The world's gone mad!

[Slime]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26446213

If anyone is genuinely offended by Toni Duggan's actions I think they need to have a long, hard look at themselves ......................... or explain to me what was so offensive, I'm genuinely confused!


Slime.

 

[Foxholer]

'Political Correctness' gone mad!

 

[User20205]

it in itself isn't offensive, it's what it represents. It shows poor judgement and a general lack of awareness IMO.

It doesn't offend me at all, but it may do some because it represents a caricature,

You could argue that golliwogs and the black & white minstrel show aren't offensive but they are no longer socially acceptable.

 

[Foxholer]

it in itself isn't offensive, it's what it represents. It shows poor judgement and a general lack of awareness IMO.

It doesn't offend me at all, but it may do some because it represents a caricature,

You could argue that golliwogs and the black & white minstrel show aren't offensive but they are no longer socially acceptable.

Gad! They'll be preventing kids from reading Enid Blyton and Mark Twain books soon!

Oh dear....Already done!

Charles Dickens and Shakespeare next?

 

[Slime]

it in itself isn't offensive, it's what it represents. It shows poor judgement and a general lack of awareness IMO.

It doesn't offend me at all, but it may do some because it represents a caricature,

You could argue that golliwogs and the black & white minstrel show aren't offensive but they are no longer socially acceptable.

So Whoopi Goldberg may be offended, although I doubt it because she has a sense of humour and realises that that is all it was, but surely nobody else would be ........................... would they?


Slime.

 

[Hacker Khan]

I feel much the same as Mr Rod, great point about the distinction between offensive and socially acceptable.

It doesn't really offend me, but 'blacking up' when you are an anti racism campaigner and ambassador for Kick it Out isn't the brightest thing to do.

 

[Hacker Khan]

So Whoopi Goldberg may be offended, although I doubt it because she has a sense of humour and realises that that is all it was, but surely nobody else would be ........................... would they?


Slime.

Well yes because there are people that get professionally offended by anything nowadays. To be honest you are probably asking the wrong people here if it is offensive in that I imagine a vast majority of the forum readers are not black. And therefore have little experience regarding this kind of thing and having to deal with the legacy of white people 'blacking up'.

In my opinion she's done something that may cause offence and is no longer socially acceptable, especially taking into account the position she's in. But she's said sorry now so move on and let her continue her good work in the anti racism campaign. It's not really the world going mad but someone apologising for at best a silly, and at worst an offensive gesture.

 

[JustOne]

I don't see why being ANY colour should be socially unacceptable - therefore I don't see why a white person can't masquerade as black and vice versa.... I even remember a film with Eddie Murphy where he played a couple of white folk, was that racist to do so? Halle Berry plays a white character in Cloud Atlas (recently released). People who are offended by this stuff need to take a good look at themselves IMO.

Is this racist?......

 

[User20205]

So Whoopi Goldberg may be offended, although I doubt it because she has a sense of humour and realises that that is all it was, but surely nobody else would be ........................... would they?


Slime.

No I don't think whoopi cares. However if I was black and the same age I could remember the 'harmless' blacking up on the TV. It's a throw back and a reminder of a different age when attitudes to racial equality were different.

I'd make two points, of all the fancy dress out fits why this one? And when has blacking up ever been funny?

It's all a bit Jim Davidson!

 

[Hacker Khan]

I don't see why being ANY colour should be socially unacceptable - therefore I don't see why a white person can't masquerade as black and vice versa....

Because I believe it was done originally as black people were not allowed to 'act', so they got white people to black up. Which I hope anyone would agree is not right as racism and discrimination were preventing black people from acting. So it is more the connotations and legacy of the act of blacking up, rather then the act itself.

And surely it would be better that if it was a black character then get a black actor. Or a white character then get a white actor. Why should anyone have to change the colour of their skin?

 

[JustOne]

Because I believe it was done originally as black people were not allowed to 'act', so they got white people to black up.

Whether that's the case or not now that black people CAN act (the racist 1970's element removed) it should no longer matter who does what.

 

[Tashyboy]

I feel much the same as Mr Rod, great point about the distinction between offensive and socially acceptable.

