i have never seen du sink so low as tonight. disgusting. we make fun of "piyush" now?

[1]

like they did with "hussein"?

are your minds really that small? shall we mention the color of his skin too?

i can only shake my head. a low point for this forum...

[emilyg]

1. The color of his skin was

mentioned in a poll here on DU.

[provis99]

2. lets also stop calling

Michael Savage by his real name, Michael Weiner, ok? Give the man the respect he deserves.

[whistler162]

43. Why insult a good Weiner( Anthony) by calling

Michael Savage by his true name.

[Baikonour]

3. Oh, stop it.

Bobby is NOT his real name. How is it racist to call him by his legal name? You don't find it offensive that this scumbag is probably ashamed of his heritage, and had to change it just to find a place in politics, especially in a place like Louisiana?

[nadinbrzezinski]

He calls himself Bobby, that is the way he was introduced

how small is your mind

[Baikonour]

10. How small is yours to be searching for racism in the mundane?

Aside from that one troll poster, I sincerely doubt anyone here calling him by his REAL name is doing so in the name of racism. It's as harmless as calling Michael Savage by his real name Michael Wiener.

The real outrage should be at the content of his response, not what posters here decide to call him.

[Orrex]

15. We run a risk, though

By referring to him by his "real" name instead of his more commonly used "Bobby," we risk creating the appearance of the same kind of racial sensationalism that we saw when Repubs referred to "Barack Hussein Obama."

Even if no one here means it in a racist context (which I'm willing to believe), it seems distressingly similar to a clearly racist jab thrown by Repubs not so long ago.


However, you are of course correct that we should in any case be attacking the content of his response, or the lack thereof.

[Baikonour]

16. You are correct, the risk is inherent.

However, democrats and leftists aren't known racists. Republicans, on the other hand, are. I don't think we'll be upsetting any republicans for calling him by his real name, because they spent 3 years calling Obama by his.

[Orrex]

17. To be honest, I thought blatant racism was a requrement for GOP membership

That, or a history of slave ownership.

:shrug:

[Luminous Animal]

18. They show that they are willing to appeal to bigotry.

And yes, there are plenty of bigoted Democrats.

Republicans emphasized Obama's middle name as an appeal to bigots. Is that the direction we want to go? Because, as far as I can tell, it didn't work to the Republicans benefit.

[Matariki]

50. democrats and leftists can be plenty racist.

it's just usually more indirect and 'below the radar'. Often unintentional, but still present.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. The point I've been trying to make as well

there is plenty of fodder in that speech... and the fact that he addressed us like babies.

[EFerrari]

9. Project much?

[Baikonour]

11. How exactly am I projecting?

I think it's silly to be offended by calling a man by his actual name. If people are calling him by his real name to make fun of his Indian heritage, then it's a problem. Otherwise, it isn't.

The real offense should come from the nonsense the man was spewing.

[EFerrari]

20. "You don't find it offensive that this scumbag is probably ashamed of his heritage"

[Baikonour]

24. I wasn't projecting, I'm not ashamed of my heritage.

I'm a mutt. Italian, English, Norwegian, Irish and a bit Native American.

The Bobby Brady story is cute, but we all know Louisiana wasn't going to elect a guy named "Piyush." If a person is changing their name for political purposes, why should you not call them out on it?

Regardless, like I said earlier, the outrage should be at the content of his speech, not what some people choose to call him.

[sledgehammer]

62. He adopted the name Bobby when he was around four years old

Not sure he did it for political purposes at that age. Just saying...

[Luminous Animal]

19. You are appealing to bigotry.

You are pathetic.

[malaise]

40. Ding ding

His first name is Piyush. He should use it. Barack was called Barry in school but never disowned his first name. It was the right wing who tried to use his middle name to associate him with Saddam Hussein

[paulsby]

64. no, he shouldn't.

it's his frigging choice.

i don't go by my first name either.

i made a choice that i preferred another name.

i did it when i was in high school.

so, i "disowned" my first name.

so frigging what?

a name is a personal thing. he chose bobby as a little kid cause he preferred it. and it stuck with him.

i chose a differnt name too.

[cherokeeprogressive]

51. "ashamed of his heritage"

You mean ashamed in the same way as Lok Ga-fai and Zhu Diwen are ashamed of theirs? Or are they ashamed in a different way?

