To me, it's an adjective used to describe someone who talks clearly and gets the message across. Of course it sometimes also depends on what the message is.
For example, check out Akon below singing the chart-busting, hip-thrusting number "Smack that"
I see the one, because she be that lady! Hey!
I feel you creeping, I can see it from my shadow
Wanna jump up in my Lamborghini Gallardo
Maybe go to my place and just kick it like TaeBo
And possibly bend you over look back and watch me
Smack that all on the floor
Smack that give me some more
Smack that 'till you get sore
Smack that oh-oooh!
That's articulate man. I get the message without any doubts. Unequivocally, without a shadow of doubt, shake your booty, shake that thing, shake your moneymaker, smack that.
Much before Akon, there was Vanilla Ice with - oh come on, you know the song don't you ?. Sample this (also note recurrence of "Lamborghini")
Yo -- so I continued to a1a beachfront ave.
Girls were hot wearing less than bikinis
Rockman lovers driving lamborghinis
Jealous cause I'm out geting mine
Shay with a gauge and vanilla with a nine
Reading for the chumps on the wall
The chumps acting ill because theyre so full of eight balls
Gunshots ranged out like a bell
I grabbed my nine -- all I heard were shells
Rockman ? Shay ? grabbed my what ? I have no idea what he was talking about. Vanilla Ice is not articulate. No way Jose, he ain't got no good English.
I can go on and on about this, but you get my point. I mean think about it. Think of a person you know, who you can call articulate. Ever thought about what he looks like ? I didn't.
But it seems that this is a matter of raging debate in the USA. In fact, its been that way for quite some time, only I never knew it. It seems that you do not go around calling a black brother "articulate". Uh-huh. Don't you go around calling me articulate or I'll kick that white ass of yours.
Ok, so maybe that's not how Lynette Clemeston words it in this NY Times article where she writes
It is amazing that this still requires clarification, but here it is. Black people get a little testy when white people call them “articulate.”
and there's more - like this
When whites use the word in reference to blacks, it often carries a subtext of amazement, even bewilderment. It is similar to praising a female executive or politician by calling her “tough” or “a rational decision-maker.”
And this one last part (just because it quotes a show I enjoy - Real time with Bill Maher)
The comedian and actor D. L. Hughley, a frequent guest on HBO’s “Real Time With Bill Maher,” says that every time he appears on the show, where he riffs on the political and social issues of the day, people walk up to him afterward and tell him how “smart and articulate” his comments were.
“Everyone was up in arms about Michael Richards using the N-word, but subtle words like this are more insidious,” Mr. Hughley said. “It’s like weight loss. The last few pounds are the hardest to get rid of. It’s the last vestiges of racism that are hard to get rid of.”
I've never been to the USA and I have no idea what the politically correct way is to describe a black person who talks with clarity and gets his message across to his listeners. Think Denzel Washington in his closing speech in Philadelphia. Impassioned and articulate. Message across loud and clear. Think Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction. clever, cool and articulate ? I think so.
So now what ? Hang on, let me check the synonyms for articulate..
This one says "eloquent, facund, silver-tongued, smooth-spoken"
Facund ? as in "Yo Akon, you one facund brother" ?
And silver-tongued ? like "Mr. Washington, I believe you were quite silver-tongued in that closing speech you gave before the jury" ?
And that would be better than calling a black person articulate ?
Anyone out there from the USofA who can
18 comments:
Hey Good one bro ..I think when Jo Biden called his Senate colleague Barack Obama "clean" and "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy:; he unknowingly opened a whole new can of worms.
Often the picture depicted is of black people using their own slangy connoction of english. Something was said similar of Will Smith when he was interviewed on tv too.
My 2 cents....there is no offense in adding adjectives unbiasedly to blacks or whites. Instead of thinking of it as typecasting it shud be viewed as an equal opportunity adjective. Wud they rather be called loquacious, motormouth or Chatty cathy .
huh! good post tho...
PSSST: whats wid d word verification dudes...eyes r all googly trying to read the curvy ones
As a white man from one of the most liberal states in the US (Massachusetts) I would like to explain this. When I graduated from high school and college the person with the highest grades both times was black (read African-American). I would, and have, described both of these people as "articulate" because they are. I am no liberal, but the mood in this state is different (although racisim does exist in Boston in a more subtle way than, say Texas). I have traveled for my work as an engineer all around my country and other countries (even did a job for Tata Power at the Trombay Plant) and the attitude of people does change greatly by region here. Some segments of the African-American community here will not let me forget that their forefathers were slaves and blame me as a white man even though that NONE of my forefathers were in the US until after slavery was abolished (they came from Germany and Ireland). I do believe that things will get better in this country when people stop describing themselves as African-American, Italian-American, Irish-American, Mexican-American, etc and do what I do. I am just an American, no more no less.
In America (although in my experience, in Bombay also) you very rarely call someone "articulate", especially not in person. When you do, it often reveals that you feel that person was _surprisingly_ articulate.
As a seasoned public speaker (both in India as a champion debater in school and here in America) I've been called "articulate" many times in both places and almost always the word has carried a subtext of condescension.
