Ed Do you like your cheese?
- Thread starter arthwollipot
- Start date
Skeptical Greg
Agave Wine Connoisseur
Do tell.
The only point I see you trying to make, is that in your opinion, if a person has a problem with the word " coon " , no matter what the context, they shouldn't have that problem if they really think about it.
Most people aren't the un-empathetic person you are, or are pretending to be.
Belz...
Fiend God
I'm asking you whether the picture of the box would clarify the source of the name.
Distracted already has posted a link to a store with exactly this sort of name. Yes, of course the mind goes there, but then as adults we compose ourselves and understand that it's just that: a knee-jerk association.
Belz...
Fiend God
I've made my point clear several times. Please go back and read our exchange. I've repeated myself sufficiently.
Then you haven't been paying attention.
This has nothing to do with empathy, and you can't shame me into a different conclusion. If you cannot frame this discussion in terms that aren't entirely emotive, don't bother.
Matthew Best
Penultimate Amazing
No matter what you do, you can't stop me from making the connection between "coon" and "black person". I can't even stop myself.
Mike!
Official Ponylandistanian National Treasure. Re
angrysoba
Philosophile
I've told you that no it would not. I told you. The name in the UK and Australia is a "raccoon"; not a coon. It certainly would not clarify whether or not it was racist.
The question is about association. People associate the word with racism (particularly if, as in your example, you have ruled out the name of a person).
There you go. You make that association.
Belz...
Fiend God
We're going to have to agree to disagree on that.
And what did I write following that? Why did you ignore what followed: the fact that the association (to penises) is then shot down because it's childish?
Belz...
Fiend God
What about "Dicks Potatoes"?
I expected that one to come out way sooner, man.
You need to be stopped!!
But seriously, the question is not whether it will pop up in your head. The question is whether it's rational to just assume that you should go ahead with this interpretation, to the point of demanding that the brand name should be changed, rather than realising that your interpretation may be incorrect.
Can imagine many, many imaginary things, but this thread is about Coon cheese so why don't we keep to that. The cheese doesn't have any relationship to racoons at all.
Matthew Best
Penultimate Amazing
I'm not demanding that the brand name should be changed, I just think it's a good idea to do so.
Why not leave that up to the people?
Why not leave it up to the business?
You seem to want to prescribe a lot of actions, most of us don't really need such a rule book to navigate the real world.
Belz...
Fiend God
You're missing the point of the hypothetical, Darat. But then, hypotheticals are fine when we agree with them, and off-topic when we don't, right?
The point is that 'Coon' can have several meanings. It can refer to a racoon or, indirectly, and derogatorily, to a black person, or it can be someone's name. I'm using the first meaning as a parallel to the third one to show that the automatic assumption that the brand name relates to the second meaning is unwarranted.
Belz...
Fiend God
I was speaking of the general "you".
And you might be right that it was a good idea. I don't know. What I do know is that the automatic racist association is silly.
Belz...
Fiend God
Don't you know your own mind?
Har har, very funny. Do you have an answer to my question?
Matthew Best
Penultimate Amazing
Why is it silly?
angrysoba
Philosophile
No. The reason why you think it is unambiguous is because, for you, who lives in North America and is used to the North American usage, the word "coon" may very well be a completely unremarkable word for raccoon, but in the UK it is a racial slur. The first, second, third and fourth meaning is a racial slur. If someone were then to claim that they were talking about a "raccoon" it would be sound like an obvious smart-alec response that nobody would believe.
This is not an "agree to disagree" moment. You are just wrong.
And what this point demonstrates is that, guess what, for different people, different words have different associations. You may try to make a judgement that this word simply means X and people thinking Y are wrong, but that's just not how language variation works.
Have you been around humans long? Why are childish interpretations to be ruled out?
Besides, I think my example is more relevant than yours and Distracted's because "Dick's Rice" and Dick Sporting Goods" simply don't have the same obviously unpleasant associations that Dick Cheese has. It's the unpleasantness that makes Dick Cheese far less likely to ever be produced than Dick's Rice.
And it does seem to be it's only when the secondary meaning could be mistaken for a racist meaning that people are up in arms with businesses and people making their own decisions.
Since apparently this name isn't on the approved list of significant things that are permissible to protest about (please note protest must be as per the rulebook, in this case more than letter writing over 20 years) it seems strange that it is significant enough to protest about it being changed. Oh sorry I know folk aren't protesting they are just asking questions, they desperately need to know exactly which words with double or more meanings can be used as a brand name because....
Belz...
Fiend God
