Alabama coach calls Lousiana worker coonass

[Elwood P Dowd]

Nick Saban is a graduate of Kent State and former coach of the Miami Dolphins. I would think he should know better.

http://www.onepeat.com/dirtysaban.mp3

[Erika]

1. Coonass?

Nick Sabin is an asshole.

[dsharp88]

6. I concur.

[dsharp88]

9. I concur. Saban is just what you called him.

And why would any high school recruit ever trust he'll be there next year? How do you know the Cleveland Browns won't come calling and off he goes again...

[frogcycle]

2. if that is true

and UofA doesn't cancel that umpty-million dollar contract I hope every black Alabaman goes to Auburn henceforth. There is stupid, and then there is pathologically stupid.

[RB TexLa]

4. coonass is not in reference to black people

[uppityperson]

10. Probably depends where and by whom and to whom.

[donheld]

48. coonass is Indeed, not in reference to black people

Coonass, or Coon-ass, is an epithet used in reference to a person of Cajun ethnicity.

Although some Cajuns use the word in regard to themselves, other Cajuns view the term as an ethnic slur against the Cajun people, especially when used by non-Cajuns.

Socioeconomic factors appear to influence how Cajuns are likely to view the term: working-class Cajuns tend to regard the word "coonass" as a badge of ethnic pride; whereas middle- and upper-class Cajuns are more likely to regard the term as insulting or degrading, even when used by fellow Cajuns in reference to themselves.

Despite an effort by Cajun activists to stamp out the term, it can be found on T-shirts, hats, and bumperstickers throughout Acadiana, the 22-parish Cajun homeland in south Louisiana.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coonass

[uppityperson]

107. Thanks, never heard it before, thought it was a combo of 2 things

calling someone an ass and a derogatory slur based on skin color. If I heard it used here, up north, not amongst Cajuns, would probably have thought that also and taken it as a derogatory slur against dark skinned people. Cajun country is a different place from the Pacific NW.

[northofdenali]

56. It doesn't matter if it is or isn't, it is derogatory.

And it doesn't belong in the vocabulary of anyone.

[REP]

74. It's NOT Derogatory - Especially Not To a True Coonass!!!

It has NOTHING to do with race/color and everything to do with identity. Every Coonass I know is damned proud of being one and will gladly tell you where the term came from!

[bperci108]

11. It has nothing to do with being African-American....

It's a derogatory term for the francophone Acadians of Louisiana (also known as Cajuns).

[frogcycle]

26. and of course one minority has NO PROBLEM with the coach

uttering slurs against OTHER minorities, 'cause they know he still loves them and wants to rub their kinky-haired little haids

[crispini]

101. Newsflash: Most cajuns are white. nt

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

41. Derogatory?

That's news. I can think of two friends of mine from down there who proudly, loudly and all the time referred to themselves as "a coonass".

Hmpf. Derogatory. You learn something new every day.

[bperci108]

106. I think it depends who is saying it to whom and in what context...

Most of the older Cajun folks I've come across remember quite well the discrimination they endured when they were children. The younger people have adopted the term in true Yankee Doodle fashion, much like the "N Word" among black people.

(I don't think I'd just walk into a club in East St. Louis and start throwing that particular word around, however...)

But like everything else around here lately....



YMMV. :hi:

[blitzen]

44. It's not derogatory...

Believe me, I've lived here in Louisiana for 20 years. Not only do coonasses call themselves coonasses, but they like it when non-coonasses call them coonasses. Saban didn't think twice about using the word because no one who has lived here a while thinks of it as offensive.

[donheld]

49. It's not derogatory...Maybe

Cajun governor of Louisiana Edwin Edwards often used the word "coonass" in reference to himself and other Cajuns.

In the early 1980s, a Cajun worker sued his former employer over repeated use of the word "coonass" in the workplace. The lawsuit led directly to the federal government's recognition of the Cajuns as a national ethnic group as protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coonass

[RB TexLa]

3. It's not usually thought of as a slur today

[jpgray]

7. Uh... shout "coonass" in Harlem and see where that gets you

[RB TexLa]

14. I think he was in Alabama when he said it, he also didn't shout

it was in a part of the country where people are familiar with the term. Words have meanings and this one is in reference to Cajuns.

[jpgray]

16. It's like a Jainist wearing a swastika t-shirt--intent becomes less important

In the perception of most, it's a slur. I would wager even most blacks in Alabama would identify "coonass" directed towards a black person as a slur.

