Here is a T-Shirt I saw recently....

If another race/ethnicity were being made fun of, how would things go?


How is this any different than a shirt with....

a black guy, carrying a suitcase, running away from his pregnant girlfriend with the caption that says: "African American cardio?"

OR

a beat up Toyota Celica on cinder blocks in a disheveled front yard with the caption "Puerto Rican Exterior Decorating"

OR

a classroom of adults sitting in desks in front of a board that says "2+2=6" with the caption "Polish graduate school"

OR

a woman wearing a skirt that goes down to her knees with the caption "Iranian strip clubs"

I could think of many more. But what's the point? You get it, right? One thing I can't stand are double standards, and this is a huge one. In our society, as long as you make fun of white/Christian/Irish or some kind of combination thereof, you are 'in the clear.' Why is this? Now, I see this shirt in the store or on line, and I laugh. And I am half Irish. It is funny. I am not offended. But that isnt the point. The point is that, if we can do stuff like this, then everyone else needs to lighten up when someone makes a joke about blacks eating friend chicken or Asians being good at math, etc. I dont understand why everyone gets so bent out of shape. (getting back to the 'yoga' reference.

Even at my school this year, for spirit week, one of the dressup days was "Redneck Day." Kids got into it. It was great. But, there again, another double standard. Redneck, the way I understand it, is a derogatory phrase for poor, poverty-stricken, un-educated physical laborers. Yet, it is okay to do this? How would it be if they had "porch monkey" day or "barrio day" or something? Those are considered derogatory. Why?

What's with the double standards?