Happy Headed
I don't know who Don Imus is. I mean I've seen him on tv before, but never knew his name. Then over the weekend, Jay and I kept seeing the tail end of news reports on what he'd said, but never hearing what the hooplah was about. After like, the 6th time of seeing it in the news and not knowing what it was referring to, Jay said, "I'm gonna google it." A few minutes later Jay came back and said, "They are saying he's racist because he called the Rutgers basketball team happy-headed ho's." I screwed up my face and thought, "so since when is publicly calling someone a ho so horrible and racist? Rappers do it all the time."
We had this conversation about 36 hours ago. For the last day and a half we've been completely baffled by all the uproar. Then today as we were driving to dinner, I said it aloud again, "WHAT is such a big deal about calling someone happy headed, are we really so out of the loop that we don't know the insult behind those words!?" And as I said it, I realized how remarkably similar to "Nappy-headed" it sounded. And then realized how much an "h" can look like an "n" in the dark, on a laptop. So I say to Jay, "Are you sure it wasn't NAPPY-headed---because that's a pretty awful thing for him to have said." Jay says, "What's nappy mean, why is that racist?" I explained that the word nappy is a pretty derogatory comment usually in reference to a black person's hair, even though, I've had some pretty nappy days myself. And then it was all clear. And then I laughed and laughed and laughed that Jay, the news guru, the man who knows everything, verbatim, almost before the dadgum news anchors do, reported the phrase "happy headed ho" and stuck with it for a day and a half. Now I can't stop laughing.
Interestingly, Benjamin overhearing the conversation wanted to know if he was black. This then started a conversation about who was black and Ben wanted to know all the names of all the black people we know. I was coming up short after a few real people we know---and Ben got exasperated with my ignorance and turned to his dad. Dad triumphed by listing off every famous black person he could think of. Like Will Smith and Martin Luther King Jr were close personal friends of his.
He's such a cheater. Happy headed cheater.
We had this conversation about 36 hours ago. For the last day and a half we've been completely baffled by all the uproar. Then today as we were driving to dinner, I said it aloud again, "WHAT is such a big deal about calling someone happy headed, are we really so out of the loop that we don't know the insult behind those words!?" And as I said it, I realized how remarkably similar to "Nappy-headed" it sounded. And then realized how much an "h" can look like an "n" in the dark, on a laptop. So I say to Jay, "Are you sure it wasn't NAPPY-headed---because that's a pretty awful thing for him to have said." Jay says, "What's nappy mean, why is that racist?" I explained that the word nappy is a pretty derogatory comment usually in reference to a black person's hair, even though, I've had some pretty nappy days myself. And then it was all clear. And then I laughed and laughed and laughed that Jay, the news guru, the man who knows everything, verbatim, almost before the dadgum news anchors do, reported the phrase "happy headed ho" and stuck with it for a day and a half. Now I can't stop laughing.
Interestingly, Benjamin overhearing the conversation wanted to know if he was black. This then started a conversation about who was black and Ben wanted to know all the names of all the black people we know. I was coming up short after a few real people we know---and Ben got exasperated with my ignorance and turned to his dad. Dad triumphed by listing off every famous black person he could think of. Like Will Smith and Martin Luther King Jr were close personal friends of his.
He's such a cheater. Happy headed cheater.
OK - only you, Angela, could get this from me: ROFL.
On a serious racist note, I had a conversation with my grandma once about segregation, Martin Luther King, civil rights, etc. She has some very, um, non-PC opinions. Then I asked her how many black people she actually knew. Um, two - and one was someone she knew OF, but didn't know personally. That was an eye-opener to me...And now I have a boy who sometimes doesn't want to be pink, he'd like to change to being black, because pink is soooo boring. I hope that means things are changing. Even if it takes generations and even if some people still make happy headed comments...
Posted by
Code Yellow Mom |
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 6:27:00 AM
OK, now I feel bad because of my genealogy color joke.
"happy-headed" cracks me up, as does Ben wanting to know if he's black. What a cutie!!
I'd like to meet a happy-headed ho, wouldn't you? How would she be different from other hos?
Posted by
Millie |
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 9:21:00 AM
Thanks for opening the door for me....this story is DRIVING me insane. In my growing old I have come to the realization that black people as a whole are the most racist, nonPC people around. I heard a black lady tell her kid to "watch out for that car those white people dont care a thing for you and will run you over in a minute" I would DIE before I taught that to my child. Imus said a dumb thing but I guarentee all those "black" panal members on riding Imus so hard has said equally as racist comments. What about the news non stop about the super bowl having its first black coach win etc. ( that are friends cuz they play golf together) Black people are different then white people but enough with the ruining a person's career playing the black card etc. Its perpetuating racism to have this hanging of the white guy career on the news every few months. Keep in mind that he is a shock jock. If you want to know how far the white people have come on this matter like CYM spend some time with an old suburban white lady:) and if you want to know how far the black people have NOT come spend time with their youth. In a side note I will say that education does/can play a huge role in this on both parties and mostly people are people and its not a black/white issue at ALL. Its mexican:) And we are ALL happy nappy headed ho's in the morning:)
Posted by
Anonymous |
Tuesday, April 10, 2007 10:37:00 AM
I thought it was "happy headed no's ".
This is one of those occasions where I weep for all the people who won’t be able to read this post, because it's hilarious and they are missing out. Losers :)
What S said (HI S!!!) is so true. What Imus said was super dumb and stupid, but compared to the rest of the stuff that rappers, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton had done and said for years and years, it's nothing. Did you guys see Rosie O jumping on the wagon? BTW, I don’t like any of them, to include Imus :P
Posted by
Super Happy Girl |
Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:50:00 PM
I thought he was talking about Mormons when he said "sappy headed Mo's" My kids don't really know color. My son was talking about a kid in his class, I said "Is he black?" and my son said "No, he's kind of brownish." LOL
Posted by
Carrot Jello |
Wednesday, April 11, 2007 5:07:00 PM
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