Language and awareness is all it's about. Can using words and phrases with negatively racial undertones be justified by ignorance? Perhaps if you genuinely didn't know about the origins of the terms you were using. But I don't believe there is any justification for using such language in full knowledge of the connotations whatever the intention.
In reality, most people will occasionally or rarely use a phrase that might be deemed offensive to some (be it sexist, homophobic, racist, ageist etc)....people sometimes put their foot in it, that's just human nature. Lloyd's reaction was perhaps over the top as he has little or no evidence that Paul is a racist.
It used to be a common(ish) phrase, but seriously how many times do you have to hear it or use it before you think 'what am I saying here?'
Context is pretty clear, used in a gaming/cheating context.
'play the white man'
This Western/movie thing I've only heard as white hats or black hats, goodies or baddies, the hat being the big clue as to who you're supposed to be rooting for.
And as I said earlier in the thread, irrespective of how many viewers have heard or understand the phrase, the fact remains that PAUL, by saying, 'I didn't see you there', clearly DID understand the connotations, which is why I think he should have apologised properly, immediately.
Sure, he didn't mean it in a racist way, (just as my dad didn't when he said it to me regularly in the 70s), but having said it without thinking, it was up to him to end the matter by apologising for offence caused.
And as I said earlier in the thread, irrespective of how many viewers have heard or understand the phrase, the fact remains that PAUL, by saying, 'I didn't see you there', clearly DID understand the connotations, which is why I think he should have apologised properly, immediately.
Sure, he didn't mean it in a racist way, (just as my dad didn't when he said it to me regularly in the 70s), but having said it without thinking, it was up to him to end the matter by apologising for offence caused.
I agree with this. I had expected him, when I heard the spoilers, to be totally unaware of the offence it could cause but by immediately saying 'I didn't see you there', it signalled that he was aware that it could be taken the wrong way - that puts it is a different context - it also explains why Lloyd took umbrage as it implies that Paul acts in a different way, perhaps a racist way, when black people aren't there to hear it so Lloyd perhaps began to wonder how well he really knew him.
I think that there are a lot of phrases that some people may not understand why they are deemed offensive but I think that most, once they know that something is, will try to avoid saying it, whether the minority involved are there at the time or not, as they don't want to cause upset.
In reality, most people will occasionally or rarely use a phrase that might be deemed offensive to some (be it sexist, homophobic, racist, ageist etc)....people sometimes put their foot in it, that's just human nature. Lloyd's reaction was perhaps over the top as he has little or no evidence that Paul is a racist.
Managed to miss this when I posted but I totally agree.
You're missing the point completely.
Firstly it's nothing to do with Firemen/Police etc and their sense of humour, nothing.
As I said do people with various prejudices go around shouting about it all the time.
Sexists have wives, sisters, encounter and have to work with women all the time.
You've missed the point of the mixed race comment too. I've heard some very odd things said to Mixed race people.
'You're alright, you're not really black' sort of you're lucky there's not a lot of black in you and that sort of thing.
Clearly they expected it to be taken as some sort of complement.
People say that sort of thing to someone who's supposed to be a 'mate' and think it's a complement.
This^^
There seems to be a theme here that someone with prejudices, race, gender, whatever, must bang on about it all the time and avoid those they have prejudices about.
I'm having to widen this out to include sexism, because people just don't seem capable of accepting that people can be racist without being fully paid up neo nazi types.
With all due respect, I have not missed the point completely and if you think that in my 40+ years on this planet (mainly in London) I have never experienced bigotry, both directed at me and witnessed it directed at others, then you must believe that I live in a bubble.
I realise that people shout offensive things all the time, I realise that some people will make the comments about mixed races thinking that the are being nice and indicating that the person is okay - really one of us as they are only ' a little bit black' and how offensive that is. I am merely making the point, that in my experience, that kind of prejudice can work both ways.
I also, if you read my post carefully say that I don't think that Paul;s profession is relevant in this particular case but I stand by the assertion that those in the Emergency Services do have more of a Gallows humour than most - and indeed Paul mentioned several colleagues who I presume are not White that he thought would just see it as banter and not react as Lloyd does. Now maybe that is because they feel they have to in that kind of working environment which is appalling but it is possibly true and might explain some of Paul's defensivenss.
I'm not talking about me here, but the character of Paul and what he has said on screen.
If you look at my other posts, you will also see that I think what he did was unacceptable and understand Lloyd's reaction.