[malaise]

56. I think there are a variety of reasons why people want

to assimilate. I don't know that many young people think about changing their name because they seek assimilation. Some just can't take the mis-pronunciation and the cultural bullying from their peers, but the sociologists will still define it as assimilation issues. I think the bigger question is why do so many people feel uncomfortable about their differences to the point of abandoning their heritage. Some do it to make others feel more comfortable without giving a thought to how uncomfortable others have made them feel.

Let me make it clear -lots of people change their names without disliking their heritage but there are some who want to fit in so badly that they'll disown their own family if that would help them further their ambition. I made a judgement call on Jindal because I don't see too many non-white immigrants seeking acceptance from the most conservative people in America. I sense a pattern of self hate.
Jindal reminds me of plastic - a complete fake.

[Lost in CT]

Or John Stewart for that matter. nt

[Lost in CT]

67. DUPE

[paulsby]

60. he changed it when he was a little kid

he didn't change it to make him palatable in politics.

get frigging real.

[newtothegame]

70. Take out "Bobby," and your post could be about Obama. Would that have flown here 6 months ago?

We're experts at political correctness until it doesn't serve our purposes.

[Deja Q]

101. I thought those in the South liked 'The Dukes of Hazzard', not 'The Brady Bunch'.

Whatever. Let's focus on the message: Bobby Jingo can call himself whatever he likes. As long as it's legal.

[Common Sense Party]

114. "You don't find it offensive that this scumbag is probably ashamed of his heritage"

What? Like Barry Obama? Was he ashamed of his heritage?

[babylonsister]

4. You only read what might make you angry?

And then don't post otherwise? Pffft! Nah.

[MiniMe]

5. I agree.

It is as bad as the right using B Hussein Obama.

[nsd]

7. Exactly right. /nt

[thewiseguy]

6. There were not enough threads on this already?

Your outrage concerns me.

[specimenfred1984]

8. It's just so low, how could you? I'm so ashamed of you.

I thought you were a pillar of society, a nobleman for all to aspire to be, a guiding light for young and old and then, you go and prove you have no sense of humor whatsoever.

[specimenfred1984]

12. Well, if you really want to make fun of the name Piyush...

It sounds like the noise a queef makes!

[VP505]

30. ROFLMAO,

Way too funny, enough said, LOL!

[leftstreet]

13. At least he wasn't fat, or poor, or gay, or had octuplets, or a 4000sq ft house

[The_Casual_Observer]

14. Is it ok to say he looks & acts like a mummy?

[backscatter712]

21. I'll just say Bobby Jindal was remarkably lifelike tonight...

[ProfessorGAC]

32. Is It Ok To Say He Has The Intellect Of A Fencepost?

Because that happens to be true.
GAC

[alittlelark]

22. I must have missed something....'piyush' - what is it?

<on edit>

I googled it .... not an offensive word/name.

[Marrah_G]

36. It's being used in much the same way the pukes emphasized "hussien" in regards to Obama.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

41. You're right....it's not offensive

It's Gov. Jindal's real name, and he is ashamed of it because he is more comfortable pandering to racists than being himself.

[bkkyosemite]

25. I thought what he said tonight was ridiculous he kept using the word everyone over and over...but

about his real name. I have noticed that when I get an India customer service representative they say their name is Jane or Sally or Nancy or Michelle and I say that is not your real name and they say no ma'am. Maybe it's that they want to sound more American when they change their names. I worked for a Japanese firm in San Jose, CA and they changed their first names to Tony, Ted, John, etc. Bobby must think that by using his real name somehow he would not be accepted in our society. WELL Barack H. Obama showed him that it's not the name that you use it's how you conduct yourself and Bobby boy tonight conducted himself like a jerk. This was supposed to be the Republicans message to the citizens of this Country and what it was was to try and dismantle Obama (of course never will happen) and talk about Katrina (what a joke on him).

[SoCalDem]

26. I find it sad that the only way he felt he could find a modicum of acceptance,

was for him to "become" Bobby:(

I can't see republicans embracing him as Piyush..his GIVEN name.. His parents apparently liked that name, and it's probably as common as Bobby, in their original culture.

People often nickname their kids, but once adulthood arrives, MOST "children" eventually embrace that given name.."Bobby" never felt comfortable enough to be Piyush, and yes.. that's sad..

Had he chosen to be a democrat, he would never have had to BE Bobby...but then he would not be an exotic "pet".. he would just be one of MANY people from all over the place, with all kinds of names & cultures and skin-tones..

