I'm pretty sure I'm horrified by the Teen Wolf photo spread. That's not just shirtless, that's... I feel like I should call social services on the photographer.
@Tchotchke: Its a pretty horrible quote, but I know two non-Latino women with married names that are Latino and it has lead to some confusion. Of course they are also public school teachers with lots of hispanic pupils and not movie stars. #angelinalesbian
@clevernamehere: Talking about confusion, my mother's maiden name is Rodrigues and she's pure Malayali Indian. Americans said similar stuff about Freida Pinto. #angelinalesbian
@clevernamehere: I don't understand. Are you saying there are negative impacts to this? If anything it's good to make people examine their own assumptions about names and ethnicity. I don't assume that everyone with a German last name will be blond (or white, for that matter) so why should anyone assume that Caucasian-looking people cannot have -uez or -ues or -cia names?
I guess it just seems like a wee bit of bigotry for people to be "confused" about why someone has a certain name that doesn't fit with their preconceived ideas about that person. This is something I deal with regularly, since people assume my name is Latina- which it is not- and are SO surprised when they meet me and find out that I'm Caucasian. It's really bizarre just how many double takes and, sadly, major attitude adjustments I've personally experienced. #angelinalesbian
@slowpoke.r: Its interesting that you jumped to racist preconceptions, since my point was that it can lead to disappointments when Mrs. Perez the 4th grade teacher in a Latino neighborhood is neither bilingual nor Hispanic.
Not everyone looks like the stereotypical vision of their ethnic group but married names bring up additional issues because the name can have no connection to your own ethnic heritage. #angelinalesbian
@clevernamehere: But that's exactly my point- my family name, which is connected to my ethnic heritage, is often mistaken for a different ethnic heritage. I do look like my family and ancestors; what I don't look like is the general idea in the US of what it looks like to have the last name Gonzales.
What I'm trying to say is, it seems like the real issue isn't that Mrs. Perez is named Mrs. Perez, it's that the principal didn't hire a bilingual teacher of whatever name when s/he should have. The fact that s/he didn't, and that people are confused by someone whose last name (for whatever reason) seems to be of a certain ethnicity, may be two parts to the same issue: believing that anyone with a hispanic sounding last name IS bilingual. Do you see what I mean? I'm not "jumping to racist stereotypes", I'm just saying that making assumptions based on names isn't very helpful in determining someone's culture or language.
@slowpoke.r: Do people have names that do not reflect their cultural background? Sure. But they are in the minority. I think it is excessive to castigate someone for being surprised that Janet Oh is blonde and not Korean. #angelinalesbian
@clevernamehere: I really didn't mean to castigate anyone, just to suggest that we think about why we're surprised when someone has a name /face combo that doesn't meet our expectations. That kind of surprise seems to me to involve marginalized groups- minorities, immigrants- and I think it can be an indicator of our feelings about someone's other-ness. The palpable relief I've felt from people when they meet me in person is deeply disturbing- I guess it's the opposite of what the parents in your hood felt about Mrs. Perez. I know that people are always going to make assumptions about others based on names- that Friday name game thing on this site is evidence of such- but it doesn't seem like a bad thing to question where these assumptions come from, and whether they have a basis in reality or not. To me it doesn't make sense to assume that someone with a Spanish last name is bilingual any more than I would assume that someone with a French last name is, but in our country Spanish surname equals bilingual with dark hair and dark skin and I think it's worthwhile to ask why. #angelinalesbian
@slowpoke.r: There is a big difference between someone who meets you and seems relieved that you don't look like your last name and someone who is just surprised.
I don't think a French last name and a Spanish last name are the same when it comes to language- we have a massive amount of Latino immigration right now compared to much smaller rates of Francophone immigration. The people who hope the person is bilingual in my experience tend to be Latino, so the assumptions are different. #angelinalesbian
@clevernamehere: There definitely is a big difference between someone who's surprised and someone who is relieved; after 36 years of experiencing those two different reactions I'm pretty good at telling them apart. For example, it was cute and funny when some temporary staff who didn't know my last name sat at the wrong table at an event (I wasn't there, but the table was in my name) and then were very surprised they had to move, whereas it was disturbing when a mason I hired for a fabrication job asked me upon meeting me for the first time if I was sure I was who I said I was, gave an audible sigh of relief, and then proceeded to cheerfully do all the things I couldn't get him to do for the previous six weeks.
