Item — HN Reader

Why are you guys so sensitive? It makes you weaker, not superior. People say all kinds of things to manipulate others, make them vulnerable, etc., and if one's going to waste their few moments granted on this planet dealing with non-issues like this - it's just a poor strategy. And, by the way, you're insensitive toward people who are even less sensitive.

Edit: I have kids, they get home crying, because people call them this or that. So, it's time to grow up.

3 comments

If someone's a mild jerk, saying "Hey, you were kind of being a jerk back there, seemed unnecessarily mean, knock it off" isn't being sensitive, it's asserting yourself. Sure, pick your battles, obviously. Nobody is suggesting violent jihad against the author.

"Hey, this reads as a bit racist to me" isn't really "crying to mommy/daddy", it's expressing an opinion on the text. Legislating what is and isn't an appropriate (ie, "not oversensitive") opinion on a text is counterproductive.

I only mentioned it because I normally don't give a crap about these kinds of things. I am genuinely surprised that I am even slightly offended by this... its not a rational choice.

p.s. I am doing this as I wind down after a long day of productive work. I wouldn't assume that anyone browsing HN places particular value on the discussion here beyond its own intrinsic value... its certainly not wasting my precious few moments.

(pps. i did not downvote, but upvoted, because conflicting and honest opinions are vital to healthy discussion, and yours is perfectly valid imo).

> I am genuinely surprised that I am even slightly offended by this... its not a rational choice.

Racism is not rational. You feeling offended could have more to do with your own prejudice being exposed (the joke worked) than feeling sorry for the arabs that may have been offended by this (there is, as of yet, no sign pointing to that).

Humor uses stereotypes. That's why the owner of the Kwik-E-Mart is an Indian illegal immigrant named Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. If such humor makes one uncomfortable, do you really think that is out of empathy for the Indians? I think it is more likely that one has a thin skin or does not want to see their own stereotypes confirmed.

Also the context is important here (see the Comodo Hacker). The choice for a foreign name and an untrustworthy-sounding business name was not willy-nilly. Finally: Have a hacker tip of the day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAQqrnX7BsM

just to clear up. i am actually an arab.

i think apu's name is a joke on the exceptionally long names of sri lankans... and yes, it is casually racist - or at least pokes fun at a nationality if not a race (whatever the case, its not a good joke imo).

+1 for video.

No, Apu's name is not "casual racism".

First of all, it's not casual. It's not an offhand, unintended remark that nonetheless reveals a hidden negative bias. Apu's name was very deliberately - the opposite of casually - chosen by the show creators.

Second of all, it's not racist. The name, by itself, imports nothing negative about Apu. It does not say Apu is inferior, nor does it show an intention of harm against Apu.

What does the name do? It shows an interesting human difference, that in some cultures, it is common to have much longer names than in others. The name points that out, and to most viewers that is amusing because they aren't used to such names. Their culture's average name length is far shorter.

But there is nothing positive nor negative about having a shorter or a longer name. Apu's name isn't making a negative statement about Apu - unless you have a bias against long names / south Asian names. If you do, then Apu is just directing your attention to your own bias.

this is a good point. thanks for taking the time to try and educate me :)

Thank you! I didn't mean anything personal, just wanted to make a point on how valuable time is and that we should focus on real issues such as colonizing the space, curing cancer, MRSA, diabetes, CVD - you name them, reverse time, eradicate poverty, and countless others. Often we do exactly what the offenders want - to get outraged and enter the vicious circle that's often hard to escape. I think ignoring such attempts is the harshest penalty.

You don't get to dictate to people what is a non-issue to them and what is not. Everyone has different experiences which affects their outlook and what they deem important.

> I have kids, they get home crying, because people call them this or that. So, it's time to grow up.

The "sticks and stones" argument, really? How about you call the next black person you see the N-word and then tell them to grow up when s/he becomes 'sensitive'.

I don't attempt to dictate anything; I share personal opinions and strategies with others who may find them of value.

In my home country (Bulgaria), black people are called the N-word officially and I haven't seen any black person having issues with that. If I knew any black people, I wouldn't mind telling them what I think about words and stuff, trust me! Now, a different story - Turks during the Turkish Slavery of the Balkans were calling us giaours [0], which is undoubtedly derogatory, but, no Christians were calling themselves "giaours" like it is the case with the N-word. Do you see my point?

[0]: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/giaour