Harbin people have no motive to deliberately offend their foreign guests. Even the people of Harbin are not completely unaware of the potential offensive effect of this title. Written by
丨Song Jinbo
Shortly after the term "Southern Little Potato" became popular, I expressed my surprise. The surprise comes from the fact that this word can appear in such a "generous" and "stately" way without attracting high-decibel opposition (at least it was obvious at the time).
My accident exposed my feelings and judgment on this issue, so I might as well put it here first:
1. Personally, I think "Southern Little Potato" is an offensive term;
2. If there is a Southern My friend was offended by the word, which I think is legitimate.
01
Opposition to the term "Southern Little Potato" was almost invisible in various self-media at first.
said that the spread of this word at that time did not reach the threshold that attracted the attention of various traffic-hungry self-media, which seems not to be accurate. The overwhelming popularity of this word was almost synchronized with the explosion in Harbin. It can only be said that at the beginning, this word did not cause strong and direct irritation and offense, and it took a little effort to feel strange.
This can also prove my initial judgment. The word is not a harsh name in the ears of most ordinary southern tourists who come to Harbin, and it is at least barely acceptable.
Even if some self-media articles later expressed the attitude of "I don't want to listen", the traffic was average. For example, "Hello, I am a southerner with a sense of boundaries, not your little potato" by Xiang Dongliang. Weizhou's "Is "Southern Little Potato" Discriminatory?" believes that this term not only lacks a sense of boundaries, but also has discriminatory meanings, which is a higher level of accusation.
But at the same time, Harbin is singing and dancing, and tourists continue to flock to it. In the massive self-media push, there are still a lot of calls for "little potatoes from the south". In the short video, female tourists from the south are greeted warmly by Harbin people. Mostly smiling. I think that on this word, perhaps the public’s feelings are somewhat out of touch with the cognition of Internet celebrities who are mainly intellectuals.
needs to realize that many people are accustomed to using personal social relationships as examples when criticizing and affirming. This idea is natural and instinctive, and it is easily persuasive, but the social model between groups is ultimately different from the social interaction between individuals.
When social problems occur between individuals, the harm and offense can be measured, and the feelings, feedback and response can be clear. You can say: "I don't like you talking to me like this."
But groups are different. The subject of the victim and the subject of responsibility are both vague. Many group behaviors may be due to the interaction of a large number of individuals and cannot be simply dealt with by the rules of interpersonal relationships between individuals. Of course, the analogy can be used, and it is just to facilitate explanation. That’s all.
In this way, whether you are a supporter or an opponent, you must face a real problem, that is, everyone cannot lightly speak for others in the group. You think I can't bear it, but what if other people find the name "Little Potato" quite affectionate?
Of course, in some cases, "my personal feelings" are the greatest, but sometimes it does seem a bit unsightly.
also has the issue of the referent of "southerners". Many people may not know that in Northeast China, the concept of "South" has long been not necessarily the south of the Qinling Mountains and the Huaihe River, but the south of Shanhaiguan. I have seen many relatives and friends of Northeastern people claiming to "go to the south to work." When I asked, they went to Shijiazhuang and Jinan.
There was something even more outrageous in Harbin this year. A friend experienced it personally. He said that after taking a taxi in Harbin, the driver complained about how a southern passenger in front of him spoke crookedly and asked where in the south the driver was. The driver said: "The accent sounded like someone from Liaoning."
So, when some tourists from Henan and Shanxi are habitually called "southern little potatoes" by Northeasterners without any displeasure, do other southern friends still have to fight for the ownership of the "authentic southern products" before starting the debate?
My friend Ye Kefei is from Zhongshan, Guangdong. His most common mantra is: "Actually, for us, Shaoguan is already the north..." Needless to say, Shanghai and Hunan are all the north.
▲ Harbin Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival (Photo/Xinhua News Agency)
In the relationship between groups, if some individuals feel offended, while others do not or do not care, then does their proportion matter?
More importantly, everyone When expressing support or opposition, you should take this fact into consideration. Because there are always some people who feel differently, their position may not be so unbreakable.
Under this premise, I think the question returns to The nature and degree of offense.
02
Why do I find the title "Southern Little Potato" offensive?
