Apparently, the “jokes” tell otherwise. So today, I was at work, and my boss thought that would be something that I would find funny. My first reaction was to tell her:
Why would you even say something like that to me?
Then I walked off. I started to get really, really angry, for a number of reasons, all at once. I mean, I get it, your guy didn’t win, he gave up, and THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN, so all you have to say to me about it is a racist joke. So wow, I guess it really was just a “race”/skin color thing to some people. Wow, this adult woman just said this to me, as if I would appreciate the “humor” in that, or as if I’m even-tempered or something. The “joke” wasn’t even clever. Any racist with a third grade education could have made that joke up. Wow, so my boss is telling me this joke. What a way to take advantage of the employer/employee dynamic. Ordinarily, when something like this happens, say at a bar, I like to curse people out and/or slap them. I have zero tolerance for things like that. When I went to sit outside to cool off a bit, she came outside to talk to me. It went something like this:
Autrelle, are you upset about something?
I would really rather not talk about it.
Well what’s wrong? Are you mad about what I said to you earlier?
Yes. It was completely rude, racist, and unintelligent. I can’t believe that you had the nerve to tell me that. I never imagined that you could say something as nasty as that.
I only told you that joke because I thought you would think it was funny.
How would I think that was funny and not completely racist? In fact, I would like you to explain to me exactly how that is just a really funny joke, and not something racist and offensive.
Well, you know, how black people, they’re associated with watermelons?
(I just stare at her.)
I think, you know, they used to sell watermelons?
(I decide to start talking again because I’m visualizing doing something bad, and I need to get my mind away from that…) Wow. That was the least convincing argument I have heard, ever. Those are just racist stereotypes in “joke” format. I still remain highly offended.
Well, Autrelle, there are SO MANY jokes like that out there, I only told you that one because it was the mildest one that I have heard.
Well I suppose I should thank you for sparing your really bad racist jokes.
Well, I’m sorry that if I offended you. (Note that she was not sorry for telling me the joke, or for painting herself as an ignorant racist to me, just sorry that I got offended. I honestly think that in her mind, she doesn’t think that she has done anything wrong.)
There you have it. I live in a wonderfully progressive city called Jacksonville, Florida, in the Riverside area. Go figure. I’m on fire right now. Let’s hear your feedback people, and don’t hold back – I’m not going to.