Also, I completely accept that people can have racist elements without being Nazis and again you seem to be being rather presumptive about people you have never met posting on here to assume that they aren't clever, experienced or empathetic enough to realise these nuances.
This again is a point that I have made continually on this thread. Paul, from what we have seen on screen up to this point, is not the type that would go on EDL marches, graffiti houses or indeed prioritise saving a white man over a black in a house fire. However, he has made a comment which can be considered racist, and more importantly, from his reaction, knows could be considered racist. That casts a very ugly shadow over him. That is the point of the plot, it should make everyone look at themselves, their own attitudes and perhaps whether they do or say things that they really shouldn't.
With all due respect, I have not missed the point completely and if you think that in my 40+ years on this planet (mainly in London) I have never experienced bigotry, both directed at me and witnessed it directed at others, then you must believe that I live in a bubble.
I realise that people shout offensive things all the time, I realise that some people will make the comments about mixed races thinking that the are being nice and indicating that the person is okay - really one of us as they are only ' a little bit black' and how offensive that is. I am merely making the point, that in my experience, that kind of prejudice can work both ways.
I also, if you read my post carefully say that I don't think that Paul;s profession is relevant in this particular case but I stand by the assertion that those in the Emergency Services do have more of a Gallows humour than most - and indeed Paul mentioned several colleagues who I presume are not White that he thought would just see it as banter and not react as Lloyd does. Now maybe that is because they feel they have to in that kind of working environment which is appalling but it is possibly true and might explain some of Paul's defensivenss.
I'm not talking about me here, but the character of Paul and what he has said on screen.
If you look at my other posts, you will also see that I think what he did was unacceptable and understand Lloyd's reaction.
Also, I completely accept that people can have racist elements without being Nazis and again you seem to be being rather presumptive about people you have never met posting on here to assume that they aren't clever, experienced or empathetic enough to realise these nuances.
This again is a point that I have made continually on this thread. Paul, from what we have seen on screen up to this point, is not the type that would go on EDL marches, graffiti houses or indeed prioritise saving a white man over a black in a house fire. However, he has made a comment which can be considered racist, and more importantly, from his reaction, knows could be considered racist. That casts a very ugly shadow over him. That is the point of the plot, it should make everyone look at themselves, their own attitudes and perhaps whether they do or say things that they really shouldn't.
Actually it comes from silent movies where the good guys would be differentiated from the bad guys by dressing in white.
As far as I could see Paul apologised already. First he said, " Sorry I didn't see you there. Then he said " I didn't mean anything personal. My dad used to say it all the time, I honestly never though about the actual meaning. But no that's not good enough. He has to go and apologise yet again. Although some people think the expression is racist, there are other schools of thought, IE :- It is also widely believed that the term 'Play the white man' comes from the days of black and white movies where, to differentiate between the groups of people, they put the 'goodies' in white and the 'baddies' in black - it had no relationship to the colour of their skins. Far too much is being made of this. I think it just exascerbates racial tensions all round.
I was going to use a phrase involving a pot and a kettle - but I thought better of it.
.
I also was going to say - pot kettle black is the most annoyingly over-used term on DS and you should find something else to use . I think I have a right to defend myself when somebody is rude to me. Hardly makes me a hypocrite :rolleyes:. But thank you for your wise words of wisdom. Run along now
I also was going to say - pot kettle black is the most annoyingly over-used term on DS and you should find something else to use . I think I have a right to defend myself when somebody is rude to me. Hardly makes me a hypocrite :rolleyes:. But thank you for your wise words of wisdom. Run along now
Maybe I shouldn't have just ignored your rude post to me in a different thread - or are you just rude to everyone?
Actually, I used pot/kettle purely to make a relevant point, as I did a phrase later on in my post.
Even if you accept the black hat/white hat as a valid proof that the remark isn't racist, that actually takes you back to a more basic factor.
For some reason, we have a language in which the word "white" refers to something good, and the word "black" to something bad:
white/black magic
blackguard
blackmail
not as black as he's painted
black hearted villain
a black day
I've no idea how this came about, but I suspect it could go back to anglo-saxon and old english.
There are so many phrases like these that it's easy to use one without thinking about it, and with no intention to denigrate anyone. Certainly without wanting to offend anyone - or those all too willing to be offended on behalf of other people.
To react to them when they obviously weren't intended rudely or racially is just silly.
