The world's gone mad!

[Siren]

We've covered that off mate, it's entirely subjective, but may cause offence. Are the offended over sensitive..maybe, but why chance it in 2014.

I'm still waiting for an explanation from Bernard Manning

Must have missed it while reading the thread last night. I blame the bottle of red.

Still Axel Foley was cool as ..... :thup:

 

[PhilTheFragger]

So to be safe, we can only dress up as imaginary characters or famous people from our own ethnic background

Looks like I'm in the clear then :ears:

 

[USER1999]

Is it still ok to blue up, and pretend to be a smurf?

 

[Imurg]

I think the world has indeed gone mad.

Sorry Mate - The World went mad a looooooooong time ago.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Is it still ok to blue up, and pretend to be a smurf?

If that's what floats your boat Murph, go right ahead, Of course if you went dressed as Smurfette you would be labeled a total perv and banished from polite society

 

[FairwayDodger]

You know, it never ceases to amaze me on here when people start trying to tell others that something isn't offensive.

As theRod (good job :thup has tried to explain it's all very subjective. What I don't understand is anyone who, on being told something is offensive, turns round and berates someone for being offended.

In this specific example, whether you find it offensive or not, it's pretty common knowledge that white people "blacking up" is pretty offensive to many black people. Not just for the act itself but within a historical context of oppression, persecution and abuse. The only reason for anyone to do it is ignorance, stupidity or to deliberately cause offence. Clearly an anti-racism campaigner has just made a mistake and its good that an apology is sufficient for her to move on.

I've said it before, but here goes. The vast majority of straight, white men have simply no concept of what it's like to be on the receiving end of prejudice or discrimination. What you perceive as a harmless joke is often grossly offensive in a wider context.

The much derided "political correctness" is a wonderful thing until our society (hopefully) can achieve "actual correctness" and prejudice and discrimination become just forgotten echoes of the past.


You may now proceed to abuse me for my opinion.....

 

[cookelad]

I'm too worried about offending someone/anyone/everyone to post on this thread!

 

[ManinBlack]

No...Not offended by this.Typical knee jerk reaction..Whoever the England spokesperson is,ought to grow a a pair and say it was what it was..A fancy dress night out. Nothing more. Everything these days is over scrutinised,and looked into far to much..

Agree completely. No reasonable person, black white or any other colour, would give it a second thought. And the costume & makeup were first class. Poor girl, subjected to all this crap by a bunch of people who have no cause to be offended.

 

[Rooter]

On a stag do a few years ago, the stag was a huge MC Hammer fan in the 90's, so he got blacked up and dressed as the hammer and hit cardiff city centre. We all thought it was very funny etc, about 15 minutes later he is in the nearest pub toilets washing his face. Seems what we deemed a harmless act of fancy dress had offended a number of locals (all races gave him abuse!) maybe because it was cardiff city centre on a sat night, but either way it was deemed a "mis-judgement" by ourselves.

Personally, i wouldnt give a monkies uncle what you dress up as, i dont offend easily! however, if you are a campaigner for anti-racism and in the public eye, its probably not the best idea she has ever had...

 

[Hacker Khan]

You know, it never ceases to amaze me on here when people start trying to tell others that something isn't offensive.

As theRod (good job :thup has tried to explain it's all very subjective. What I don't understand is anyone who, on being told something is offensive, turns round and berates someone for being offended.

In this specific example, whether you find it offensive or not, it's pretty common knowledge that white people "blacking up" is pretty offensive to many black people. Not just for the act itself but within a historical context of oppression, persecution and abuse. The only reason for anyone to do it is ignorance, stupidity or to deliberately cause offence. Clearly an anti-racism campaigner has just made a mistake and its good that an apology is sufficient for her to move on.

I've said it before, but here goes. The vast majority of straight, white men have simply no concept of what it's like to be on the receiving end of prejudice or discrimination. What you perceive as a harmless joke is often grossly offensive in a wider context.

The much derided "political correctness" is a wonderful thing until our society (hopefully) can achieve "actual correctness" and prejudice and discrimination become just forgotten echoes of the past.


You may now proceed to abuse me for my opinion.....

No abuse from me and I totally agree with everything you said, the bit I highlighted is superb, so if you did not copy paste it from somewhere else, well done.

