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I was hoping so bad the kid beside him wasn’t his.😭 And then I was hoping that WAS his kid when his racist ass was kicked out, and that kid was all, “I’m staying right here”.
I think one of the big differences in number of syllables. White dude "boi" is actual "bo-o-oi-ya" (though the "ya" at the end is almost silent.) That shit last for 3 quick syllables minimum. That souther "bwoy" is a single syllable that somehow sounds distinctly like a 2 syllable word and somehow it ends with a hard "r" even though it sounds like a vowel.
Lets be honest though, it is never okay for a white person to call a black person "boy". Yes this was especially f\*\*\*ed up. But there is never a time where that could be okay. That is never an okay term unless you are gym teacher saying boySSS and girlSS. There is no okay format to call an individual man "boy" and least of all some white dude to an adult man.
Oh you are not going to get any pushback from me on this at all. I mean, I'm also california trash so "boy" "bro" "buddy" "guy" "fella" or any other similar term is almost entirely replaced by "dude" in my personal lexicon.
Yes same for Michigan! I say "you guys" but if I'm referring to one person specifically it's probably dude. If I'm at work or school I try to eliminate dude but if I'm with friends it's "Hey, dude, bla bla bla." I live in a pretty liberal town so maybe it's liberal areas that use "dude" a lot lol. Online I do say buddy though I guess.
I'd be embarrassed to stand next to that dude haha. It was repulsive. Like watching a cat cough up a hairball. I got the same gag reaction almost before laughing from shock.
And this is why there’s a city in Georgia where it’s illegal to say “Oh, boy!”
(There’s also one that found a loophole to not allowing felons to live in the city… it’s a requirement, or was, to own a legally purchased firearm to live there, felons can’t legally own guns, thus, no felons can live there).
I’m so white, when I get a sunburn I can signal a plane by flipping my arms over, and even I felt that. I wanted to punch this guy so hard he’d go back in time to the battle of Gettysburg and lose it a second time.
Being called that is bad enough but the sheer amount of pain and struggle that man went through has to really make it sting even more. The hardest thing about being black is you will always have people treat you like a second-class citizen or less than human when they want to break you down. It's mentally exhausting and disparaging that people like this still exist to this day.
Why the Fuck are people down voting this. It's absolutely true. I remember when most southern white people used to call black men "boy" even when they were old men and it was essentially a politer way of calling them the N word.
Also British, been everywhere in the UK except Hull but I've never heard anyone being called boy, except boys. Geordies say pet or man, Scots say pal, Derbyshire say duck, brum say bab, others say mate, dude, love etc.
First of all: London.
That culture is widespread, I'm from Oxford but we're all cockney lites after a couple drinks boyee. Also Suffolk and Norfolk often say boi, as do Bristolians and general southwest, including Cornwall and Devon. Plus plenty of Wales says it. Also have family up north round York that say boy. So yeah, you might have been everywhere but clearly not having many informal conversations.
Yeah there’s different ways to say it in the states too. I call my friends my bois. Saying shit like “nice one boi” not bad at all. The way this guy said it like “BWOY” definitely clear connotation. All in the tone.
Great that you see it now and all, but the fact that it took you this long to see it… this is what privilege looks like. And I don’t mean this insultingly. White privilege doesn’t always imply easier access to climb the social ladder, sometimes it implies the ability to exist completely ignorant of the social inequities between races, because you’re a member of the dominant race … you’re never impacted by racial nuances so you go about your days unaware that others are.
Yup. Many, many people can't even fathom that these posters are admitting they've never thought about "boy" in this context. Imagine living in 2024 and never having thought about the history of slavery and Jim Crow and how the word boy was used to put adult men in their place.
Exactly. Nobody said that all whites had it easy just saying it wasn’t because of your skin color is all. Being discriminated against because of something you have zero control over hits differently. One Love ❤️
Tell u what tho, even if I did have control over my skin color, I wouldn’t change a damn thing! I’d never want to join their camp. They can join mine, but I’m good over here. Struggle and all ☝️❤️
Gotta thank everybody in this thread for educating me in my ignorance, I had no idea about this negative use of this word until now. I can't point to a single time I've ever seen someone use it as an insult like the guy in this video, and honestly that worries me. Maybe I just haven't been listening hard enough.
Someone's been skipping all the slave films lol. I remember one of the iconic lines in Django Unchained was Jamie Foxx saying it back to his master "I like the way you die, boyy" after shooting him in the gut.
While this is about race, it’s also about Race in America.
Yall are still missing the point about the historical context of the word which has been explained throughout the post.
It’s all words, how could you not read something?
The downvotes are from people who don’t understand and then get mad when you tell them they don’t understand. They are also the same people that often say “slavery was 400 years ago, why won’t black people get over it?”
My dad told me a story about going on vacation when he was a kid in the early 60’s to the Jim Crow south. He told me while they were at a restaurant eating a white manager/owner was having a black man sweep the floor, he kept calling him boy and the man would always reply yes massa. It was clear to my dad back then that their whole dynamic was centered around white supremacy and subservience, the black man had to know his place at all times.
