Stereotypes aside, a bottle of cognac and chocolate cake is pretty good as far as office birthdays go.
Yup.
If someone got you a bottle of liquor you probably have drank with them or spoken about it… it’s not difficult to assume someone said oh he likes this lets get it for him. Further this is a pretty common brand and has a good chance of getting picked in general.
The speed at which people assume the worst and get offended recently needs to get dialed back… a lot. If I wanted to slight a dude I wouldn’t spend money to do it.
Your entire argument depends on the fact that this dude Hennessy with his co-workers or talked about.
A fact which (as far as I can tell) you just made up.
That’s sort of the point. There is minimal context on the image so we are left to extrapolate from what we can see.
I see a nice office setting with a fairly dressed down couple of people who seem reasonably at ease in the space. It is a chocolate cake which is the typical go-to in most situations and appears to be store bought. Depending on where you live you can get liquor in the store or at a small store nearby. Some of the largest displays and most well known brands are Makers, Crown, and Hennessy. These are typically larger displays where even if you knew nothing about liquor you could probably pick one of those 3… and of those crown comes in packaging which would be a pain to take apart if you were just looking for a quick better than a birthday card gift.
…So assuming they knew fuck all about him there’s still a coin flip it would have been Hennessy. As far as the cake goes probably better than 60-70%. So hanlons razor: did someone just blow 70 bucks for a cake and booze to take a cheap shot at the guy? I doubt it.
I’ve worked in a lot of offices and I can tell you most people won’t go out of their way to get you a gift on your birthday outside of maybe a gift card from a boss. I see no malice here. Am I making assumptions? Sure. It’s an image and I provided my take on it. What was yours again?
I’m looking at the text associated with the image and see two possible scenarios.
The one that you describe where the co-workers are being nice and the black guy is being an asshole for complaining about it.
Or the other scenario where the black dude’s co-workers are making assumptions about the dude based on stereotypes. In which case the black dude is rightfully bothered by this and the co-workers are making ignorant assumptions based on race.
And I see you making further ignorant assumptions and assuming the scenario that the black dude is being an asshole is the correct one without really considering the image and the text we’re discussing at face value could actually be accurate. You’re preferring a made up scenario which implies the black dude is being dishonest, rather than the scenario as presented.
We can’t know which scenario is true. But we do know which assumptions you prefer, and your assumptions says something about you. You preference is for scenarios which assume black people are dishonest.
Try to be a better person.
Or three. It’s all BS and the poster just snapped the picture (or it isn’t even his picture) and he made up that it’s his birthday/work gift.
The one that you describe where the co-workers are being nice and the black guy is being an asshole for complaining about it.
Alternatively, this guy could be simply misinterpreting a pretty (all things considered) passable gesture. As I mentioned before: hanlons razor.
Or the other scenario where the black dude’s co-workers are making assumptions about the dude …
Totally plausible. This is an office party- we only know so much.
…based on stereotypes.
Why this? Yeah people can be insensitive but that’s a hell of a leap to make here.
In which case the black dude is rightfully bothered by this and the co-workers are making ignorant assumptions based on race.
Possible? Sure. Here’s my take: I just got cake and free booze. How we choose to interpret things goes a long way. Even if it were racially driven- there’s two sides of this… and only of them is backed by malice… and if so: as I mentioned … that’s a big spend to be a dick.
If he wants to be offended by all means: go to hr. But he posted it on Twitter. Excuse me for being blunt but based on where he posted it- he was looking for a reaction and won’t further speculate there.
And I see you making further ignorant …
I mentioned earlier that a lot of things have to do with perception. You are running to defend a dubious at best situation with minimal information. You have no skin in this- there is no reason to be so invested in something where you would attribute my blunt, but fair, assessment as malice. Many people would do well to take a breath before jumping to conclusions… we’d all be better for it.
We can’t know which scenario is true.
You should have stopped there.
Try to be a better person.
Every day. How about you?
Yes, that is how hypotheticals work. It’s how we imagine things we don’t know specific details about and try and find ways to explain them.
Hypothetically, someone that assumes a black person to be dishonest based on no evidence is a racist.
To make this less hypothetical, are you assuming the black dude is dishonest or not? Just want to know who’s a hypothetical racist and who’s an actual racists here.
I’m assuming the black dude is making a joke about all the hypersensitive people on the internet.
Something you make a good example of.
Let’s nip this in the bud here. If I like hotdogs do I automatically hate hamburgers?
Why is it you are on such a crusade to paint someone as a racist simply for making a moderate statement? This isn’t a binary thing.
Further what makes what you are doing morally any better than what you are assuming the gift buyers to be doing?
