Current Events > Is watermelon racist?

(+) Yeah! (+)

http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/detroit-firefighter-fired-for-bringing-watermelon-to-station

DETROIT (WJBK) - Earlier this month, 41-year-old Robert Pattison went to introduce himself to his fellow firefighters at Engine 55 at Joy and Southfield in Detroit. Second Battalion Chief Shawn McCarty calls it a tradition for firefighters.

"It's not mandatory, it's voluntary," he says. "You come in bearing gifts. The usual gift is doughnuts, but you are allowed to bring whatever you want to bring in."

And Pattison, a probationary firefighter, decided to bring a watermelon wrapped in a pink ribbon. We're told some African-American firefighters were instantly offended, since 90 percent of the people who work at Engine 55 are black.

"When you get your first detail at a firehouse you pretty much know what you are getting yourself into," says Patrick Trout. "So you would have to say it was probably a bad call."

photo
FOX 2: "Is it racially insensitive to bring a watermelon into a fire house?"

"To some people," McCarty says.
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Not inherently

But reading that article it did seem like it would be interpreted the wrong way
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*shrugs*

Who doesn't like watermelon?

That said, it's best to be careful.
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yeah, they can be. I knew a watermelon once that kept calling black people the n-word whenever they passed by
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ThyCorndog posted...

yeah, they can be. I knew a watermelon once that kept calling black people the n-word whenever they passed by

I stab the s*** out of those watermelons when that happens.
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ThyCorndog posted...

yeah, they can be. I knew a watermelon once that kept calling black people the n-word whenever they passed by

Probably spittin' seeds at them too telling them to get off his lawn!
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Thats the same reason I've been boycotting KFC for years

At least some people are standing up for his rights.

http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/black-detroit-firefighters-stand-by-white-recruit-fired-over-watermelon
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Watermelon is delicious, so who gives a shit?
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Holy shit is this dumb.

He was fired?!?!?! Holy shit, that makes this so much worse. Hopefully Trump hears about this and gets this man some money or something.
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So if he brought Popeyes or KFC would he also get fired?
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LightHawKnight posted...

So if he brought Popeyes or KFC would he also get fired?

He'd probably get shot by the sound of it.
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sigh

Lmao
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ThyCorndog posted...

yeah, they can be. I knew a watermelon once that kept calling black people the n-word whenever they passed by

Family Guy style joke?
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ThyCorndog posted...

yeah, they can be. I knew a watermelon once that kept calling black people the n-word whenever they passed by

You tell that watermelon that his wife his full of black seeds
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The most ridiculous "that's racist" thing I've ever seen.
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Spooking posted...

ThyCorndog posted...

yeah, they can be. I knew a watermelon once that kept calling black people the n-word whenever they passed by

Was it that watermelon from the SNES game Spanky's Quest?

lmao surprised someone else is familiar with Spanky's Quest.
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This has got to be one of the dumbest offenses ever.

Aside from that guy who was offended by the term "Black Hole"

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas-city-hall/2008/07/07/dallas-county-meeting-turns-ra

Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, who is white, said it seemed that central collections "has become a black hole" because paperwork reportedly has become lost in the office.

Commissioner John Wiley Price, who is black, interrupted him with a loud "Excuse me!" He then corrected his colleague, saying the office has become a "white hole."

That prompted Judge Thomas Jones, who is black, to demand an apology from Mayfield for his racially insensitive analogy.
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Coffeebeanz posted...

This has got to be one of the dumbest offenses ever.

Aside from that guy who was offended by the term "Black Hole"

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas-city-hall/2008/07/07/dallas-county-meeting-turns-ra

Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, who is white, said it seemed that central collections "has become a black hole" because paperwork reportedly has become lost in the office.

Commissioner John Wiley Price, who is black, interrupted him with a loud "Excuse me!" He then corrected his colleague, saying the office has become a "white hole."

That prompted Judge Thomas Jones, who is black, to demand an apology from Mayfield for his racially insensitive analogy.

Does that guy not know what a black hole is?
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Im touchy on this subject because I saw the most racist use of watermelon on sone old as heck TV show with my family on Thanksgiving last year (they also did blackface, amongst other racist stuff)

Im not sure many people even get history

krazychao5 posted...

At least some people are standing up for his rights.

http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/black-detroit-firefighters-stand-by-white-recruit-fired-over-watermelon

AHSJFKFKDKD
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joeywheeler posted...

Im touchy on this subject because I saw the most racist use of watermelon on sone old as heck TV show with my family on Thanksgiving last year (they also did blackface, amongst other racist stuff)

Im not sure many people even get history

So we should ban watermelons then?
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joeywheeler posted...

Im touchy on this subject because I saw the most racist use of watermelon on sone old as heck TV show with my family on Thanksgiving last year (they also did blackface, amongst other racist stuff)

Im not sure many people even get history

What was it
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When you type Sambo into Scribblenauts it spawns a watermelon.
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Kanaya413 posted...

joeywheeler posted...

