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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Mongoose <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject: Re: [OT] Racism in RN
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 08:40:46 -0700
: BTW, Who or what is "Jerry Curl"? Another one of the list
members
:accused me of being racist for using the term "Jerry-Rigging" in an
:earlier post saying that it referred to "Jerry Curl" which was a racist
:remark.

A jerry curl is a type of hair style popular (at one time, if not any
more) in the Afro-American community. It is a "wet look" hairstyle, worn
only by men (afaik), that partly relaxes the curl of the hair. Samauel
Jackson wears his hair this way in "Pulp Fiction". Its also a name brand
hair care product (used to create said style), I think.

Mongoose
(OB sr- just what "skill" would be used to dredge up such knowledge? I'll
call it default to INT, just to avoid having wasted points on such drek.)

[Jerry curl has (afaik) NOTHING to do with jerry-rigging (or, as I've
seen it written, jurry-rigging). I' assume jerry-rgging is an old
nautical term, perhaps created by the English in an insulting reference to
the Germans, but its old enough to not be offensive (to me, at least, an
I'm German decended). I have heard some offensive equivalents, but they
were quite obviously intended as such, and used obviously offensive terms
in place of "jerry".]
Message no. 2
From: bryan.covington@****.COM
Subject: Re: [OT] Racism in RN
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 10:42:13 -0400
<snip Jerry-Curl>

> Mongoose
> (OB sr- just what "skill" would be used to dredge up such knowledge?
> I'll
> call it default to INT, just to avoid having wasted points on such
> drek.)
>
> [Jerry curl has (afaik) NOTHING to do with jerry-rigging (or, as
> I've
> seen it written, jurry-rigging). I' assume jerry-rgging is an old
> nautical term, perhaps created by the English in an insulting
> reference to
> the Germans, but its old enough to not be offensive (to me, at least,
> an
> I'm German decended). I have heard some offensive equivalents, but
> they
> were quite obviously intended as such, and used obviously offensive
> terms
> in place of "jerry".]
>
I have always heard it "jury-rigging" as well as a few
other variations which are most definitely racist, and are best let to
die from the language as fast as possible.
I think every locality has some take on this. I've heard
"Southern Engineering" also. Which I can say from North Carolina so
don't get pissy.
Message no. 3
From: Smilin' Ted <Tuvyah@***.COM>
Subject: Re: [OT] Racism in RN
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 18:07:54 EDT
In a message dated 9/24/98 5:34:12 AM, you wrote:

> [Jerry curl has (afaik) NOTHING to do with jerry-rigging (or, as I've
>
>seen it written, jurry-rigging). I' assume jerry-rgging is an old
>
>nautical term, perhaps created by the English in an insulting reference to
>
>the Germans, but its old enough to not be offensive (to me, at least, an
>
>I'm German decended). I have heard some offensive equivalents, but they
>
>were quite obviously intended as such, and used obviously offensive terms
>
>in place of "jerry".]

Jheri Curl (that's how it's spelled, IIRC) is a "hair relaxer" used by people
with kinky (i.e. very tightly curled) hair to straighten the hair and make it
more stylable. As such, it has been associated primarily with African
Americans. Jerry-rigging is really "jury rigging" which means improvising a
solution to a mechanical problem. And then there's "jerry built", which means
constructed in a fast and sloppy way.

The person who accused you of being racist for writing "jerry-rigging" was out
of line.

ST

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