If I were a southerner and heard someone call me "Southern Little Potato", I would feel uncomfortable. But as mentioned above As I said, since it is an interaction between groups, my feelings cannot represent others.
Individual feelings may be more appropriate in some cases and it may be more appropriate to laugh them off. In other cases, even if only one person feels uncomfortable, It must be said loudly. But this feeling can only represent one person after all. I cannot say that this word "offends all southerners".
The reason why this word makes me uncomfortable is purely literal. One is "potato" , one is "small". As a writer, I think there is an obvious tendency of labeling here, and it is connected with the derogatory word "short".
Do you think this is what I should like?
Picture/video screenshot
Some people say that the term "southern little potatoes" was first proposed by friends from the south. I don't think this is a very good reason. Even some friends from the northeast feel: "People can laugh at themselves, but you can't use it to laugh at them." "Nothing wrong.
More people, including many southern netizens who defend this word, like to call it "no malice".
It is worth talking about this.
As a native who was born and raised in Harbin and studied in Harbin As a Northeasterner who has been in college for four years, I think no one should doubt my understanding of the Northeast.
In my memory, the custom of giving people nicknames is quite common in the Northeast, and many times it is not goodwill.
Earlier In 2016, I even suspected that without nicknames, some parts of civil society would lose the ability to communicate through language. There are so many "two donkeys", "three lame men" and "fat men"... As for those who use the names of small animals as nicknames, there are even more . Well, the "ground jar" that many Northeastern people say "If you really curse someone, it won't be a potato but a ground jar" is also one of them.
Nowadays, it is known everywhere that Northeastern people have their own comedy genes. This talent is actually Rooted in daily life. Many of the common witty jokes in life take pleasure in sarcasm and attacking other people's shortcomings or even disabilities.
Even today in Erezhuan, which is already quite "clean", such jokes are still common and even Indispensable. Some research monographs on Northeastern linguistics have also noticed this feature of Northeastern dialect and Northeastern folk art.
Picture/Video Screenshot
These habits of nicknames and sarcasm are certainly not unique to the Northeast, but they are related to other Most areas are more prominent than the Northeast, and I think many Northeasterners will not deny it.
"Southern Little Potatoes" certainly do not necessarily have such "malice", but in the traditional culture of the Northeast, there are some "well-intentioned" teases Communication often lacks a sense of propriety, and even implies a sense of bullying by relying on the strong to bully the weak.
Therefore, when in the sensitive boundary zone of interpersonal relationships, Northeasterners need to understand that themselves are more likely to be unintentional and "unintentional offending" "With the original intention, it caused the de facto "offensive" consequences of destroying the sense of boundaries. Harbin people have no motive to deliberately offend their foreign guests. Even the people of Harbin are not completely unaware of the potential offensive effect of this title. Written by 丨Song Jinbo Shortly after the term "Southern Little Potato" became popular, I expressed my surprise. The surprise comes from the fact that this word can appear in such a "generous" and "stately" way without attracting high-decibel opposition (at least it was obvious at the time). My accident exposed my feelings and judgment on this issue, so I might as well put it here first: 1. Personally, I think "Southern Little Potato" is an offensive term; 2. If there is a Southern My friend was offended by the word, which I think is legitimate. Opposition to the term "Southern Little Potato" was almost invisible in various self-media at first. said that the spread of this word at that time did not reach the threshold that attracted the attention of various traffic-hungry self-media, which seems not to be accurate. The overwhelming popularity of this word was almost synchronized with the explosion in Harbin. It can only be said that at the beginning, this word did not cause strong and direct irritation and offense, and it took a little effort to feel strange. This can also prove my initial judgment. The word is not a harsh name in the ears of most ordinary southern tourists who come to Harbin, and it is at least barely acceptable. Even if some self-media articles later expressed the attitude of "I don't want to listen", the traffic was average. For example, "Hello, I am a southerner with a sense of boundaries, not your little potato" by Xiang Dongliang. Weizhou's "Is "Southern Little Potato" Discriminatory?" believes that this term not only lacks a sense of boundaries, but also has discriminatory meanings, which is a higher level of accusation. But at the same time, Harbin is singing and dancing, and tourists continue to flock to it. In the massive self-media push, there are still a lot of calls for "little potatoes from the south". In the short video, female tourists from the south are greeted warmly by Harbin