Honestly, that's one of the worst insults you can throw at a black person and I think it's shameful. Nothing wrong with wanting to be upwardly mobile. I would love to know how people came to use the word "Bougie" like they do now-like when did it become such a negative thing? The 80s?

The word bougie has less to do with being upwardly mobile and more to do with being pretentious. At least that's the context where I have seen it used.

babynoz said:

The word bougie has less to do with being upwardly mobile and more to do with being pretentious. At least that's the context where I have seen it used.

Yep..........

babynoz said:

The word bougie has less to do with being upwardly mobile and more to do with being pretentious. At least that's the context where I have seen it used.

I always think of Eddie Murphy saying "bougie white trash"

Exactly

There are plenty of people that achieve goals, higher education and generous paychecks, but still maintain humility, generosity and kindness.

The people that do not are bougie.

babynoz said:

The word bougie has less to do with being upwardly mobile and more to do with being pretentious. At least that's the context where I have seen it used.

This.

Graycap23 said:

babynoz said:

The word bougie has less to do with being upwardly mobile and more to do with being pretentious. At least that's the context where I have seen it used.

Yep..........

For real. Pretentious and arrogant.

Now bougie is not necessarily an insult but siddity most definitely is. You call a black person siddity, well....you may have to break out the vaseline.

babynoz said:

The word bougie has less to do with being upwardly mobile and more to do with being pretentious. At least that's the context where I have seen it used.

And it's a pretty known fact. It was never a good word to begin with.

They even had a theme song!

[Edited 5/25/12 17:45pm]

Boughetto!

Babynoz hit the nail on the head.

BOO GEE ass negroes been gettin called out

since the 50s but really got outted by the panthers

in the 60s and now we just call them negroes.

and it ain't about bein 'upwardly mobile'

shit niggas been gettin money, it's that attitude that

they have become other than black that makes them

NEGROE... boozh wah zee bitches

I have never in my life heard someone say this!! maybe I should get out more..

over here bougie means dancing and it also means snot

nothing else...

so i dont get why anyone would b offended.... well unless u tell them they look like a bougie

tinaz said:

I have never in my life heard someone say this!! maybe I should get out more..

It's mainly a black expression, like "sididdy"

It's roughly equivalent to "haughty" or "uppity".

Like the Whitley character in A Different World.

Its has become yet another divisive word in the "community" that only further divides black people and is generally spoken in a negative context by economically disadvantaged blacks when referring to middle and/or upper-class (economically) blacks.

Its akin to statements like...

"he/she thinks he/she's all that"

"who does he/she think he/she is"

"he/she trying to act white"

Truth is, however, that not all blacks have the same life experiences or economic advantages and some blacks are raised in manners consistent with higher economic lifestyles, though no fault of their own, with (tennis courts in the backyard, brand new BMW for 16th birthday, private schools, suburban living, yearly vacations, etc.), and therefore do not identify with what has unfortunately been stereotyped as "black culture" - innercity living, loud-talking, cussing with every-other-word, thug/hoochie-dressing, cutting your boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.

Black people need to give each other a break and just get real with it. And, you're right Scriptgirl, the Bourgeois, since the 18th Century, has been a label for any ruling (upper) class, that's it and still is we just make it negative like everything else we're "afraid" of.

*

[Edited 5/26/12 10:10am]

ThisOne said:

over here bougie means dancing and it also means snot

nothing else...

so i dont get why anyone would b offended.... well unless u tell them they look like a bougie

I wondering if you're reading it like "boogie" as in dance or "booger" as in hard piece of snot.

"boo gee" as kingbad put it, is how it sounds. Then again it might be the same word over there.

ScissorsRockPaper said:

Its has become yet another divisive word in the "community" that only further divides black people and is generally spoken in a negative context by economically disadvantaged blacks when referring to middle and/or upper-class (economically) blacks.

Its akin to statements like...

"he/she thinks he/she's all that"

"who does he/she think he/she is"

"he/she trying to act white"

Truth is, however, that not all blacks have the same life experiences or economic advantages and some blacks are raised in manners consistent with higher economic lifestyles, though no fault of their own, with (tennis courts in the backyard, brand new BMW for 16th birthday, private schools, suburban living, yearly vacations, etc.), and therefore do not identify with what has unfortunately been stereotyped as "black culture" - innercity living, loud-talking, cussing with every-other-word, thug/hoochie-dressing, cutting your boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.

