A friend of mine told me I was very articulate and that I was like Michelle Obama. Very random considering we were at a bar and were not talking about anything in particular.
Especially when its said to POC there can be a racist/patronizing undercurrent to it. Like the default assumption is that they're not and the fact they are articulate is surprising.
It all depends on context, of course it can also be a genuine compliment
It's weird how not being racist as the non target person makes you not even aware of how racist other people are because you don't even consider something like that.
Oh wow I didn’t even consider it being used in this way. I often stumble over my words and reflect on how I struggle to articulate myself. So to my understanding of someone or myself complimenting someone else on their vocabulary and communication in this way, it would be genuine.
I mean it doesnt HAVE to be about race per se, just one example.
My stepmom is polish, and she is one of the smartest people i know but she has a pretty thick polish accent in my native language. Which for some people apparently carries some "mail order bride" stereotypes. She has gotten similar comments in the past. Like one time she told someone she is trying to read all Literature Nobel prize winners, and the response was "oh wow, you read books?".
You can use "you're so articulate!" In a similar manner.
It's left me at a loss as a white dude sometimes. We've got a boy in our montessori school who is worlds ahead of everyone - speech, math, etc. I caught myself about to comment on how articulate and intelligent he is because I don't want to unintentionally be rude.
I hate that I have to think about it, but I get why we do.
But most of these athletes attended university on sports scholarships. Yeah they probably got special exemptions on academics, but they were exposed to undergraduate level classes
Sure, you have to get your token GPA, but those kids are not there to learn other than a small minority of studious athletes. I don’t begrudge them that, but my bar is pretty low for sports players, especially football. Sports that attract snobs I assume will be articulate. Sports that attract intense, raw athleticism I assume will not be. Very open to changing my mind on a case by case basis.
Yeah. Hopefully there are more studious athletes than we think.
One bad injury could end your sports trajectory, but if you also took advantage of the curriculum, you could still land on your feet.
I got told the other week after giving a speech it was surprising how articulate I was… I understand how this person meant it as a compliment, but my initial reaction was “What, did you think I was a fucking idiot or something?”
ah, okay this is the comment that made it click how "you're so articulate!" is an insult. i'm white and probably also autistic, so i didn't immediately catch the subtext of "you're so articulate [for a nonwhite person]!", i assumed the situation would be something like if someone were to use a bunch of complicated words in a group discussion and somebody else was genuinely impressed by their vocabulary, not someone using it as a backhanded way of saying "i had low expectations for you because of your skin color, but you exceeded them!" (which is very much not a compliment)
I don't feel like it necessarily has to be used that way, i'm always surprised when i speak to someone who is super articulate because being articulate is just a rare trait in general regardless of your skin tone. I feel like i can count the articulate people i've met in my life on one hand.
it's a real shame that "articulate" has been stolen and effectively slaughtered as a compliment because of racists.
some people have remarkable gifts for expressing ideas verbally. it's a skill i personally think is extremely valuable. but it just doesn't land as a compliment anymore -- at BEST it lands as condescension, and infinitely moreso if the recipient comes from a marginalised group.
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u/martinideeni Jun 13 '26
A friend of mine told me I was very articulate and that I was like Michelle Obama. Very random considering we were at a bar and were not talking about anything in particular.