people. Mostly smiling. I think that on this word, perhaps the public’s feelings are somewhat out of touch with the cognition of Internet celebrities who are mainly intellectuals. needs to realize that many people are accustomed to using personal social relationships as examples when criticizing and affirming. This idea is natural and instinctive, and it is easily persuasive, but the social model between groups is ultimately different from the social interaction between individuals. When social problems occur between individuals, the harm and offense can be measured, and the feelings, feedback and response can be clear. You can say: "I don't like you talking to me like this." But groups are different. The subject of the victim and the subject of responsibility are both vague. Many group behaviors may be due to the interaction of a large number of individuals and cannot be simply dealt with by the rules of interpersonal relationships between individuals. Of course, the analogy can be used, and it is just to facilitate explanation. That’s all. In this way, whether you are a supporter or an opponent, you must face a real problem, that is, everyone cannot lightly speak for others in the group. You think I can't bear it, but what if other people find the name "Little Potato" quite affectionate? Of course, in some cases, "my personal feelings" are the greatest, but sometimes it does seem a bit unsightly. also has the issue of the referent of "southerners". Many people may not know that in Northeast China, the concept of "South" has long been not necessarily the south of the Qinling Mountains and the Huaihe River, but the south of Shanhaiguan. I have seen many relatives and friends of Northeastern people claiming to "go to the south to work." When I asked, they went to Shijiazhuang and Jinan. There was something even more outrageous in Harbin this year. A friend experienced it personally. He said that after taking a taxi in Harbin, the driver complained about how a southern passenger in front of him spoke crookedly and asked where in the south the driver was. The driver said: "The accent sounded like someone from Liaoning." So, when some tourists from Henan and Shanxi are habitually called "southern little potatoes" by Northeasterners without any displeasure, do other southern friends still have to fight for the ownership of the "authentic southern products" before starting the debate? My friend Ye Kefei is from Zhongshan, Guangdong. His most common mantra is: "Actually, for us, Shaoguan is already the north..." Needless to say, Shanghai and Hunan are all the north. ▲ Harbin Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival (Photo/Xinhua News Agency) In the relationship between groups, if some individuals feel offended, while others do not or do not care, then does their proportion matter? More importantly, everyone When expressing support or opposition, you should take this fact into consideration. Because there are always some people who feel differently, their position may not be so unbreakable. Under this premise, I think the question returns to The nature and degree of offense. Why do I find the title "Southern Little Potato" offensive? If I were a southerner and heard someone call me "Southern Little Potato", I would feel uncomfortable. But as mentioned above As I said, since it is an interaction between groups, my feelings cannot represent others. Individual feelings may be more appropriate in some cases and it may be more appropriate to laugh them off. In other cases, even if only one person feels uncomfortable, It must be said loudly. But this feeling can only represent one person after all. I cannot say that this word "offends all southerners". The reason why this word makes me uncomfortable is purely literal. One is "potato" , one is "small". As a writer, I think there is an obvious tendency of labeling here, and it is connected with the derogatory word "short". Do you think this is what I should like? Picture/video screenshot Some people say that the term "southern little potatoes" was first proposed by friends from the south. I don't think this is a very good reason. Even some friends from the northeast feel: "People can laugh at themselves, but you can't use it to laugh at them." "Nothing wrong. More people, including many southern netizens who defend this word, like to call it "no malice". It is worth talking about this. As a native who was born and raised in Harbin and studied in Harbin As a Northeasterner who has been in college for four years, I think no one should doubt my understanding of the Northeast. In my memory, the custom of giving people nicknames is quite common in the Northeast, and many times it is not goodwill. 01
02
Earlier In 2016, I even suspected that without nicknames, some parts of civil society would lose the ability to communicate through language. There are so many "two donkeys", "three lame men" and "fat men"... As for those who use the names of small animals as nicknames, there are even more . Well, the "ground jar" that many Northeastern people say "If you really curse someone, it won't be a potato but a ground jar" is also one of them.
Nowadays, it is known everywhere that Northeastern people have their own comedy genes. This talent is actually Rooted in daily life. Many of the common witty jokes in life take pleasure in sarcasm and attacking other people's shortcomings or even disabilities.
