Substitute teacher in deep water....

[northcat_8]

This just happened to day, so it's not in any newspaper article yet...

A substitute teacher had 2 kids who were getting ready to fight, one black, one white. The 2 boys were wrestling around and the sub was trying to get them to stop.

As the sub got them split up he said "keep your cotton pickin hands to yourselves."

If you can't make that prejudice jump, it would be from the black kid, and the reference to "cotton pickin hands".

The sub, a 60+ year old newspaper guy who just subs because he likes to work with kids is now on the carpet in the principal's office and the kid's parents are in there as well. He has been subbing at our high school almost daily for the past 8 years.

I don't know what's going to happen to him, but from the sound of a few conversations I've had, it doesn't look good for the sub. That's a shame, he's a very nice guy and was my sub on tuesday of this week.

[reboot]

I wonder what would happen if he'd said, "Keep your filthy redneck hands to yourselves"?

[Shadowmistress]

Northcat! Nice to see you again.


Funny, I've heard that expression before and never really put two and two together that it originated as a racist remark. It makes sense now that I think about it, but I'd always assumed it passed into common vernacular by now to just mean "busy hands". If that were me, I may have said it as well and never thought twice about how it might be taken, but I wouldn't have meant it in any way to cause offense, it's just an expression.

Wonder who connected the phrase and offense together. High school kids would be kind of young to read that much into it, don't you think?

[adam]

I can appreciate the racist undertones but I bet the sub didn't even mean it like that. My Grandpa uses that phrase for everything, "cottin' pickin' liberals" or "cottin' pickin' rain." I just equate the phrase with "damn."

[ZAPPER]

I hope that the principal has the wits and courage to put the events in their proper perspective. The students and parents need to know that the major infraction here was the conflict between the children and not the words out of the subs mouth. I would assume that at worst, the phrase was used as a substitute for any number of other profane words and the the possible orgins of the phrase never even came to mind.

If the sub is a valuable asset to the place and the parents demand action, as a principal I would flat out tell them that if the sub has to go for a minor infraction then their kid has to go for a major infraction. And I would tell them that the law needs to be called and charges pressed against their little spawn. Or maybe if they shut up and go away the police may never hear of it.

[Epicurus8a]

People are paranoid about everything these days. Maybe it would be safer if we just reverted to baby talk. "Goo goo, gah gah."

[adam]

Hmmm, I looked up the phrase just out of curiousity and it seems that Bugs Bunny used it frequently.

I've heard black substitute teachers use the word ****** before, in an affectionate way "Hey my ******," so to think that "cotton pickin hands" can get you fired, and probably blacklisted, is really just ridiculous to me.

[ViRaL1]

Hmmm, I looked up the phrase just out of curiousity and it seems that Bugs Bunny used it frequently.

I've heard black substitute teachers use the word ****** before, in an affectionate way "Hey my ******," so to think that "cotton pickin hands" can get you fired, and probably blacklisted, is really just ridiculous to me.

I seriously doubt the sub meant anything racial by his comment.

Cartoons on the other hand, especially older ones are a very poor defense for racial comments.

[yoda313]

Hey welcome back northcat

[Cobra]

People really should stop being so sensitive. Yes, racism exists. Is this it? No.

[Shadowmistress]

Cartoons on the other hand, especially older ones are a very poor defense for racial comments.

Hey, wait. I'll give you that one to a certain point as cartoons were not immune to what was going on in the culture. But having grown up in the seventies watching Bugs Bunny and being totally clueless as to what that phrase was in reference to... I'm wondering at what point in life I'm supposed to have questioned Warner Bros. material so as not to offend anyone today.

[MackemX]

what did Rosco P. Coltrane always say in Dukes Of Hazzard? Probably not cotton pickers but it's puzzling me anyway

everyone is welcoming Northcat (did mine before) but what about ViRaL1?

[ViRaL1]

Yeah, what he said. :P (Thanks. )

[MackemX]

Yeah, what he said. :P (Thanks. )

there's a lot of 'what he said ' going on recently

[yoda313]

OH sorry - welcomeback viral

[canadateck]

what did Rosco P. Coltrane always say in Dukes Of Hazzard? Probably not cotton pickers but it's puzzling me anyway

everyone is welcoming Northcat (did mine before) but what about ViRaL1?

dipstick?

[ViRaL1]

Yeah, what he said. :P (Thanks. )

there's a lot of 'what he said ' going on recently

So it seems like not much has changed in a while. :P

Thanks yoder.