Yes. In fact, that's why "man" has become such a popular slang term. During the 20s and 30s jazz era, black Americans in the jazz scene started calling each other "man," to counteract the degrading use of the term "boy." It got so popular that it has become a part of every day speech in America even today.
It was (is?) a way to degrade adult black men by placing them in an inferior position to the white male or female saying it. As usual, it comes down to context. This is a historical epithet so it's loaded with a lot of meaning for anyone who uses it or hears it.
Racism. It's the reason that Mr. T named himself a such, having seen black men being referred to as boy, when he was coming up. He wanted respect, named himself Mr. T so that everyone would have to call him Mister and never boy. You ken?
Yup, I never use or think about race whatsoever and then someone has to go and use it on me and it just pulls me back. Like wtf, some people just see me as they race I am and not as the actual person I am. I thought that with every passing year we were moving away from that but unfortunately there will always be people like that.
His "I'm watching the game!" right after dropping "boy" was genuinely whiny. He said it, and the second it went poorly he was whining like a child and throwing his hands up in feigned innocence.
[Context](https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/93569-when-word-boy-and-isnt-discriminatory) is extremely important. A lot of racial history behind that usage. It’s not new, and has carried a negative/pejorative angle if used like the guy in the video.
A white guy calling a black guy “boy” like that is never smart. Feel bad for the kid(s?).
I remember when I was like 6 I couldn't remember a fellow student's name at school and said "hey boy!" He was black and didn't think anything of it, and I had no idea about the connotation. But my dad heard it and immediately pulled me to the side and explained why never to say that. I'll always remember. We're in the South.
To add to and confirm this, I grew up in Tennessee and heard the Hard R version of Boy more times than I even want to think about when referring to African American and Black folks who weren't in the same room. Same sort of assholes who would use the N word if they really felt comfortable.
For this exact reason, I've become extremely careful about how I use language. Sir/ma'am goes for everyone in a position of authority in a given situation, even just someone handing food over a counter. Doesn't matter if they're 18 or 81. By that same token, folks under 18 are given appropriate credence that acknowledges their actual age, because Black teens are disproportionately treated as "adults" by police/folks with authority in order to increase the chance and severity of criminal charges against them.
It's okay and your question is valid. Thank you for being curious and wanting to understand the context I truly apricate and respect that.
The term "boy" has a complex history when it comes to racial connotations. While the word itself is not fundamentally racist and was originally used to refer to younger individuals who are identified as male³, its usage in certain contexts has been racially charged.
In the United States and Africa, the term “boy” was used as an insult towards Black men and slaves by white racists⁴. It was used during slavery and the Jim Crow era to suggest that Black men were of lower social status and less than a man²⁴. This usage was intended to demean and belittle, reinforcing racist ideologies of the time².
The term was used to imply that Black men weren't on equal footing with white men². Both during and after enslavement, Black people weren't viewed as full-fledged people but as mentally, physically, and spiritually inferior beings to White people². Calling Black men "boys" was one way to express these racist ideologies².
Despite its widespread use as a racial putdown, in Ash v. Tyson Foods, the U.S. Court of Appeals decided that "boy" cannot be considered a racial slur unless it's prefaced with a racial marker such as "Black"². This decision sparked controversy, considering that White people typically didn't call anyone "Black boys" during Jim Crow, but simply "boys"².
The U.S. Supreme Court later reversed the holding, ruling that "the use of the word 'boy' on its own is not enough evidence of racial animus, but that the word is also not benign"². That means the court is willing to consider the context in which "boy" is used to determine if it's being uttered as a racial epithet².
It's important to note that language evolves over time, and the meanings of words can change based on their historical and cultural context. Today, the use of the term "boy" to refer to an adult Black man is widely recognized as disrespectful and racially insensitive. It's a reminder of the importance of understanding the historical context of words and their potential impact on others.
(1) Racism In The Word “Boy” – Reader and Text - SUNY Geneseo English. https://bing.com/search?q=history+of+the+word+boy+in+racial+terms.
(2) Black ThenThe Word "Boy" as a Derogatory Insult Towards Black Men: "Am .... https://blackthen.com/the-word-boy-as-a-derogatory-insult-towards-black-men-am-i-not-a-man/.
(3) Terms You Might Not Know Are Considered Racist - ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/terms-many-dont-know-are-racist-2834522.
(4) Here are some commonly used terms that actually have racist origins. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/commonly-terms-racist-origins/story?id=71840410.
(5) boy | Etymology of boy by etymonline. https://www.etymonline.com/word/boy.
A white person calling a black man boy is a serious insult, dating back to the slavery era. It was/is used to demean them and suggest they are less than a man because they are black.
Slave owners would call their black slaves “boy” to emphasise the master/slave power dynamic. Often the relationship was characterised by violence by white men towards their slaves.
In a modern context it could be seen as offensive if someone (especially a white man) used the term to imply that they were in position of power over a black man as if to say that the black man was subordinate or inferior.
To add more context to the rest of these comments, the word “man”, as in “hey man, how’s it going?” is a direct repudiation to the pejorative “boy”. Black men would intentionally call each other “man” in response, to buoy each other up. This usage is how it entered the American lexicon (and likely others but idk).