And I do find it funny/ironic/very depressing that some people can't see a problem with people blacking up in 2014 but say that wearing jeans or using a mobile phone on a golf course is totally out of order.

 

[FairwayDodger]

No abuse from me and I totally agree with everything you said, the bit I highlighted is superb, so if you did not copy paste it from somewhere else, well done.

Shucks! All my own words....

 

[chrisd]

The much derided "political correctness" is a wonderful thing until our society (hopefully) can achieve "actual correctness" and prejudice and discrimination become just forgotten echoes of the past.

But the problem is - who's actual correctness?

 

[Slime]

You know, it never ceases to amaze me on here when people start trying to tell others that something isn't offensive.

As theRod (good job :thup has tried to explain it's all very subjective. What I don't understand is anyone who, on being told something is offensive, turns round and berates someone for being offended.

In this specific example, whether you find it offensive or not, it's pretty common knowledge that white people "blacking up" is pretty offensive to many black people. Not just for the act itself but within a historical context of oppression, persecution and abuse. The only reason for anyone to do it is ignorance, stupidity or to deliberately cause offence. Clearly an anti-racism campaigner has just made a mistake and its good that an apology is sufficient for her to move on.

I've said it before, but here goes. The vast majority of straight, white men have simply no concept of what it's like to be on the receiving end of prejudice or discrimination. What you perceive as a harmless joke is often grossly offensive in a wider context.

The much derided "political correctness" is a wonderful thing until our society (hopefully) can achieve "actual correctness" and prejudice and discrimination become just forgotten echoes of the past.


You may now proceed to abuse me for my opinion.....

What utter rubbish.


Slime.

 

[FairwayDodger]

But the problem is - who's actual correctness?

It's a pretty hippy concept where we all just take people as we find them and, sort of, "get along". Don't expect to see it in my lifetime.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

@therod has got it right for me. I don't find it offensive but might question why she chose Whoopi Goldberg - not the most obvious of choice for a fancy dress party unless you think it funny provoking comments of (highly dubious) nature such as 'haha - you is dressed up as a black person when you is white - haha'. I don't get her thinking - unless she was cunning and thought she'd dress up and disguise herself as someone who dresses up and disguises herself.

So the 'blacking up' bit is just rather thoughtless and in somewhat poor taste given all the historical connotations @therod has covered.

 

[FairwayDodger]

What utter rubbish.


Slime.

Och, with a wee winking smiley I'd have thought you were being deliberately ironic. Never mind.

 

[chrisd]

It's a pretty hippy concept where we all just take people as we find them and, sort of, "get along". Don't expect to see it in my lifetime.

You won't see it in anyone's lifetime.

Hippy concept is basically everyone is the same and it therefore could be communist ideal or, God forbid, North Korea. The great thing about humans is that we are all different and think and act differently too. One man's racist comment is another man's fair comment and that's how it will ever be!

 

[Hacker Khan]

You won't see it in anyone's lifetime.

Hippy concept is basically everyone is the same and it therefore could be communist ideal or, God forbid, North Korea.

I hear you, I mean that Kim Jon-Un never shuts up about peace, love and understanding. Well apart from when he's killing his uncle and deputy leaders. And as for Stalin, what a pot smoking kaftan wearing hippie he was. And I always get Stalin and Neil from The Young Ones mixed up.

 

[User20205]

You won't see it in anyone's lifetime.

Hippy concept is basically everyone is the same and it therefore could be communist ideal or, God forbid, North Korea. The great thing about humans is that we are all different and think and act differently too. One man's racist comment is another man's fair comment and that's how it will ever be!

It's moved on a bit from the op, but that to me chris sounds a bit like acceptance. Some attitudes can never be accepted, like the one displayed in post 54.

Seems like they are on here though, criticise a Mod and you're banned, post using racist language left up

It's ok he was trying to be funny, it was only ironically racist FFS

 

[FairwayDodger]

You won't see it in anyone's lifetime.

Hippy concept is basically everyone is the same and it therefore could be communist ideal or, God forbid, North Korea. The great thing about humans is that we are all different and think and act differently too. One man's racist comment is another man's fair comment and that's how it will ever be!

I'm not for a minute suggesting that everyone should be the same, heaven forbid! Just that everyone should be aware that everyone is different and that those differences cease to be an issue between us. And, in my hippy ideal, it's just because everyone is comfortable enough in their own skin that the differences simply don't matter.