When Maher used it and Ice Cube came on to tell him how wrong he was I did sort of feel like its divisive power was perpetuated by the double standard it seemed to represent - black people can use it, white people can't. Honestly I thought it was all a bit hysterical (not hilarious), not that I doubted the authenticity of people taking offence, just that there was an obsession over the word rather then Maher's intent that only furthered the divide between black and white.

Now I think I missed the point. Naively I believed the end goal was to sterilize the word through usage, that the fact a word can cause offence is a sort of aberration. Recently I was made to understand that the word is venomous for good reason. It should be offensive because it represents not just a terrible history of slavery, but also of the continued oppression, both overt and insidious, that blacks experience.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and often I think that is how us whites use it. Mostly our intentions are good, we want to be part of that group... but we never will be because we will never experience that word the way a black man or woman will. I don't think I was a racist (well, so far as any of us are free from bias) when I used it before but I think it was ignorant and wrong of me. To only care for your own intent and ignore a word's symbolism is lazy and self interested.

I'd like a future where the word truly does lose contemporary meaning, but I don't think we get there by ignoring what it still represents to others.

$0.02

What I find interesting is that modern manga evolved post WW2 and took a lot of influence from American comics brought to Japan by GIs . Characters in manga often don't really look asian, their faces are, if anything, exaggerations of western beauty ideals. If you did see flatter faces and almond shaped eyes it was often the face of a villain or fool. That said, Motoko is unquestionably Japanese, I think its a shame they didn't cast an Asian actress for the roll... but I guess in the end this is a western movie, made predominantly by westerners in English. It's cultural appropriation. Is it theft or flattery? Does Ghost in the Shell belong first to the Japanese, or does it belong as much to its western fans?

I just hope it doesn't suck

also Scarlett is nice to look at regardless.

If anyone still cares about this, here's what caused it.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/20/politics/trump-aide-offers-resignation-in-melania-trump-plagiarism-incident/

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, plagiarism has got to be right up there.

My preferred technique is to disarm an assailant with charm and flattery.

Step 1: My, that's a handsome neck tattoo.
Step 2: Beautiful evening for an armed robbery
Step 3: Let me get you my wallet
Step 4: I always tell my wife how you meet the most interesting people in dark alleys and you sir, do not disappoint.
Step 5: Well, I've really enjoyed meeting you. Give my best to your baby's mama and...watch out for the limit on that American Express card. I'll be on my way.

Cool! I have always found you to be a very interesting and humble man. I too despise fake forms of flattery and also hate to be seemingly kiss-ass, but will always give a compliment where I see one, because it costs nothing and can inspire simple greatness into something spetacular. Or just makes everyone concerned feel nice...why don't more people want to spread happiness?

/waffle

FOR LIBERTY "Yes I am waiting fo reform whether it comes from liberty or progressive" same goes for the sift...

In fact, Downvoting is the highest form of sift-flattery.>> ^BoneRemake:

I dont like people posting stupid useless shit. Sure I might sound like I am presenting my values as a high standard than yours, thats not really the case, as I may post videos you do not like, but I encourage you to speak up like I have when such things occur. To stay silent does no one any good
"God bless you! I just downvoted your stuff! "
In reply to this comment by marinara:
cmon. don't like breasts, don't have to watch it

hehe, only time will tell, oh dear that's the 2nd cliché in a row... This is why I never became a writer.

>> ^Boise_Lib:

>> ^PalmliX:
Haha flattery will get you everywhere, I'll see what I can do
>> ^Boise_Lib:
You're a smart guy--you'll figure it out.


Oh No!
I've created a monster!

>> ^PalmliX:

Haha flattery will get you everywhere, I'll see what I can do
>> ^Boise_Lib:
You're a smart guy--you'll figure it out.



Oh No!
I've created a monster!

Haha flattery will get you everywhere, I'll see what I can do

>> ^Boise_Lib:

You're a smart guy--you'll figure it out.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'Data, Picard, Star Trek, highest, form, of, flattery' to 'Data, jean luc Picard, Star Trek, patrick stewart, brent spiner, impression' - edited by xxovercastxx

>> ^hpqp:

I smell a bit of homage beneath the chiding mockery.


There are some who say "Parody is the highest form of flattery."

I see flattery as very closely related to "blowing smoke" (i.e. disguising one's true intentions). <shrug>

Yeah, they still didn't quite make the connection between blowing smoke up one's ass and flattery. Maybe it was meant along the lines of "what you're doing is useless and irritating, please stop". And somehow it came to be used exclusively as a rebuke of flattery.

makes fun of? umm, more like imitates, you know, flattery?