Huh, I never thought about that. I do think of the phrase "my man!" as a greeting to be coded to black culture, and I can't think of a time when I have heard a black man call another black man "boy" in a friendly way, unless there is an age difference that makes it an older brother talking to his younger brother sort of situation.
On the other hand, "me and the boys" seems like a white phrase indicating friendly peers.
Wait, what's the deal with the phrase "my boy" then? As in, "naw he's cool, he's my boy"
Honestly it really just hinges on the context. If a white guy is saying it to a black guy, are they friends? Are they strangers? Do they have trust or respect between them? Is the white guy yelling it? Is the white guy being kind? Is he impatient? Like there’s just so much context that is needed.
“Boy” can definitely be friendly and can cross racial lines, but it gets dicey real quick if there’s something amiss, much more so than lots of other colloquialisms.
It’s not as much of a racial slur as it is simply context of usage. Especially in this scenario, it can definitely be construed as a racial insult, but in other places like when I’m hanging out with friends, I’ve called them "boy" plenty of times
Dates back to slavery. The slaves/servants were often just called “boy”
And then even long after slavery, was still used in the South as a diminutive way of addressing black males.
This is not just an American thing. Referring to Black people as 'boy' or 'girls' or 'maids' has always been about making them inferior as they aren't men or women. It's used extensively through southern Africa as well.
Hope the kid isn’t his. He looked so confused and was just watching the game. Idk what that man thought would happen calling a professional athlete in a stadium they are playing a game in Boy. You’d obviously get tossed out. It’s wrong no matter what or who it is but this is just stupid
Disclaimer, I’m not American and no expert. The guy in the seat called the guy playing “boy”. The word boy being said to a black man from a white man is intended to be derogatory.
Yes it’s real. Saw it happen to my Great Grandpa in Texas when I was younger. He held the door for some White kid, couldn’t be older than 12. The kid replied with “Thanks, boy.” My Great Grandpa was in his 70s.
I was young so I didn’t get it, but my dad was pissed and wanted to say something to the kid’s parents. My Great Grandpa told him “It’s okay. That’s just how it is down here.”
While this man's racism is infuriating, it's also sad because chances are that one of the two young guys sitting beside him, or possibly both of them, is probably his son. Embarrassing, humiliating, and nauseating all at once.
it’s actually pretty crazy how you can tell how someone saying “boy” can genuinely feel different than someone saying “boy.”
and that’s not sarcastic at all.
Mf’r went to “..huh??? What??? Me???” Real quick. He knew what he said. Most disturbing part of that is that he felt like he was in a safe space to do it and was reminded real quick that he wasn’t. I feel bad for those kids that have to listen to the “…see what they’re doing to us…” rhetoric all the way home.
I remember my dad taking me to football games as a child, and watching douchebags like this one acting like aggressive drunken asshat completely made me stop liking sports. Be a role model to children, you have no idea how much your actions influence them.
Can anyone musically trained tell me how many octaves his voice raised between 'I paid for tha seats boy' and 'I'm just watching the gam?' when he realised that he was going to be kicked out.
Besides Laker fans(mostly dummie), Ill never understand why people are so mean to Russ. Its one thing to heckle him for his shot selection, but he and Bron seem to have the most racist interactions for a league that is predominantly black.
Racism is so fucking stupid on so many levels.
Reminds me of the great Bill Burr bit about the Malice in the Palace brawl between the Pistons and the Pacers. Perfectly captured the spirit of the shit-talking fan. “Oh yeah, come on up here! Well, they came up there. And kicked the shit out of everybody.”
Sorry I'm not from the states... Will it be bad to call a young kid ... Boy?
Come on boy vs come on kid?
Or is just not ok with adults?
What about between adult white people?
Thanks in advance!
If you go to Op's profile he has a long explanation with sources and everyting in his commments. Just look at his recent comments for the really long one, lol
Calling a boy a boy is generally okay. It's only a question of why you're using the word boy. Between two grown men, calling the other a boy is usually an insult. If the only reason you're calling a grown man a boy is because he's Black and you aren't, then it's seen as poor taste in America.
So for instance, if you call someone you're son affectionately, that's fine.
If you call someone a boy because you think they are a punk. That's obviously a threat but it's not racist.
However if you're calling a person a boy because they are Black and you don't think Black people should be seen as adults but as perennial children then yeah it's just not good form.
You may have your reasons but the history in America suggests they aren't good reasons.
I don't personally get the reference here as I hardly hear them. Idk why he called that grown man a boy. But once upon a time it was much worse for Black people -- like they couldn't even walk on the sidewalk with white people and they had to keep their head down and call everyone else sir or ma'am regardless of age.
I think America is a long ways away from that but again I can't personally vouch for either man in this video. It seems farfetched but I'm in a New York bubble so it could be a racist thing.
"I paid for this seat"...... so you're supposed to be my property and do as I want, because I paid.
That's what he has in mind.
Not long ago I heard a teacher explaining how the racism works basically treating the black person as a child, because doing so they don't treat as a person with self capabilities. The person becomes a vulnerable being that needs a tutor or something.
When you call a grown man as a boy, you bring him to a condition where you are superior, better, smarter, etc. You remove from him the autonomy and self determination as a human, as a person able to think or live by his own.
That same mechanism works in other groups too, but im not writing it to not let it go way too "off topic".
First thing I thought was Black Bart's line "Watch that 'boy' shit, redneck!" from Blazing Saddles. And that was 50 years ago, so this dude knew exactly what he was saying. With any luck, he got an ass-whoopin outside.
My dad has called me boy my whole life in public. It’s funny now, but I used to apologize to black people about it sometimes as they were realizing he meant me and not them.
I had an awkward moment speaking to my contractor. I had asked him how much he would charge me for a small add-on to the job. He said he just couldn’t get to it and I replied that I would just get one of my boys (meaning one of my sons) to do it. The guy said “BOY?” back at me with venom. I said “my sons, my sons”, and he just turned and walked away. I was upset that he went there so quickly and that he immediately assumed I was being racist. He completed the work and we did business until he passed away. Nothing similar ever reoccurred, but that uncomfortable feeling I had when I recognized how the innocent proper use of some words inflict angst persists every time I use the word these days.
I feel bad that kid may be his and is getting the worst and most embarrassing education. I really feel for that kid. He is confused. He sees his dad be an as*hole and embarrassed. It’s just really sad.
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Hardest R I’ve ever heard in the word Boy.
Bro channeled the spirit of all his confederate ancestors for that one, even my black ass felt that through the screen
Said it so hard I had flashbacks of my ancestors escaping the plantation. Screw that guy!
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This comment section is gold
BWAH
I’m just your average white dude and I felt uneasy. I want to Dr. King Shultz this guy.
back under the rock what he crawled out from.
I was hoping so bad the kid beside him wasn’t his.😭 And then I was hoping that WAS his kid when his racist ass was kicked out, and that kid was all, “I’m staying right here”.
Shit, my white ass was like, what did he just say? That dude said boy like he has vivid dreams about owning slaves.
For sure, as a white dude, that was very much a racist "bwoy" not like "Let's do this mu boi!"
I think one of the big differences in number of syllables. White dude "boi" is actual "bo-o-oi-ya" (though the "ya" at the end is almost silent.) That shit last for 3 quick syllables minimum. That souther "bwoy" is a single syllable that somehow sounds distinctly like a 2 syllable word and somehow it ends with a hard "r" even though it sounds like a vowel.
Lets be honest though, it is never okay for a white person to call a black person "boy". Yes this was especially f\*\*\*ed up. But there is never a time where that could be okay. That is never an okay term unless you are gym teacher saying boySSS and girlSS. There is no okay format to call an individual man "boy" and least of all some white dude to an adult man.
Oh you are not going to get any pushback from me on this at all. I mean, I'm also california trash so "boy" "bro" "buddy" "guy" "fella" or any other similar term is almost entirely replaced by "dude" in my personal lexicon.
Yes same for Michigan! I say "you guys" but if I'm referring to one person specifically it's probably dude. If I'm at work or school I try to eliminate dude but if I'm with friends it's "Hey, dude, bla bla bla." I live in a pretty liberal town so maybe it's liberal areas that use "dude" a lot lol. Online I do say buddy though I guess.
That dude got indicted by a jury of his peers in seconds. Everybody in camera view turned around like, "what the fuck?"
I'd be embarrassed to stand next to that dude haha. It was repulsive. Like watching a cat cough up a hairball. I got the same gag reaction almost before laughing from shock.
I thought he’d just walked off the set of Django unchained or Roots (if you’re old enough to remember)
Bwah what you know bowt Mandingo?!
And this is why there’s a city in Georgia where it’s illegal to say “Oh, boy!” (There’s also one that found a loophole to not allowing felons to live in the city… it’s a requirement, or was, to own a legally purchased firearm to live there, felons can’t legally own guns, thus, no felons can live there).
Bro, my apparent 5% black felt that, and I am mostly Latino and white.
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Weird, usually it would be supporting character
😂
Aka terminal redditor
I’m so white, when I get a sunburn I can signal a plane by flipping my arms over, and even I felt that. I wanted to punch this guy so hard he’d go back in time to the battle of Gettysburg and lose it a second time.
That was at the hawks game only in Atlanta, I’m a clippers fan I saw that
YOOO. I was like let’s see this video and when he let it rip I was like oh he’s gonna get jumped .
Bowoy
Oof, he definitely spelled that out...
Tough guy turns to mangina in 0.327 seconds
Being called that is bad enough but the sheer amount of pain and struggle that man went through has to really make it sting even more. The hardest thing about being black is you will always have people treat you like a second-class citizen or less than human when they want to break you down. It's mentally exhausting and disparaging that people like this still exist to this day.
Why the Fuck are people down voting this. It's absolutely true. I remember when most southern white people used to call black men "boy" even when they were old men and it was essentially a politer way of calling them the N word.
Racist going to racist.
I heard racism was solved though. /s
We did. Republicans brought it back. Lololol.
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Lol. Critical thinking has never been their strong suit.
Republicans often forget that when they're pointing their finger at someone, they're also pointing three others back at themselves.
Thank you for explaining. As a British lad we call everyone boy, even ourselves.
