True colours

[Doggy Styles]

How long before we cannot refer to black people as black? I can see it coming.

[BrianSnail]

How long before we cannot refer to black people as black? I can see it coming.

I've been down that road...I've always used the term "black" and was reprimanded by "white" friends of mine for being racist. So I asked other "black" friends and collegues what would be the correct term. All, without hestitation said that they hate the PC bulltulipe and had no problems with being called black.

[expat]

How long before we cannot refer to black people as black? I can see it coming.

Already. When I lived in France, a colleague of my wife, an African Frenchwoman, was going on a business trip to the US. She was asked to describe her appearance for the person who might meet her there, to help in recognition. She described herself as female, (age), (height), and black. The Americans said "you can't say that". What? she asked. "That you're black". But I am, she replied in incomprehension.

I call that PC gone too far, originating perhaps from a well-intentioned idea that ethnic origin and in particular skin colour have no acceptable relevance to the work environment and so must not be mentioned; but gone too far because the point was physical appearance (of which, after all, no part should be taken into account in the workplace; but all of which might be relevant to visual recognition).

[expat]

I've been down that road...I've always used the term "black" and was reprimanded by "white" friends of mine for being racist. So I asked other "black" friends and collegues what would be the correct term. All, without hestitation said that they hate the PC bulltulipe and had no problems with being called black.

We used to say "coloured", as if it was in some way milder than "black". Black people themselves proudly replaced it by "black", correctly figuring that their skin colour is simply what it is, not something to be euphemistic about.

[gingerjedi]

I've been down that road...I've always used the term "black" and was reprimanded by "white" friends of mine for being racist. So I asked other "black" friends and collegues what would be the correct term. All, without hestitation said that they hate the PC bulltulipe and had no problems with being called black.

Those are the social anxiety ridden idiots I was talking about, I work with a 6 foot tall black guy whose built like a brick tulip house and it amazes me when people try to describe him as the guy with the green jumper or some such like, his most distinguishable feature is the fact he's a big black guy, why can't you just say it FFS??... he really doesn't mind.

[Board Game Geek]

On another tangent, let's pre-suppose that a man in the street saw a black man, and thought to himself "Oh it's a N*****".

If the man went to the police, and said "I was walking down the street, saw a black man, and thought ""Oh it's a N*****", could they arrest him ?

I suppose not, until the point when he shares his thoughts with another, in which case he could get arrested.

Talking of words, the word "Cripple" is seen by some to have negative connotations. If you ask me, the only negative is the condition itself. The word is unimportant.

Several of my friends have medical conditions, ranging from ME, MS (myself), Spina Bifida, and one whose has a wasting disease in the knees (I cannot recall the name).

The 4 of us are all goths and see each other regularly, and we are proud of our medical allegiance to our self-styled "Cripps Club". We even have plastic laminated cards. We casually toss the word "Crip" or "Cripple" around all the time. Not to offend others. But to prove a point.

The point being that, we ourselves call each other a name that some people might find offensive, to demonstrate to others that the name is not offensive. If it was, we'd be offended wouldn't we ? Hence we use it in common parlance. It really doesn't bother us, but then again, us 4 tend to go against the grain on most things because that's the way. We certainly don't want any PC-Brigade representing us or mothering us or telling others to tip-toe around us.

[gingerjedi]

The point being that, we ourselves call each other a name that some people might find offensive, to demonstrate to others that the name is not offensive. If it was, we'd be offended wouldn't we ? Hence we use it in common parlance. It really doesn't bother us, but then again, us 4 tend to go against the grain on most things because that's the way. We certainly don't want any PC-Brigade representing us or mothering us or telling others to tip-toe around us.

Quite a bit of modern day comedy uses openly offensive language or situations (Little Britain love it or loath it) but it's used in an ironic sense so it's really mocking the social anxiety rather than the subject.

A mate of mine bought his 3 year old daughter a big portable stereo a few weeks back and referred to it as "her first *** box" which would be completely unacceptable amongst strangers, in reality he was just mocking the people who would say that sort of thing in a public situation without batting an eye lid, we both knew that so it was funny.

[BrianSnail]

On another tangent, let's pre-suppose that a man in the street saw a black man, and thought to himself "Oh it's a N*****".

If the man went to the police, and said "I was walking down the street, saw a black man, and thought ""Oh it's a N*****", could they arrest him ?

I completely agree. I mentioned to the same friends, that I was on the tube once and overheard an Indian chap talking to a white chap about a girl. The Indian chap said the white chap shouldn't get involved with her because "she's a paki, like me, and paki chicks are hard work".

My friends think it was perfectly acceptable for him to use the term "paki".

So political correctness is "one rule for some, a different rule for others?", I asked. "Yes!" was their answer!



Needless to say, I don't spend much time in their company anymore.

[threaded]

Well, it used to be IC3, but in these politically correct times it is now EC3.

HTH

[gingerjedi]

Well, it used to be IC3, but in these politically correct times it is now EC3.

HTH

IC1 is now 'Whisky Tango'

HTH