Current Events > Is it racist to call a skeleton/ghost a "spook"?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I was playing Sea of Theives yesterday. A skeleton popped up and attacked me out of nowhere. I yell "Ahhh, a spook!"

Immediately all of my friends get super upset saying that is racist as fuck.

I'm like...I've never even heard this used as a racist term, but if it was, how is it racist if it's used in conjunction with something spooky?

LMAO

Xd
---

lol
---

I'll take "Things that happened" for 500
---

I heard of that being a term for ghosts before in old movies.
---

racists have more names for people than you'll ever know. the less they contribute to society, the more time they have to sit around coming up with terms that sound hilarious.

I got called a [rhymes with Soon Picket] when I first got Xbox Live, and had never heard it before. I didn't even know it was a slur until I heard it again in some 70's Blaxploitation film later on
---

MabusIncarnate posted...

I'll take "Things that happened" for 500

and this, lol
---

how can that be racist when ghosts and skeletons are white?
---

I got modded for using that word in a completely unrelated context, disputed it because I had no idea that was a slur from a million years ago, and my moderation was overturned >_>
---

MabusIncarnate posted...

I'll take "Things that happened" for 500

I'm sad to say that this is actually something that happened.

I play with some real sensitive folks, although at the same time they could have just been fucking with me in this case. I really couldn't tell.

---

So, how did that start? Did someone get startled because a black person approached them in darkness and didn't notice him until the last second, and was like "AAhgh! Dude, you spooked me!" ? ?
---

Laserion posted...

So, how did that start? Did someone get startled because a black person approached them in darkness and didn't notice him until the last second, and was like "AAhgh! Dude, you spooked me!" ? ?

See, that's where I'm confused.

I always thought spook was a word for like the secret police or CIA types.

Not black people.

No, it's not racist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sKzPBu2M8A" data-time="
---

lmao all these people who have never seen gran torino
or remember the best scene from the movie
---

Didn't hear of it until a few years ago. Seems like it was more prevalent in the '70s with that movie (The Spook Who Sat... something something). One of those words that I think a reasonable person would forgive you for using if you didn't know its meaning
---

MabusIncarnate posted...

I'll take "Things that happened" for 500

---

I have never heard of this, lol.

But honestly, the image of TC yelling out
Youngster_Joey_ posted...

"Ahhh, a spook!"

is cracking me up way harder than it should.

Cheater87 posted...

I heard of that being a term for ghosts before in old movies.

I didn't think it was that uncommon even today, tbh.
---

OH they even use the term in Back To The Future!

BTTF SPOILERS

When those goons are chasing Marty and lose em they come upon the jazz band's car and they call one of the guys a spook and then four other dudes climb out of the car and they're like "oh man we're screwed"
---

GregShmedley posted...

Ah, that's how I know the word. I was trying to think how I knew it was a slur as a kid.

This is why I laughed so fucking hard when Clint Eastwood deadass says "what are you [redacted] up to" and the black dudes in Gran Torino are just like "........wtf did u just call me?" more perplexed than offended
---