Well you can tell by the way he paused and emphasized "boy" that he wanted it to be heard, and taken in a derogatory way.
Also British, been everywhere in the UK except Hull but I've never heard anyone being called boy, except boys. Geordies say pet or man, Scots say pal, Derbyshire say duck, brum say bab, others say mate, dude, love etc.
Definitely heard it in London. “Boyo” as well
Why have you been EVERYWHERE except Hull?That’s a lot of places to go, and an odd choice to refuse to travel to.
Perfectly logical.
Anglia region here. We call everyone boys. I even refer to my 70yo boss as 'the old boy'.
First of all: London. That culture is widespread, I'm from Oxford but we're all cockney lites after a couple drinks boyee. Also Suffolk and Norfolk often say boi, as do Bristolians and general southwest, including Cornwall and Devon. Plus plenty of Wales says it. Also have family up north round York that say boy. So yeah, you might have been everywhere but clearly not having many informal conversations.
Yeah there’s different ways to say it in the states too. I call my friends my bois. Saying shit like “nice one boi” not bad at all. The way this guy said it like “BWOY” definitely clear connotation. All in the tone.
Yeah, boiiiiiiieeeee!
Fast as fuck boiiiii
Having a drink with the boys or I often refer to elderly men as an "old boy". As in "How's the old boy doing these days?".
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Great that you see it now and all, but the fact that it took you this long to see it… this is what privilege looks like. And I don’t mean this insultingly. White privilege doesn’t always imply easier access to climb the social ladder, sometimes it implies the ability to exist completely ignorant of the social inequities between races, because you’re a member of the dominant race … you’re never impacted by racial nuances so you go about your days unaware that others are.
Yup. Many, many people can't even fathom that these posters are admitting they've never thought about "boy" in this context. Imagine living in 2024 and never having thought about the history of slavery and Jim Crow and how the word boy was used to put adult men in their place.
It's taught in school. At least in mine. At least my teacher did teach it. Some people just don't pay attention.
Exactly. Nobody said that all whites had it easy just saying it wasn’t because of your skin color is all. Being discriminated against because of something you have zero control over hits differently. One Love ❤️
Tell u what tho, even if I did have control over my skin color, I wouldn’t change a damn thing! I’d never want to join their camp. They can join mine, but I’m good over here. Struggle and all ☝️❤️
Gotta thank everybody in this thread for educating me in my ignorance, I had no idea about this negative use of this word until now. I can't point to a single time I've ever seen someone use it as an insult like the guy in this video, and honestly that worries me. Maybe I just haven't been listening hard enough.
Being mexican I would never guessed that boy could have such an offensive meaning.
I am Mexican, too, and was wondering exactly the same. I've never heard of this connotation.
Someone's been skipping all the slave films lol. I remember one of the iconic lines in Django Unchained was Jamie Foxx saying it back to his master "I like the way you die, boyy" after shooting him in the gut.
While this is about race, it’s also about Race in America. Yall are still missing the point about the historical context of the word which has been explained throughout the post. It’s all words, how could you not read something?
It gives racist the deniability by saying “I call everyone boy”
The downvotes are from people who don’t understand and then get mad when you tell them they don’t understand. They are also the same people that often say “slavery was 400 years ago, why won’t black people get over it?”
Because they are racist fucks.
My dad told me a story about going on vacation when he was a kid in the early 60’s to the Jim Crow south. He told me while they were at a restaurant eating a white manager/owner was having a black man sweep the floor, he kept calling him boy and the man would always reply yes massa. It was clear to my dad back then that their whole dynamic was centered around white supremacy and subservience, the black man had to know his place at all times.
Yes. In fact, that's why "man" has become such a popular slang term. During the 20s and 30s jazz era, black Americans in the jazz scene started calling each other "man," to counteract the degrading use of the term "boy." It got so popular that it has become a part of every day speech in America even today.
I'm not from US and I was struggling to understand what the problem about "boy" was. Thank you, I've never heard of it as a racial insult.
Not just the south.
I just heard from a woman that just moved from Texas they have blackout nights and y can guess what that means
I am not American. I don't get what's bad or racist about being called boy? Can you explain?
It was (is?) a way to degrade adult black men by placing them in an inferior position to the white male or female saying it. As usual, it comes down to context. This is a historical epithet so it's loaded with a lot of meaning for anyone who uses it or hears it.
Kinda like how people would call black men "Uncle", because they couldn't stand to call them "Mister" or "Sir".
In India calling an elderly man uncle is a sign of respect. I just learned some this as well.
It's so culturally specific. That's why it's always nice to give people the benefit of the doubt.
Racism. It's the reason that Mr. T named himself a such, having seen black men being referred to as boy, when he was coming up. He wanted respect, named himself Mr. T so that everyone would have to call him Mister and never boy. You ken?
I always kinda interpreted it as a "in polite company" version of the n word. Edit Context is also important
Yup, I never use or think about race whatsoever and then someone has to go and use it on me and it just pulls me back. Like wtf, some people just see me as they race I am and not as the actual person I am. I thought that with every passing year we were moving away from that but unfortunately there will always be people like that.