[RB TexLa]

17. That would be like calling a black person a "honky"

:shrug:

I guess after the person stopped laughing they might be offended.

[jpgray]

20. Well that'll teach me to understand the context before opening my mouth

But after a few searches it seems "coonass" is a derogatory term for Acadians, no?

[REP]

80. Means "Acadian" Yes; Derogatory ... Well, Not So Much

[piedmont]

18. He didn't direct it towards a black person

He was talking about a cajun. It is taken as a slur by some cajuns though, and an apology is in order.

[jpgray]

23. Misunderstood the link. Feel like a moron. Sorry folks.

[blitzen]

45. And of course he coached at LSU 5 years...That's where he picked it up.

[Maddy McCall]

31. Context means everything.

In Louisiana, coonass is not considered derogatory.

[piedmont]

5. Dunno. Coonass means different things to different people

http://www.cajunculture.com/Other/coonass.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coonass

but as a non-cajun Nick Saban shouldn't have said it and should apologize.

[uppityperson]

8. from your links.

Its acceptability among the general public, however, tends to vary according to circumstances, and often depends on who says it and with what intention.

Although some Cajuns use the word in regard to themselves, other Cajuns view the term as an ethnic slur against the Cajun people, especially when used by non-Cajuns.

[jpgray]

12. When perception could lead to a racial slur, intent becomes less important

For example wearing a swastika T-shirt as a Jainist... intent in this case is snow-pure, yes, but it's still a bad idea.

[spacelady]

28. Would that be "four winds"?

[spacelady]

13. I wish people in Alabama, Mississippi & Louisiana.....

would "stop that shit".

[piedmont]

15. Huh?

[spacelady]

25. Huh? There are colloquialisms that are regional, but when someone with

a national audience uses them it stinks because we do not need that sort of thinking anywhere. I WAS making kind of a play on our Dear * Leader's words when he had a roll stuffed in his piehole & said about insurgents "they need to "stop that shit" at a European Conference. That's why something in one part of the country can be misconstrued & those who are in the national spotlight need to temper their language lest they be vilified & maybe rightly so. Just ask Mark Twain...

[piedmont]

27. Thanks for the explanation.

I didn't get the reference since I wasn't familiar with the * quote.

[spacelady]

32. I am obscure sometimes. But always I don't know what. hehe

[Maddy McCall]

35. I wish you'd educate yourself enough to know...

that we people in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama aren't engaging in "shit" when we use the word "coonass."

[spacelady]

38. No, of course you are not engaging in "shit", I GET it, but when it

is used in a national spotlight, it becomes a big misunderstanding & does absolutely nothing from a public relations standpoint. Makes us look bad, can ya dig?

[billyoc]

19. I don't think anyone in La would be insulted by that,

I spent a couple of years there, it just meant cajun, no insult intended. I can't speak to Saban's motivations. :shrug:

[RB TexLa]

24. I've spent 38 years in Louisiana and no one is going to be insulted by it

wasn't really a funny joke, but...

[Syrinx]

21. big deal

It was clearly recorded secretly. It was clearly edited. And it's just a guy clowning around anyway. Even if the recording is an accurate representation of what he said, which isn't clear, it isn't a big deal.

[piedmont]

36. The SEC is as cut-throat as sports gets.

I'd like to know the back-story on how this recording came about.

[Syrinx]

39. I agree.

That would be interesting.

[frogcycle]

22. well, that is somewhat edifying...

but, even though I generally think people make too big a deal over some perceived slurs like when what-is-face said "look at that little monkey go", this one just seems way volatile. much like "macaca", all the rationalizations in the world don't remove the fact that the head coach of the football team for UofA throws around ethnic slang - whether meant to be derogatory or not, the message to players and students at large is that he sees himself as something apart (better?)
Not a particularly good way to start the new job. With bama's storied history and desegration turmoil in George Wallace era, this just seems oh-so-stupid

[Maddy McCall]

29. So?

[jpgray]

30. If it's never used as a slur against Cajuns, this thread might lead some to the wrong conclusion

If you don't understand the context, it can seem offensive on its face. I certainly fell into that trap.

[Maddy McCall]

33. I replied to you about context as you were replying to me about context.

Yes, context is everything.

[jpgray]

34. Well at least my extremely public fuckup might prevent further misinterpretation

:dunce:

[Maddy McCall]

37. Hey, it's valuble if anyone learns from it.

:)

[KingofNewOrleans]

42. I was going to comment on the use of coonass

But that frog freaks me out more than any correct or incorrect usage of the term "coonass".