BIB: I don't think that anybody was suggesting any such thing, just as they wouldn't suggest that a Doctor wouldn't treat a person of different race. I think that the poster that originally mentioned it was meaning that people in that line of work, Fire Brigade, Medics etc, people that deal with life and death on a daily basis, have to harden up and do tend to develop very black (no pun intended) senses of humours and joke about topics that many others would find in poor taste or offensive. Does that make them all racists - of course it doesn't, but it does mean that they can sometimes make comments that those not in life and death professions would baulk at.
Thank you for elaborating on my point. That's really what I was getting at and just adding a bit more flesh to why Paul is been defensive other than been called a racist and his way of thinking.
Maybe I shouldn't have just ignored your rude post to me in a different thread - or are you just rude to everyone?
Actually, I used pot/kettle purely to make a relevant point, as I did a phrase later on in my post.
Even if you accept the black hat/white hat as a valid proof that the remark isn't racist, that actually takes you back to a more basic factor.
For some reason, we have a language in which the word "white" refers to something good, and the word "black" to something bad:
white/black magic
blackguard
blackmail
not as black as he's painted
black hearted villain
a black day
I've no idea how this came about, but I suspect it could go back to anglo-saxon and old english.
There are so many phrases like these that it's easy to use one without thinking about it, and with no intention to denigrate anyone. Certainly without wanting to offend anyone - or those all too willing to be offended on behalf of other people.
To react to them when they obviously weren't intended rudely or racially is just silly.
I wasn't rude to you in another thread . I merely asked if you were describing yourself? I was confused by the Alan Partridge comment, but then I realised what you meant afterwards. Honestly, I meant no harm, jsmith .
As for pot kettle black, I believe you were trying to say that I too should work on my people skills. But I don't see how when I'm just defending myself. I'm only polite if you're polite to me . It goes both ways.
Anyway, I think you're blowing it out of proportion with this ridiculously long post. Move on with your life.
Let's continue with the discussion.
I haven't read all of the comments, so forgive me if I cover something that has already been covered.
I had never heard the term 'just play the white man' before Friday's episode. However, if I was aware of the term and heard somebody use the phrase, I wouldn't be happy at all and would expect an apology, like Lloyd. In fact, an apology may not even be enough. Using that type of phrase, so casually, just goes to show how the person thinks.
I'm glad Corrie is covering this and in such a way, because some people like to act as if racism/ignorance doesn't exist. Maybe Paul isn't a racist, but why does he think it's okay to use such a term, which implies that the white man is more fair than any other race. Therefore being more superior. Racism is where you believe your race is more superior to another.
Paul didn't apologise for using the phrase, he apologised for Lloyd and Jenna hearing him use the phrase, which I think might be even worse than no apology at all. It suggests that he can easily use throwaway terms, as long as he's in the 'right' crowd.
He used a term that was offensive and couldn't apologise for it. Why was it so hard for him to apologise? It was only after he refused to apologise that Lloyd called him a racist. And yes, he must be...if he can use such a term so casually.
I've never liked his character, but this has cemented my dislike for him.
I haven't read all of the comments, so forgive me if I cover something that has already been covered.
I had never heard the term 'just play the white man' before Friday's episode. However, if I was aware of the term and heard somebody use the phrase, I wouldn't be happy at all and would expect an apology, like Lloyd. In fact, an apology may not even be enough. Using that type of phrase, so casually, just goes to show how the person thinks.
I'm glad Corrie is covering this and in such a way, because some people like to act as if racism/ignorance doesn't exist. Maybe Paul isn't a racist, but why does he think it's okay to use such a term, which implies that the white man is more fair than any other race. Therefore being more superior. Racism is where you believe your race is more superior to another.
Paul didn't apologise for using the phrase, he apologised for Lloyd and Jenna hearing him use the phrase, which I think might be even worse than no apology at all. It suggests that he can easily use throwaway terms, as long as he's in the 'right' crowd.
He used a term that was offensive and couldn't apologise for it. Why was it so hard for him to apologise? It was only after he refused to apologise that Lloyd called him a racist. And yes, he must be...if he can use such a term so casually.
I've never liked his character, but this has cemented my dislike for him.
The thing is, we don't know what was in his mind when he uttered the phrase or what he interpreted the phrase to mean. We can really only label him a "racist" if we believe that he thinks white people are superior to black people......as it stands, we only know that he used an offensive phrase (and with him not even being aware that there were black people standing behind him, which would surely have tempered him).