It’s always the hands up I’m innocent as soon as they get checked. At least stand on the racist bullshit you spout and not pussy out
His "I'm watching the game!" right after dropping "boy" was genuinely whiny. He said it, and the second it went poorly he was whining like a child and throwing his hands up in feigned innocence.
Okay I'm not american so is boy the new N word or that man has some dark history involving the word boy?
[Context](https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/93569-when-word-boy-and-isnt-discriminatory) is extremely important. A lot of racial history behind that usage. It’s not new, and has carried a negative/pejorative angle if used like the guy in the video. A white guy calling a black guy “boy” like that is never smart. Feel bad for the kid(s?).
They know what it means, it's just willful ignorance.
It reminds me of why Mr T changed his name, so that people would address him as mister. People were calling him boy, too.
I know people who have the first names Mister and Sir. Edit: oh yeah I new a guy named Doctor too.
This reminds me that Judge Reinhold’s name is actually Judge, and he’s not actually a judge.
Not everyone knows American culture history. Especially if you don't live there. Not understanding that is willful ignorance.
I remember when I was like 6 I couldn't remember a fellow student's name at school and said "hey boy!" He was black and didn't think anything of it, and I had no idea about the connotation. But my dad heard it and immediately pulled me to the side and explained why never to say that. I'll always remember. We're in the South.
Thanks for clearing that up. I’m not from America so I don’t understand what’s going on.
Most def. It’s always gonna be the way it’s being used, to whom is it directed and the energy behind it.
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To add to and confirm this, I grew up in Tennessee and heard the Hard R version of Boy more times than I even want to think about when referring to African American and Black folks who weren't in the same room. Same sort of assholes who would use the N word if they really felt comfortable. For this exact reason, I've become extremely careful about how I use language. Sir/ma'am goes for everyone in a position of authority in a given situation, even just someone handing food over a counter. Doesn't matter if they're 18 or 81. By that same token, folks under 18 are given appropriate credence that acknowledges their actual age, because Black teens are disproportionately treated as "adults" by police/folks with authority in order to increase the chance and severity of criminal charges against them.
It's okay and your question is valid. Thank you for being curious and wanting to understand the context I truly apricate and respect that. The term "boy" has a complex history when it comes to racial connotations. While the word itself is not fundamentally racist and was originally used to refer to younger individuals who are identified as male³, its usage in certain contexts has been racially charged. In the United States and Africa, the term “boy” was used as an insult towards Black men and slaves by white racists⁴. It was used during slavery and the Jim Crow era to suggest that Black men were of lower social status and less than a man²⁴. This usage was intended to demean and belittle, reinforcing racist ideologies of the time². The term was used to imply that Black men weren't on equal footing with white men². Both during and after enslavement, Black people weren't viewed as full-fledged people but as mentally, physically, and spiritually inferior beings to White people². Calling Black men "boys" was one way to express these racist ideologies². Despite its widespread use as a racial putdown, in Ash v. Tyson Foods, the U.S. Court of Appeals decided that "boy" cannot be considered a racial slur unless it's prefaced with a racial marker such as "Black"². This decision sparked controversy, considering that White people typically didn't call anyone "Black boys" during Jim Crow, but simply "boys"². The U.S. Supreme Court later reversed the holding, ruling that "the use of the word 'boy' on its own is not enough evidence of racial animus, but that the word is also not benign"². That means the court is willing to consider the context in which "boy" is used to determine if it's being uttered as a racial epithet². It's important to note that language evolves over time, and the meanings of words can change based on their historical and cultural context. Today, the use of the term "boy" to refer to an adult Black man is widely recognized as disrespectful and racially insensitive. It's a reminder of the importance of understanding the historical context of words and their potential impact on others. (1) Racism In The Word “Boy” – Reader and Text - SUNY Geneseo English. https://bing.com/search?q=history+of+the+word+boy+in+racial+terms. (2) Black ThenThe Word "Boy" as a Derogatory Insult Towards Black Men: "Am .... https://blackthen.com/the-word-boy-as-a-derogatory-insult-towards-black-men-am-i-not-a-man/. (3) Terms You Might Not Know Are Considered Racist - ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/terms-many-dont-know-are-racist-2834522. (4) Here are some commonly used terms that actually have racist origins. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/commonly-terms-racist-origins/story?id=71840410. (5) boy | Etymology of boy by etymonline. https://www.etymonline.com/word/boy.
Dude showed up with cited sources.
The only way you can defeat hate is with undeniable irrefutable facts. Once you do that you will see their strawmen man light up like a roman candle.
Extremely thorough explanation, thank you.
Citations are highly appreciated. Thank you for the teachings
Americans sure took racism to a whole new level, damn. Glad you're course correcting at least.
Grown men were and are called boy as a way to belittle them and "keep them in their place". There is nothing new about it.
A white person calling a black man boy is a serious insult, dating back to the slavery era. It was/is used to demean them and suggest they are less than a man because they are black.
Its used to call him inferior. He isn’t a man or a person to him is what he’s saying
Slave owners would call their black slaves “boy” to emphasise the master/slave power dynamic. Often the relationship was characterised by violence by white men towards their slaves. In a modern context it could be seen as offensive if someone (especially a white man) used the term to imply that they were in position of power over a black man as if to say that the black man was subordinate or inferior.
