I Ain’t In So Cal No More
You can walk into Mulligan’s Bar & Tavern 5 miles from my house and buy this shirt.
Um…
I think I’ll take the long way around that place.
Los
[disclaimer: I have only experienced something this blatant twice since I've moved. This is EXTREMELY rare in my world. But it sucks none the less]
RAIN IT DOWN
i can’t believe anyone thought that was a good idea…
I know you are new to the ATL but every Southerner is not a racist, this guy makes the rest of us look bad.
Welcome to the south, we are not all like this idiot (Racist) – Sorry this is the impressions you have gotten.
Not saying all southerners are racist. Just saying that this guy would have been beaten to a pulp in So Cal. That’s all.
Understood! You will come across many more like him. A true test of unconditional love…
Wow.
not very cool. i can’t believe they got away with that.
That is crazy. You’re right – it definitely wouldn’t happen here.
RIDICULOUS!
Wow. There are no words.
Somebody stole my “Welcome to the South” line.
Anyways, we have the best cuisine and sweet tea but you might have to endure a bunch of idiots.
i saw the bar owner on the AP…he said he didn’t intend it at as racial slur at all. just thought that obama had big ears and a receding hairline. tacky and thoughtless, regardless.
I think the fact that you have only encountered something like this twice during your time in the south says a great deal about the south’s ability to move forward. Every region of the world has its problems, especially here in the US. Southern California is in no way exempt from racism.
And contrary to Joe Louthan’s belief, the south is not a bunch of idiots. Listen to our President for 5 minutes and you’ll realize this entire country is full of idiots.
and btw- doesn’t the fact that this guy would be “beaten to a pulp” in So Cal say more about So Cal than it does about us? we prefer to use our words.
Elloa. I was raised here. 20 years. I know “your south”. None of this is news to me.
And the KKK was started in Fontana, CA. I know this stuff.
But then again, when I walk into a grocery store here with my family of me, my white child, brown child and Korean child, I get 100 % more “looks” than I ever got in So Cal. It’s a fact of life and I live with it.
I love it here and monkey t-shirt maker is not going to ruin my life here.
I guess I have lived in the bay area too long. Because I did not even get the meaning….I just thought how my son would like that shirt since it has curious George on it.
Sometimes I feel naive
This is just so distasteful.
And ya know Los, the guy should have been beaten to a pulp here in the South too – wait, that was not at all very christianlike of me – but I have a really hard time with that kind of stuff – and the fact that it still is pretty rampant is kinda unnerving…
Wow. That really makes me mad…
Wow. That sucks. receding hairline, big ears were his influence…rrrrrright!!
It’s so sad that people do these kind of things. They think they are so superior, but these actions just show their lack of kindness, community…and THEIR inferior hearts and minds. IMO, anyway.
I moved to the West Coast 10 years ago…to get away from the conservative, racist Southern lifestyle. I’m originally from Cincinnati/Northern KY area. Talk about racism. No matter what anyone says…Yes, the South has a lot of racism. I’m sorry, it’s a fact. I don’t get defensive when people say that about my hometown. And no other Southerner, who is not racist, should get defensive. It just is that way…it doesn’t mean YOU are that way…but there definitely is that collective vibe there. I love so many things about the South. But the racism cannot be tolerated. When I was growing up, every year the Cincy mayor gave the KKK the right to put up a white cross, on our downtown square every Christmas, next to the Christmas tree and Menorah, in honor of “free speech.” Yet he would order raids on gay and lesbian bookstores for “lewdness.” And let’s not get into Marge Schott and her horrible actions/words. What’s interesting to me, though, something I have noticed, is that out here, I still see it, but it’s oh so subtle. In the South, it’s just right out there…and hardly anyone bats an eye! I can’t tell you how many times people have comfortably said racist things to me…assuming I feel that way too, like we’re in some sort of “club” because I’m caucasian. It’s really sad, but I do think it’s progressing.
I can relate to the stares, too. I have many biracial relatives. I’m going to marry a SE Asian, and we hope to have biological and adopted children. We also get the stares already as a bicultural couple. So I can totally imagine what your family gets, too. I hope the t-shirt maker rethinks his actions and gains some introspect.
Take care.
This kind of stuff makes me embarrassed to be a southerner.
For such a wonderful region of our country we sure know how to screw it up by ignorance.
And studies show that our demographics say that the Southeast is MORE “faith-based?!?”
The guy selling the shirts is a d-bag. End of story. Unfortunately not though …
You and the media (there are 270+ stories about this on Google News search) have given him a platform which is what he wanted to begin.
Not suggesting people should be offended to a lesser degree, but the fact is this racism is rendered powerless when it’s ignored not when the media shines a spotlight on it.
