Is this a problem? I feel like it is...

[ha98ed14]

DD was coming down the hallway with her bedtime book and talking to herself... "Eany Meany Miney Moe, Catch a tiger by the toe..." I asked her where she learned it and she said ClassmateA taught her. How do I explain why this is NOT okay to say?!? I'm offended by it because of where it comes from.

On the flip side, DD's teacher told her that saying "Girlfriend!" was not okay. I often call DD "Girlfriend" as in "Come on Girlfriend, catch up!" when I want her to hurry up and follow me. Or "Work it, Girlfriend!" when she's dancing around the house. Or "Watch it, Girlfriend!" as in you are pushing the limit of my patience. DD understands it. I see nothing wrong with with it, but the I think the teacher must see it as having an "attitude". (DD called a classmate "Girlfriend", not the teacher.)

How black or white do you see this gray area?

[crayonblue]

I didn't realize there was any controversy surrounding Eany, meany. Just googled it. This is a very common little rhyme in elementary school. DD has been saying it for years.

I don't think anything of saying "Girlfriend!"

[mjmamma]

I get the Eany Miney you are referring to (I think). The version that was chanted when we were children was not cool, though we didn't know it. It is, thankfully, not the version my children learned. Some of the sayings that were commonly said in the 70's were awful.

[Minnifer]

Re "eany, meany", I was aware of the history, but didn't realize it could still be controversial to say the tiger version.

I can see how "girlfriend!" can sound pretty lippy, but can also be used jokingly - maybe coming from a kid the joking nuance is lost and it can just sound fresh?

[SnuggleBuggles]

Originally Posted by Minnifer

I can see how "girlfriend!" can sound pretty lippy, but can also be used jokingly - maybe coming from a kid the joking nuance is lost and it can just sound fresh?

I don;t know the controversy re. eannie meannie so it doesn't bug me.

Beth

[DietCokeLover]

Had no idea there was anything offensive about eany meany. I had to go to Wikipedia to see what the issue could be. I've never heard the controversial version - and I am from the deep south.

I think "girlfriend" could sound sassy, but it's all in the delivery and to whom it's being said.

[sarahsthreads]

Originally Posted by DietCokeLover

Had no idea there was anything offensive about eany meany. I had to go to Wikipedia to see what the issue could be. I've never heard the controversial version - and I am from the deep south.

I think "girlfriend" could sound sassy, but it's all in the delivery and to whom it's being said.

I had never heard the controversial version in my life!

I often call DDs "babe", which I've gotten some odd looks over. It wouldn't bother me, though, if either DD was told not to use the word "babe" in the classroom - though I don't know that either of them has ever used it themselves.

Sarah

[mjs64]

Wow. I wasn't aware of the rhyme's racist history until I just now did some research. Not sure if I'll avoid it. A lot, a lot of nursery rhymes have racist, classist, misogynistic, and homophobic histories. Truth is, that's the history of Western culture. Makes it tough.

Another reason someone might be offended by the use of "girlfriend" is that it could be understood as an appropriation of African American culture by whites/non-African Americans. I'm not offended, but I could understand that perspective.

[BayGirl2]

Really had no idea there was a racist version of this rhyme. I wouldn't be bothered by it, I don't think most people know of the potential historical tie in. And I think a kid saying it in the "new" way is totally not offensive. There are no words in that even suggest racism the way I have heard/used it.

According to the Wikipedia detail a SWA flight attendent was sued for racism for using an improvised version of it! Nothing racist in the words she used, just something like "pick a seat its time to go". I can see many people making that "mistake" with no ill intentions and inadvertently offending someone. Like PP said, there's so much in our culture that comes from negative origins but has been watered down or cleaned up, I don't think the average person can keep track of all of it nor should it all be banned from our current lexicon.

[roseyloxs]

Originally Posted by BayGirl2

Really had no idea there was a racist version of this rhyme. I wouldn't be bothered by it, I don't think most people know of the potential historical tie in. And I think a kid saying it in the "new" way is totally not offensive. There are no words in that even suggest racism the way I have heard/used it.

According to the Wikipedia detail a SWA flight attendent was sued for racism for using an improvised version of it! Nothing racist in the words she used, just something like "pick a seat its time to go". I can see many people making that "mistake" with no ill intentions and inadvertently offending someone. Like PP said, there's so much in our culture that comes from negative origins but has been watered down or cleaned up, I don't think the average person can keep track of all of it nor should it all be banned from our current lexicon.

Can't believe that lawsuit made it to court. How ridiculous!