Black people need to give each other a break and just get real with it. And, you're right Scriptgirl, the Bourgeois, since the 18th Century, has been a label for any ruling (upper) class, that's it and still is we just make it negative like everything else we're "afraid" of.

*

[Edited 5/26/12 10:10am]

smh

ThisOne said:

over here bougie means dancing and it also means snot

nothing else...

so i dont get why anyone would b offended.... well unless u tell them they look like a bougie

You mean BOOGIE?

[img:$uid]http://gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs/74180_o.gif[/img:$uid]

morningsong said:

ScissorsRockPaper said:

Its has become yet another divisive word in the "community" that only further divides black people and is generally spoken in a negative context by economically disadvantaged blacks when referring to middle and/or upper-class (economically) blacks.

Its akin to statements like...

"he/she thinks he/she's all that"

"who does he/she think he/she is"

"he/she trying to act white"

Truth is, however, that not all blacks have the same life experiences or economic advantages and some blacks are raised in manners consistent with higher economic lifestyles, though no fault of their own, with (tennis courts in the backyard, brand new BMW for 16th birthday, private schools, suburban living, yearly vacations, etc.), and therefore do not identify with what has unfortunately been stereotyped as "black culture" - innercity living, loud-talking, cussing with every-other-word, thug/hoochie-dressing, cutting your boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.

Black people need to give each other a break and just get real with it. And, you're right Scriptgirl, the Bourgeois, since the 18th Century, has been a label for any ruling (upper) class, that's it and still is we just make it negative like everything else we're "afraid" of.

*

[Edited 5/26/12 10:10am]

smh

wha?

^ There's black folks who have done well that don't have the pretentious thing about them. The ones that ARE pretentious are "bougie". That's why that word exists. So I don't see how that "divides the community". Go somewhere with that... smh

Timmy84 said:

^ There's black folks who have done well that don't have the pretentious thing about them. The ones that ARE pretentious are "bougie". That's why that word exists. So I don't see how that "divides the community". Go somewhere with that... smh

no, its hating. who defines who? we define ourselves, someone else defining us is hating and that's what the word represents.

Besides you miss my point all together, some people are raised differently and actually are bougie, they're not acting bougie.

*

[Edited 5/26/12 11:33am]

Genesia said:

Given that bougie is a contraction of bourgeois, it became a bad thing during the French Revolution.

I'm guessing it's not just a black thing then.

Timmy84 said:

^ There's black folks who have done well that don't have the pretentious thing about them. The ones that ARE pretentious are "bougie". That's why that word exists. So I don't see how that "divides the community". Go somewhere with that... smh

Exactly.

ScissorsRockPaper said:

Timmy84 said:

^ There's black folks who have done well that don't have the pretentious thing about them. The ones that ARE pretentious are "bougie". That's why that word exists. So I don't see how that "divides the community". Go somewhere with that... smh

no, its hating. who defines who? we define ourselves, someone else defining us is hating and that's what the word represents.

Besides you miss my point all together, some people are raised differently and actually are bougie, they're not acting bougie.

*

[Edited 5/26/12 11:33am]

So I'm supposed to respect someone who turns their nose up at me because they came from such a privileged background? Yeaaaaaaaah... I don't think so. Your point's different from mine's anyway. And what do you call that? Pride? Nah it's bougie baby.

[Edited 5/26/12 13:35pm]

Timmy84 said:

Genesia said:

Given that bougie is a contraction of bourgeois, it became a bad thing during the French Revolution.

I'm guessing it's not just a black thing then.

The truncation of the word itself is a black thing. The actual idea isn't limited to one group. g3000's post above alluded to this already.

babynoz said:

Timmy84 said:

I'm guessing it's not just a black thing then.

The truncation of the word itself is a black thing. The actual idea isn't limited to one group. g3000's post above alluded to this already.

Ah OK, gotcha. Yeah "bougie" definitely is a black thing. Silly me, all races do act bourgeosie.