The thing is, we don't know what was in his mind when he uttered the phrase or what he interpreted the phrase to mean. We can really only label him a "racist" if we believe that he thinks white people are superior to black people......as it stands, we only know that he used an offensive phrase (and with him not even being aware that there were black people standing behind him, which would surely have tempered him).
BIB that's alright then, he's just racist behind their backs.
Anyway the other FM you're replying to has already covered that point.
The thing is, we don't know what was in his mind when he uttered the phrase or what he interpreted the phrase to mean. We can really only label him a "racist" if we believe that he thinks white people are superior to black people......as it stands, we only know that he used an offensive phrase (and with him not even being aware that there were black people standing behind him, which would surely have tempered him).
when somebody uses a phrase, they know the connotations of the phrase. The connotations of the phrase suggest the white man is superior.
Regardless of whether it's what HE meant. Also, he refused to apologise for using a phrase that didn't sit well with the others.
when somebody uses a phrase, they know the connotations of the phrase. The connotations of the phrase suggest the white man is superior.
Regardless of whether it's what HE meant. Also, he refused to apologise for using a phrase that didn't sit well with the others.
I believe he should of apologised as it could have been interpreted in this way. But what about the argument of the old films where the good guys wore white hats and the bad guys black hats which has no reference to the colour of someones skin?
I believe he should of apologised as it could have been interpreted in this way. But what about the argument of the old films where the good guys wore white hats and the bad guys black hats which has no reference to the colour of someones skin?
But as I've said a few times now, he didn't say 'play the white hat man' did he, he said 'play the white man'. Had he said white hat, I doubt it would have got the reaction that it did.
The point to me, which I was rather surprised at, is that he clearly knew that his remark could be taken the wrong way - If he didn't he wouldn't have said 'sorry didn't see you there' immediately on realising black people were within earshot. So, he knows that it could be deemed racist but said it anyway. That makes all the difference to me.
But as I've said a few times now, he didn't say 'play the white hat man' did he, he said 'play the white man'. Had he said white hat, I doubt it would have got the reaction that it did.
The point to me, which I was rather surprised at, is that he clearly knew that his remark could be taken the wrong way - If he didn't he wouldn't have said 'sorry didn't see you there' immediately on realising black people were within earshot. So, he knows that it could be deemed racist but said it anyway. That makes all the difference to me.
But the old saying is 'Play the white man' not 'play the white hat man. Where did the the original saying come from?
As i said he should of apologised as it could have been interpreted in that way especially as he apologised as he didn't see him there.
I believe he should of apologised as it could have been interpreted in this way. But what about the argument of the old films where the good guys wore white hats and the bad guys black hats which has no reference to the colour of someones skin?
He said 'play the WHITE MAN' MAN, human, person, being, race etc.
People defending this are just as bad.
I hate this kind of ignorance. It really bothers me.
But as I've said a few times now, he didn't say 'play the white hat man' did he, he said 'play the white man'. Had he said white hat, I doubt it would have got the reaction that it did.
The point to me, which I was rather surprised at, is that he clearly knew that his remark could be taken the wrong way - If he didn't he wouldn't have said 'sorry didn't see you there' immediately on realising black people were within earshot. So, he knows that it could be deemed racist but said it anyway. That makes all the difference to me.
He said 'play the WHITE MAN' MAN, human, person, being, race etc.
People defending this are just as bad.
I hate this kind of ignorance. It really bothers me.
I am not defending him.It is not ignorance. There appear to be more than one connotation for this phrase.
If you read my post I have agreed he should have apologised as it could be interpreted as you have stated.
But the old saying is 'Play the white man' not 'play the white hat man. Where did the the original saying come from?
As i said he should of apologised as it could have been interpreted in that way especially as he apologised as he didn't see him there.
The original saying came from the days of the British Empire in reference to the British Colonials being 'fairer' than that of the Natives - who were usually Black or Asian.
This was then picked up to a certain degree by the film industry, especially with Cowboy films where the hero would wear a white hat and the baddie a black one but it was the colour of the clothes, not the skin that was used to highlight this and indeed the term, white hat, is still used in the Movie industry even today to donate whether a character is the hero or villain without causing racial offence.
That's why I say that if he had said be a white hat, it would not have caused the outcry that it did.
But the old saying is 'Play the white man' not 'play the white hat man. Where did the the original saying come from?
As i said he should of apologised as it could have been interpreted in that way especially as he apologised as he didn't see him there.
In films the phrase is white hat/s or playing the white hat, as in 'I'm playing the white hat in this movie' that's the way I've heard the phrase used.
