Slog Comments
Regarding St. Patrick's Day
2
Amatuer night. I usually lock myself in, but there is a soccer match tonight do I must go out. And it's snowing. Shit.
6
Except it's charming and not threatening to stereotype the Irish, because they earned their hard-won spot in the 'white' category. (By working hard and living the American Dream? No no no. They lynched the fuck out of black people.)
8
I'm wearing a green shirt today but have no intention of drinking or speaking in a fake Irish accent or anything. Does that make me racist?
What about pinching people who aren't wearing green? I realize that's mostly a thing that kids do, but does it have some sort of nefarious equivalent behavior?
What about pinching people who aren't wearing green? I realize that's mostly a thing that kids do, but does it have some sort of nefarious equivalent behavior?
9
Fuck you. Celebrating St. Pat's in the traditional fashion of getting soused, wearing colors, and having a good time is no more threatening than celebrating Guy Fawkes' by dressing up as an Evil Pilgrim, shooting off fireworks, and shaving Natalie Portman's head.
13
Celebrating St. Patrick's day by dressing in green and getting puking drunk is like fist-fighting your own brother at your father's funeral: a.k.a. proper Irish.
14
A silly comparison that gives the more racist Irish Americans an excuse to put on blackface next January.
15
Green happens to be prominently featured in my sliocht's tartan, so you bet I'll be wearing that particular tie today. But otherwise, I have an early start for a long day tomorrow, so I engaged in my over-indulgence last night screaming Pogues songs at the top of my lungs with a bunch of other drunken sots. And all of us had a great time, with nary a dribble of puke (green or otherwise) to be seen. But then, my guess most of us who were there qualify as at least near-professional level imbibers, so that's to be expected.
17
"St. Patrick is one of those 'iffy' saints." - @1
Indeed:
One of Us: St. Patrick's Place in Gay History
March 14, 2012
...In his book on Irish gay history, Terrible Queer Creatures, Brian Lacey presents some evidence that Patrick may have had a long term intimate relationship with a man...
RTWT.
[Profile pic changed just for today.]
Indeed:
One of Us: St. Patrick's Place in Gay History
March 14, 2012
...In his book on Irish gay history, Terrible Queer Creatures, Brian Lacey presents some evidence that Patrick may have had a long term intimate relationship with a man...
RTWT.
[Profile pic changed just for today.]
18
I mean, I'm getting drunk tonight but I assure you it has nothing to do with a murderous religious demagogue.
19
The only difference is the umber of years that have elapsed since the event/oppression took place.
Tragedy + Time = Comedy
Tragedy + Time = Comedy
21
That was a lovely talk - I've never known anyone to celebrate this other than ironically, and I hope that continues. Thanks, fancypants Ph.D.
22
Yeah I never understood what goes on in America on St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick was a missionary who indoctrinated the country of Ireland with Christianity. St. Patrick's Day is a public, religious holiday in Ireland. In America it's just another reason to get sh*tfaced and behave badly (after having a parade, of course).
24
A lot of the same people who get uptight about Columbus Day celebrating cultural imperialism and Euro-Christian invasion go out and get happily drunk on St. Patrick's Day, which, would you look at that? Celebrates cultural imperialism and Euro-Christian invasion. If you think real hard about your history lessons you may notice that Catholicism is not, in fact, an Irish institution.
25
From what I saw today on most women, the forced-sexy-green-outfit is now as ingrained as the forced-sexy-halloween-outfit.
26
I guess me as a black man making corned beef in my crock pot for St. Patty's day is the same as a white person making fried chicken, collard greens and sweet potato pie with watermelon for dessert and serving red kool-aid on MLK day?
28
Poor analogy. It's more like celebrating Cinco de Mayo by getting piss drunk while wearing a sombrero.
31
Many cultures have festivals or holidays centered on (or at least involving) inebriation. It's not a surprise that in melting-pot America that these festivals transcend their origins - and that insobriety becomes part of the festivals of other cultures as they assimilate. Consider Oktoberfest (Germans) and Purim (Jews) and the proximity of Irish immigrant groups to these in the cities of the east coast.
Sometimes, these "ethnic-themed drinking days" are (or are almost) whole-cloth inventions like Columbus Day (Italian-Americans, though its ethnic-pride connection is dying out outside NYC, AFAICT) or Cinco de Mayo (minor festival in Puebla, colossal piss-up in America.) It seems to be a major marker of widespread assimilation (or at least critical-mass acceptance) in this country to have one's ethnicity represented by a day on the drunkard's calendar. Woo-hoo.
Sometimes, these "ethnic-themed drinking days" are (or are almost) whole-cloth inventions like Columbus Day (Italian-Americans, though its ethnic-pride connection is dying out outside NYC, AFAICT) or Cinco de Mayo (minor festival in Puebla, colossal piss-up in America.) It seems to be a major marker of widespread assimilation (or at least critical-mass acceptance) in this country to have one's ethnicity represented by a day on the drunkard's calendar. Woo-hoo.
32
"Celebrating St. Patrick's day by dressing in green and getting puking drunk is like celebrating Martin Luther King Day by wearing blackface and putting on a minstrel show."
I think we do everyone, and the dream itself, a grave disservice by appropriating MLK Day as a "black" holiday. Civil Rights are not special rights for African Americans, and we should understand the movement as being positive for everyone.
In so far as that leaves us without an African American holiday equivalent to St. Pat's or Cinco, I think we should educate the remaining 29 states about Juneteenth, or failing that, ironically take Black Friday over, making it fried chicken and 40s day.
@26 I wanted to agree with you, but MLK is an important holiday, and it is demeaning for your hypothetical white person not to spring for Fanta.
I think we do everyone, and the dream itself, a grave disservice by appropriating MLK Day as a "black" holiday. Civil Rights are not special rights for African Americans, and we should understand the movement as being positive for everyone.
In so far as that leaves us without an African American holiday equivalent to St. Pat's or Cinco, I think we should educate the remaining 29 states about Juneteenth, or failing that, ironically take Black Friday over, making it fried chicken and 40s day.
@26 I wanted to agree with you, but MLK is an important holiday, and it is demeaning for your hypothetical white person not to spring for Fanta.
33
All we asked is that you celebrate and party and you go and turn it into one of your bitch fights?
Its the luck of the Irish as many a Black man with red hair and freckles who sing the Blues about the Irish father they Knew or didn't Know?
More green river at the soda shop and less Biotchin.
Its the luck of the Irish as many a Black man with red hair and freckles who sing the Blues about the Irish father they Knew or didn't Know?
More green river at the soda shop and less Biotchin.
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