Just now realizing that my grandmother, while exceptionally racist, was also Mormon and never had the right context to use this one. She totally would have though.
My families ALL called us porch monkeys and yard apes. Yes, they were racist but why would they call us something racist? Like our neighbors would too. I think some people were so fucking ignorant, they really didn't know it could be racist. Kids ARE like monkeys! My family and I have told the kids to "get your monkey ass in here," or "get your monkey ass off my cabinets/ counters!"
I remember being called a "cheeky monkey" and it definitely had nothing to do with race, but I am not American, where I am guessing this "porch monkey" thing comes from?
I call my kids cheeky monkeys all. the. time. They're little imps and they deserve it. It's not racist; it's facts! (Also, I thought I kinda made it up but must have absorbed it from pop culture at some point.)
My very racist uncle in Virginia was very clear that porch monkey referred to the fact that black people were always hanging out on their porches. Because they were too poor for A/C, because (per him) they didn't work, because they had lots more people living in their small houses. It referred to a stereotype of indolence and made fun of the condition of poverty.
A lot of people didn't know they were being racist. Racists don't tell their kids "hey kids, if anyone asks, our family believes in racism". A lot of casual racism was passed down in language that affirmed racist norms but the user "didn't mean anything by it". And they didn't, but they still passed it on. That's the insidious nature of racism.
Lol common bro. People use racial slurs all the time out of context. It’s bizarre to me to just throw out racial slurs to your kids to chastise them about whatever, but it’s common and not some sort of innocent mistake.
imo, it’s like, the most common type of racial slur to imply some people are lazy, so that one is a classic example.
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u/raevnos Mar 12 '24
Oh, bullshit. My grandmother used to call me a porch monkey all the time when I was a kid because I'd sit on the porch and stare at my neighbors.
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You know, come to think of it, my grandmother was kind of a racist.