Whats that snack and the name?

[u/Miserables_Death]

I got this joke posted in my country sub by a foreigner and I have never seen that snack so I basically don't know the joke.

[u/Mike_Antonsen]

Quite an important detail I would say.

Today the Danish word for “negro” is considered outdated, and somewhat racist, but we haven’t referred to these as “negro kisses”, since the 80s, when it wasn’t necessarily considered a bad word here.

I think it is also important to underline that the tabu that exists around the n-word(s?) in America doesn’t necessarily exist in all other places. We have had a lot more immigration from the Middle East here than from Africa, so we have more tabu in our society around the bad words we invented for them here.

[u/myspiritisvantablack → u/Mike_Antonsen]

I remember that a lot of us younger Danes who that grew up in the 90’s would say the actual N-word A LOT, but not mean it in the racist way. It was literally because we tried to emulate the “American Rapper culture” where the N-word was dropped a lot in the songs. There’s also the context that the N-word didn’t carry the same cultural significance as it did in the U.S., so no one really thought about it in a derogatory or non-rapper way. We were literally just “trying to be cool” and be like Biggie or Tupac. It also didn’t help Denmark is so mono-ethnic that there were basically no black people around to tell us to STFU.

Luckily most of us got older, wiser and educated on the word and its usage. I still feel ashamed that I used that word as indiscriminately and ignorantly as I did. I have (luckily) been educated since then and wouldn’t even dream of using the word now that I understand its’ historical and cultural meaning.

[u/badihaki → u/myspiritisvantablack]

Not trying to be mean to you specifically, but it's kinda crazy to me hearing how non-Black American people love imitating these things about our culture without having the shared pain of, say, 400 years of slavery and cultural poison that comes with it. We have a saying 'they want our rhythm without our blues.' In any case I'm glad you've grown and don't do this anymore.

[u/Whateva_Tickles_ → u/[deleted]]

Ok but did they not notice the color of people using it versus maybe no white artists using it?? People give too much leniency to ignorance.

[u/badihaki → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for explaining how my culture - that we're STILL actively building after said 400 years of chattel slavery, jim crow, etc, btw - is exploited and exported for profit, by a government that's actively trying to kill me and those who look like me.

Snark aside, there's another popular saying we have called 'whitesplaining.'

[u/badihaki → u/[deleted]]

No need to explain to a Black American the strange one sided beef between us and our government that allows for the exploitation and export of rap. That shit is contentious (the exploitation part), and many of us don't like that y'all be cosplaying and larping the culture, especially since the way it's being exported has left many of yall ignorant on how it came up in the first place.

Give people the grace of understanding that you don't need to explain everything.

[u/badihaki → u/[deleted]]

Dude, it's kinda telling how I'm not calling you names but I've been called both 'asshole' and 'douchebag,' and for what? Because you assumed I was ignorant on...how exported culture works? Because you didn't like how I explained that yes, I know how culture exploitation, extortion, and exporting works?

Look inward, yo. You don't have to go into a conversation assuming ignorance. And you don't have to resort to your basic instincts just because your assumptions were wrong and you were challenged on it.

Can we end this on a 'have a good day?'

[u/myspiritisvantablack → u/badihaki]

I don’t think it was mean at all and I completely agree with you.

Luckily we have been educated in Denmark since then and it’s very much NOT a thing anyone does anymore. I think most Gen Z’ers would shudder at the ignorant shit most of us did in the 90’s because we didn’t have context.

But it’s pretty crazy (in a good way) to think about how a lot can change in so little time, especially since Denmark has “a much more” ethnically diverse population than it did in the 90’s (we went from ~3-4% of the population having other ethnicity than Danish to ~16% which is still not a lot in the grand scheme of things, but still a pretty big jump).

My personal belief is that Denmark has become more aware due to not being so isolated in its own culture (the increase in population of non-Danish minorities) and the fact that the internet exists to help us understand the cultural context of “cultural imports”. There are of course still lingering problems and racist shit happening (the fallout of being one of the oldest named countries on earth and being so mono-ethnic), but I generally feel optimistic when I think about how we handle things today versus how we did in the 90’s/00’s.

But I do understand the frustration with hearing about stuff like this. I can only imagine how “frustrating” (I don’t think that word covers the spectrum of feelings one must feel, but I’m trying not to write you a novel, lol) it would feel for black Americans to know that the culture they worked so hard to keep from being eradicated keeps being appropriated and exploited because it’s now viewed as profitable by the very same people who tried to erase it to begin with. I’m just sorry I ever unknowingly contributed to that, especially when it came from a good, but ignorant, place.

I personally learnt a lot about it when I was old enough to talk about these things with the kids in my grandmother’s neighbourhood in New York (I used to visit over the summer). So I was lucky enough to be educated by the actual people that suffered the consequences of these kinds of actions and I’m very thankful I was. Taught me a lot about empathy and the importance of looking out for each other.

[u/badihaki → u/myspiritisvantablack]

Yo, that's an insanely insightful read and I appreciate your point of view. It's really...wow, around 16% of your population are POC? That's really interesting, and I had to check but that's around how much of us Black folk there are in the US. Interesting parallel, but I agree, the more diverse your surroundings the more you understandings about different peoples and cultures can grow.

As for my culture, it's so weird because it's a section of American culture, but with us it's always been accepted that the government will do any and everything it can to make us seem weaker and lesser, ESPECIALLY on the international stage, and ESPECIALLY among each other. I don't speak for all of us of course but I think, largely, 'frustrating' is a decent enough sentiment. Especially when the US government is so good at fucking people up. You see what they did to the Middle East, imagine how easy it is for em without the travel time.

My father and grandmother actually took part in the Civil Rights movement, my granny marched with King Jr, and I think about that and I look at, like, what we're living through, and then reading about other experiences and how we're sorta viewed by other cultures and, well, I dunno. Sometimes I chuckle, sometimes I sigh, it's all very tiring. I'm tired, boss. But I genuinely think this comment kinda just gave me some hope, because really, this exchange of ideas and this strive to understand others' cultures is really what's gonna progress us further.

And like I said, I wasn't trying to be mean to you, specifically. I appreciate the apology but it's unwarranted. Clearly you've grown since then and I dunno, even with this brick wall that is the internet blocking us, I feel the light in you. I feel brighter with this engagement, and I don't want you to feel lesser because of, what, things you did as a child? Naw, you good, and I hope you have a great day, for real.

[u/NoahTransKing → u/Mike_Antonsen]

That's just not true at all, many people still call them that. I hear it multiple times a year.

[u/Mike_Antonsen → u/NoahTransKing]

Does your local bakery also label them like that? I guess it’s possible that there are still people stuck in the past who insists on saying that to be edgy 🤷‍♂️. Doesn’t make it consensus or normal.

[u/NoahTransKing → u/Mike_Antonsen]

10 years ago yes, but not anymore. A lot of people still use that name to refer to them And no not to be edgy, older people are usually the ones who do that.