Its an age thing though because at one point "black" was unacceptable and "coloured" was ok.
Its a minefield!
Too right it is!! So why is Suarez (allegedly) a racist for using his Spanish word for black? What in hell is going on in this country?? It's not like he swore at the guy, did the ultimate Spanish insult regarding the guys mother or even broke both his legs. So much for freedom of speech, and as for Hanson, no way should he have had to apologize, he spoke it as was.
Who decides that a word that is acceptable suddenly becomes unacceptable?
Tbh you don't know what's acceptable these days. Obviously there are words that are an absolute no no but it's the bits inbetween. You can end up tying yourself up in knots about it.
It's considered to be outdated rather than derogatory, but it presupposes that a black person has some how been 'coloured' in & shouldn't be that colour
It's like the term half-caste that used to be used for people of mixed race; it was all right in 1971 maybe, but it isn't now.
I don't believe Alan Hansen is racist or meant it in a derogatory manner whatsoever, but he should know that it is now considered unacceptable to use such a term in 2011.
This sums up my thoughts on the matter. Hansen works in a mass-media reporting on an industry which is as mutli-cultural as it gets in this country. He should have known. I understand why he didn't given his age and don't think he meant any offence. However, given the Suarez incident and newsprint/net always eager to blow things out of proportion, an apology was the right thing to do. Now Hansen and MOTD can move on.
Racism, or even alleged racism, never is. I don't know why people don't get that. And Suarez was hardly saying it to Evra as a term of affection was he? I remember there was a documentary on Big(ot) Ron Atikinson after that incident, when a black interviewer told him that because of what he'd said, Atkinson should be made to clean Rio Ferdinand's boots for a month. Atkinson did his nut and threatened to walk off the show. What the interviewer should then have said is "the anger you feel now Ron, is the same anger many black people feel when you use that word, or similar words and black people have no similar word that they can throw at white people to get them as angry" But he didn't say it, so I've said it for him
Don't understand the problem? It's fact isn't it? Is colored a derogatory term now??
A friend and neighbour uses 'coloured', and once, in addition to me tut tutting about it, we had a chat about why exactly you can't use that word, and she said 'black' was always considered pejorative, as in 'a black day, black cloud, black mood' etc, Makes sense I suppose. To be criticised for using 'coloured' is to be criticised for being old-fashioned, which is not a crime obviously.
I think it's like 'ethnic', which supposes that white people don't have an ethnicity, so coloured supposes that white people mysteriously don't have a colour. I think it's a way of saying 'the rest of the world' (from a white person's point of view). 'Black' is a self-claimed word, I think that's the important thing about it.
I haven't read every post, but I don't think there's anyone who believes Hansen to be a racist. Just a slightly clumsy choice of words, he apologised for any offence that may have been caused, case closed.
a strange world where a man can say something totally legal and yet be pursued by people with a vendetta as though he has done something terrible.
If he does apologise,it's an admission of guilt and if he doesn't then he is a bad racist.
and that is how the PC thought police work their magic
But that would excude the black British players, who might take offence.
Notice I used the word origin...I'm partly Black-British, but I still consider myself to be of non-British origin, seeing as that part of my family are from Jamaica..which isn't part of the British isles..
And? I hear plenty of people use it all the time, I don't get the connection with him being a tv pundit.
Ron Atkinson was a tv pundit though and he said far worse.
And? I hear plenty of people swear, TV pundits tend to not speak like other 'people'. I've hardly ever heard anyone of a certain race described as 'coloured'.
What Ron Atkinson said was worst and he got punished for it.
Comments
Black.
Its an age thing though because at one point "black" was unacceptable and "coloured" was ok.
Its a minefield!
Too right it is!! So why is Suarez (allegedly) a racist for using his Spanish word for black? What in hell is going on in this country?? It's not like he swore at the guy, did the ultimate Spanish insult regarding the guys mother or even broke both his legs. So much for freedom of speech, and as for Hanson, no way should he have had to apologize, he spoke it as was.
Tbh you don't know what's acceptable these days. Obviously there are words that are an absolute no no but it's the bits inbetween. You can end up tying yourself up in knots about it.
This sums up my thoughts on the matter. Hansen works in a mass-media reporting on an industry which is as mutli-cultural as it gets in this country. He should have known. I understand why he didn't given his age and don't think he meant any offence. However, given the Suarez incident and newsprint/net always eager to blow things out of proportion, an apology was the right thing to do. Now Hansen and MOTD can move on.
Racism, or even alleged racism, never is. I don't know why people don't get that. And Suarez was hardly saying it to Evra as a term of affection was he? I remember there was a documentary on Big(ot) Ron Atikinson after that incident, when a black interviewer told him that because of what he'd said, Atkinson should be made to clean Rio Ferdinand's boots for a month. Atkinson did his nut and threatened to walk off the show. What the interviewer should then have said is "the anger you feel now Ron, is the same anger many black people feel when you use that word, or similar words and black people have no similar word that they can throw at white people to get them as angry" But he didn't say it, so I've said it for him
Hope that clears things up, Orch1deam.
I think it's like 'ethnic', which supposes that white people don't have an ethnicity, so coloured supposes that white people mysteriously don't have a colour. I think it's a way of saying 'the rest of the world' (from a white person's point of view). 'Black' is a self-claimed word, I think that's the important thing about it.
Here's the answer, "There are a lot of players of non-British origin in the teams."
There solved, no reference to colour needed.
If what he said was really that bad the BBC would have edited it out.
But that would excude the black British players, who might take offence.
The fact he accepted any mistake made and said sorry says something I think.
Would somebody who really mean what they say do that?
If he does apologise,it's an admission of guilt and if he doesn't then he is a bad racist.
and that is how the PC thought police work their magic
Isn't the word 'Benetton' offensive these days? A pity really because they did some lovely jumpers.:D
Notice I used the word origin...I'm partly Black-British, but I still consider myself to be of non-British origin, seeing as that part of my family are from Jamaica..which isn't part of the British isles..
Don't really see what him being a tv pundit has to do with anything.
How many other TV pundits do you know have used the word 'coloured'?
And? I hear plenty of people use it all the time, I don't get the connection with him being a tv pundit.
Ron Atkinson was a tv pundit though and he said far worse.
go back ten years ...all of them.
And? I hear plenty of people swear, TV pundits tend to not speak like other 'people'. I've hardly ever heard anyone of a certain race described as 'coloured'.
What Ron Atkinson said was worst and he got punished for it.