Even today in Erezhuan, which is already quite "clean", such jokes are still common and even Indispensable. Some research monographs on Northeastern linguistics have also noticed this feature of Northeastern dialect and Northeastern folk art.
Picture/Video Screenshot
These habits of nicknames and sarcasm are certainly not unique to the Northeast, but they are related to other Most areas are more prominent than the Northeast, and I think many Northeasterners will not deny it.
"Southern Little Potatoes" certainly do not necessarily have such "malice", but in the traditional culture of the Northeast, there are some "well-intentioned" teases Communication often lacks a sense of propriety, and even implies a sense of bullying by relying on the strong to bully the weak.
Therefore, when in the sensitive boundary zone of interpersonal relationships, Northeasterners need to understand that themselves are more likely to be unintentional and "unintentional offending" "With the original intention, it caused the de facto "offensive" consequences of destroying the sense of boundaries.
There is another thing I don’t like about “southern potatoes”: the term clearly refers to “southern” women. In almost all the videos, the "Southern Little Potatoes" appear as petite, helpless, cute and adorable women. What about those male tourists from the south?
's presentation method, which clearly feminizes, infantilizes and even objectifies the South, naturally establishes a relationship of strength and weakness, giving and receiving, between "Northeastern men" and "Southern women". It is true that this kind of relationship is beautified as "pampering", but at many wine tables across China, "pampering" is the beginning of greasiness. Who doesn't know?
Of course, there is no need to worry about this. Harbin people have no motive to deliberately offend their foreign guests. Even the people of Harbin are not completely unaware of the potential offensive effect of this term. After this title was introduced, various self-media outlets once wanted to replace "Little Potato" with "Little Golden Bean" and "Princess", but it was too difficult to make a U-turn midway.
If the misunderstanding of this kind of title is purely limited to the scope of civil society, it may be relatively more acceptable. But everyone knows that the biggest driving and controlling force behind the explosion in Harbin this time is hardly the pure market, which puts the value of the local cultural and tourism sector. As a result, this title has a stronger official color, and the requirements for it will inevitably be more stringent.
03
But on the other hand, the name "Southern Little Potato" does have its origin.
There are some "habits" of labeling or sarcasm in the folk culture of the Northeast. However, at this point, the Northeast is indeed more obvious. Similar habits have been common for a long time and of course exist in varying degrees at all levels of Chinese society. .
Folk names based on regions, some of which are purely derogatory, are now rarely seen in the public domain. There are still some names for that are still used today, such as "Lao Guang". Are all Cantonese people old? I see that the official media also use the term "Lao Guang", and there are no young Cantonese people who come out to take it seriously.
Do all Cantonese people like this title? I can't see it. Should these individual feelings of dislike and unhappiness be absolutely respected?
Maybe the answer is not so rigid.
Picture/Picture Chong Creative
As for ordinary Chinese, they never seem to care about bad words when referring to nationals of certain countries, nor do they care about "overturning a whole boat with one pole." It is not uncommon for certain regions of the country to discriminate against residents of other regions in speech and even in economic and social life - discrimination, not just an "offense", nor an "unintentional offense".
If measured in the coordinates of "modern civilization", many rude behaviors are not too far apart. This is not to deny any offensive facts with a kind of "worse than worse" relativism, but to realize that certain bad cultural habits are ubiquitous and unobservable in the daily lives of all Chinese people can help people accurately evaluate offenses. , and leave a little room for redundancy when attributing it to the "inferiority" of a certain regional culture.
To a certain extent, the positioning of the role relationship between "Northeastern men" and "Southern women" is not a unilateral definition of the Northeast, but more like a conspiracy and cooperation between the North and the South.
"Southern little potatoes" may naturally be based on a stereotype and prejudice, but many people in other provinces have a lot of ignorance and stereotypes about the Northeast. What is the image of Northeastern men, and what is the image of Northeastern women? Are there no delicate and delicate men or women in Northeastern China?
I even think that Northeastern people may have a unique comedic instinct to acquiesce and take advantage of outsiders' misunderstandings and lack of understanding of the Northeast, construct a more recognizable and dramatic relationship, and successfully direct a dialogue about the Northeast. The repertoire of the "rediscovery" of the Northeast.