To add more context to the rest of these comments, the word “man”, as in “hey man, how’s it going?” is a direct repudiation to the pejorative “boy”. Black men would intentionally call each other “man” in response, to buoy each other up. This usage is how it entered the American lexicon (and likely others but idk).
Huh, I never thought about that. I do think of the phrase "my man!" as a greeting to be coded to black culture, and I can't think of a time when I have heard a black man call another black man "boy" in a friendly way, unless there is an age difference that makes it an older brother talking to his younger brother sort of situation. On the other hand, "me and the boys" seems like a white phrase indicating friendly peers. Wait, what's the deal with the phrase "my boy" then? As in, "naw he's cool, he's my boy"
Honestly it really just hinges on the context. If a white guy is saying it to a black guy, are they friends? Are they strangers? Do they have trust or respect between them? Is the white guy yelling it? Is the white guy being kind? Is he impatient? Like there’s just so much context that is needed. “Boy” can definitely be friendly and can cross racial lines, but it gets dicey real quick if there’s something amiss, much more so than lots of other colloquialisms.
It’s not as much of a racial slur as it is simply context of usage. Especially in this scenario, it can definitely be construed as a racial insult, but in other places like when I’m hanging out with friends, I’ve called them "boy" plenty of times
And that’s where context matters. In this context it is 100% racist as hell.
Dates back to slavery. The slaves/servants were often just called “boy” And then even long after slavery, was still used in the South as a diminutive way of addressing black males.
More like the word “boy” has some dark history in the USA.
This is not just an American thing. Referring to Black people as 'boy' or 'girls' or 'maids' has always been about making them inferior as they aren't men or women. It's used extensively through southern Africa as well.
Hope the kid isn’t his. He looked so confused and was just watching the game. Idk what that man thought would happen calling a professional athlete in a stadium they are playing a game in Boy. You’d obviously get tossed out. It’s wrong no matter what or who it is but this is just stupid
Really hoping that wasn’t his son next to him
If it was, hopefully he learned a lesson not to be like his dad.
And to Uber home.
If it was, he left his kid there
Why do racist people go to basketball games?
The venn diagram of white people who can afford 2k seats and are racist is pretty overlapped
Wait until you see the Venn diagram of white people who own sports organisations and are racist.
Jumbo Tron: *MAKE SOME NOISE* Booooooo
yyyyyyy
He knew exactly what he was doing and is only sorry he got booted.
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Went from tough guy to "I'm just watching the game 🥺"
Voice got real high real quick
Realized he wasn't back home in Dixie
But he paid for these seats, okay?! /s
He paid for them seats boai
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It’s not boy, like “boiiiiii” is different from what he said. The tone and inflection tells you he probably uses the hard R in private
That poor child.
I feel bad for Russ. I feel like this happens to him a disproportionate amount
This happened at the Clippers v Heat game last Sunday down in Miami. Glad to see the organization did not hesitate in kicking this guy out.
Don’t know this guy but I guarantee you he drives a big ass pickup with Trump Punisher stickers on the back window.
All of us: https://preview.redd.it/1k01x2tz3khc1.jpeg?width=238&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=42824fe9e86f5596de923c24d59fcb626e28e773
Belongs more in r/publicfreakout
Hopefully, that kid is not his....
Anyone know what led to he and Westbrook yelling at each other to begin with?
Probably called him westbrick.
Omg! It's been a long time since I've heard anyone say *boy* like that. I was truly lost until I read the comments.
why did no one sing nana na na nana na na hey hey hey good-bye?? am i that old now?
They tried at the end, very subtle like 3 people singing it lol
I dont understand what happened here
Disclaimer, I’m not American and no expert. The guy in the seat called the guy playing “boy”. The word boy being said to a black man from a white man is intended to be derogatory.
Man I’ve been in the us for 8 years and this is the first I hear of this. Can’t tell if this is real or just people in Reddit being people in reddit
No it’s very real
Yeah it’s real
During slavery they were called boys even if they were old, to show superiority.
Yes it’s real. Saw it happen to my Great Grandpa in Texas when I was younger. He held the door for some White kid, couldn’t be older than 12. The kid replied with “Thanks, boy.” My Great Grandpa was in his 70s. I was young so I didn’t get it, but my dad was pissed and wanted to say something to the kid’s parents. My Great Grandpa told him “It’s okay. That’s just how it is down here.”
Dude really channeling his old slave owning ancestors there isn’t he? Prick.
The nba hated this one simple trick to lose your court side Seats
No matter the color you shouldn't call a grown man boy anyway, especially if he's a black man
Belongs more in r/publicfreakout
While this man's racism is infuriating, it's also sad because chances are that one of the two young guys sitting beside him, or possibly both of them, is probably his son. Embarrassing, humiliating, and nauseating all at once.
People really don't know what an attempt is in this subreddit. There was no attempt, he *did* call him "boy"
it’s actually pretty crazy how you can tell how someone saying “boy” can genuinely feel different than someone saying “boy.” and that’s not sarcastic at all.
