Poll of the Day > Do you think this was racist?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I tried a Filipino place last year and I love whole fish dishes. Noticed a woman sitting next to me order one and she got one with head, fins, all that. So I ordered the same thing. What I got was trimmed, no head, tail, etc. I still got the same amount of edible fish, but definitely got a different experience than the Asian woman who ordered 10 minutes before I did.

Thoughts?

What a dumb topic.

Better than calling it fascist though.

Having worked in food service I can say that only a total idiot would make a customer irate with intentional racism.

So naturally, I've seen it 5 times. I also don't see why getting your order wrong is racist.

Yellow posted...

Having worked in food service I can say that only a total idiot would make a customer irate with intentional racism.

So yeah basically it's possible. I also don't see why getting your order wrong is racist.

They didn't get my order wrong. They gave me, a white guy, something different than what was ordered by an Asian person. The Asian woman, who may have been Filipino, got a fish prepared and presented in what was probably a traditional way. But me, the white guy, got it completely different compared to the norm.

hypnox posted...

They didn't get my order wrong. They gave me, a white guy, something different than what was ordered by an Asian person. The Asian woman, who may have been Filipino, got a fish prepared and presented in what was probably a traditional way. But me, the white guy, got it completely different compared to the norm.

Different chef, different conversation you didn't completely hear, different waiter, different mistakes, you're jumping to the worst conclusion here. Even if they didn't get you what you wanted because they assumed you, as a white man, wanted something else, that's like the least amount of racist you can be.

Don't know if you've ever been a server before but it's not exactly easy to keep track of everything.

Yellow posted...

Different chef, different conversation you didn't completely hear, different waiter, different mistakes, you're jumping to the worst conclusion here. Even if they didn't get you what you wanted because they assumed you, as a white man, wanted something else, that's like the least amount of racist you can be.

Don't know if you've ever been a server before but it's not exactly easy to keep track of everything.

As I mentioned in my opening post, I heard what she ordered and ordered the same thing. It was a named dish on their menu.

hypnox posted...

As I mentioned in my opening post, I heard what she ordered and ordered the same thing. It was a named dish on their menu.

All I'm saying is that you should be giving them the benefit of the doubt because your story comes off as paranoid.

Yellow posted...

All I'm saying is that you should be giving them the benefit of the doubt because your story comes off as paranoid.

So, as a white person I should always be ready to have my meals come differently than someone of that same culture also ordering it? Weird world you live in.

Why don't you ask for the manager next time, Karen, since you make so many assumptions

I don't even understand what stereotype is associated with having a head on a fish.

Maybe they thought you preferred your fish didn't have head, fins and tail because you're white. If you wanted to, you could have made an ass out of yourself and have the waiter send the fish back and have resent to you again like the way that woman had her fish.

Molitheus posted...

Maybe they thought you preferred your fish didn't have head, fins and tail because you're white. If you wanted to, you could have made an ass out of yourself and have the waiter send the fish back and have resent to you again like the way that woman had her fish.

So presuming something because of the color of my skin. Wouldn't that be considered racist?

what are you gunna do... race narc? ... rarnc?

No, you should have specified that you wanted your fish the same way that woman had it.I'm pretty that's the reason why that woman got her fish like that.

Molitheus posted...

No, you should have specified that you wanted your fish the same way that woman had it.I'm pretty that's the reason why that woman got her fish like that.

Woman ordered "Daing na Bangus" I ordered "Daing na Bangus" granted I may have pronounced it wrong, but I am pretty sure it was the only fish item on the menu and I don't recall anything else spelled close to it.

hypnox posted...

Woman ordered "Daing na Bangus" I ordered "Daing na Bangus" granted I may have pronounced it wrong, but I am pretty sure it was the only fish item on the menu and I don't recall anything else spelled close to it.

You should have told them that you wanted the head, fins and tail on the fish when you ordered it. I'm pretty sure that's what that woman did. Sometimes you gotta be specific if you want to get you want.

you were jealous about not getting the shitty parts of the fish?

Molitheus posted...

You should have told them that you wanted the head, fins and tail on the fish when you ordered it. I'm pretty sure that's what that woman did. Sometimes you gotta be specific if you want to get you want.

So, me as a white person should specify that I wanted a dish to be prepared and presented in the same way as someone that was most likely of their culture? How is that not racist?

Let's just assume that they didn't give you the head because you were white.

I mean I ordered Katamari from a Chinese restaurant and the waiter asked me if I knew what it was, second guessing that I, as an American, would even like it.

Well she was right because I forced myself to eat it and it gave me the shits. What I took away from that wasn't "what a racist waiter", it was "she didn't want me to unknowingly get something I wouldn't like based off my culture and background".

Lol, poor white boy and his first world problems...

I bet if I told my Filipina wife about this, she'd have a good laugh.

Well, not really. She's too nice. But this is nothing less than whiny blogfaqs.

I had an old white guy not hold a door open for me (latino). Should i assume hes a racist?

hypnox posted...

So, me as a white person should specify that I wanted a dish to be prepared and presented in the same way as someone that was most likely of their culture? How is that not racist?

The point is that she may have asked for it prepared that way. Youre really stretching just to try to say someone else is racist for some odd reason Especially over something stupid like this. Youre getting mad because they didnt bring you parts of the fish you didnt want to eat. And its possible you have different chefs who make it a different ways

LinkPizza posted...

The point is that she may have asked for it prepared that way. Youre really stretching just to try to say someone else is racist for some odd reason Especially over something stupid like this. Youre getting mad because they didnt bring you parts of the fish you didnt want to eat. And its possible you have different chefs who make it a different ways

One: mentioned multiple times I ordered the same thing word for word.
Two: no one sad I was mad.

hypnox posted...

One: mentioned multiple times I ordered the same thing word for word.

And? That doesnt change what I said. She still could have asked at some point for it to be prepared differently. Like before she ordered. Or afterwards, and asked the chef if they could prepare it a certain way. Unless you were eavesdropping on her table the whole time, you could have missed something Also, how long did it take you to order? Because according to your story, she ordered AND received her food before you even ordered

Its also possible she was a regular who got her food prepared a certain way each time. There are so many reasons why it could have been prepared differently. Jumping to racism off the bat is very weird, though Like a victim complex or something

LinkPizza posted...

And? That doesnt change what I said. She still could have asked at some point for it to be prepared differently. Like before she ordered. Or afterwards, and asked the chef if they could prepare it a certain way. Unless you were eavesdropping on her table the whole time, you could have missed something Also, how long did it take you to order? Because according to your story, she ordered AND received her food before you even ordered

Its also possible she was a regular who got her food prepared a certain way each time. There are so many reasons why it could have been prepared differently. Jumping to racism off the bat is very weird, though Like a victim complex or something

Never been there and most of the dishes had filipno names, so I spent a good 20 minutes or so googling the items to see what they look liked or what they were.

hypnox posted...

Never been there and most of the dishes had filipno names, so I spent a good 20 minutes or so googling the items to see what they look liked or what they were.

In the end, I wouldnt jump to racist because your food was a little different. As long as you still had the same amount of edible food, then its fine. The reasons are countless for why she still had the head and stuff on

Super weird to assume they were being racist towards you when more work went into your meal by removing inedible parts. If anything, theres more of an argument for them being racist towards the woman by having her do unpaid labor in removing her own inedible bits (assuming she hadnt asked for that preparation). Unpaid labor has been historically demanded of women and youre a sexist for playing the race card and trying to flip this situation into something its not. But, I guess

hypnox gonna hypnox

hypnox posted...

So, me ... should specify

Yes. Obviously. And you're overlooking the very obvious explanation for this; did she specify? If she did, you should have, too. If she didn't, she's probably a regular who always has it prepared that way and you should have specified anyway.

I love this topic.

No.

I suppose it depends on whether or not in your opinion, any differential treatment based on what you believe to be your skin colour is fundamentally and negatively racist. I went to a Chinese restaurant where the server took away the chopsticks on my table and replaced them with a knife and fork, probably because she assumed I'd find a knife and fork easier -- and I did, so I wasn't going to get outraged: "How dare you assume that just because I'm white, I can't eat properly with chopsticks!" I saw it as a touch of consideration, more than anything else. Not every gesture or word is a "microaggression".

