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Benedict Cumberbatch apologises after calling black actors coloured
Oh, the moral outrage: http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Entertainment+&+Arts/Film/Film+Stars/Film+Stars+A-Z/Benedict+Cumberbatch#natnn
A minor faux-pas perhaps, but is it really all that bad? It's surely no different from the ridiculous term, "people of colour", which the pc watchdog seems to approve of for some reason.
I remember the term first being used because describing people as black was seen as offensive. It's not as if "coloured actors" is an offensive term and is even more accurate, as it encompasses many races who don't consider themselves to be black anyway. It would have been different if he had referred to them as "the coloureds"; a term used with deliberate malice by American rednecks.
I actually find it quite offensive that he has felt such a need to crawl to some of these commentators, when it was perfectly clear to anyone with even the slightest bit of common sense that there was absolutely no intention to cause offence. They should have just regarded it as slightly quaint and then forgotten about it.
A minor faux-pas perhaps, but is it really all that bad? It's surely no different from the ridiculous term, "people of colour", which the pc watchdog seems to approve of for some reason.
I remember the term first being used because describing people as black was seen as offensive. It's not as if "coloured actors" is an offensive term and is even more accurate, as it encompasses many races who don't consider themselves to be black anyway. It would have been different if he had referred to them as "the coloureds"; a term used with deliberate malice by American rednecks.
I actually find it quite offensive that he has felt such a need to crawl to some of these commentators, when it was perfectly clear to anyone with even the slightest bit of common sense that there was absolutely no intention to cause offence. They should have just regarded it as slightly quaint and then forgotten about it.
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Edit: Some might think that using the term 'coloured' for people who aren't fully black means that you think of them as inferior or whatever, but that's not the case. I always thought that coloured was fine.
IMO nothing wrong in calling black people coloured. all my black friends say it is to them the norm.. why should Benedict prologise ? what if he called them **** ?
To be honest, I think it wouldn't do him any harm to just concentrate on his acting for a while and stay away from all the interviews and appearances.
He's at a point in his career - especially with it being Oscar season - where people are jumping at any chance to smear him, and stuff like this is just a gift to them.
I don't think he - or his "team" - are very good at PR and I honestly think he should stick to being an Actor and stop trying to be a "star".
What exactly is wrong with it?
nothing... people been arse-holes.... i am offended when dark skin people call me white..
will they apologise.. dream on
Rent-a-gob Bonnie Greer offering her two penne'worth - she seems to be the go to girl when there's a racial controversy.
Yes - The current politically acceptable terms are 'people of colour' and 'people not of colour', which essentially segregates all white people from the rest of the entire human race, and mixes all people who aren't full-blown Caucasian into one ethnic group.
"Non-white" is offensive, apparently. "People not of colour" is not, apparently.
I want to know this too, I was always told it was the polite term and then one day it just wasn't and no one seemed to know why.
I think what made it impossible for anybody to use that term seriously ever again was when an actress (whose name I've long forgotten) used it in a hysterical speech at one of the Oscars ceremonies.
It's bizarre to say that "coloured people " is offensive but "people of colour" is not. I've always found the latter phrase rather pretentious.
He thought saying 'black lad' would have been the offensive term.
I can't imagine how many times in his lifetime terms have been in and out of fashion or on the offend-o-meter.
I personally am not offended but then I've never been on the receiving end of racism. If he had said queer actors I still don't know if I would have been offended. I tend to think it's all about the intent, and given he was saying there should be more diversity it seems a bit mean to pick him up on the word he used, as he clearly wasn't being racist.
Then again, Charlene White, the ITV newsreader really did take offence and wouldn't accept any excuses on Twitter so maybe I can't comment without having experienced racism.
I was told that "non-white" is offensive because it suggests that "white" is the norm and anything else is therefore somewhat inferior.
For what its worth the term coloured is generally accepted as being as the actor concerned said an outmoded term that is demeaning to the people it appears to describe ....white people are white and everyone else is coloured has patronising echoes and even hints at implied inferiority and belongs to a bygone age of not quite knowing what to say and general unawareness..........like it or not times change.