I prefer to define "Southern Little Potato" as an "unintentional offense" caused by unconscious recklessness, a bit reckless and a bit rough. In terms of the intention and motivation of , it is certainly not malicious, but in terms of the consequences and harm of the offense, it is probably between embarrassment and discomfort at most.
I believe it is for this reason that this word did not arouse too strong a reaction. In the later period, when the image of "Southern Little Potato" was subdivided into "Small Sugar Orange", "Little Pepper️️️" and "Red Panda" "Little mushroom", "little coconut"...the offensiveness of the words has been quickly diluted and deconstructed, no longer thorny, and closer to the aesthetic "vulgarity" - although there must still be some people who don't like it.
▲Harbin Ice and Snow World (Photo/Tu Chong Creative)
This rare winter with abundant ice and snow will soon pass, and the verbal dispute caused by the "Southern Little Potato" seems to be able to disappear into the wind and snow with a smile. But I think those serious discussions should still exist, and those individual voices who feel uncomfortable should still be expressed.
If Harbin or the entire Northeast does not want to be a "short-term Internet celebrity" that quickly fades away, and is not just a "one-shot deal", it needs to take these opinions seriously.
Regarding the doubts and reservations that have emerged, the last thing that should be done is to use the words of self-media to excuse unceremoniously, such as "good intentions are exchanged for donkey liver and lungs", "what are you doing" and "can't take a joke". Regardless of the original intention, if a title has the potential to offend, the boundaries should be drawn by the person feeling it.
In modern society, "people are good but have bad mouths" has become an outdated and crude image maintenance logic. Continuing to use words such as "bold" and "frank" to defend certain offensive words or behaviors will only pollute these good words.
The biggest difference between the south and the north lies in roughness and fineness. This is a national consensus. What is precision? The grasp of scale and proportion is fine. does not have this kind of sophistication. Can we imagine creating a good business environment?
Northeastern people must have the consciousness to do their best to respect and not offend guests (and "ourselves"), and have the courage to "upgrade" their cultural concepts. Not every local cultural characteristic that boasts its own advantages must be bundled. There are some "irreversible" problems, especially those that run counter to the direction of modern civilization.
You see, even South Korea has banned the eating of dog meat. It is not only necessary to abandon traditional cultural habits, but it is not impossible.
I believe it is for this reason that this word did not arouse too strong a reaction. In the later period, when the image of "Southern Little Potato" was subdivided into "Small Sugar Orange", "Little Pepper️️️" and "Red Panda" "Little mushroom", "little coconut"...the offensiveness of the words has been quickly diluted and deconstructed, no longer thorny, and closer to the aesthetic "vulgarity" - although there must still be some people who don't like it.
▲Harbin Ice and Snow World (Photo/Tu Chong Creative)
This rare winter with abundant ice and snow will soon pass, and the verbal dispute caused by the "Southern Little Potato" seems to be able to disappear into the wind and snow with a smile. But I think those serious discussions should still exist, and those individual voices who feel uncomfortable should still be expressed.
If Harbin or the entire Northeast does not want to be a "short-term Internet celebrity" that quickly fades away, and is not just a "one-shot deal", it needs to take these opinions seriously.
Regarding the doubts and reservations that have emerged, the last thing that should be done is to use the words of self-media to excuse unceremoniously, such as "good intentions are exchanged for donkey liver and lungs", "what are you doing" and "can't take a joke". Regardless of the original intention, if a title has the potential to offend, the boundaries should be drawn by the person feeling it.
In modern society, "people are good but have bad mouths" has become an outdated and crude image maintenance logic. Continuing to use words such as "bold" and "frank" to defend certain offensive words or behaviors will only pollute these good words.
The biggest difference between the south and the north lies in roughness and fineness. This is a national consensus. What is precision? The grasp of scale and proportion is fine. does not have this kind of sophistication. Can we imagine creating a good business environment?
Northeastern people must have the consciousness to do their best to respect and not offend guests (and "ourselves"), and have the courage to "upgrade" their cultural concepts. Not every local cultural characteristic that boasts its own advantages must be bundled. There are some "irreversible" problems, especially those that run counter to the direction of modern civilization.
You see, even South Korea has banned the eating of dog meat. It is not only necessary to abandon traditional cultural habits, but it is not impossible.