You are entirely too wrapped up in this and it’s not a good look, man.
I must be outta the loop. What does liquor and cake have to do with stereotypes in this context?
I worked at a design Co once where they gave everyone a bottle of patron for a gift. I didn’t want that crap, it’s no don Julio, so I look at it and say “I can’t take this, I’m sober” just to be an ass but they took it like I was in recovery, started to apologize profusely. A few minutes later they came back with a check for $200, a much better gift. I never drank at work functions anyways.
And your name “Blackout” haha. You’re committed to the bit!
Haha, yes … “bit”.
$200 vs. A shitty bottle of over priced tequila that’s $60… You came out way on top in that exchange
Its the added guilt of thinking you gifted alcohol to a recovering alcoholic. Also legal issues, if its the US I assume one could sue for some bullshit.
Man I wish I never drank at work functions… All my most embarrassing drunken moments were caused by open bars at work events…
Is there a stereotype that I’m unfamiliar with?
Ya, Hennessey is associated with African Americans
Knowing nothing about Hennessy, should I ask why?
Hennessy has a long-standing relationship with African American culture, especially hip hop. It has been described as “synonymous with rap music and African Americans, who are the brand’s major consumers and advocates”. While music, especially the 2004 2Pac song “Hennessy” has been credited with popularising the drink, some historians have pointed to a much older relationship, which began when African American servicemen encountered cognac in France during World War I and World War II.
Hennessy has actively pursued this consumer group for decades. It targeted minority audiences as early as the 1950s, when it placed advertisements in African American magazines like Ebony and Jet, used African American models, and hired African American employees. By some estimates more than two thirds of Hennessy sold in the United States is consumed by African Americans. It is sometimes referred to as “Henny”.
Hennessy appears frequently in the lyrics of popular music, and by one estimate the words “Hennessy” or “cognac” are referenced in more than 1,000 songs.
So French Cognac from the actual city of Cognac…
How does it taste? I mean stereotypes aside… Is it good? Maybe they can turn a blind eye if it’s really nice booze.
I enjoy it - it’s smoother and sweeter and and with a different fruitier flavor than whiskey while packing the same punch.
I own a bottle and sometimes sip on it or include it as an ingredient in a mixed drink or cooked meal.
I’d recommend trying it at least once if you already enjoy liquor
Thx for the description. I’ll try it.
Hennessy is to cognac what Smirnoff is to vodka, there are far, far better cognacs.
Look for the different grades - XO is the best one, apart from XXO but I’ve only seen that once
Special mention for Armagnac, you get some superb brands of that, all better than Hennessey
Cognac is essentially distilled alcohol from grapes… think about using wine to make distilled alcohol. I’m not positive, but I think I t was originally a way monks thought they could preserve wine through distillation and reconstitute it back into wine at a later time, but turns out not to have worked like that. Once you boil off the alcohol and discard the mash, you don’t get the ‘wine’ part back.
It’s just a different base to ferment and distill into a hard spirit. Because it starts as a sweeter fruit than grains, like rye, wheat, or barley, it tends to have a sweeter flavor. It’s particularly nice as a warm drink in the winter, but a bit sweeter than bourbon.
I’m not a cognac aficionado but I think it’s good
It’s cognac so… No.
I think I’d like to go with your answer. I’m pretty sure I had cognac and didn’t like it. In the context of this post I’m afraid I can only accept answers from black dudes, though.
I would recommend trying Pineau then. It’s cognac diluted with juice, it’s a lot softer you should like it
I don’t remember. It’s usually only brought out for celebrations where there’s lots of alcohol.
Hennessey is a Cognac that sells itself as high end. Hip hop bands would buy Hennessey as a sign they had made it when they got big.
If it’s anything like fried chicken or watermelon, I assume it’s because it tastes good.
I promise you it does not taste good
Its delicious. Idk I don’t blame anyone for liking it
Look… I really like grape soda, watermelon and fried chicken. I have at least one of these things at home. If my friends come over, I offer them stuff I’m about to cook, drink etc. I am Caucasian…
Fuck whoever made these things a stereotype! I had to explain myself more than enough to some of my friends.
It’s not about the food, it’s about the assumption.
If you have watermelon, friend chicken, and grape soda, and you offer it to people, you’re not a racist.
If you assume a black person would prefer watermelon, fried chicken, and grape soda, because that’s what black people like, that’s a form of racism.
If you avoid offering watermelon to your black friend, you’re being racist. Not because of the watermelon, but because when I said “your black friend” you thought of that one friend who is black that occupies the space in your memory as “your black friend.” It was a clever trick to catch you being racist, you racist.