It's from the B movie Westerns, keeps things simple for the punters they know who to root for.
This has been done in this thread again and again.
Maybe wiki will be believed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_hat_%28film%29
Comments
In reality, most people will occasionally or rarely use a phrase that might be deemed offensive to some (be it sexist, homophobic, racist, ageist etc)....people sometimes put their foot in it, that's just human nature. Lloyd's reaction was perhaps over the top as he has little or no evidence that Paul is a racist.
And as I said earlier in the thread, irrespective of how many viewers have heard or understand the phrase, the fact remains that PAUL, by saying, 'I didn't see you there', clearly DID understand the connotations, which is why I think he should have apologised properly, immediately.
Sure, he didn't mean it in a racist way, (just as my dad didn't when he said it to me regularly in the 70s), but having said it without thinking, it was up to him to end the matter by apologising for offence caused.
I agree with this. I had expected him, when I heard the spoilers, to be totally unaware of the offence it could cause but by immediately saying 'I didn't see you there', it signalled that he was aware that it could be taken the wrong way - that puts it is a different context - it also explains why Lloyd took umbrage as it implies that Paul acts in a different way, perhaps a racist way, when black people aren't there to hear it so Lloyd perhaps began to wonder how well he really knew him.
I think that there are a lot of phrases that some people may not understand why they are deemed offensive but I think that most, once they know that something is, will try to avoid saying it, whether the minority involved are there at the time or not, as they don't want to cause upset.
Managed to miss this when I posted but I totally agree.
With all due respect, I have not missed the point completely and if you think that in my 40+ years on this planet (mainly in London) I have never experienced bigotry, both directed at me and witnessed it directed at others, then you must believe that I live in a bubble.
I realise that people shout offensive things all the time, I realise that some people will make the comments about mixed races thinking that the are being nice and indicating that the person is okay - really one of us as they are only ' a little bit black' and how offensive that is. I am merely making the point, that in my experience, that kind of prejudice can work both ways.
I also, if you read my post carefully say that I don't think that Paul;s profession is relevant in this particular case but I stand by the assertion that those in the Emergency Services do have more of a Gallows humour than most - and indeed Paul mentioned several colleagues who I presume are not White that he thought would just see it as banter and not react as Lloyd does. Now maybe that is because they feel they have to in that kind of working environment which is appalling but it is possibly true and might explain some of Paul's defensivenss.
I'm not talking about me here, but the character of Paul and what he has said on screen.
If you look at my other posts, you will also see that I think what he did was unacceptable and understand Lloyd's reaction.
Also, I completely accept that people can have racist elements without being Nazis and again you seem to be being rather presumptive about people you have never met posting on here to assume that they aren't clever, experienced or empathetic enough to realise these nuances.
This again is a point that I have made continually on this thread. Paul, from what we have seen on screen up to this point, is not the type that would go on EDL marches, graffiti houses or indeed prioritise saving a white man over a black in a house fire. However, he has made a comment which can be considered racist, and more importantly, from his reaction, knows could be considered racist. That casts a very ugly shadow over him. That is the point of the plot, it should make everyone look at themselves, their own attitudes and perhaps whether they do or say things that they really shouldn't.
Delete.
As far as I could see Paul apologised already. First he said, " Sorry I didn't see you there. Then he said " I didn't mean anything personal. My dad used to say it all the time, I honestly never though about the actual meaning. But no that's not good enough. He has to go and apologise yet again. Although some people think the expression is racist, there are other schools of thought, IE :- It is also widely believed that the term 'Play the white man' comes from the days of black and white movies where, to differentiate between the groups of people, they put the 'goodies' in white and the 'baddies' in black - it had no relationship to the colour of their skins. Far too much is being made of this. I think it just exascerbates racial tensions all round.
I also was going to say - pot kettle black is the most annoyingly over-used term on DS and you should find something else to use
Maybe I shouldn't have just ignored your rude post to me in a different thread - or are you just rude to everyone?
Actually, I used pot/kettle purely to make a relevant point, as I did a phrase later on in my post.
Even if you accept the black hat/white hat as a valid proof that the remark isn't racist, that actually takes you back to a more basic factor.
For some reason, we have a language in which the word "white" refers to something good, and the word "black" to something bad:
white/black magic
blackguard
blackmail
not as black as he's painted
black hearted villain
a black day
I've no idea how this came about, but I suspect it could go back to anglo-saxon and old english.