Im touchy on this subject because I saw the most racist use of watermelon on sone old as heck TV show with my family on Thanksgiving last year (they also did blackface, amongst other racist stuff)

Im not sure many people even get history

What was it

It was actually a movie called Dolly Sisters

Am I the only one around here who doesn't like watermelon?
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it's just fruit. in asia, people love watermelon and it has nothing to do with black people.

Ippa555 posted...

Am I the only one around here who doesn't like watermelon?

Yes
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Tezlok posted...

it's just fruit. in asia, people love watermelon and it has nothing to do with black people.

Majority of people love watermelon. So juicy. So tasty.

so racist
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Who the hell don't like watermelon?

Ippa555 posted...

Am I the only one around here who doesn't like watermelon?

Except for this guy.
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DevsBro posted...

Who doesn't like watermelon?

This.
I don't get how fried chicken and watermelon is a stereotype for black people, when damn near everyone I know likes fried chicken and watermelon
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Only in America...
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krazychao5 posted...

90 percent of the people who work at Engine 55 are black.

I mean he should've known better. Firing is going to far since it sounds like a mistake unless he has a history of racism

Tezlok posted...

it's just fruit. in asia, people love watermelon and it has nothing to do with black people.

Like always you have no idea what you're talking about

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon_stereotype

The postcard on that page is an example of where it comes from

Axiom posted...

krazychao5 posted...
90 percent of the people who work at Engine 55 are black.

I mean he should've known better. Firing is going to far since it sounds like a mistake unless he has a history of racism

It was his first day and he was introducing himself to the team. Idk if he knew it was 90% black there; it is located in Detroit, but it is racist to assume everyone in Detroit is black.
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It's borderline. Like someone isn't automatically being racist for giving black people a watermelon, but it's an eyebrow raiser.

"Did you do this to be nice? Or did you just assume I'd like this because of my skin color?"

Personally wouldn't have fired the guy over that.
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KStateKing17 posted...

ThyCorndog posted...

yeah, they can be. I knew a watermelon once that kept calling black people the n-word whenever they passed by

You tell that watermelon that his wife his full of black seeds

Hot

Umbreon posted...

It's borderline. Like someone isn't automatically being racist for giving black people a watermelon, but it's an eyebrow raiser.

"Did you do this to be nice? Or did you just assume I'd like this because of my skin color?"

Personally wouldn't have fired the guy over that.

Why assume cause of skin color? Almost everyone likes watermelon.
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Holy shit this is stupid.
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thompsontalker7 posted...

Not inherently

But reading that article it did seem like it would be interpreted the wrong way

And it shouldn't have been.

This is why us alt-right Neo-Nazi Libertarians keep saying that a significant amount of the racism in the world today is a figment of the perpetual victims' imagination.
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It shouldn't be, but don't blame black people. Whites made this a black stereotype when its a fact everyone likes watermelon.
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darkjedilink posted...

thompsontalker7 posted...

Not inherently

But reading that article it did seem like it would be interpreted the wrong way

And it shouldn't have been.

This is why us alt-right Neo-Nazi Libertarians keep saying that a significant amount of the racism in the world today is a figment of the perpetual victims' imagination.

watermelon and fried chicken have been used as negative stereotypes towards black people for generations, so don't act like there's no basis for people being offended by them

and Neo-Nazis, by their nature, are racist and hypocritical; they'd get offended by mayonnaise jokes
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Coffeebeanz posted...

This has got to be one of the dumbest offenses ever.

Aside from that guy who was offended by the term "Black Hole"

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas-city-hall/2008/07/07/dallas-county-meeting-turns-ra

Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, who is white, said it seemed that central collections "has become a black hole" because paperwork reportedly has become lost in the office.

Commissioner John Wiley Price, who is black, interrupted him with a loud "Excuse me!" He then corrected his colleague, saying the office has become a "white hole."

John Wiley Price is a corrupt piece of shit that should be spending time behind bars. Somehow, he managed to avoid that though.
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It's 2017. If you aren't offended by something, you are doing it wrong.
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Im torn on this one. On one hand, its silly and I would have laughed personally. On the other hand, he knew what he was doing and apparently wasnt close with these people so its hard to feel sympathy for him.
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Zodd3224 posted...

Im torn on this one. On one hand, its silly and I would have laughed personally. On the other hand, he knew what he was doing and apparently wasnt close with these people so its hard to feel sympathy for him.

??????
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marc55 posted...

Zodd3224 posted...

Im torn on this one. On one hand, its silly and I would have laughed personally. On the other hand, he knew what he was doing and apparently wasnt close with these people so its hard to feel sympathy for him.

??????

Its a racist stereotype in America that black people love watermelon. You cant live in America and be unaware of that stereotype.
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Zodd3224 posted...

marc55 posted...

Zodd3224 posted...

Im torn on this one. On one hand, its silly and I would have laughed personally. On the other hand, he knew what he was doing and apparently wasnt close with these people so its hard to feel sympathy for him.

??????

Its a racist stereotype in America that black people love watermelon. You cant live in America and be unaware of that stereotype.

Basically this but for the dude sake, I hope he was just unaware of the stereotype despite how well known it is
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