"You know who talks about race?! RACISTS."
August 30, 2014 8:31 PM Subscribe
What's it called when someone accuses someone of pointing out an injustice as perpetrating that injustice by describing it? Is there a name for this rhetorical device? An example would be in Jon Stewart's recent segment about Ferguson where a news anchor was quoted as saying "You know who talks about race?! RACISTS."
I've also encountered this before in anti-feminist rhetoric. I can't think of where, but I've come across people arguing things like "saying that women are culturally conditioned to be passive to men is saying that women are passive to men and that's sexist."
I've also encountered this before in anti-feminist rhetoric. I can't think of where, but I've come across people arguing things like "saying that women are culturally conditioned to be passive to men is saying that women are passive to men and that's sexist."
As Jon Stewart said, the proper term is "he who smelt it, dealt it."
posted by John Cohen at 8:38 PM on August 30, 2014 [9 favorites]
posted by John Cohen at 8:38 PM on August 30, 2014 [9 favorites]
Trolling.
(I mean that very seriously. That kind of behavior is trolling.)
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:42 PM on August 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
(I mean that very seriously. That kind of behavior is trolling.)
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:42 PM on August 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'm not sure if this exactly covers your example, but in Racism without Racists, Eduardo Bonilla-Silva calls this kind of racism "color-blind racism."
It's also a derailing technique, so you might be interested in Derailing for Dummies. Also, it could be an example of a white person "playing the race card" (for examples, see the Mitt Romney presidential campaign) or the "denial card" as Tim Wise has called it.
posted by GoLikeHellMachine at 3:02 AM on August 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
It's also a derailing technique, so you might be interested in Derailing for Dummies. Also, it could be an example of a white person "playing the race card" (for examples, see the Mitt Romney presidential campaign) or the "denial card" as Tim Wise has called it.
posted by GoLikeHellMachine at 3:02 AM on August 31, 2014 [3 favorites]
And sometimes it's a case of "blaming the victim."
posted by Obscure Reference at 5:21 AM on August 31, 2014
posted by Obscure Reference at 5:21 AM on August 31, 2014
This could be considered an example of Logical Rudeness.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:07 AM on August 31, 2014
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 6:07 AM on August 31, 2014
Best answer: The Nirvana fallacy ("The perfect is the enemy of the good") comes into play as well -- this is sort of "In a perfect world, no one would talk about race; therefore, when you mention race at all, you're part of the problem."
posted by Etrigan at 6:31 AM on August 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 6:31 AM on August 31, 2014 [2 favorites]
I absolutely find this to be an advanced form of gaslighting.
posted by trunk muffins at 8:36 AM on August 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by trunk muffins at 8:36 AM on August 31, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: As far as formal terminology, I've recently found it helpful to conceptualize this sort of conflation as a (deliberate?) failure to make the use-mention distinction.
posted by lesli212 at 6:38 PM on August 31, 2014
posted by lesli212 at 6:38 PM on August 31, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by wrabbit at 8:34 PM on August 30, 2014