what does it mean?

[cos]

Please comment on this post before you read anyone else's comments.

This weekend, I saw a bumper sticker that said,
Straight, White, English-Speaking
Proud American
For a moment, I was offended ... then I started thinking of several different possible intentions, meanings, and contexts for this slogan. After a bit of confusion, I settled on curiosity. What does it mean? What did the people who sold it intend for it to convey, and what did the person who put it on their car intend to say by it? I can think of several different possibilities or nuances, and maybe there are more.

So tell me, what do you read in this bumper sticker slogan? And if, like me, you see several possibilities, which one came first, before you thought about it?

Comments

[cheshyre]

Well, there are gay pride marches, black pride rallies, hispanic pride parades...
The specific use of the word "proud" makes me feel like this person is setting himself up against all of them.

Gives me a slightly bad taste in my mouth...

I'm curious, was it an American car or an import?

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

So... why is it "setting himself up against all of them," if this person wants to be proud, too?

[cutieperson]

diversity is bad/evil.

[(Anonymous)]

Wow, do you mean diversity excludes this person?
Think about what you are saying there.
So Gay pride is O K and diverse, but straight pride is not????

wow

[missionista.livejournal.com]

First idea: first line from a personal ad

Second idea: anti-P.C. person with obnoxious and kinda dumb bumper sticker.

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

First idea: It's an anti-P.C. person with an obnoxious and kinda dumb bumper sticker.
Second idea, almost immediately: Maybe it's a person who's proud to live in America with queer non-white multilingual people!
Third thought: Nah. It's an anti-P.C. person with an obnoxious and kinda dumb bumper sticker.

[damned-colonial.livejournal.com]

Hrm, first assumption is "this person is a bigoted asswad".

[mangosteen]

Oh, the first one is "That's right, I'm the normal one here."

After that, it could mean:
"I'm not afraid to admit that I'm part of the majority."
"I am the definition of a Proud American"
"I'm not ashamed of who I am."

Alternately, if the person in the car wasn't any of the above, it could be done for sheer irony.

[theinfamousj.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on "I'm not ashamed of who I am."

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

1st interpretation: I'm all superior and eletist.
2nd interpretation: we're the new minorty and as such we're allowed to have pride too.

My ex and I used to joke about how there were so many cultural and minority groups at our school that someone should start WASPS@MIT.

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

Why do you have to be minority to be proud?

I think part of the atmosphere that brings the bumpersticker, though, is that were you to start WASPS@MIT you'd probably be accused of racism and white supremacy.

[xiphias.livejournal.com]

Y'know, my first response would be to look for OTHER bumper stickers on the car, to judge it. If that bumper sticker sat next to a Confederate flag, it would mean something very different than if it sat next to a rainbow flag.

[cos]

There were no other stickers, that I could see.

[crs.livejournal.com]

First thought: "What a bigot."

Weird how that works. Sounds like I had the same reaction as you... I hope I would have thought more about it after that step, anyway, without your prompting...

[ellipticcurve.livejournal.com]

I'm with the "bigoted @$$" camp. It seems to me a rather petulant expression of "all the OTHER people get to be hyphenated Americans".

queer, white, english and spanish speaking, ashamed american

[amber-phoenix.livejournal.com]

which one came out first? "asshole frat boy" this shows my own biases pretty immediately.

after contemplating for a while, i read it as "in the minority" or "feeling defensive about my race and heritage", which i suppose i can have some empathy for.

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

Hm.
First reading seems a little defensive, kinda a reaction to feeling like everyone else gets to be proud of their minority status, but those who are in the "privileged majority" only get shit for it. Particularly if they're straight, white, male, and english speaking.

I can see it as trying to be nasty, too, but it doesn't have to be. And there is a rising feeling of "hey, how come everyone else gets slack but not me?"

Interestingly, this bumper sticker does not by definition leave out Latinos, as long as they learned English at some point. (Honestly, after the time I spent on the SouthWest border, and the fact that I could practice my Spanish with every hotel maid I've ever encountered, including in Vermont, I've got some strong feelings about people needing to learn English)

I think I remember some buttons at this past Arisia: "Straight, Monogamous, Vanilla." Some of them added "but thanks, though." A number of people were offended by those buttons, too. Interestingly, in that environment the assumption was that people might well be bi/poly/switch, and I think those who weren't began to feel the need to advertize.

[skreeky]

I have one of those buttons. It's because I got sick of the assumption that I was bi, the assumption that I was kinky, and the assumption that I was poly, immediately followed by the implication that there was something wrong with me for being so boooooooring when I turned out to be none of the above.

I note that I do NOT use it in any context where the original three assumptions are not made. Not in public. Certainly not on my car.

[rigel.livejournal.com]

My first thought: I am proud of who and what I am, regardless of / including my social place of privilege.

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

You put it rather better than I did.

[epilady.livejournal.com]

"I feel backed into a corner because the diversification of America is taking away 1/10th of my former privilege and boy, that steams me up!"

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

*laugh* Yes!

My secondary reactions right now also have a lot to do with the fact that just the other night, I was discussing this topic with some friends. Specifically, I noted the absurdity (to me) of being "proud" of something that you were simply born with. What is pride? Why does it apply to inborn traits?