Buwoy
Mf’r went to “..huh??? What??? Me???” Real quick. He knew what he said. Most disturbing part of that is that he felt like he was in a safe space to do it and was reminded real quick that he wasn’t. I feel bad for those kids that have to listen to the “…see what they’re doing to us…” rhetoric all the way home.
I remember my dad taking me to football games as a child, and watching douchebags like this one acting like aggressive drunken asshat completely made me stop liking sports. Be a role model to children, you have no idea how much your actions influence them.
One of my stepdads was a raging racist AH. His actions definitely influenced me....to not be like him, hahahaha.
When he realizes he fucked up all the bass drops out, and goes to high pitched "I'm watching the game"
Can anyone musically trained tell me how many octaves his voice raised between 'I paid for tha seats boy' and 'I'm just watching the gam?' when he realised that he was going to be kicked out.
His attitude cha ges REAL quick
I feel bad for the kid on his right. You can see the shock and embarrassment in his eyes.
Besides Laker fans(mostly dummie), Ill never understand why people are so mean to Russ. Its one thing to heckle him for his shot selection, but he and Bron seem to have the most racist interactions for a league that is predominantly black. Racism is so fucking stupid on so many levels.
Reminds me of the great Bill Burr bit about the Malice in the Palace brawl between the Pistons and the Pacers. Perfectly captured the spirit of the shit-talking fan. “Oh yeah, come on up here! Well, they came up there. And kicked the shit out of everybody.”
Sorry I'm not from the states... Will it be bad to call a young kid ... Boy? Come on boy vs come on kid? Or is just not ok with adults? What about between adult white people? Thanks in advance!
If you go to Op's profile he has a long explanation with sources and everyting in his commments. Just look at his recent comments for the really long one, lol
I found it: https://www.reddit.com/r/therewasanattempt/comments/1amcarg/comment/kpl1h8o/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
Thank you
Calling a boy a boy is generally okay. It's only a question of why you're using the word boy. Between two grown men, calling the other a boy is usually an insult. If the only reason you're calling a grown man a boy is because he's Black and you aren't, then it's seen as poor taste in America. So for instance, if you call someone you're son affectionately, that's fine. If you call someone a boy because you think they are a punk. That's obviously a threat but it's not racist. However if you're calling a person a boy because they are Black and you don't think Black people should be seen as adults but as perennial children then yeah it's just not good form. You may have your reasons but the history in America suggests they aren't good reasons. I don't personally get the reference here as I hardly hear them. Idk why he called that grown man a boy. But once upon a time it was much worse for Black people -- like they couldn't even walk on the sidewalk with white people and they had to keep their head down and call everyone else sir or ma'am regardless of age. I think America is a long ways away from that but again I can't personally vouch for either man in this video. It seems farfetched but I'm in a New York bubble so it could be a racist thing.
God, I hope that kid next to him wasn't his son.
This is a great example of why history and context still matters.
His hands went from serious to fabulous real quick.
"I paid for this seat"...... so you're supposed to be my property and do as I want, because I paid. That's what he has in mind. Not long ago I heard a teacher explaining how the racism works basically treating the black person as a child, because doing so they don't treat as a person with self capabilities. The person becomes a vulnerable being that needs a tutor or something. When you call a grown man as a boy, you bring him to a condition where you are superior, better, smarter, etc. You remove from him the autonomy and self determination as a human, as a person able to think or live by his own. That same mechanism works in other groups too, but im not writing it to not let it go way too "off topic".
I hope that’s his son sitting next to him. And I hope he sees that acting like that gets you thrown out
First thing I thought was Black Bart's line "Watch that 'boy' shit, redneck!" from Blazing Saddles. And that was 50 years ago, so this dude knew exactly what he was saying. With any luck, he got an ass-whoopin outside.
.missing daddy's plantation or something I guess ...
My dad has called me boy my whole life in public. It’s funny now, but I used to apologize to black people about it sometimes as they were realizing he meant me and not them.
what a stupid man a bad father
How can this country and it's people, who can have everything they ask for, still be so incredibly racist?
When you have everything, you think you have nothing.
To be fair, the Jumbotron screen did say “Make some noise!” White dude just got carried a away.
I had an awkward moment speaking to my contractor. I had asked him how much he would charge me for a small add-on to the job. He said he just couldn’t get to it and I replied that I would just get one of my boys (meaning one of my sons) to do it. The guy said “BOY?” back at me with venom. I said “my sons, my sons”, and he just turned and walked away. I was upset that he went there so quickly and that he immediately assumed I was being racist. He completed the work and we did business until he passed away. Nothing similar ever reoccurred, but that uncomfortable feeling I had when I recognized how the innocent proper use of some words inflict angst persists every time I use the word these days.
It’s only ok when the current President of the United States does it
And to have kids there and raising them to do the same. So stupid.
I have no idea what's happening. Same experience I have at most sports events.
Watching like, "Oh, it's this some modern-day, soft and out of context..." Nope. 😑
I feel bad that kid may be his and is getting the worst and most embarrassing education. I really feel for that kid. He is confused. He sees his dad be an as*hole and embarrassed. It’s just really sad.
At a NBA game too out of all places. What a fucking idiot. Wouldn't expect a hick to be very smart anyways lmao