For a less than chalky-white republican, there must be an "inoculating" feature..like an "American" name (like Bobby or Michelle) or being the bestest Catholic or evangelical ever..

[tkmorris]

27. Oh I've seen much worse than that

And I know you have too, since you played a prominent role in the threads.

[Waiting For Everyman]

28. Were you a hall monitor as a kid?

[noamnety]

34. Nice reaction to someone speaking out against racism. (nt)

[Waiting For Everyman]

45. Nice nannyism... just as disagreeable as your complaint.

Surely bigger racism could be found to 'speak out against'. Did all the mods quit last night? Was the "alert" button malfunctioning? If this is so big and important, it should be a TS party.

[ibegurpard]

29. All this talk of piyush

is making me hungry
:shrug:

[FLAprogressive]

31. turnabout is fair play

[noamnety]

33. Not when it's founded in bigotry. (nt)

[Deja Q]

102. Or using it to make an example of how wrong it is?

Though whether or not that is the issue, I do not know.\

As was said, referring to "Bobby" by his real name doesn't seem racist in of itself.

[Marrah_G]

35. It's disturbing and disappointing.

[stray cat]

37. We would do better to focus on ideas. However, rhetoric from the right and left

often seems to resort to slurs rather than substance. That is a change I would really like to see in politicians and pundits alike and one reason I support Obama.

[dkf]

38. Calling Jindal "Piyush" is like calling Obama "Barack"

I don't get why people misunderstand equivalency.

[liberalpress]

78. No it is quite different

The President PREFERS to be called Barack.

The Governor PREFERS to be called Bobby.

People, even Republicans, deserve the respect to be called whatever they want.

[saltpoint]

39. Let's put it where it goes.

"Bobby" is a fiction. His name is Piyush. Very notably, he eschews his rightful name.

Start there.

[saltpoint]

42. I don't care if this, that, or the other person wants to change their given

names.

Film stars do it, for example.

Governors can do it too, if they choose.

The remedy is in the courts. The process is relatively simple. Jindal could have undertaken it.

His switch to "Bobby" is an attempt to obscure his heritage and make him palatable for a larger percentage of voters, whose judgment on ethnic heritage Jindal appears not to trust enough with his real name.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

47. You sound EXACTLY like...

a freeper harping on "Hussein".

I hope you are proud of yourself.

[saltpoint]

115. I was hoping you'd say I sound like Roger Daltrey at Woodstock.

Damn.

[saltpoint]

44. I think the far stronger case for making fun of one's name is to be made

against Jindal himself.

"O my, if I use my actual name the voters will think I'm alien to their interests, so I'll take 'Bobby' instead, which is folksier and friendlier and more palatable, thus avoiding an ethnic cultural connection that might hurt me politically."

Obama claimed and asserted his family background. Jindal flees from his.

[cherokeeprogressive]

52. YES. That sounds like the thoughts that go through a four year old's mind. NOT.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

46. Agreed.

It is an embarrassment to this community. :(

[lumberjack_jeff]

48. Really? Never?

In this economy, we can'd afford all this teeth-gnashing and garment rending.

[LanternWaste]

49. We make fun of people...

We make fun of people for all sorts of reasons.

We say it's bad to make fun of a person for one reason, but justify to ourselves that it's perfectly fine to make fun or a person for other reasons. Yet each path leads to the very same place-- the debasement of that person for our own amusement.

That is a shame we all share, continue to justify, and continue to do. A low point indeed, but one that is consistently applauded, constantly rewarded, and continuously practiced on this board, and in this world... unless of course you know of an individual that has never ridiculed another person.

[Fire1]

54. OUT FUCKIN' STANDING!!!! BEST POST TODAY, BY FAR!!!!!!

[EFerrari]

58. But all fun is not equal. That's why Mike Richards got paid for "Kramer"

and got fired for using the n word.

One is comedy. The other is bigotry.

[Fire1]

68. Most of the kind you find on DU ranks with the latter.

[LanternWaste]

69. Debasement of a person is debasement of a person

The debasement of a person is debasement of a person-- regardless of whether one calls it comedy, literature, art, bigotry, good, bad, or justified.

They all take us down a road filled with justifications and lead us to the same place.

[EFerrari]

71. It's the bigger category but no, we don't always wind up at the same place.

Obama made fun of Joe Biden last night. That's a kind of ridicule but it was used as a way to compliment him and as a means of playfulness. Playing the Name Game with Jindal's name doesn't lead you to the same place, at all. (And, sorry, I can't remember if it's "Jindhal" or "Jindal".)

[Fire1]

74. That was comedy and good clean fun. Nothing derogatory was

stated or implied and certainly not ridicule. There is no way you can compare the two.

[EFerrari]

76. "Joe's so bad" -- yes, there is a comparison. n/t

[LanternWaste]

80. It's all in the intent, I think....

It's all in the intent, I think. And I think Pres. Obama's intent was to make his target smile rather than ridicule his target.



But if it's our intention to hurt, ridicule, or debase a person, then I'm afraid I don't see any relevant moral difference between making fun of a person's skin color and making fun of something they had a choice in.

(Ridicule-- not critique, a most specific difference)

If the intent is to hurt a person, I can see no valid defense in justifying it, or in stating that making fun of a person in one way is Bad, while making fun of a person in another way is Good.

[EFerrari]

82. Context is partially about intention but also partially about reception, I guess. n/t

[Fire1]

81. In relation to, 'nobody messes with Joe.' No comparison at all.

[EFerrari]

84. Hyperbole, ridicule, reversal, playfulness. That would be the arc. n/t

[Fire1]

88. In this case was not 'debasement.' That's the point.

[Name removed]

53. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nichomachus]

55. OK -- everyone has had a chance to vent

Can we now move on to more important things or do we need one more thread of manufactured outrage?

[DainBramaged]

57. Point out where a DU member made fun of his name

too many here are throwing up straw dogs and distracting from the issues. What's you opinion on Indian honor killings? is that ok with you? Or is protecting Bobby Jindal more important?

[EFerrari]

59. You mean, like one DUer playing the Name Game with his name last night?

This is only partly about him. It's also about listening to your friends when they tell you, you are hurting their feelings.

[DainBramaged]

61. Are we worried about feelings or debating the issues now?

I am getting frustrated over where we as a group are going. Bobby Jindal is the enemy. We are not.

[EFerrari]

72. I agree. Let's talk about how this weasel (sorry, weasels!)

is lying about the stimulus bill. :shrug:

[Waiting For Everyman]

87. That is silly on multiple levels.

1) Whose feelings again? Did someone play the name game with a DUer's name? How could that be? Was a screen name used?

2) The name game is not insulting. It's played with anybody's name. Nobody else ever found it offensive, that I ever heard of. And it's an old song - going back to the '60s. Nobody in all that time ever found it offensive. Hmm.

Just because someone has a "feeling", justified or not, that should not dictate that anyone censors their comments to suit it. Why does your feeling trump my thought? That hurts my little feelings too. Boo hoo.

Ok, it's a standoff then. Unless you're going to maintain that you're simply more important than me. Go ahead, try that.

[EFerrari]

92. No, it's not silly. And yes, using someone's name as an epithet is revolting.

Let alone, starting a thread to make a game out of it.

And no, it's not a stand off, in any way. You can continue to spin out these rationalizations but DU gets it, if you don't.

[Waiting For Everyman]

99. Your pronouncements count for nothing. Empress of protocol.

:rofl:

[EFerrari]

104. When all else fails, attack the poster.

:)

[Waiting For Everyman]

105. Yes, that was a vicious attack - you deserve such sympathy for that.

You still don't have a reason to say that a person's real name is an ethnic slur, except because you say so.

You also didn't say why making any comment about Jindal is ignoring a friend's feelings. Are YOU Jindal? If not, it's not your hurt feeling to throw around, is it? You're borrowing some imagined offense on behalf of a person you don't even know.

Second, you haven't said how the name game is so awful.

Making prouncements as an empress of protocol has a lot of logic to it, given your posts. If the shoe fits... wear it.

[EFerrari]

106. Hundreds of posts later, that's where you get?

Cool.

[Waiting For Everyman]

108. After hundreds of posts, still no answer to the question.

Yes, I'm afraid I'll stay stuck right there until someone can 'splain that Ricky.

[EFerrari]

109. I believe that. n/t

[Divine Discontent]

63. "for this forum" - you mean for a couple people - don't throw DU under the bus. just say a few

are being racist.

[graywarrior]

65. Who cares what he's called....he's a republican and a piss poor speaker.

[OnyxCollie]

66. Rep. Keith Ellison could have been sworn in on the Bible.

Instead, he chose to be sworn in on the Koran. (Thomas Jefferson's Koran, no less.)

"Bobby" should not care if people call him "Piyush", unless he thinks only in political terms.

[KamaAina]

73. It's just as easy, and much more fun, to make fun of "Bobby"

seeing as how the Douchebag-in-Chief picked it at age 4, from his favorite TV character...

Bobby Brady!! :rofl:

edit: spelling

[ColbertWatcher]

75. Seriously!

Bobby Brady!?

That is funny!

[KamaAina]

77. Read it and weep

http://www.newsweek.com/id/174518

Born Piyush Jindal on June 10, 1971, to one of the few Indian families in Baton Rouge, he suddenly announced at the age of 4 that he would answer only to "Bobby," in honor of his favorite "Brady Bunch" character.

:rofl:

[ColbertWatcher]

83. LOL! Thank you!

I'm going to add that link to his Truthiness page: http://www.wikiality.com/Bobby_Jindal

[EFerrari]

89. This reminds me of a story. My little brother was about 7 and he and Mom

were watching The Patridge Family. Mom says, he turns to her and asks, why can't we be like that? And she began to say, because that's not reality.

At that moment, I came home from a date gone wrong, slamming the door and cursing myself down the hallway into my room.

Mom finishes, *THAT* is reality.

:rofl:

[TWiley]

79. Oh fuck Piyush, he is an ass. I am offended that YOU did not capitalize his name

What is up with that? Are you a racist? Do you feel that anyone named Piyush should be called piyusy?

I wonder if you are a fucking bigot too

[PretzelWarrior]

91. SWITCH TO DECAF

[EFerrari]

93. I don't think Decaf can fix that. n/t

[TWiley]

94. what is up with the piyush love fest around here?

the man is an ass. What more is there to the story than that? What is the reason that you defend him?

[EFerrari]

95. Stay classy, TWiley. n/t

[TWiley]

96. oh ,,,,, I am so much more stupid for having read that.

[EFerrari]

97. I'll just take your word for that. n/t

[TWiley]

98. no worries, i learned it all from you

[Bluebear]

85. Yes, your sincere outrage shines like an emergency beacon, calling us all to a kinder way.

[Bluebear]

113. .

[a la izquierda]

86. When I was a little kid...

there was a girl in my class. She was Indian. We teased her mercilessly because of her name, because of the way that her lunches smelled to us (curry reminded some of us of syrup...weird, I know). We were horrendous to her, even making up drawings about her. This was 2nd grade. Well, my two little friends and I got caught and sheesh, I got such hell from my mom. To this day, I don't care what someone's name is: if they go by one name, and that's what they prefer, I don't care if I have to rearrange my tongue, that's what I call them.
My relatives got called new names that were "easy" to pronounce because their real names were "too ethnic" (Mairead, Giuseppe, Giancarlo,...); others, like my grandmother, Americanized their names to fit in better. If Gov. Jindal wants to be called Bobby, that's what everyone should call him when addressing him by his first name.

[slackmaster]

90. Yes, 1, some peoples' minds really are that small

[cottonseed]

100. I'm in agreement.

It was getting really stupid in here last night. In all fairness there was a lot of push back.

[cbc5g]

103. Heh you must be blind if you think we don't make fun of names here

Shrub, Rummy, Darth Vader cheney...Yeah we don't do that

[EFerrari]

107. Making fun of a name is one thing. Using color or ethnicity is another.

How hard is that to get?

[TWiley]

110. Get a clue fatari

Myself, I went door to door for Mr. Obama for almost a year because I am such a racist. I donated nearly a thousand dollars to his campaign because I am such a stupid racist. I have belonged to the SPLC for 16 years. I am white.

Now, if you would only get past yourself you might just notice that other people here worked just as hard for someone who is not of the same race. If you find it so necessary to look for racists under the bed, I suggest you go somewhere else to find them.

People here do not like Jingle because of his politics, and not because of his race. Why is that so difficult for you to understand?

oh, and there is another opportunity for you to issue an action alert. Someone called Clarence Thomas an Ass, and I think they are white! go get em girl

[EFerrari]

112. There's nothing that I could or would do that is as effective as your every post. n/t

[JanMichael]

111. oh for God's sake

I wouldn't have laughed at "Bobby" if 1. he didn't pull it off the Brady Bunch, and it made me think of the way the French guy pronounced "Rick--eee Bahh-beee" in "Taladega Nights."

So what. It's actually kinda funny.

[Swede]

116. I hate when Piyush turns to shove.

Hate it.