And I agree, a French last name and a Spanish last name are not the same in terms of language at this time in our country. But though the assumptions about Spanish names are different now, it doesn't hurt to question what's behind those assumptions and how they affect our interactions with others. If Mrs. Perez was hired because of her last name rather than her qualifications (which I hope isn't the case, but for argument's sake) that's an issue, just like it's an (tiny) issue for Hudson to say she doesn't look like a Rodriguez. I'm sure Mrs. Perez doesn't want to be a surprise and ultimately a disappointment to the community she's trying to serve and that the community would rather have someone who meets their needs, no matter what their name or face.
ETA: Sorry to be so damned verbose. I'm not very good at writing succinctly but that's probably obvious by now.
Isn't best friends with benefits kind of the definition of a relationship? I mean, if you're doing it, the chemistry is obviously there...
And there is nothing WRONG with Lindsay's face, you just caught her right after shit bit into a lemon or something. Jesus, US, go buy some class or something. #angelinalesbian
I'd like In Touch to do a "I Loved My Abortion" cover.
"It was so awesome! Everyone at the clinic was really nice and respectful, and I was so relieved when that unwanted fetus was out of my womb and out of my life! Later, I celebrated by doing a line of coke. Suck it, babies!"
fyi looking up words you don't know when reading is a scientology thing - it helps you understand what you are reading more fully. Say what you will about scientology, this one thing is actually not a bad idea. #angelinalesbian
@Lazy Line Painter Jane: When I was a senior in high school my English teacher started giving us vocabulary tests with words from the books we were reading. That's when I realized that a lot of words that made sense in context I didn't know the actual definition for. Started carrying around a pocket dictionary and my life was changed :) #angelinalesbian
@Lazy Line Painter Jane: hmmm? I thought looking up words you don't know was a Mrs Ellis, my first grade teacher, thing. and my Mom. and just about every teacher I've ever had. #angelinalesbian
@PamBeesley: It may seem weird since she's so young, but if she's starting to read already, it really is a good practice to get into. I'd be much more worried about, oh, everything else they mentioned. #angelinalesbian
@phantom lady: Your first grade Mrs. Ellis wasn't in Maryland, was she? Because I had one also, and she remains a family friend. I know she taught first grade for-ev-er. It would be mind-boggling if you had the same one. #angelinalesbian
@Blueberry26: A couple of my high school English teachers would tell us to look up words we didn't know how to spell. Which is all well and good if you have an idea for the first couple of letters, but if you're confused on the first or second letter? Not gonna work. That advice always confused me. #angelinalesbian
@RoughHouser: No. My Mrs Ellis was in good old Bloomington IL. she has long since passed on to wherever awesome teachers go when they die. I'm sure its not a classroom, cuz they would be all "are you f'ing kidding me?" #angelinalesbian
@Lazy Line Painter Jane: I had a rant all ready, then realized that I owned a children's dictionary at three. Sigh.
Then again, my parents also handed me the kid's Bible and let me read it myself, which is what made me the proud atheist I am today. I doubt Suri's going to have the same luck with Dianetics. #angelinalesbian
Sometimes when I'm joking around with my good girl friends, I call my boyfriend of 4+ years my best friend with benefits. If we didn't have "chemistry", we wouldn't want to do it. So Britney, I say, stay with your best friend with benefits! #angelinalesbian
I was thinking as I read that "Wait, um, then what IS chemistry?" When I use that term, I totally mean it as "He and I have no chemistry, thus I have no desire to do dirty things to him." #angelinalesbian
@pollyannacowgirl: On the casual clothes to court thing-our judges routinely lecture pro se litigants on how to dress in court. You thought wearing cargo shorts to a court appearance was appropriate? Really? One judge offers to let them test out the new swimming pool--at the county jail. Ha. #angelinalesbian
@AtomiClash: humanitarian misanthrope: She's not flipping the bird; she's putting up her dukes! She's clearly part of Baby Fight Club. She's pissed at Lourdes her for stealing the stripey leggings, and she's gonna take it out on her ass! #angelinalesbian
I once had a hair dresser who claimed she knew Josh before he was famous. She said he was a cheating asshole who dumped his girlfriend once he got rich.
