Racist "prom-posal"

[Vombatus]

Are promposals a new thing? Not sure, but I do remember a story of Brad Pitt asking a girl to the prom by walking it out in the snow outside the school. She said no. Undaunted, I did something similar by peeing a proposal in the snow in the mid 1990s. I got the same answer.

You’ve got a huge bladder and/or are a man of few words.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Exactly. I’m pretty sure every kid in America knows better than to make a “joke” like this by that time they reach puberty, at the latest.

No. Absolutely, positively no.

For one, younger people today don’t look at racial humor the way we do. This is perfectly acceptable in their entertainment world.

For another, their brains don’t process. I’ve mentioned this before, but read “The Teenage Brain.” It’s amazing how crazy the stuff is going on in there. And that’s even in the “smart” kids. Decision-making is simply not strong, particularly in high school boys, because of physiology.

 

[TyWebb]

The "prom-posal" fad never happens without social media. The goal isn't to go through with it. The goal is to be seen and documented going through with it.

 

[cyclingwriter2]

You’ve got a huge bladder and/or are a man of few words.

Jan prom? (it wasn't that difficult after a couple of waters). My mistake was the girl's name was Maureen

 

[Dick Whitman]

For one, younger people today don’t look at racial humor the way we do. This is perfectly acceptable in their entertainment world.

I withhold judgment until the world's first fully formed human male weighs in.

(I assume he has me on "Ignore," though.)

 

[User 4332]

I withhold judgment until the world's first fully formed human male weighs in.

(I assume he has me on "Ignore," though.)

Why would I have you on ignore?

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Are promposals a new thing? Not sure, but I do remember a story of Brad Pitt asking a girl to the prom by walking it out in the snow outside the school. She said no. Undaunted, I did something similar by peeing a proposal in the snow in the mid 1990s. I got the same answer.

Define "new."

I asked my prom date to go with me while sitting at McDonald's during our school lunch hour (we had an open campus back then, so it was a mad race to get to the nearest fast food joint and back in 45 minutes). But, then again, it was 1986.

 

[LongTimeListener]

My son texted his intended. She said yes. We didn’t know about it until weeks later when he needed money to buy the tickets. Still no sight of the whole deal anywhere on social media.

I am extremely proud.

 

[qtlaw]

It happens in California and it's insane. My two youngest graduated high school five and six years ago and they had to go through it.

I feel bad for this kid. I hope he doesn't get backlashed too hard. It was a joke that missed it's mark. This would be an A level joke for @Vombatus .

It’s so easy to say it’s a joke when you’re in the majority; and you wonder why no progress is made
As long as you keep making excuses for behavior it will continue

 

[Dick Whitman]

It’s so easy to say it’s a joke when you’re in the majority; and you wonder why no progress is made
As long as you keep making excuses for behavior it will continue

This is like the Bill Clinton-Ted Kennedy discussion. We have no context for this. For all we know, it's an inside joke at the school that all the black kids are joyously in on. Again, this gets mocked here when I say it, but a lot of times over-the-top racist jokes are not to be taken at face value, but are actually meant to lampoon over-the-top racist stereotypes.

 

[poindexter]

It’s so easy to say it’s a joke when you’re in the majority; and you wonder why no progress is made
As long as you keep making excuses for behavior it will continue

Fair 'nuff. The internet is probably going to get their pound of flesh out of the guy. What else would you like to see happen to him?

 

[Moderator1]

I posted one on Instagram a while back that I'm trying to figure out how to post here

 

[Dick Whitman]

 

[The Big Ragu]

Anyone else remember saying things like, "You are out of your cotton-picking mind," when they were little kids, and not having a clue where it derived from?

 

[Moderator1]

 

[Cosmo]

Anyone else remember saying things like, "You are out of your cotton-picking mind," when they were little kids, and not having a clue where it derived from?

Yep. My mom said it all the time. I don't think she knows where it came from, to be honest.

 

[poindexter]

If that's for real, that is awesome.

 

[typefitter]

 

[outofplace]

No. Absolutely, positively no.

For one, younger people today don’t look at racial humor the way we do. This is perfectly acceptable in their entertainment world.

For another, their brains don’t process. I’ve mentioned this before, but read “The Teenage Brain.” It’s amazing how crazy the stuff is going on in there. And that’s even in the “smart” kids. Decision-making is simply not strong, particularly in high school boys, because of physiology.

You raise a good point regarding how teenagers today see racial humor. I've heard teenagers say awful things to one another. My daughter will often report some funny comment by a classmate that makes me cringe. That said, it's not her saying those things. (Or if it is, she at least knows better than to say it in front of me.) She does understand what is appropriate and what is not.

Sometimes, people make jokes about Jewish people in front of her. Some of them are directed at her. She laughs it off, but I always wonder if the kid in the minority is accepting such comments not because they think it's okay, but because they are afraid to speak up.

The kid in this case may not be a racist, but he absolutely showed very poor judgement. I don't think the context would change that.

 

[Dick Whitman]