[Syrinx]

46. yeah, that frog is scary

But Maddy McCall is cool!

[Maddy McCall]

50. Thanks, buddy.

I think the same of you, you know.

:hi:

[Syrinx]

57. you're sweet!

Hope everything is good in your life!

You know, I've met a ton of Cajuns in my life (and even suspect that I may be descended from some), and almost to a person, not only were they not offended by "coonass," they proudly proclaimed themselves to be "coonasses."

My best to you and yours! :)

[Maddy McCall]

51. Meet me at Middendorf's and I'll prove that I'm not scary.

King.

:D

[KingofNewOrleans]

60. Ah Middendorf's

I haven't been out there in years.

[Maddy McCall]

62. Headin' down that way this weekend to buy some crawfish.

Going to boil two sacks on Sunday. Yum. :D

[Swamp Rat]

68. Did someone say "crawfish?"

Yum yum! :9

[Maddy McCall]

71. Yep...that'll be us this weekend.

Take the sausage out of that pot, and that looks like exactly what we'll be cooking. :D

We have a monster pot, though, with a strainer, so we can use the same spicy water for the next pot.

I am craving the little buggers. Can't WAIT until this weekend. :D

[Swamp Rat]

76. OMG!!! I am Jonesin' for some mudbugs!

I guess I'll have to get some too. After all this rain there should be a lot available.

[Maddy McCall]

78. Hope so!

And I'll be damned if I'm going to pay a buck fifty a pound for them.

[Swamp Rat]

81. Where are you going to buy 'em?

I really need to get a new pot and boiler. So, I have buy them pre-boiled for now.

[Maddy McCall]

82. Reno's Seafood...

a little shack sitting just a couple hundred feet north of Middendorf's on 51.

That's where we buy our shrimp and our blue crabs. I might check around town here first, though, before I make the drive to Reno's. If I can get them for a few cents more a pound here than what they'll be in Manchac, then I'll buy local.

Did you lose your pot to Katrina? :(

[Swamp Rat]

85. Yes, I guess it floated away. It was in the shed.

or maybe someone swiped it. I don't know.

I haven't bought live seafood from Reno's in a long time. Glad they are still there. I usually buy at Louisiana Seafood Exchange on Jeff Hwy because it is only a couple of miles from my house. Last time I went there I bought fresh Mako shark and made ceviche with it... it was a decent experiment, but I much prefer Mahi Mahi.

[Maddy McCall]

86. Well that sucks.

Pot, cooker, and all...that's quite and investment...propane tank, too. Yep, it's about $100 investment. :(

I've never had shark. What's ceviche?

[Swamp Rat]

93. Ceviche is what I call "Spanish Sushi" when explaining it to someone.

It's not really 'Spanish' because it is primarily a Central and South American dish, and it's not sushi because it is naturally, chemically cooked.

The basic ingredients are: raw salt water fish that has white meat (Mahi Mahi, Ouahu, etc.), fresh onions, cilantro, and freshly squeezed lime juice. Once all ingredients are mixed it is placed in a fridge for a couple of hours to allow the acid from the lime juice to cook the fish. I like to add cayenne pepper and other spices, but my Latin American family members don't care for it be so hot. :D :9

[lies and propaganda]

96. ive been trying to get my parents to lug the whole setup

to me from S'Port to Phx. I am utterly salivating looking at that!!!!!!!!!

[blitzen]

63. World's best catfish...and the only catfish I will eat!

[Swamp Rat]

66. Catfish Charlie's in Hammond is pretty good too

:9

[Maddy McCall]

69. That's actually closer to me than Middendorf's

We stop at Don's sometimes. It's not my favorite, but it's always there when we get hungry (after hitting the movies down there).

I'll have to look for Charlie's the next time I'm in Hammond.

[Swamp Rat]

72. Don's ain't so great,

but it sure beats the crappy "food" I had to eat in Memphis.

As for this thread, I think folks are confusing "coonass" with "coon." :shrug:

[Maddy McCall]

75. Yeah...

Don's needs to change their oil more often. The service sucks and the prices are a little too expensive for the portions.

And I agree that I think that people are taking "coonass" apart and making it "coon" and "ass," either of which would be offensive--well, maybe not the "ass" part as much as the "coon" part.