There are so many phrases like these that it's easy to use one without thinking about it, and with no intention to denigrate anyone. Certainly without wanting to offend anyone - or those all too willing to be offended on behalf of other people.
To react to them when they obviously weren't intended rudely or racially is just silly.
Thank you for elaborating on my point. That's really what I was getting at and just adding a bit more flesh to why Paul is been defensive other than been called a racist and his way of thinking.
I wasn't rude to you in another thread
As for pot kettle black, I believe you were trying to say that I too should work on my people skills. But I don't see how when I'm just defending myself. I'm only polite if you're polite to me
Anyway, I think you're blowing it out of proportion with this ridiculously long post. Move on with your life.
Let's continue with the discussion.
I had never heard the term 'just play the white man' before Friday's episode. However, if I was aware of the term and heard somebody use the phrase, I wouldn't be happy at all and would expect an apology, like Lloyd. In fact, an apology may not even be enough. Using that type of phrase, so casually, just goes to show how the person thinks.
I'm glad Corrie is covering this and in such a way, because some people like to act as if racism/ignorance doesn't exist. Maybe Paul isn't a racist, but why does he think it's okay to use such a term, which implies that the white man is more fair than any other race. Therefore being more superior. Racism is where you believe your race is more superior to another.
Paul didn't apologise for using the phrase, he apologised for Lloyd and Jenna hearing him use the phrase, which I think might be even worse than no apology at all. It suggests that he can easily use throwaway terms, as long as he's in the 'right' crowd.
He used a term that was offensive and couldn't apologise for it. Why was it so hard for him to apologise? It was only after he refused to apologise that Lloyd called him a racist. And yes, he must be...if he can use such a term so casually.
I've never liked his character, but this has cemented my dislike for him.
The thing is, we don't know what was in his mind when he uttered the phrase or what he interpreted the phrase to mean. We can really only label him a "racist" if we believe that he thinks white people are superior to black people......as it stands, we only know that he used an offensive phrase (and with him not even being aware that there were black people standing behind him, which would surely have tempered him).
BIB that's alright then, he's just racist behind their backs.
Anyway the other FM you're replying to has already covered that point.
when somebody uses a phrase, they know the connotations of the phrase. The connotations of the phrase suggest the white man is superior.
Regardless of whether it's what HE meant. Also, he refused to apologise for using a phrase that didn't sit well with the others.
I believe he should of apologised as it could have been interpreted in this way. But what about the argument of the old films where the good guys wore white hats and the bad guys black hats which has no reference to the colour of someones skin?
But as I've said a few times now, he didn't say 'play the white hat man' did he, he said 'play the white man'. Had he said white hat, I doubt it would have got the reaction that it did.
The point to me, which I was rather surprised at, is that he clearly knew that his remark could be taken the wrong way - If he didn't he wouldn't have said 'sorry didn't see you there' immediately on realising black people were within earshot. So, he knows that it could be deemed racist but said it anyway. That makes all the difference to me.
But the old saying is 'Play the white man' not 'play the white hat man. Where did the the original saying come from?
As i said he should of apologised as it could have been interpreted in that way especially as he apologised as he didn't see him there.
He said 'play the WHITE MAN' MAN, human, person, being, race etc.
People defending this are just as bad.
I hate this kind of ignorance. It really bothers me.
Agreed!
I am not defending him.It is not ignorance. There appear to be more than one connotation for this phrase.
If you read my post I have agreed he should have apologised as it could be interpreted as you have stated.
The original saying came from the days of the British Empire in reference to the British Colonials being 'fairer' than that of the Natives - who were usually Black or Asian.
This was then picked up to a certain degree by the film industry, especially with Cowboy films where the hero would wear a white hat and the baddie a black one but it was the colour of the clothes, not the skin that was used to highlight this and indeed the term, white hat, is still used in the Movie industry even today to donate whether a character is the hero or villain without causing racial offence.
That's why I say that if he had said be a white hat, it would not have caused the outcry that it did.
In films the phrase is white hat/s or playing the white hat, as in 'I'm playing the white hat in this movie' that's the way I've heard the phrase used.
It's from the B movie Westerns, keeps things simple for the punters they know who to root for.
This has been done in this thread again and again.
Maybe wiki will be believed http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_hat_%28film%29
I will second that but you normally cannot say these things without reference to the 'grammar police' :rolleyes:
Problem is, there's never been such a phrase as "be a white hat"; it wouldn't actually make any sense ( other than to oliver sacks, maybe).