It doesn't really offend me, but 'blacking up' when you are an anti racism campaigner and ambassador for Kick it Out isn't the brightest thing to do.

Well I must be the only one on the planet that must think it is ok to dress up as someone else no matter what colour you are. Are we now to say that if your black, yellow, mixed race or any other colour than white you cannot dress up as Santa Claus. What a load of tosh.

There was no malice intended with this fancy dress costume so I cannot see the problem. Another nothing blown out of all proportion story by the PC brigade.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Is this racist?......

If it is a white actor that has blacked up then potentially. If it is a black actor playing a character then no.

 

[chrisd]

Well I was absolutely appalled!





...... Well to be honest I couldn't give a stuff but in today's ultra pc world, I didn't want to look like a dinosaur!

 

[Foxholer]

I feel much the same as Mr Rod, great point about the distinction between offensive and socially acceptable.

It doesn't really offend me, but 'blacking up' when you are an anti racism campaigner and ambassador for Kick it Out isn't the brightest thing to do.

So if she dressed up as a White person, fine, but as a Black person not bright? That sounds like Racism to me!

 

[User20205]

If you don't get it fine. It's not the act it's the association, blacking up is all about historic racial stereotyping. The black and white minstrels are stereotypes, golliwogs are stereotypes. To my knowledge there aren't the same white stereotypes with the same negative historical association or history of persecution.

Blacking up is an echo of that historical racial persecution, it's just really socially clumsy.

HK has a point, most of us aren't the demographic to be offended but why take the chance?

 

[Tashyboy]

About 16 yr ago me and Missis tash adopted a girl. The process involving social services was painful, and certainly not slagging off all social workers, but are some of them born on planet numpty.

I/we was told that black equals, bad,evil, and nothing to do with good at all and was asked to try to think of an example where black equates to good. In half a second I said " I wish my bank account was in the black". I was told that was a one off. I told her the black ball in snooker is the most valuable. I tried saying that black can be construed as bad but not everyone thinks that way. She was having non of it.

i was asked to name a famous black sports person. I said tiger woods. Get this she got mad with me and said I was not taking this serious. She had never heard of him. She asked do I/we have any black friends my wife works for the NHS and has hundreds of friends from different backgrounds not just black. At that time when I worked at the pit. I had 2 coloured friends. When I said coloured I thought she was having an epileptic fit. She was black and not coloured. I was gobsmacked.

that weekend I asked bing ( a friend of the wife's through work)who is black and from Zimbabwe is he black or coloured coz I wanted to know what I had said was so wrong. He said don't call me black or coloured just cal me Bing. He said he is not bothered one bit if he is associated to black or coloured. It is how it is said that is the issue.

in this instance with a white woman dressing up as whoopie Goldberg no harm was intended.

re the social worker, Bing said I should of told her to get lost.

strangely enough me Bessie mate at work now is a mixed race white mother Jamacian father, we have had over the last eight years some right deep conversations re black and white and also gay issues. Yup me Bessie mate is gay. Let me tell you being Jamacian and gay is a massive massive no no and the hassle he has had off black friends is shocking.

 

[freddielong]

Whatever happened to "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" all of a sudden its racist, surely pretending everyone looks exactly the same is more offensive

 

[SocketRocket]

I am interested to know which of these statements you find racist and whether you feel any of them should be banned by law?

I dont like black people.
I dont like white people.
I dont like people from from the Caribbean.
I dont like French people.
I dont like Japanese people.
I dont like Asian people.
I dont like English people.
I dont like African people.
I dont like Jocks or Taffs.
I prefer the company of white people.
I dislike Muslims.
There are too many non-whites in the country.

 

[Foxholer]

...The black and white minstrels are stereotypes, golliwogs are stereotypes.

Those were 'offensive' stereotypes! Quite different to sincere copies which are not (offensive stereotype) 'blacking up' imo.

To my knowledge there aren't the same white stereotypes with the same negative historical association or history of persecution.

What has persecution got to do with it - that Racism hasn't! You can't erase the past, nor can/should you ignore it!

Read Shakespeare or Dickens, any Leon Uris historical novel - Exodus and Trinity for example! And it would be somewhat sexist to not mention the books of Dame Catherine Cookson! Plenty of stereotypical persecution in there!