I’m uncertain if that means having a thicker skin or deliberate apathy toward morons or what, but this current approach of giving a forum and megaphone to this guy and other unabashed racists – like Reverend Wright – is ineffective.
Sensationalizing one guy selling a racist shirt or one guy in a pulpit preaching hate causes more angst and division among us all, and makes celebrities of fools.
I’m with Randy up there. It took me about a full minute of thinking about it to figure out the slur.
Until I was 18 and toured with a performing group, I didn’t even know the KKK still existed. Thought it was just part of history class. I’m glad I grew up around diversity.
And I have lots of friends from the south, so I know not everyone is like that. But when I was in the south on tour, it was a huge eye opener and made me REALLY angry at the outright racism I saw.
You do know that Deliverence (the movie) was set up in the North GA mountains….just a few minutes north of Browns Bridge….
bow dow bow dow bow dow bow dow bow (in the tone of a banjo)
Son,
I have been there. Don’t let people “rain on your rainbow”.
I’m sorry that someone would create this. I’m also sorry that you had to see it and the damper it can create on your experience there.
I’m going to have to be honest I didn’t see the problem at first. Not that I agree with it or anything, I just couldn’t put the pieces together. I had to stop and think about why this was offensive to you.
Questions: As a white male is my being naive right or wrong?
If I was walking down the street and saw someone wearing this shirt I probably would have just said to myself, “I like Curious George”, never seeing the Obama reference. Is that okay?
Or would it be more Christ-like of me to quickly recognize this stuff and be unitedly (is that a word?) offended?
Anyways. Los thanks for who you are, what you do, and how you love Jesus.
I have to admit, I needed to read the comments before I got the reference. Personally, I am hopeful for the new generation of college students in the south and everywhere who won’t put up with stuff like this.
I dated a girl whose family is from El Salvador for nearly a year. Even though Atlanta is pretty culturally diverse, we still got stares on a regular basis from our parent’s generation but we almost never got looks from people 25 and under. This gives me hope.
This stupid t-shirt has more victims than just the obvious. I saw on the news the other night that a another bar in Alpharetta (also an ATL suburb, for those readers who aren’t from here) with the same name as the bar whose owner made that piece of *&$# is getting constant threatening phone calls and harassment as a result. They keep telling people it’s not the same place, but the news showed an empty establishment on what would have normally been a busy night. Now I hear they’re changing their name.
“Big ears and receding hairline” my asterisk.
Disgusting. Now this idiot has gone and ruined Curious George. It will never be the same. I used to tell racist people that they really need to think about the fact that Hell isn’t likely to be segregated.
That’s just pure ignorance is what that is. It’s this shit(excuse my french, but there is NO other word to use here) that just pisses me off and breaks me in this world. I know I do things that probably make people angry as well, however I hope that my ignorance isn’t so obvious and purposeful. Wow.
http://www.vagabondrunn.wordpress.com
is this just as offensive?
http://www.kein-plan.de/bitte-ziehen-sie-durch/pics/Bush_-_Curious_Monkey.jpg
there are morons on all sides…but I guarantee you there has not been the backlash the past 7 years as people all over the world have called bush a monkey.
This shirt is detestable, so is the fact that its only acceptable, and cool to be racist against white people *(rednecks)
I find it only slightly humorous that people are using this thread to bring up racism against white people when that is not the point.
hmmmmm
@Carie: The man who created this t-shirt is no more a conservative than a person who bombs an abortion clinic in the name of Christ is a Christian. This is not a political issue, it is offensive to both conservatives and liberals alike.
———
Idiocy is not exclusive to the south by any means.
it’s a good thing Jesus loves idiots. otherwise he wouldn’t love me.
my point was that for years people have been comparing bush to curious george and nobody noticed.
google ‘bush monkey’ and look at the plethora of fun stuff.
I’m no fan of bush, and no fan of this shirt, but the irony caught me.
Amy S. said: i saw the bar owner on the AP…he said he didn’t intend it at as racial slur at all. just thought that obama had big ears and a receding hairline. tacky and thoughtless, regardless”
I didn’t understand the shirt when I first saw it. Many have said they didn’t get it. I haven’t heard the bar owner speak, but why can’t we just believe him? MAYBE he wasn’t out to offend. Maybe it wasn’t a publicity stunt (who would want the kind of publicity a shirt like that would bring if it was meant to be a racial slur? That kind of publicity brings death threats and closure of businesses) MAYBE he didn’t realize how the shirt could be taken. MAYBE he thought the similarities really were the ears and hairline. MAYBE he’s like us and DOESN’T think like that.
It’s unfortunate that enough people have been offended that the shirt was mistaken for something hurtful. Let’s continue to do our part to heal our communities by loving as Christ where race and ethnicity were invisible, but souls were the focus.
