buy that argument. To me, it smells too much like "sex education will make kids more promiscuous". Education is ultimately always a positive.

The problem is that with terms of racial prejudice, particularly, it is difficult to treat them as trivial, even if others (perhaps mistakenly) see them as such. People have been killed and abused and raped and hurt using these terms in the past, and it is not so simple to disregard.

We will not get past it (as people, as humanity), unless we object to it, and make our objection known.

None of this is to say that anyone who saw the particular item in question and either did not make the association or was not offended by the association needs to revolutionize their thought process or feel inadequate for not thinking in that direction. But those who did take note have every right to strenuously object.

Errrrmmmm... not sure I buy that argument. To me, it smells too much like "sex education will make kids more promiscuous". Education is ultimately always a positive.

I agree about the latter, see the rest of my post.

What I'm saying is that the outcry and hue, without an educated background is only going to raise the words use in the less informed, who will not be further educated on racism, and indeed might even enjoy having another word to ascribe to "them that are different."

It's soft serve ice cream and coffee. I don't think that anyone at DQ had a clue. And that's all there is to it. Someone will get fired and someone will issue an apology and that's all there is to it.

Daniel, who gives a shit about giving assholes another epithet? They were assholes before the vocabulary increase, and it doesn't increase their assholeness, it increases their vocab.

The school play when I was in 8th grade (1978) was West Side Story. I had to ask what Mick, Spic, and Wop meant.

What do Mick and Wop mean?

I just learned spic last year, when there was a "racial incident" on my campus. (And it wasn't even a real incident - the guy made up the story himself to get attention or something.)

I learned mulatto and mesquito (sp?) in elementary school history. So I'm pretty sure those aren't negative ones, cuz we were even tested on knowing those terms.

I never realized "gypped" came from that context (or even that it was spelled with a "y").

Hmm...Racial slurs are strangely interesting.

I learned mulatto and mesquito (sp?) in elementary school history. So I'm pretty sure those aren't negative ones, cuz we were even tested on knowing those terms.

Hahaha! Sorry. I still remember how the American History textbook at my high school referred "sun-basking Spanish Americans", and to Native Americans as "near-naked savages." We and the teachers were smart enough to know it was offensive and to discuss it in that context, but I strongly suspect many other schools let it slip by. Which is to say, just because a teacher was ignorant doesn't mean it's not offensive.

Oh, Mick = Irish
Wop = Italian