On Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:06:35 -0500, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:

On Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:17:29 -0600, wrote:

On Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:22:46 -0500, Boater wrote:


I found it offensive. It is the sort of "humor" one expects from
insensitive white Republican racists. Surely you are not one of those.

Geez Harry, it's music to my ears. The dying gasps of an increasingly
marginalized population. White Republican or Democrat, for that matter,
racists, let them rot.

Hmmm - this begs some discussion and being all by my lonesome while
wife and children are out "shopping", I shall indulge myself in some
philosophy.

Why would that be considered a "racist" image? Why is it that
watermelons are "racist" in concept? I've heard it said that
watermelons, as referenced to African Americans, represent the slavery
era - that the horizontally sliced watermelons represent the grin of
African Americans and how content they were - the watermelon slice
representing the backward, hopelessly inept, incompetant and dedicated
to their master's "darkies".

How did white folk eat watermelons? Knife and fork? What did they do
with the seeds - eat them, pick them out or use a spitoon? Why is the
nexus of watermelon and black folk a "racist" image?

Why, and this is the bigger question, did the noble watermelon, a
delicious herb (the watermelon is a type of herb), come to be
associated with African Americans? Could it possibly be that as a
non-native plant species are associated with black America because, in
fact, they are native to Africa and not the American South?

And then there is the curious objectivication of the watermelon. I
know this for a fact - the Vietnamese use watermelon as part of the
Vietnamese New Year's holiday, Tet, because it is considered a lucky
colour. They also roast and salt the seeds for snacks. I've heard
that other cultures, like Egyptian, Syrian and Lebonese venerate the
watermelon during certain times of the year - kind of like our holiday
fruit cakes kind of thing.

Interesting Science Content: Watermelon is a known stimulator of
nitric oxide through interaction with the amino acid citrulline which
occurs in watermelon in reasonably high concentrations. Oddly enough,
nitrious oxide is a known muscle relaxant and affects people in an
interesting way - as an aphrodisiac.

So, all this begs the question - why is this a "racist" or "negative
stereotype" when in fact, other cultures view the herbal fruit as
something special?

Hell - it's the state vegetable of Oklahoma I think - which is a
misnomer as the watermelon is a herbal fruit, not a vegetable.

I just think we're being overly sensitive - it was funny in a funny
once kind of way.

Silly.

It's racist 'cause Harry says it is.

What more is needed?
--
John

Have a Super Christmas and a Spectacular New Year!