It is my belief that "Proud to be X" is only relevant (in a positive way) to groups that have been marginalized, told to be ashamed because they are X, that sort of thing. It isn't about thinking there is something inherently better about X, but rather about affirming that it is not something to be ashamed of. I guess "I'm X and that's OK" would be more accurate technically, but it doesn't actually convey the feeling as accurately as "I'm X and I'm proud." Interesting, that.

In any case, the list on the bumper sticker above not qualify, imho.

[goljerp]

The first thing that I thought of was that the unspoken end of the message was ", and I like beating up anyone who isn't all of the above". Or at least, "and it's OK to discriminate against anyone who isn't all of the above".

I suppose it's possible that someone would buy it without the implied addition at the end... but I dunno. I mean, I am Straight, White, English-Speaking, and American. I'm not terribly proud right now, considering the stuff that our president and military are doing in our names. But even in the days that I was unreservedly proud to be an american, I felt no urge to put a bumper sticker like that on my car.

[redheadedmuse.livejournal.com]

I guess my first impulse is to think that the person who put made the sticker and the person who put it on their car are both homophobic racists who happen to hold US passports, and wanted to publicize this information.

Maybe it's the headlines lately, but I'm having trouble seeing the alternate meanings you allude to.

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

yeah, i was offended too when i read it, but then it sort of struck me like a sticker my ex-boss had on his car that just said "college". like, it's supposed to be funny because this person can't put a pride flag or yo quiero jesus or fish or any other sticker on their car because they are too mainstream. it's um, treading a fine line of humour though, if that's the case.

[skreeky]

Before I read anyone else's comments, I'm finding it hard to come up with any reason for pointing out these characteristics about oneself on a bumper sticker, that does not offend me.

[mizarchivist]

I'd chalk it up to the "new minority" with a hint of irony (I hope).

If ever I see that and have the opportunity to comment on it, I'll make a point of assuming it was put up for humor, then if I'm proven wrong call him/her a prick ;)

[ceo]

It's one of a large class of stickers whose essential message could be adequately conveyed by a single sticker reading, "I AM A FUCKING ASSHOLE".

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Oh! Hey, I kind of want that sticker.

[ayalanya.livejournal.com]

my first impression was "guh? *blink*"

and then i read the rest of your post and i kind of went "huh...that's interesting".

i suspect that the person who made it was being satirical. i don't know what the person sporting it was using it as.

[zaph.livejournal.com]

I'm inclined to say it's a narrow-minded bigot.

I'm all of those things, too, but I think that putting it on a bumper sticker would imply that it mattered, or that "proud American" implies or should imply the other things, which just isn't right.

it kind of makes me want a sticker that says "Straight, white, English-speaking and American, but so what?"

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

it kind of makes me want a sticker that says "Straight, white, English-speaking and American, but so what?"

Rock! I'd buy one :)

[chanaleh.livejournal.com]

First:
"Forget all this affirmative action crap that's supposed to make people of color and alternative sexuality who can't even be bothered to learn English feel better about themselves. I refuse to be beaten down for being in the majority! We're here, and when it comes right down to it we still own you, and don't you forget it!"

I have to admit I think that's the only really likely intention.

Second:
Um.
"America being the wonderful melting pot that it is, let me politely assert my place in the cultural majority while pointing up the overarching political sentiments that are, after all, more important to our collective identity."

Now I shall go see what everyone else said. :-)

[(Anonymous)]

Wow this just confirms my thoughts on "diversity."
We want diversity as long as who you are, or what you think is acceptable to me.
If what you believe or who you are is offensive, or different, or unacceptable then you are (fill in the blank)
So "gay Pride" is O K, but Straight Pride is not.
You all need to think about what "diversity" means.
Acceptance.

[ayalanya.livejournal.com]

hmm...i thought the sticker was amusing, once my initial reaction of "huh?" was over. reason being, my mom has this button that says "i'm straight but not narrow". i have issues with things like that, because it sounds like those people who feel the need to point out their straightness while adamantly pointing out their ability to "tolerate" or "accept" those of us who aren't. in a perfect world, i would imagine that differences would be celebrated as variety but completely ignored as things that stick out and need to be "tolerated"

this sticker, to me, is thumbing its nose at that, saying "i am this, and i don't really feel the need to envelope you all in my tolerant arms by saying that i am this but i don't mind if you're not".

The driver is insecure

[agnosticoracle.livejournal.com]

It means the driver feels treatened by non-straight, non-white, non-english speaking proud Americans.

[outherelistenin.livejournal.com]

I considered reading the comments page before responding, but decided not to in the interest of an off-the-cuff response.

My first thought is that the bumper sticker is marketing to a straight, white, English-speaking (usually Christian, usually male, usually conservative) Americans with a persecution complex. There's this big chunk of the population who are pissed off because they think they're supposed to feel guilty for being in the majority. It's kind of, "Hey, when do I get to feel righteously indignant about being oppressed?"

I hate to sling around meaningless political labels, but it's usally anti-liberal backlash, and it's usually stoked by conservative pundits. The meme that keeps a certain section of the population under control is that an intellectual liberal elite is intent on making "ordinary people" feel bad about things like racism, homophobia, the ways in which America screws over the rest of the world, and their love of NASCar. And they do feel bad, which makes them feel pissed-off and indignant.

Thus, the defiant "Straight White English-Speaking Proud American" slogan. There's nothing wrong with being any of those things, and perhaps I'm reading it with too much bias, but that's the first thing that pops into my mind when I see that.