At a business convention in Bombay: "that was stunningly articulate" == articulate _for an ICSE student_
At a case study presentation in LA: "forceful and articulate": articulate _for a foreigner_
'Articulate', especially when delivered as a compliment in the first person, is definitely a loaded word. My theory is that complimentary words like 'articulate' and 'educated' are reflections of internal appraisals of the speaker, rather than the speech or of oratory. And this why they routinely invite pretext. In writing this is much less apparent than it is in person.
Thank you all very much.
Just in terms of what you have said - and shared - I think this post has got the best quality of comments in my one year or so of blogging. Thanks again.
An iengar chick - Very well put. I think the Senator from Delaware probably did. But it seems - or at least his Wikipedia page does give the impression - that the transcript might have been misleading. Even though he also made the Dunkin Donuts gaffe, I think I might give him the benefit of doubt. Man, at least this is not macaca revisited.
Oh, I completely agree with you that the adjective should be viewed equally. And Lol at Motormouth! Thanks for the visit and the comment. (The word verification is only to avoid spam that continues to plague both my blogs:( )
Away from the bay - Insightful comment and a lovely closing line. See, that's the point, isn't it ? You called them articulate purely on their merits, right ? What did that have to with the fact they are African-Americans ?
I wonder if you noticed it when you were here (in India), but we've got plenty of rascism ourselves. From obsession with fair-skin to snobbishness, elitism, etc. etc.
Thank you for the visit and the comment.
Anon9.12am - Fascinating - and insightful - comment. I don't think I've ever had a seasoned, well-travelled, public speaker visiting my blog. Wish you weren't Anon.
From your experiences, I can see how the word "articulate" carries load well beyond its original meaning. I wonder how you got around to figuring the load, but I guess it must not have been a pleasurable journey.
I mean I for one am still surprised to know that I'll have to be a bit cautious if I'm called articulate. Because the person saying it is probably referring to some part of me as a person, and not with the message I mean to convey.
Thank you for your visit and the comment.
I can see where that is coming from. By describing someone as articulate most often the underlying assumption is that you didnt really expect them to be so. I guess its hard for us to see the discrimination, living here in India. On the other hand I have used the word articulate in almost every single one of my last few posts!
And on a diff note altogether.. who the hell listens to Akon.. and why????? Didnt that 'Lonely' song put any music lover off him for good?
It's amazing isn't it, that a word with positive connotations can be considered an insult. But after reading that wishing people 'Merry Christmas' in the UK was considered "offensive", I'm not that surprised. Saddened, yes. Your Mr. Hughley is right in that we are battling the last vestiges of racism (and other forms of discrimination), but it seems to have taken the unfortunate form of 'political correctness'.
When will we move past the PC rubbish to a point where we can freely compliment or constructively criticize a person, without them taking it as an insult to the colour of their skin, their gender, or where they're from?
Mad Momma - Actually I didn't see where all of that was coming from, hence the post ! I still don't see why "articulate" has suddenly acquired so many different shades (no pun intended!), but, well, if it has, it has.
As for Akon - I just couldn't stand Lonely, but man this song is so damn catchy !
Thanks for the comment.
Shalom - It is indeed amazing, isn't it ? And why ever is wishing people "Merry Christmas" in UK now deemed "offensive" ? Man, whatever next ! Well said..indeed when will we move past that point ? Thanks for the visit and the comment.
BA my man, I don't think this is about being or not being PC, or the use of "articulate". Like Jesse Jackson, I don't even believe this reflects some innate Biden belief. I think it's just that he said something without really thinking about what it meant, much like the Dunkin' Donut quote. It reminds me of when I asked about Chinese food, last vignette here.
Happens to us all sometimes, our mouth runs ahead of our brains. So it was a stupid thing to say, but not reflective of anything in Biden.
Dilip - Thanks for your comment. Sure I agree that it probably doesn't reflect on Biden (in fact I liked Maureen Dowd's follow-up post with Biden at the NYT) and it does look like he made a thoughtless comment. And of course I remember your post, it was a nice one
But what I'm surprised at (and I also share this with the kind folks who've commented above) is the larger issue - which is the focus of the NYT article - i.e. and I quote - "Black people get a little testy when white people call them “articulate.”" I still don't get it.
Hope the USA is treating you well, love your despatches.
Art-e-COOL-Ate!!
what ju see is What ju ghet(To)!!
hi BA!!
Abhishek - Hi, nice meeting up with you at the meet. Sure looks like what you see is what you get..
BA,
This is your best post to date. Years ago, before the IT boom I came across people who naively voiced their opinion out in the US by asking me how my command of English was so good. They won't ask that in the North East or in California but this was in the boonies.
I realized people didn't mean it to sound condescending, they were honestly surprised the medium of instruction in many urban schools is English.
It is easy to get bugged when people express surprise at some things.
On a flight to Kentucky, the stewardess asked me if I spoke English since I was in an exit row. Again, very easy to get irritated. But that question is probably part of standard protocol. I was bugged then! :-)
Good discussion!
gg
GGOP - Thanks very much for those kind words, I really appreciate them. Thanks also for your perspective. Good to have you here. From my perspective as someone who's never been to the USA, I was surprised at the debate. Maybe I should visit there some time yaar!
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