[Swamp Rat]

65. HEY!

:9

[Maddy McCall]

67. Good stuff, huh?

:D

[Swamp Rat]

70. Yep, dat and da boudin

an da other "coonass" food, cher. ;)

[Maddy McCall]

73. I get my boudin in East Texas.

A little joint in Port Arthur named Nicks. Best boudin I've EVER eaten. I've been eating it since I was a kid.

I made some boudin-stuffed bell peppers the other night. Good god it was delicious.

Nick's has crawfish boudin, so you can have two great delicacies in one dish.

(You and I WILL gather to eat boudin and crawfish one day. Won't be much talking for all the feasting that'll be going on. :rofl: )

[Swamp Rat]

79. Yeah you rite!

mmmmmm.... crawfish boudin! :9

The best boudin I ever had was in Scott Louisiana made by a little old lady at a Quickstop, right in the heart of Cajunland.

[Maddy McCall]

83. Where is Scott?

Wonder if she's still making it. I LOVE boudin.

We throw it on the grill so that the casing gets a little crispy, and then eat it on saltines. Oh, MAN, I have got to get back over to Port Arthur.

:)

[Swamp Rat]

84. It's about 8 miles West of Lafayette on Hwy 90

Yeah, I like to grill 'em too. I just got back from Spain, where I at a TON of sausage that was spicy and crispy.

[Maddy McCall]

87. We go through Lafayette on the way to Port Arthur.

Scott must be somewhere on that route. We travel on I-10.

[Swamp Rat]

90. Hwy 90 is about 1 1/2 miles South of I-10 at the point.

You can take 3184 South if headed West from Lafayette, or 3168 if headed East, then make a left on 90.

[Maddy McCall]

92. Ummm, Swampy....

I think that you and I have pulled off the most beautimous thread-jack in the history of DU. I used to think that Zombywoof was the master, but I do believe that we have one-upped him.

:rofl:

[Swamp Rat]

LOL!

When tawkin' 'bout seafood an dem TASTY coonass vittles, I can't help myself... Boudreaux. :D :9

- Boudreaux and Thibodeaux were driving on the highway, on their way to go bear hunting. They come upon this fork in the road, where there was a sign that said "BEAR LEFT." They turned around and went home. :D

[Maddy McCall]

98. Remind me to tell you my Boudreaux and Thibodeaux firefighter joke sometime.

I can't tell it in an open forum. :D

LOL @ "bear left." :rofl:


Well, the pillow is calling me. I hope to run into you at 1AM again sometime.

:hug:

[Swamp Rat]

99. Nite nite!

:hug:

[sanskritwarrior]

89. WOW

small world, I was born and raised in Groves. my friend Ryan used to work at Nick's.......Their Boudin is so much better than that store bought crap Bruce's Market Basket used to sell.........

[Maddy McCall]

91. My cousin Don worked at Nick's in the seventies.

I was raised in Port Arthur. You probably know some of my family over there. :D

Small world, indeed! :hi:

[blitzen]

40. Coonass is a very acceptable term here Louisiana...seriously

It's used both by coonasses and by non-coonasses to refer to Cajuns...It's a term of endearment, and is never taken as offensive.

[Elwood P Dowd]

43. After reading several posts here

I emailed the LSU fan who sent me the coonass link. Basically, he said that coonasses can calling each other coonases is cool. Assholes calling us coonasses is not cool. He was offended. The LSU/Bama game this year will be interesting.

[blitzen]

47. He's BS-ing you...He hates Saban because he left LSU...

Sure, I can imagine a case where a real asshole yells "coonass" at a coonass and the coonass gets pissed...But he would have been just as pissed if the asshole had yelled "dumbshit" or anything else.

In ordinary, friendly communication, coonass is acceptable here, whether spoken by a coonass or a non-coonass. It's not analogous to the protocol for using the N-word.

[Maddy McCall]

54. Bingo.

:thumbsup:

[Maddy McCall]

52. Oh, bull.

That's so not true.

[RB TexLa]

102. The LSU/Alabama game is always interesting

Maybe they will wear their "You survived Katrina but not the Crimson tide" t-shirts, again. They were complete with dead bodies in red water.

[XOKCowboy]

110. Thank you! I came on this thread late and was wondering WTF?

My Louisiana friends all will tell ya there a coonass. Term of endearment? I guess you could call it that but it's more of a group nickname than anything else.

[northofdenali]

53. Nick Saban is a jerk, an egomaniac and a lousy coach.

I didn't know he was also a bigot, but it doesn't surprise me.

Aside from that,

[Maddy McCall]

55. Read the thread before labeling anyone a bigot.

Coonass is NOT a bigoted term.

