Racism, Bigotry, Bias: Look at all the Old White Men

[Chris Porter]

I need some input on this phrase that runs through my mind when I see pictures like this:

From the movie "Expelled" (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=ben-steins-expelled-review-john-rennie&sc=rss)
Ways and Means Committee (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0724-07.htm)
President Bush signing an act (http://cayankee.blogs.com/cayankee/2006/10/military_commis.html)



"Look at all the Old, White Men."

When I say it to myself, I can't figure out if there's any emotion tied to it. It feels neutral, but from the sentence, it sounds like I'm pointing out something unusual, when I happen to be pointing something usual out instead. So what is the reason I say this to myself, I don't normally point out the obvious? Am I being racist or anti-racist when I do this, because I can't tell, and it's been going on for a long time. Whenever I see a great or unequally dominant majority of older white men, I say this to myself. As if I were expecting, oh, some mix of genders or races perhaps. And I get the impression it might be slightly disparaging, but I don't have a reason why that might be. Perhaps my sense of fairness and justice gets tweaked viewing these photos. But still the inner voice doesn't seem to hold opprobrium, but more of "Hey, look and make note of."


This happen to others, perhaps with other types of pictures?

(Question kicked off by the first image, linked to from another thread)

[Dingfod]

As an old white man, let me say the unequivocally, "That's just racist!"

[LadyShea]

Whenever I see a great or unequally dominant majority of older white men, I say this to myself. As if I were expecting, oh, some mix of genders or races perhaps.

In 2008, one might conceivably expect (hope) to see a mix of genders and races. I think your brain is pointing out that the lack of a gender/race mix is ...disappointing maybe?

Pics of government and such from 100, 300, or 500 years ago would show the same thing...a group of old white men.

[Chris Porter]

Ah, disappointing. There's a term to investigate. I just don't know.

[Chris Porter]

As an old white man, let me say the unequivocally, "That's just racist!"

Would it not be just descriptive? It's not like I automatically hate old white men, I'm rather attracted to them. But I think it's odd to see so much of what the public thinks of as important enough to disseminate as news, involves pretty much only old white men.

[Dingfod]

It often seems like the news media is dominated by reports of crime in predominantly minority occupied poor urban neighborhoods.

[godfry n. glad]

How come I'm not in any of the pictures?

Based upon that, I'm concerned that not enough old white guys are being shown.

[GodPossessed]

This suggests a question to me that we could explore: What is prejudice? I mean, is it just a Skinner-like effect upon the unthinking? Not to hijack the thread but, it seemed relevant.

[Stormlight]

I need some input on this phrase that runs through my mind when I see pictures like this:

From the movie "Expelled" (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=ben-steins-expelled-review-john-rennie&sc=rss)
Ways and Means Committee (http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0724-07.htm)
President Bush signing an act (http://cayankee.blogs.com/cayankee/2006/10/military_commis.html)



"Look at all the Old, White Men."

When I say it to myself, I can't figure out if there's any emotion tied to it. It feels neutral, but from the sentence, it sounds like I'm pointing out something unusual, when I happen to be pointing something usual out instead. So what is the reason I say this to myself, I don't normally point out the obvious? Am I being racist or anti-racist when I do this, because I can't tell, and it's been going on for a long time. Whenever I see a great or unequally dominant majority of older white men, I say this to myself. As if I were expecting, oh, some mix of genders or races perhaps. And I get the impression it might be slightly disparaging, but I don't have a reason why that might be. Perhaps my sense of fairness and justice gets tweaked viewing these photos. But still the inner voice doesn't seem to hold opprobrium, but more of "Hey, look and make note of."


This happen to others, perhaps with other types of pictures?

(Question kicked off by the first image, linked to from another thread)

You're not alone in this. I have a similar reaction. Not "Look at all the Old, White Men" but "Look at those smug, fat fucks".

[Uthgar the Brazen]

:yeahthat:

[Chris Porter]

privilege. prejudice. It seems to me that there is some relationship between the two, as if prejudice implies that privilege is a given, and privilege implies that there need be prejudice to compare it to. And that even if there is a relationship, it's not something a single person can identify, since both are social constructs, of course. Need to think about this.

[GodPossessed]

I've always seen prejudice as self-serving laziness in judgement. If I have a bad experience, I will naturally seek to avoid repeating it. I can think it through and learn from the experience or I can make a rule (consciously or unconsciously) that in the future I should avoid, not trust, not become entangled with, etc... Black people, Pontiacs, hotels with shutters, ....whatever. This makes my world smaller but "safer".

[Stormlight]

I've always seen prejudice as self-serving laziness in judgement. If I have a bad experience, I will naturally seek to avoid repeating it. I can think it through and learn from the experience or I can make a rule (consciously or unconsciously) that in the future I should avoid, not trust, not become entangled with, etc... Black people, Pontiacs, hotels with shutters, ....whatever. This makes my world smaller but "safer".

Objection, your honour! It makes your world scarier not safer.

[GodPossessed]

I've always seen prejudice as self-serving laziness in judgement. If I have a bad experience, I will naturally seek to avoid repeating it. I can think it through and learn from the experience or I can make a rule (consciously or unconsciously) that in the future I should avoid, not trust, not become entangled with, etc... Black people, Pontiacs, hotels with shutters, ....whatever. This makes my world smaller but "safer".

Objection, your honour! It makes your world scarier not safer.

Amen! (hence the quotation marks designating sarcasm).