I take it with a grain of salt, but it does lend credence to this story. #angelinalesbian
11/05/09
And possibly also report the tire.
11/04/09
Is it really a big deal when it comes to your skin? #angelinalesbian
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Seriously, Kate Hudson? I hope you were misquoted. #angelinalesbian
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So she was misquoted.... by me. Sorry, Kate. #angelinalesbian
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I guess it just seems like a wee bit of bigotry for people to be "confused" about why someone has a certain name that doesn't fit with their preconceived ideas about that person. This is something I deal with regularly, since people assume my name is Latina- which it is not- and are SO surprised when they meet me and find out that I'm Caucasian. It's really bizarre just how many double takes and, sadly, major attitude adjustments I've personally experienced. #angelinalesbian
11/05/09
Not everyone looks like the stereotypical vision of their ethnic group but married names bring up additional issues because the name can have no connection to your own ethnic heritage. #angelinalesbian
11/05/09
What I'm trying to say is, it seems like the real issue isn't that Mrs. Perez is named Mrs. Perez, it's that the principal didn't hire a bilingual teacher of whatever name when s/he should have. The fact that s/he didn't, and that people are confused by someone whose last name (for whatever reason) seems to be of a certain ethnicity, may be two parts to the same issue: believing that anyone with a hispanic sounding last name IS bilingual. Do you see what I mean? I'm not "jumping to racist stereotypes", I'm just saying that making assumptions based on names isn't very helpful in determining someone's culture or language.
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I don't think a French last name and a Spanish last name are the same when it comes to language- we have a massive amount of Latino immigration right now compared to much smaller rates of Francophone immigration. The people who hope the person is bilingual in my experience tend to be Latino, so the assumptions are different. #angelinalesbian
11/05/09
And I agree, a French last name and a Spanish last name are not the same in terms of language at this time in our country. But though the assumptions about Spanish names are different now, it doesn't hurt to question what's behind those assumptions and how they affect our interactions with others. If Mrs. Perez was hired because of her last name rather than her qualifications (which I hope isn't the case, but for argument's sake) that's an issue, just like it's an (tiny) issue for Hudson to say she doesn't look like a Rodriguez. I'm sure Mrs. Perez doesn't want to be a surprise and ultimately a disappointment to the community she's trying to serve and that the community would rather have someone who meets their needs, no matter what their name or face.
ETA: Sorry to be so damned verbose. I'm not very good at writing succinctly but that's probably obvious by now.
11/04/09
And there is nothing WRONG with Lindsay's face, you just caught her right after shit bit into a lemon or something. Jesus, US, go buy some class or something. #angelinalesbian
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"It was so awesome! Everyone at the clinic was really nice and respectful, and I was so relieved when that unwanted fetus was out of my womb and out of my life! Later, I celebrated by doing a line of coke. Suck it, babies!"
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Personally, I'd love to see how much better baby X would look with baby Y's nose...get on it, tabloids! #angelinalesbian
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Though lets hope she looks up the word Cult. #angelinalesbian
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Then again, my parents also handed me the kid's Bible and let me read it myself, which is what made me the proud atheist I am today. I doubt Suri's going to have the same luck with Dianetics. #angelinalesbian
11/04/09
What are you doing to my awesome childhood memories, nooo #angelinalesbian
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I was thinking as I read that "Wait, um, then what IS chemistry?" When I use that term, I totally mean it as "He and I have no chemistry, thus I have no desire to do dirty things to him." #angelinalesbian
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And COURT. #angelinalesbian
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I take it with a grain of salt, but it does lend credence to this story. #angelinalesbian
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At the risk of being disemvoweled:
Did he like 'em ugly then, too? #angelinalesbian
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