FYI.

[northofdenali]

58. You should ask my best friend of over 40 years

who is from Bayou Teche whether or not she considers it bigoted.

FYI.

[Maddy McCall]

61. You should ask my plethora of relatives, and...

well, anyone else who's from Louisiana, and they'll tell you that it isn't.

[northofdenali]

108. Maddy, not meant as a dig or insult, I promise!

Diane hated the word, felt it was applied to the Bayou folks in a derogatory way. And she is VERY Louisianan, way back to great-great-great grandparents. Since she's the only - uh - coonass I know really well, I went by her standards and beliefs. Believe me, I did not mean to insult you or any other resident of that fine state by my stance (my cousin lives in Houma and another in New Orleans - the one in NO is still trying to rebuild with help from family).

:hug:

I still don't like Saban! :evilgrin: But I haven't liked many Bama coaches since the late, great Bear.

[Syrinx]

59. Saban, I guess, is something of an egomaniac. Maybe even a jerk.

But I've seen nothing to suggest he is a lousy coach or a bigot.

[lies and propaganda]

97. hahha, says an Alabama fan...

this LSU fan thinks you should be so lucky. At least now you have a shot in hell of beatin Auburn ;)

[nealmhughes]

64. It's a right tolerable term, fair to middling in its offensive potential, only.

About along the lines of "hillbilly" for someone from the mountains, not really dirty at all. Some will call themselves a hillbilly or a Cajun might call himself a coonass, but it's not polite for a Yankee to call a long time dweller of the SE USA in and around the Appalachian Mts. a hillbilly, or to refer to someone as such, unless in a friendly and depreciating manner, y'all just about some of the dumbest Yankees God ever put on the face of the earth, but bless your hearts, y'all can't help it. Y'all just weren't raised right and talk right funny. But if y'all don't stop picking on we Southerners, some of us are a-fixing to get mad, so y'all play pretty now, OK.

[Maddy McCall]

77. LOL

:thumbsup:

Funny post. :D

[Hardrada]

94. We have problems with the Yankees here in Iowa also.

Especially in my part of the state where they think we all have some Northern European accent or other and don't comprehend what investment banking is or St. Grottlesex either.

[pitohui]

109. nealhughes has it right y'all

you may be entertained to know that saban calling cajuns coon-asses is the number #2 news story in vegas right now -- second only to the story of the "runaway priest"

[sakabatou]

88. .

[lies and propaganda]

95. Coonass isnt derogatory.

Raised in Louisiana, it doesnt offend anyone who isnt already offended by being called hillbilly or the like.

[leftofthedial]

100. Nothing wrong with coonass

cajuns kind of like that designation

now if he'd referred to a coon's ass, it could get his kicked.

[Jacobin]

103. In Louisiana-Speak, that means Cajun

the diminutive for Acadian.

Its not insulting at all these days. Its what we call each other, those of us who are of Acadian ancestry.

20 years ago it was an insult and meant to be insulting. its be co-opted by Cajuns.

Don't sweat this one.

It has nothing to do with African Americans

[BluePatriot]

104. I'm in the "probably not derogatory" camp

I was shocked to hear it but the white Cajuns in my office call each other that all the time, men and women. I just chalk it up to Cajun/LA subculture. Doesn't mean the coach was smart to use that language. And if the worker was black I'd immediately retract my opinion.

[Poll_Blind]

105. Another 2cents from having lived/grown up there: NOT DERAGATORY

  Almost 100% of the time, the only people I heard use the word frequently were Cajuns themselves as a term of endearment. Coonass as a hurtful epithet is possible I guess, but it's a term (in my experience) which is soley based on cultural pride. If someone were to shout the term "coonass" at a Cajun disparagingly, the likliest response would be something akin to "Damn right I am!".

  Regardless of what insults may be found by dissecting the word or it's apparent etymological kin, it's not that kind of word.

It's almost as absurd as taking offense at the use of the word "niggardly". Heart in the right place, but...it's not what it may sound like.

PB

[trumad]

111. Somebody thinks it's offensive....

Warren Perrin, president of the Council for Development of French in Louisiana, said the term is ``highly offensive.''

''I routinely state that the use of that term is highly offensive to descendants of Acadians, who are commonly referred to as Cajuns,'' Perrin said.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/football/16593222.htm

[lukasahero]

112. WTF is wrong with these people?

I can't come up with a coherent way to voice my thoughts right now. :wtf: