[ SECRET POST #2456 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2456 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.


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02.
[China, Illinois]


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03.
[The Mortal Instruments]


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04.
[Community]


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05.
[Hunter x Hunter, Senritsu/Melody]

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06.
[Hetalia]


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07.
[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]


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08.
[It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia]


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09.
[Ghostbusters]


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10.
[Teen Wolf]


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11.
[Malik Ishtar from Yugi-oh Duel Monsters]


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 000 secrets from Secret Submission Post #351.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ], [ 1 - ships it ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

08. http://i.imgur.com/UTy6wmS.png
[It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia]

[dancing_clown]

I try really hard not to go all SJW on people, but I hate that "white trash" is a term people don't see a problem with. But if you have to specify that you're *white* trash, you're saying there's some other race that's trash by default, which isn't true.

tldr: You're not white trash. You're just trash.

[(Anonymous)]

But if you have to specify that you're *white* trash, you're saying there's some other race that's trash by default, which isn't true.

Hm. I had never considered that reading of it. I am not entirely sure I agree, but it's something I will now ponder.

[kallanda_lee]

I see how people can take issue with the term - but c'mon, you knew what they meant. I's a term that people use and other people can very much picture the kind of people meant by it.

And calling them trash is sort of mean, especially since they have an abusive background.

Basically, I do agree the term is problematic, but maybe this is not the secret where you should have brought it up.

[(Anonymous)]

But if you have to specify that you're *white* trash, you're saying there's some other race that's trash by default, which isn't true.

What? No. Saying you're "trash" versus saying you're "white trash" are two entirely different things with specific societal meanings, at least to Americans. The claim that the phrase "white trash" is somehow degrading to other races is ludicrous.

tldr: Can we agree on "trailer trash"? Or does that connote that people who live in houses are trash by default?

[(Anonymous)]

MY TRAILER WILL HUNT YOU DOWN and make you apologize.

[(Anonymous)]

What? No. Saying you're "trash" versus saying you're "white trash" are two entirely different things with specific societal meanings, at least to Americans. The claim that the phrase "white trash" is somehow degrading to other races is ludicrous.

I agree that's true, but I also think that the origin of the term 'white trash' probably did have something to do with the dynamics of race and racism. And also class, obviously, which is the bigger reason not to use the term, that it's self-evidently classist.

[mekkio]

Agreed. Calling someone trash is more on a personal level and has nothing to do with their ethnic make-up. Calling someone "white trash" in more on their ethnic make-up. Or to put it another way, anyone can be trash or be called trashy. It's synonymous with the term, "sleazy." Only white people, i.e., people of European ethnic ancestry background can be "white trash" which, at least, in the US conjures up stereotypical images of meth smoking, missing teeth, barefoot and knocked up, inbreeding, thieving, lying, illiterate, backwoods trailer living, poor white hicks.

Yes, white trash is an ethnic slur but it's a specific ethnic slur.

[(Anonymous)]

OP here

Two things:

1.) I used this term specifically, because it's used many times in the show. I'm creating a semantic and contextual link using specific wording and loaded terms.

2.) I do have a problem with the term "white trash". I'm using it to specifically conjure the kind of social imagery that is embedded in that particular phrase, because I don't want to caveat everything under the sun in something that I'm already ashamed of. However, I admit that it was literally not even a consideration before you brought it up, and I apologize for being unthinking, and being insulting.

2a.) Do not ever call me trash. Ever. I don't know if you care, but in case you do, that truly and honestly hurt my feelings. You don't know me, you don't know what kind of person that I am, and I really don't think I deserve to be thought of as "trash".

[(Anonymous)]

Chances are they don't care because their account mostly exists for trolling purposes.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm sorry, OP. Like it was mentioned, some people might be trolling or they could very well just be moronic douchebags who are trying to start a discourteous argument. Either way, look, your secret did speak to me, considering I grew up in an extremely blue-collar family that involved people similar to the characters in IASIP. I hate it when my family by marriage considers me "white trash" because of particular mannerisms I've kept over the years although none of it has anything to do with who I am as a person.

From what I can tell, you sound like an intelligent and considerate person. I'm sorry about your roommate situation and I hope with time, you don't have to deal with such thoughtless people. Hang in there, OP. Rooting for you!

[(Anonymous)]

I would tend to agree that "white trash" is not an ideal term, although I'm not sure it implies another race is trash by default... No, wait, I have it -- it's saying trash is non-white by default, and you have to specify it's white. So yeah, that's racist.

I don't think most people think of it that way, though, so I'm not going to call them trash because they used the term, just point it out and suggest they might want to consider alternative vocabulary. I think 'trailer trash' occupies more or less the same niche. Or there's the broader 'lumpenproletariat', although I'm pretty sure no one actually uses that.

[littlestbirds]

Huh. I've read about how "white trash" is a term with a disgusting history, but I've never heard that interpretation before. It just reminds me of classism and eugenics and I wish people wouldn't use it.

[(Anonymous)]

Of interest, Wikipedia says that the term "white trash" originated among black house slaves:

"The term White trash first came into common use in the 1830s as a pejorative used by house slaves against poor whites. In 1833 Fanny Kemble, an English actress visiting Georgia, noted in her journal: "The slaves themselves entertain the very highest contempt for white servants, whom they designate as 'poor white trash'".[8][9]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_trash

Given the origins of the term, I really don't think it has the same racial undertone that you've suggested. It's a racially loaded term but it's not "you specify 'white trash' and so therefore it indicates that all other races are trash by default." It's certainly never had that implication in my understanding of the term. It's more like "red neck" which likewise touches on a very specific subsect of white (typically) southern United States culture.

[(Anonymous)]

NO. White Trash is a unique subculture. I should know. From personal experience. If you aren't a member you just don't know.

[(Anonymous)]

I have more issue with how the secret reads like poor=automatically abused. Being abused is not a problem specifically to poor or white trash people. I don't think the OP meant it that way, but I thought it read as pretty offensive.

That being said, I find calling someone simply "trash" way more offensive than the phrase "white trash".

[(Anonymous)]

I agree.

[(Anonymous)]

"Sometimes "acting poor" when you have money can be more humiliating than being poor"


What the actual fuck? Being poor is worse than having money, I should know, I've been both.

[(Anonymous)]

It's generally worse, but IME if being poor is what you're used to it's not humiliating. Trying to fit into a new environment where everyone else grew up with money can, sometimes, be stressful and embarrassing.

[(Anonymous)]

Meh I get it. You have no money. No one you know has money. You all have the same "specific to the situation" habits. It's not noticeable. You get into lower/middle class and suddenly you're "acting weird". And people are staring. And you get self-conscious about it.

I wouldn't call it a worse situation, but more humiliating? Depends on the person.

[(Anonymous)]

OP

I guess it depends on who you are and the situation you're in. I'd gladly go without food/water/electricity for longer periods (since it's something I can get used to), in exchange for not doing something that gets that knee-jerk judgement for doing something in public that codes you as poor. Especially if you had been "passing" as a higher class to begin with. Being judged for being low class hurts more than the prospect of being without something.

Honestly, this is a really sensitive topic. If I provide examples, I'm going to get smacked down anyway, regardless of how subjective this kind of thing.

Doing being poor where I come from is not going to be the same as where you're from, and what people will judge you on and how hard will differ. As well as how much your community reinforces the need to "act" higher class, which was a huge thing where I came from. Our teachers put a lot of work in disguising that we were poor kids, and the kids whose parents wanted their kids to go to college did this, too.

There was always the understanding you were less (worthwhile, intelligent, cultured, etc.) if you couldn't act/speak/behave in a way that didn't set you apart from someone middle/higher class.

[(Anonymous)]

your roommates sound like inconsiderate jerks. i'd recommend you stop doing the work until it piles up and they're forced to confront it.

charlie has a lot of good traits, he seems like he'd be a good person to hang out with, well except for the stalking thing.

[(Anonymous)]

Hey OP. We are from a fairly different-similar background, I grew up in poverty but I'm in a culture without the same degree of poor-shaming like the US can get, and even then I found that it's hard to navigate around the "normal people" at times.

I've never seen Alway Sunny. I don't know the reference but I hope you the best. Please be well.

[grausam]

I'm nowhere near your situation OP, but my family is and was always so ...slobby that I can relate a little bit. (edit: not saying your family/background is slobby. they sound tidier than mine)
Trying to pass as accepted "normal" and holding up a tidy routine is so much more stressful than just slipping into easy habits. I expect to get busted and gross people out anytime, haha.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your feelings. I hope you'll come to terms with it just like you hope!