The Kid On The Bicycle Sketch

[bigbird]

Does anyone remember this one? A young black kid, male, was trying to learn how to ride a bike. This was no cartoon...it was actual live people with this black kid as the main character. The kid kept falling off his bike and I think there were ooh's and aah's from an unseen group of kids everythime he fell off the bike. At one point, he got so upset from falling, he kicked the bike prompting him to end up with a smashed toe and hopping on 1 foot! (ha-ha). At the end, you see him coming out from his home and bravely gets back on the bike and amazingly is finally able to ride without falling off. There were scenes showing what the view was like from his position on the bike and the unseen kids in the background were moaning as if like he was going to fall again but he didn't. Anyone remember that one?

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

did you just say " Black BOY"

ban him now

 

[bigbird]

What's wrong with that?

 

[bigbird]

It's amazing how people can automatically draw the wrong conclusions over reminiscing about something like an innocent Sesame Street sketch. I was not trying in any way to be prejudice over mentioning "black boy". I was under the impression that describing it as close as possible to what I remember would help for other folks to post their replies. Forgive me if I implied anything negative or offended anyone on this site. I do apologize!

 

[fuzzygobo]

If I remember correctly, I think the clip showed a series of people trying- and failing- and trying again. The black kid on the bicycle was just one of them.
There was also a baby reaching for a toy, and when he finally grabs it the kids doing the voice-over cheer for him.

I also remember a man trying to water ski. He gets pulled along and has a HUGE wipe-out. Even though the kids laughed, it still must've hurt.

In the end the kid on the bike does make it on his own without crashing, and gets cheered for his efforts.

And I don't see anything wrong with your description of him, either.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Hi, I changed the title of this thread because it could have been considered politically-incorrect, and a complaint came in on this to my inbox.

Basically, I really don't want a thread about racism or skin color rising on these boards, but I was trying to consider a proper way that this topic could have been raised up. Honestly, the description was about a young male, a boy; not a man. Skin color would likely be necessary to describe which sketch in particular since there are several sketches that basically are the same with different skin-colored children in them. To simply say "Black Kid" would allow one to think it's a boy or girl. You cannot say "black man" when it is a cartoon about a 7-year-old child. And "African American" is too long for the whole title.

I changed the thread title, but I will not change the post. I just do not find it offensive, really. If the post was discussing an African-American MAN, and was titled "Black Boy," then that would be offensive and I would be on my soapbox. But, to speak of a young male as a "boy," and use the skin-color to indicate which child in particular, there is nothing wrong with that.

Any thoughts and consideration about this post by me should be sent to my PM.

Do not turn this thread into an argument about race or race-relations, because that is not what this topic was about. Just responding to the PM I received.

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

Boy is always a negitve team to any black person

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I just got off the phone with my buddy Martheus because he and I have always been able to safely discuss topics like where this one has gone and are able to come to a conclusion.

I explained that sometimes this moderation gig is a hard one, and when I told him what was happening here, he agreed!

Basically, this is what he feels on the topic and I tend to agree with him.

When discussing a young male, regardless of skin color, he will be described as a boy. However, for some people's minds the way they read into things they want to see "black boy," even when describing a young male, as racist and offensive because of the way it was used nearly 30-40 years ago to degrade adult African-American males. He said that some folks tend to be too politically correct, while others just simply don't think about it.

Seeing "black boy" together does become offensive; unfortunately, we agreed, that as long as the negative terminology of "boy" is taught, it will never be able to be described as a young male if following the color name "black." However, to say a black kid leaves one not knowing if the child was male or female, so you end up with a catch-22 in the description: Do you describe the skin color and then simply say "kid," or do you also describe if the kid is male or female? There's no winning way to discuss it without someone taking offense. On the other hand, to say that the word "boy" is always a definite offense to all black people is, in itself, a racist and derogatory statement because that is not necessarily true, and lends itself, when posted by one person as that person's opinion, to judgement and prejudice--regardless which side of the topic you're taking.

He says that he understood what the title and topic suggests and that, he personally, like myself, wouldn't have read into it as a racist comment. There are those who tend to read offenses into written words, especially like this; but, we don't understand how describing a young boy who happens to be black could be considered degrading as it was not discussing an adult male except for the negativity by which people have been taught. We both agreed that regardless of race, an adult male would be offended if called a "boy." I would be, he would be. Period. Except between friends, so your double-standards then come into place.

Unfortunately for the world, as long as people are willing to find fault in, and be offended by, simple statements in conversation, racism will never be dissipated into nothingness. Too many people are too willing to make the slightest phrase controversial, and as long as that continues we will never be able to live as one person.

My greatest moments are being with my friends. They are white, black, Asian, hispanic, mixed, and you name it. We don't see each other for the things we say, or the colors outside our bodies. We are able to see past all that and see into the heart of one another. That may be because we're friends, or it could be because we are more open-minded than most--we don't know; but, we're friends and, to us, that's what counts more than anything else! To be honest, my friends and I, together, are the definition to the teachings of Jim Henson's work: regardless of our differences, we're all friends! We can look beyond the skin color or the double-standards and realize that the people we are with are good people and worthy of our love and affection. Martheus knows, as do all my friends, that I love him/them with all my heart and will do anything for them. He's always been my baby brother since I've known him and always will be. My other friends know how I feel about my relationship with them, and I like them better than I do many of the folks in my own family!

I have been able in my life to describe folks without pegging them with any stereotypical descriptions because, maybe, it's something that's been in the back of my mind all along (avoiding controversy I mean). I would suggest that in the future when posting folks do attempt to be more careful with their posts and their descriptions because someone might be offended and, while I don't agree with the whole stance of "politically correct" myself, and I hate censorship (I'm part of the "change the channel if you don't like it" movement), I do want to see folks be more lenient with one another, but to also see folks try to take into consideration when posting that others' opinions about certain ways of talking might not be the same as your own, so be more careful.

I'm locking this thread because it doesn't do anything to promote the original topic started, and it does not continue the positive reaction that I think MC should represent. It is my opinion that we should become less judgemental of each other here and should be willing to understand the feelings of each other on these boards before posting or responding.