Do you think my user name is racist?

[Bertha Venation]

Poll question: Do you think my user name is racist?

Stated another way, do you see me as racist because of my user name?

This question comes to me from time to time, because some have questioned my intent in choosing the name. (It was quite a while ago but I still think of it.)

[rrneck]

1. Quite clever actually. One of the few I remember. nt

[MiddleFingerMom]

5. Agreed on the clever.

.
I really LIKE clever... although I saw your name 3 or 4 times
before it hit me.
.
Great name.
.
.
.
.
P.S. Now... anyone who chose "Bertha Van Abortedfetus" would
immediately come under suspicion in my book.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. It'd be like an outdoor enthusiast calling themselves Mine Camp!

No, it's not racist, but if you call yourself that you're pretty much going to have to expect some raised eyebrows.

[Bertha Venation]

6. Yeah, it's not unexpected.

But no less upsetting.

[MiddleFingerMom]

7. Tell me about it.,,, ,,, ,,, n/t

[KamaAina]

3. Nonsense. It's a perfectly good drag queen name.

Seriesly. I remember seeing it in the Village Voice years before there ever was a DU.

Racist? You? Wasn't that baseball player you hosted for a season Hispanic?

[Bertha Venation]

4. No, but funny you should ask -- HE is a racist.

:( But we love him.

[libodem]

8. Nope

never hit me that way? I think it's clever. Would it Bertha? Or the 'of a nation' that strikes people as racist? Not you personally? Too strange, huh?

[lib_n_proud7650]

9. Absolutely not.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

21. Welcome to DU, lib_n_proud7650!

:hi:

[Bertha Venation]

25. Welcome to DU, Lib!

:hi:

[S n o w b a l l]

10. No, I would never see you as racist in the least little bit....

I guess those that don't know you could think that though from the name. I wouldn't worry about it though.

[Bertha Venation]

12. Oh, hell, I worry about everything.

Don't you know the world would fall apart if my worry weren't holding it together? ;)

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. ??? Shows what I know. I always thought it was a play on the movie title. *hugs*

[KamaAina]

14. That's just it. The movie is considered racist

because it portrays the KKK as the good guys.

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. Ohhhh. I never saw the movie. Just saw the title in a book once.

[madinmaryland]

13. Huh? Why would someone think that?

I always thought your name referred to "Birth of a Nation"

[JonLP24]

16. Oh I see it now

All this time it never struck me. It is quite clever actually.

[LynzM]

20. Me too.

I am lost, here. :shrug:

[JonLP24]

15. I voted 'no'

but what is your username based on? I always thought it might be your first and last name. :shrug:

[Captain Hilts]

18. It never occurred to me. nt

[BuelahWitch]

19. No, because I know it's from Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy

and a cute play on DW Griffith's "Birth of a Nation" title. Griffith's film IS racist, but anyone can see that you aren't referencing that film.

[Bertha Venation]

23. This is the definitive answer.

Thank you! :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

22. My dear Bertha!

I KNOW you're no racist, and your name is very clever!

Not to worry, sweetie...

:hug:

[bluesbassman]

24. Only if you were posting at that other place.

Your posts here though have never indicated any racism, so it never has occurred to me that the name was racist. And I am familiar with the film.

Don't sweat it, I think it's a great name. :hi:

[Drunken Irishman]

26. Is mine?

[mulsh]

27. I always thought your name was a pretty clever pun rather than racist

I know from reading your posts that you aren't racist.

have you seen the entire movie "Birth of a Nation"?I have, a couple of times. It racist aspects are well known but what most people miss is that it truthfully portrays many southerner's view of reconstruction and their loss of power. If you can set aside the stupid racist stuff and racial stereotypes you just might find it an intersting and even entertaining movie. besides, lillian gish,

[tigereye]

28. it's just a pun... so no.

:shrug:

[Bucky]

29. It's not as bad as your previous user name, Ku Klux Dan. Now THAT was offensive.

[Rabrrrrrr]

30. Racist?! Some people are just waaaaaaaaaaay too goddamn sensitive.

People who WANT to be offended, I don't give a shit about their opinion.

Your name is fucking hilarious!

[kentauros]

31. I don't think your name is the least bit racy.

Not sure how racy you are in person, though

[jkirch]

32. Change it...

...to Helen Damnation.

[Iggo]

38. .

:fistbump:

[appal_jack]

33. Ohh, now I get it

I always assumed that the last part of your username was pronounced with a long 'e' so I never got the pun.

Bertha Vee-nation (with the accent on the 'Vee') never struck me as having a meaning at all, racist or otherwise.

:dunce:

-app

[lazarus]

34. I've known you since you first started posting

didn't think it was racist even when you were a newbie.

[XemaSab]

35. I figured it was ironic

There are many DUers with ironic usernames.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

44. What's that mean?

:*

[BlueIris]

36. I voted "yes, it's racist." Because that was the closest I could get to what I really think of it,

which is that it is extremely insensitive and definitely makes me think, "Hey, is that poster racist?" Whether you actually are or not is impossible to tell over the Internet, but I think the screenname itself, because it makes reference to a profoundly offensive film and provides no context for the reference that could make it clear it's inoffensive, makes you look like a bigot (or at least a jackass).

It's always upset me that on a progressive message board, they let you have a screenname that leaves people asking, "Hey, is that person a racist?" We shouldn't have to ask that about the screenname of any person here. For the record, your handle isn't the only one I've thought that about.

Hey, you asked.

[Ten Bears]

41. She's asked this before...

... I agree with you but she's got enough of a clique behind her to get away with it, in the lounge anyway.

[Kali]

47. bertha has a clique?

:wtf: :rofl:

wow I must really be out of it:crazy:

[Gormy Cuss]

42. Your username is pretty racist too, using that standard.

It's mostly white people who have blue irises.

[Iggo]

37. Nope.

Never even occured to me until you asked.

[AsahinaKimi]

39. not its not

And you have always been kind to me..

[old mark]

40. Not so much racist as

Anarcho-Syndicalist.


I hope you are happy with yourself...



mark

[barb162]

43. No way. n/t

[Demoiselle]

45. No no not racist.

Just an absolutely wonderful pun. It makes fun of the movie! Now if you signed yourself DWGriffith, I could be offended.

[Aristus]

46. I see your user name as a pun; no more, no less.

It is the YOU in you that we love... :-)

[Heidi]

48. Anyone who knows you and would say such a thing gives evidence of their cultural ignorance.

I love Harvey and TST And I love _you_. :hug:

[Kali]

49. name might be

you? I haven't ever seen any evidence of that. As we all know, there can be different opinions/interpretations of words so I can at least grasp that somebody might feel offense. The adult thing to do would be to ask - try communicating with mutual understanding (listening)

as for your clique...who is in it and why wasn't I invited?:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Ptah]

50. I agree with Aristus, a pun well done.

:hug:

[Richard Steele]

51. Nope. nm

[enigmatic]

52. no n/t

[OrwellwasRight]

53. No, it's a great pun. Like the names that they have at the end of car talk.

Marge N. O'Vera, Erasmus B. Dragon, etc.

[lunatica]

54. It shows you know some cinematic history

and you have a clever way of turning it into a proper name. I like it