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You may be interested to know that the term 'nitty gritty' banned by the political correct brigade in the 1990's has been rehabilitated. It turns out that after research it did not refer to the black slaves in the holds of slave ships, as had been alleged, but the ballast used on sailing ships!

Call up 'The Ladies' by Rudyard Kipling on google. See what you make of that politically incorrect gem!

it was a 60s U.S. hit too by shirley ellis covered yrs ater by martha and the vendellas.

"Political correctness, what a shite term that is."

Indeed, it fair does my head in. I mean, the "correctness" in question is only correct if you are a middleclass, hand wringing, lefty who takes the Guardian. What these middleclass lefties deem as 'correct' and right minded would most likely be anathema to, say, a 'geezer' from Essex or almost anyone of a proletarian persuasion. The problem is that what we understand as 'politically correct' attitudes and causes have only been defined by a comparatively small section of society i.e. white collar government and council officials, BBC employees, and article writers for 'serious' newspapers. But society at large might have a quite different idea of what is politically correct, but nobody ever asks 'Dave the Dustman' Patrick the Postman' or Bill the Buss Driver' and if perchance they are given a voice I've noticed that if there views don't fall into line with the middleclass interviewer?s they are sneered at, patronised, and pooh-poohed as though their views are 'wrong' and, er, not 'correct.' But hold on, they are equal citizens and their views are just as relevant as the patronising middleclass person's (although, admittedly, quite often, the product of ignorance, stupidity and prejudice.) If the patronising middleclass person doesn?t like their unpalatable views they should come right out with it and say "I don't agree and I'm more qualified to say because I am more intelligent and better educated than you and consequently I believe my opinion takes precedence over your nasty, ill-informed childish one." If all this subtext was out in the open, a few feathers would be ruffled and of course it would be monumentally politically incorrect, but it would be a real solid base from which to start putting the world to rights. Not like the slimy Orwellian double talk that is political correctness.

"People should be taught what is acceptable language and behaviour,"

Quite a chilling statement when you think about it. I mean, who determines what is "acceptable language and behaviour?" 'Dave the dustman' or 'Jeremy the Journalist?'


Officer Dibble - providing food for thought.

I noticed recently that history has been re-written with the Dambusters. The codeword for a sucessfull operation, nigger (the name of the leaders dog) has been changed to something more "acceptable".

Enid Blyton would be in trouble today...

I personally feel it's totally unacceptable that in 2004 such terms are used, there are 1000's of political correctness issues that are just barmy however I don't feel this is one. Anyone who feels the need to call anyone a P*K* or N*G*R or whatever is just plainly ignorant of the fact that the world has moved on and such terms are no longer acceptable to the majority of people. What does it matter that such terms are removed from programmes such as Minder etc, these programmes were made so long ago that if the word was removed no-one would even notice and would not detract from the quality of these programmes.

JP

I agree that in this day and age, such usage of words is unacceptable, but to edit TV shows will be the start of something a lot more sinister. I cannot see Pulp Fiction being anything but shit if those N words are edited.
You also have to question the writers of these shows? Does it make them racists for using the offensive words? Does it bollocks!!

You may be right Ace, most writers of these programmes were probably anything but racist, you only have to look at Johnny Speight, Left Wing Socialist all his life who wrote Till Death Us Do Part and who when complemented by right wing fascists on Alf Garnetts character bluntly told them the joke was on them and their views. Perhaps writers of programmes from now on should find other ways to make us laugh.

JP

They do get asked; at election time.

Mart