-karen
As a lifelong southerner, I would like to personally apologize for that, Los. No wonder people think we’re all ignorant redneck hicks.
Makes me sick.
Why are we ever surprised when people do stupid things?
Even something this stupid!!!!!!!!
* sigh * =(
Hahah Ok that’s funny. Just because it appeared in a “southern” store doesn’t mean a thing; so all you Southerners can stop apologizing. Heck, I’ve seen people put Curious George’s face next to president Bush and every got a good laugh… Stereotyping the south and racism is no different than this shirt, (a black man and a monkey). Who’s protesting about the hillbilly shirts that make fun of rednecks, incest, etc? Nobody! So it’s all what you make of it! I’m no racist, it’s just funny.
pinkcamojeep (Karen)-
I guess the biggest question I have about buying the “I didn’t mean it that way” from the bar owner is this: if that is the truth, and he’s realized that people have taken it as a racial slur, then why is he still selling it? If he doesn’t take it off the “shelf”, I don’t buy it. If he doesn’t stop selling, apparently he’s ok with the type of publicity. If I’m wrong and he has stopped selling it, then maybe we are wrong and you have a great point.
Interesting sidenote: at a local coffee shop right now and the people behind me are having an interesting conversation about Barack, the presidential race, and racism.
Let’s say for argument sake that the bar owner didn’t understand the message he was portraying when he created the t-shirts (I think he did, but let’s just say…) Once he learned of its offensive nature, he (if he was a good and decent person), should have immediately felt a gut retching guilt that made him destroy every one of the t-shirts he made, make a public apology, track down all of the t-shirts he did sell, make major amends somehow in his community towards minorities in general. You know one day…the minorities are no longer going to be the minorities…
Yeah the owner of the bar claims he didnt mean it that way but have you ever driven past his bar and read the stuff he puts on the sign? If you have, the shirt should not come as a surprise.
And it’s not just a Southern thing. I could show you intolerant idiots like this in LA, Boston, and the rest of the country.
Carlos, and everyone else in the area, drive past the guy’s restaurant and go to the fine places around the square in Marietta. MacCrackens is a great Irish bar with a great beer selection served by heavily tattooed staff.Or take the family to Winan’s for coffee or tea and some homemade chocolates. Or dine at the pizza place or Shillings or any of the other great restaurants.
There’s a simple answer to the question of why he’s still selling the shirts. Money! It’s simply business to him, yet we are arguing ethics. We are placing ethics over profit. He is putting profit over ethics. You can’t force a moral standard on someone. However you can affect their reason for selling the shirt Profit! Andy’s right, going somewhere else!
I am white. It is ridiculous to say that white people suffer from racism in the same way black people have and, maybe not as much, but still do. I know we have come a long way, but come on. No comparison. I don’t like anyone being mean to anyone. These are ways we can identfy with the sufferings of Christ. We must forgive evil, because they know not what they do. Lord help us.
nuh-uh.
I love how JUST ONE redneck, chester-molester-looking, hillbilly, moonshine-drankin, good ol’ boy keeps the “south is racist” stereotype going.
He’s received lots of press, too. What a complete tard.
I don’t get it. Even after reading the comments I still don’t get the racist thing…is it because the monkey is brown? What’s wrong with monkeys? This makes no sense to me.
Dear Joanna – I think everyone is upset because the t-shirt man is comparing BO to a monkey being as he is 1/2 black and they might find it hard to believe that the t-shirt man or someone who may chuckle at that t-shirt can only be full of racist hate. haven’t you ever watched cable TV before – you know it’s all about racism & $$$.
Isn’t it obvious that one is a racist when one can’t possibly understand why a 47yr one term Senator would be qualified to be the Prez of the USA. I mean other than he’s very sexy, gives a good speech and says he’s going to CHANGE things. I can understand why his wife MO has never but one time been happy in this damn country – can’t YOU. It’s more about the $$ for the t-shirt man than anything else and so are the other vile “funny” things that we are teaching our children when we speak evil of the current admin -REGARDLESS of our political views.
Clearly it’s okay for most people to say George W Bush looks like a Monkey. So it also should be okay to say that Obama looks like a monkey, right? Wait, you think it’s racist? Oh, shucks!
I don’t understand people. Get over your “that’s racist” junk already. Political correctness is a load of bunk, and everyone knows that.
“Clearly it’s okay for most people to say George W Bush looks like a Monkey. So it also should be okay to say that Obama looks like a monkey, right? Wait, you think it’s racist? Oh, shucks!
I don’t understand people. Get over your “that’s racist” junk already. Political correctness is a load of bunk, and everyone knows that.”
qft, holmes. qft.