But seriously, good food is delicious, and you should enjoy what you like. Share what you like with people, and find out what they like. Don’t make assumptions about anyone.
Exactly my point. I just offer my foods and drinks to my friends and some of my guys keep nagging me when I offer it. It’s just so stupid…
It’s also associated with literally everyone else who drinks. This is a weird one.
Are you not American? In the US it’s a well known thing.
Maybe to some, but certainly not everyone.
Some people aren’t
Is it just the Hennessy that is being pointed to as the stereotype? Because I’m sitting here trying to figure out if there’s a stereotype about chocolate cake as well.
Chocolate isn’t racist. They picked it to match the color scheme.
My cake was strawberry.
You a redhead? That’s hairist and you needn’t tolerate that!
Nah this is clearly with an A. A bottle of henny on the cake is a bro move.
My nigga, Fizz, gets it
And this comes from a CertifiedBlackGuy!
And some cracker downvoted him anyway.
Cracker with a hard R
Radish?
Can someone explain this to me?
Is he saying it’s racist?
That’s the implication here, yes.
Hopefully it was just a joke though.
Oh, I thought they were being accused of alcoholism.
Nah, this is 100% about Hennessy being a stereotypical drink for black people.
I was not aware of that stereotype. Thank you for the enlightenment. I think.
Yeah, US & UK hip-hop and grime “promotes” cognac quite heavily. There’s even the classic Busta Rhymes joint “Pass the Courvoisier”.
I mean, it’s the biggest Cognac brand. Since my uncle sold his domain, where else are you supposed to buy?
HR is there to help the company; not the individual.
I am sure this comment section filled with sheltered white tech nerds won’t be embarrassing.
Happy Cake Day!
With a Hennessey topper for the cake.
The little cardboard platform in the middle is reusable, if it’s not all covered with icing!
My job just gave me the equivalent of $5 on their stupid company store thing for my birthday.
Why did they put the bottle on top of the cake? That’s weird. Right?
If you put the cake on top of the bottle it just breaks the cake apart.
If the bottle is in the cake then you can’t read Hennessy.
It’s an hyper realistic cake.
You think the bow is cake too?
That booty 🍑? Also cake 🎂
Everything is cake.
My wife is cake.
Lemmy is cake.
Actually it’s a hyper realistic Hennessy bottle!
It’s so realistic, it functions as an actual Hennessy bottle and has real Hennessy inside. Art is amazing.
They did something nice for you, and instead of being appreciative, you have a victim mentality of being a victim of not just racism, but the strongest kind? Because they made you a chocolate cake? Yeah, I think that’s a you problem.
We have no context here but I didn’t read the caption as being 100% sincere. You don’t read a little hyperbole in it?
100% they are taking the piss.
With a $60 bottle of liquor, yeah, dudes actually probably stoked… Hen ain’t fucking cheap.
Before I quit drinking this would have been an awesome gift.
issa joke
I had a friend (black) who got a fruit basket with majority bananas from her employer. She was really happy about it, so I didn’t say anything, but it gave me pause 😂
It’s really easy. Do they provide this for all their workers? Is this particular worker being treated to this particular gift when no one else did?
If this was specifically provided for this worker without input from them, then it’s a problem.
If everyone in the office gets a chocolate cake with Hennessy, then it’s fine.
If the worker selected this treat for themselves, then it’s fine.
Maybe they go out as a group occasionally and he always orders one. It’s most likely a thoughtful gesture but we don’t have enough info.
Most likely it isn’t that scenario, because if it were it wouldn’t bother the dude.
You’re inventing a scenario in which a black man is creating problems by acting upset over a thoughtful gesture. You’re making assumptions based on nothing that white people were being kind and considerate while the black person as just being an asshole about it.
That’s not cool bro.
I didn’t say he was being an asshole. He might be legitimately upset, or he might be posting it because he’s in on the joke.
Like I said the first time, we don’t have enough information to say anything about this so I prefer to think he’s friends with his coworkers.
You might be inventing drama where there isn’t any, and that’s not cool dude.
Let’s just make up whatever story we feel like.
You’re making up stories that imply that a black person is dishonest. You can make up whatever story you want, but I can make assumption about you the same way you’re making assumptions about the person that posted the photo.
So I’m going to assume you’re racist against black people.
Just making up whatever story I feel like!
As we say in Germany: “Mach mal dein fenster auf Kipp”
As a white dude, can I get Grand Marnier on my cake? ;)
What cake is supposed to go with the cheapest tequila?
Tequila/lime cake stuffed with sprinkles?
This is glorious.
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