Stricty and the 'P' word.

[belfast_birty]

I have just come across this website:

www.paki.com

It is-apparently-OK for this group to amuse themselves with such names,but very OTT for anyone else to do so.Reality or hypocracy? Who are these self appointed arbiters of what is racist or not?

[one eyed jack]

Well if its run by (a-hem), people of pakistani origin then its ok like its ok for blacks to use the n word...Like its ok for the italians to call themselves the w word or whatever.

Not sure what you mean Birty..That site has no connection to the Strictly Come Prancing crowd..You know how the Beeb is. Let em get on with it.

They want to be polite with their political correctness. Thats fine...Just make sure they dont refer to me as "coloured" or shit will kick off big time!!!

[one eyed jack]

Come to think of it, Im no more coloured than you whiteys. LOL...No offence to whiteys.

Peace

[hellblazer]

Belfast Birty,

Not sure what you are getting at. Every language has their own derogatory terms for certain races that the 'indiginous population use as insults and in this day and age, it isn't "political correctness gone mad" but simply common sense not to use those terms unless...

- you are a member of that race and are using it ironically.
- you are not a racist but talking in private with someone of that race whom you are familiar enough with to know they know you mean it ironically (here is where Anton Du Beke went wrong - he thought Leila Rouss would understand his sense of humour but she didn't. Also, why did he not say, "you look like a Pakistani". It's two extra syllables, less than a second more and it wouldn't be offensive - that says to me that his vocab generates "paki" before "Pakistani"
- you are a racist and you have an uncontrollable impulse to scream these terms at anybody of that race that happens to pass your eyeline - you seriously need help. Your own self-esteem is so low that you can only derive pleasure from hurting the feelings of others.

I've discovered a simple solution. For instance, I never knew if the word "Jew" is offensive or not. Certain Woody Allen films imply it is, other films/tv shows/documenatries use it without any overtones of offence. Rather than being paranoid about it, I say "Jewish". Problem solved.

Also. if you are having trouble with the rules of who you can make fun of, watch the last Chris Rock concert. In short, you can only make fun of those who are better off than you. Doing the opposite is just mean.

[Steve R]

People only tend to become "offended" by this sort of thing, and complain about it, because the law tells them they can.

Get rid of the law and far fewer people would have these irrational feelings of "outrage".

During Prohibition in the US, when it was illegal to drink alcohol, people who continued to take a drink were generally regarded as some lower form of life, and often denounced ('shopped' to the authorities) by their friends and family. However, the minute Prohibition was repealed, drinking suddenly became a perfectly acceptable part of life again.

Likewise, a person in this country who has intimate relations with a fifteen year old is regarded as some sort of monster, whereas in Spain, for example, it is perfectly legal and acceptable to have such an association with someone as young as thirteen - as indeed it was here as recently as the 19th century.

We usually regard those who take 'class A' drugs as degenerates, yet less than a hundred years ago it was perfectly legal to do so, and they could be purchased in shops, and those who used them were more likely to be thought of as sophisticated or bohemian.

We are not that different from sheep.

[planeterotica]

If shortening a name of a country to refer to a person who's origins are from that country is racist then calling people from Scotland Scots is racist likewise from Ireland Irish and from England English and dont you dare call people from France Frogs !wink!

[Peter]

Its not (or it shouldn't be) the word itself, but its usage and intent that makes it offensive.

[mrchapel]

They can call themselves whatever they want just as long as they get the fuck off the call centres. Call me racist if you want but I kind of think that people who have to take calls from an English speaking country, its a kind of a good idea if they`re fluent in that language.

P.S can we make fun of Guidos?
http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Guido

[Dick Moby]

Tell me about it. I having trouble with my broadband speed and all I can speak to is Mr and Mrs Patel. To be honest at least they try to be helpful except for the lying bastard who told me the problem has been fixed.

[Dick Moby]

I totally agree but I think the law and the PC brigade might not.