[Shadowmistress]

Just to echo my "private" sentiments....

...Welcome back, dahling.

[lordsmurf]

Got-danged
Gall-derned
Cotton-pickin

Just replacements for the so-called more offensive "goddamned" or "*******".

I'm of the opinion that most racism is sought out. This would be a case where a so-called victim has sought out becoming a victim.

A lot of people picked cotton on farms. Black, white, Mexican, Asian, etc. Since when has the farming chore of picking cotton become something only black people could do?

[ZAPPER]

@ LS

Have you ever picked cotton?

[Noahtuck]

I'm of the opinion that most racism is sought out. This would be a case where a so-called victim has sought out becoming a victim.

First thing i thought when i read this thread BEFORE any one replied to it....

That is such bullshit!!!! had to be the parents making more out of it than there was
Totally ******* ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could say more to prove my point but from some of the whiney ass bitches post's i've seen lately, i'll leave it alone

[mrtristan]

Since he was referring to both of them, I doubt that it was a racially driven usage of the phrase. Let's sue WB for Yosemite Sam calling Bugs a cotton pickin' varmit, too.

[lordsmurf]

@ LS Have you ever picked cotton?

Yes. I've picked fruit, picked vegetables, picked nuts, and even dug up roots. You could probably grow cotton in your back yard, depending on where you live and the kind of soil you have. Agriculture isn't hard, it just takes time, the right tools, fertilize and water. Little knowledge won't hurt, pick up a Farmer's Almanac, maybe a book or two.

You don't have to be on a farm to have a garden. Nothing tastes better than homegrown produce.

[e404pnf]

Different phrases, but same stupid issues this side of the pond too.

I have a couple of friends who are recently new teachers. As part of their teacher training they were provided with a list of words and phrases that were deemed unacceptable. A couple of the best were "Black Board" and "White Board" which apparently should be replaced with "Chalk Board" and "Wipe Board".

I just wonder how much time is wasted on this bollocks rather than teaching teachers how to teach.

[Cobra]

I agree with you, e404pnf. My friend is a Scout leader. The amount of red tape and PC rubbish he has to endure is beyond belief!

[drjtech]

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/20/messages/1142.html

COTTON-PICKING - as an adjective cotton-picking "is widespread as a term of disparagement. Damned, darned." From the "Dictionary of American Regional English," Volume 1 by Frederic G. Cassidy (1985, Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass., and London, England).

[Guest]

Since he was referring to both of them, I doubt that it was a racially driven usage of the phrase. Let's sue WB for Yosemite Sam calling Bugs a cotton pickin' varmit, too.

A. It sounds like he said it to both.Therefore it is does not seem racially motivated.

B. I think that it is still used even in the PC WB cartoons. Maybe a somewhat insensitive term but pretty marginal. Kinda like referring to a Native American as an Indian. If it were to upset someone, an apoligy acknowledging its insensitive nature should suffice.IMO.

C. If he has worked there for 8 years w/o problems, another arguement could be made it was probably not racially motivated.


D. **** both those punks. They should both get beat downs.

[lordsmurf]

D. **** both those punks. They should both get beat downs.

Punish them both.
Make them pick cotton for a farmer for an hour.

[Guest]

D. **** both those punks. They should both get beat downs.

Punish them both.
Make them pick cotton for a farmer for an hour.

Or move 6000 chickens with large talons...

[ZAPPER]

D. **** both those punks. They should both get beat downs.

Punish them both.
Make them pick cotton for a farmer for an hour.

Now that's funny!

Anyhow, I am not an original Southerner, I am from the midwest land of the rustbelt and corn and soy beans. So I never had been exposed to actual cotton ag until my move south. I have encountered on a couple of occasions the question of wether or not I had "picked cotton". (I have never picked it in production terms, but I have actually pulled off the road and up rooted a plant to check it out) It seems that admitting to have "picked cotton" to some folks is a term of humbleness or an indication of having worked hard at one point in your life. Admitting that you have picked cotton shows where you came from and your work ethic and is accecpted by many as a fine character trait.

I have been able to squeeze by the question by telling of the one plant that I stole from along side the road and that where I am from it was digging potatos and tassln' corn.

Perhaps the kids should have to do a research project and presentation together to learn the ogrins of the term and its associated historical and social implications, meet some real world people and pick some cotton.

just a thought

Dr. Phi....Er, I mean, Zapper. Out