Gypsy as a derogatory term

[BlueDenimLamp]

I just hope this whole thing doesn't get back to Mama...

[markolas]

Originally Posted by BlueDenimLamp

I just hope this whole thing doesn't get back to Mama...

I hope it doesn't get back to Javier Pacheco!

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by markolas

I hope it doesn't get back to Javier Pacheco!

But really though.

[beccamorrisfift]

I enjoy pissing the anti-Gypsy people off.

[Dove]

Originally Posted by beccamorrisfift

I enjoy pissing the anti-Gypsy people off.

I've gotten some pretty nasty messages on Tumblr for posting Stevie lyrics. It's so backwards, they can accuse "white people" (as the anti-gypsys say) of being so racist for posting lyrics (and not even knowing the word was derogatory!) when they turn around and call me an "ignorant cracker". It's pretty messed up, I'm through responding to these people.

[TrueFaith77]

The word "gypsy" is not racist; a derivation such as "gypped" is racist. In Stevie's song, being a "gypsy" is seen as a positive thing. So any controversy over that is ridiculous, even if it's viewed as a white (and therefore privileged) woman's projection onto the wild, carefree racial "other"--at worst, that's just sociology.

[Sanne2]

Tumblr is full of people that take stuff too seriously.

[David]

I blame the school system.

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by David

I blame the school system.

I blame Wikipedia.

[Silver Springs]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

I blame Wikipedia.

I blame Jerry Springer. No particular reason. I just hate the man.

As you were.

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by Dove

I've gotten some pretty nasty messages on Tumblr for posting Stevie lyrics. It's so backwards, they can accuse "white people" (as the anti-gypsys say) of being so racist for posting lyrics (and not even knowing the word was derogatory!) when they turn around and call me an "ignorant cracker". It's pretty messed up, I'm through responding to these people.

I mean, I'm a people pleaser so I hate when anyone is offended. I tried to respond rationally and I was OVERLY nice and I just got cursed at, called a concern troll, an idiot and told to f*ck off basically.

That girl fails to realize that by cursing at people, telling people to kill themselves and that she hopes they die.... she's being FAR more hateful than anyone quoting freaking Stevie Nicks lyrics was. Seriously. How hard is that to see?

Seriously the basically-death-threat type stuff is a problem.

[Silver Springs]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

I mean, I'm a people pleaser so I hate when anyone is offended. I tried to respond rationally and I was OVERLY nice and I just got cursed at, called a concern troll, an idiot and told to f*ck off basically.

That girl fails to realize that by cursing at people, telling people to kill themselves and that she hopes they die.... she's being FAR more hateful than anyone quoting freaking Stevie Nicks lyrics was. Seriously. How hard is that to see?

Seriously the basically-death-threat type stuff is a problem.

I think the problem with online communication is that people can hide behind the profiles they've created for themselves so they can be unjustifiably confrontational and rude without any kind of real backlash.They think they can say what they wish with no repercussions. The fact that people tell others to kill themselves frankly scares me, because sometimes the people they bully with such comments are in such a bad place that they do just that. There's no concern for human life at all.

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by Silver Springs

I think the problem with online communication is that people can hide behind the profiles they've created for themselves so they can be unjustifiably confrontational and rude without any kind of real backlash.They think they can say what they wish with no repercussions. The fact that people tell others to kill themselves frankly scares me, because sometimes the people they bully with such comments are in such a bad place that they do just that. There's no concern for human life at all.

Exactly. Personally, I can shrug it off... but it scares me that there are others who might not be able to. And it's just so dang hypocritical considering the whole issue is about hate-speech and offending people... and she's telling people she hopes they swallow a knife and stuff. Quite frankly, it's disgusting. And it completely devalues her entire side of the argument.

[poetinmyheart]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

Exactly. Personally, I can shrug it off... but it scares me that there are others who might not be able to. And it's just so dang hypocritical considering the whole issue is about hate-speech and offending people... and she's telling people she hopes they swallow a knife and stuff. Quite frankly, it's disgusting. And it completely devalues her entire side of the argument.

You're right, it is disgusting. It's turned into a bit of a crusade for some now too. The fact is this whole thing started because someone was trawling tumblr spoiling for a fight. They have completely lost sight of the fact that this has all stemmed from a 30 year old song lyric - 'To the gypsy that remains..." / "And you see your gypsy..." There was no malicious intent or derogatory sentiment intended - it was merely the quoting of a popular song.

If it was being used in a malicious way, then I think that they are well within their right to take a stand. The fact is though, the word gypsy has been propagated in the media so much recently - My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, documentaries - an Irish traveller was recently on celebrity big brother here in the UK (and won the show). Traveller weddings are featured in tabloid newspapers, as someone pointed out earlier, the word gypsy features in the name of many traveller charities. What I don't understand, is if the word gypsy is racist, why are so many Irish and Romani travellers scrambling to appear in shows and documentaries with the word gypsy in the title?

By all means, educate people about the history of Romani gypsies. But don't call a bunch of teenagers/20 somethings white supremacist b****es for posting Stevie Nicks lyrics. Surely their time is better spent else where

[Travisevian]

Originally Posted by poetinmyheart

So, I just thought I'd raise this issue here - am very interested to hear your opinions.

Over the past day or so there has been some serious tensions on tumblr. Some FM fans have been called out by other tumblr users (1 or 2 in particular) for posting the lyrics to Gypsy. They have been called racist as the term gypsy is a slur? Now, I understand in certain contexts the word gypsy could be used in a derogatory way, however being called a racist for posting the lyrics and the video I think is ridiculous. I would post the links to a particular tumblr page where there are extremely angry and venomous rants about how a group of teens/twenty somethings are racists for posting about the song, but not sure if I'm allowed.

Anyway, what are your thoughts and has this issue ever been raised before?

My thoughts? They would benefit from dictionaries.