Vampire_Chicken posted...

Not every gesture or word is a "microaggression".

There is a side of racism that isn't always negative.

hypnox posted...

There is a side of racism that isn't always negative.

What a wild take. You wouldnt be saying this if you ever actually experienced racism. The phrase youre really looking for is white privilege. As I said

hypnox gonna hypnox

hypnox posted...

Thoughts?

Sounds like youre just trying to make trouble by being really disingenuous.

Yes

You're missing the eyes and brain

It's prejudicial treatment based on your race, so yes, it is racist. That said, that's a largely harmless form of racism and boils down more to the need for those in customer service to make assumptions now and then based on what's most likely to make the customer happy. The fact of the matter is that most white customers would have been upset to get a whole fish, so delivering you a cleaned one when you didn't specify one way or the other is the easiest way to avoid that.

In a similar vein, I went to a Syrian ice cream (booza) place once, and we were able to sample flavours before ordering. I tried the rose one, and the guy made a point of mentioning that it's a flavour that's popular in his culture, but less so elsewhere. As it happened, I'd had and liked rose-flavoured stuff before, so it was exactly what I expected and I ended up ordering that (along with a scoop of hazelnut, at his recommendation, which was fantastic). I very much doubt he would have given any sort of disclaimer before giving it to a middle-eastern person, but because I'm about as coloured as a new colouring book, he wanted to make sure I wasn't surprised by it and/or didn't think less of the shop in general if I didn't like it. He also seemed pretty thrilled that I liked it as much as I did, but that could also have been that we went to an ice cream shop in late October and he was bored out of his skull before we walked in.

I love this topic. Cringe like this can only be harnessed on PotD.

hypnox posted...

There is a side of racism that isn't always negative.

I almost missed this. Holy shit lmao

What a cringe topic.

So you didn't get something prepared the way you thought it should be, and instead of asking about it you just come on to potd to assuming a bunch of shit and complain about it?

Yes you're being racist.

adjl posted...

It's prejudicial treatment based on your race, so yes, it is racist.

We have no proof that that is even the case. For all we know they only bother to prepare it that way if specifically requested and they did it that way for her because she's a regular who they know wants it that way.

One time at a Thai restaurant the person at the register asked my boyfriend at the time if he wanted a 7 Thai spicy or a 7 white people spicy Hehehehe

EvilMegas posted...

I love this topic. Cringe like this can only be harnessed on PotD.

This topic is already going down in PotD history.

No, stfu

I like Kevin Bacon but i hate Footloose

I mean if a white guy goes to an Indian restaurant and asks for the spiciest dish they probably won't give it to him, everyone knows white people can't handle spice

sveksii posted...

We have no proof that that is even the case. For all we know they only bother to prepare it that way if specifically requested and they did it that way for her because she's a regular who they know wants it that way.

This is true. As presented (that is, the only factor that went into the decision was a race-based assumption), it's technically racism, but there are quite a few other possible explanations that would rely on information TC didn't observe.

i can't imagine why op would think he didn't get the head or tail because of his skin color

maybe the fish they prepped for him just didn't have a good quality head and tail and they removed it since you don't eat it anyway?

Jen0125 posted...

i can't imagine why op would think he didn't get the head or tail because of his skin color

maybe the fish they prepped for him just didn't have a good quality head and tail and they removed it since you don't eat it anyway?

Yeah. There are so many reasons other than skin color Its crazy for him to just assume it had to be due to racism

Zareth posted...

I mean if a white guy goes to an Indian restaurant and asks for the spiciest dish they probably won't give it to him, everyone knows white people can't handle spice

It's more than likely possible that they might not give him the spiciest dish he asks for because they've had experiences of people like this white guy (as an example) ordering such a dish and getting ill afterwards. For instance, from time to time I've visited this Japanese restaurant. The first time I ordered a crab dish, which made me a little nauseous since my taste buds and stomach weren't accustomed to eating such spicy food. On occasion servers have asked me before I order if I really want that food because they think I might not be able to handle it physically (too hot, too greasy, etc.)

Tbf I'd love to get head with my meal