well though i have been on and off this thread since it started.

I do hope it is still going when laila even though i like her,is outed for her part in this thread.

Alot of die hard anton haters see her as a victim and that is totally untrue.

She played a big part in the racist word but is getting completely away with it.

And i for one don't think anton should be taking the rap for her as well as himself.

Yup she stood there got insulted, walked of, and then accepted an apology when offered. Then has had to spend weeks dancing with the idiot and putting on a show of solidarity whilst gossip and rumour surround their smallest actions and all wiht a smiley face. What a cow!

I see. I thought you were suggesting he leave as in resign.

No.

(1) because the odd insulting word is not worth sacking someone for unless they shout it in an abusive or threatening manner at someone or taunt them repeatedly, and

(2) because the BBC made his staying conditional on Laila accepting his apology it means that if he does go loads of his fans will start blaming her for it. Just as they are blaming her for the rumours that have come out, and are bound to come out of any future spats they have no matter how petty.

The person who started the mess and rumour mill was Anton and attention should not be taken of that fact as long as all the PR rubbish his supporters come up with to spread the blame is still milling around.

I agree with this.

I'd also question Laila's desire to move on from the whole thing when last week she was in New magazine talking about the whole incident and gaining publicity from it.

Or getting him to carry the can, in return for lenient treatment, to stop her being forced from the show and leaving us with a two couple final yet again?

All supposition as we have NO verifiable evidence either way.


Ooh look. I think most of us can agree on these people being Real racists and evidence to back it up.

Oh, Oh. Just spotted which paper it's from.

And so you have!

I stand by my opinion that those using the 'I'm overweight and I don't mind,' argument are using their own reactions to justify his rudeness, as if those who who do object are being oversensitive. Some with weight issues (many medical/clinical) have very low self esteem. The last thing they need is Anton's flippant references to their size and I'm surprised at your lack of understanding.

Furthermore I really cannot believe that not one single Asian of your acquaintance objected to his use of the word p*ki! The word is both racist and derogatory and no Asian of my acquaintance would find it acceptable.

Over weight people who do not have a health issue that causes it have only themselves to blame.

as the saying goes you are what you eat.

not saying this to offend any over weight fms.
just replying to a post.

and if their weight is the reason for their low self esteem then all the more reason to eat less and exercise.

I think racist people only have themselves to blame when they lose their jobs and career prospects.

As the saying goes you reap what you sow.

I don't think their racism is the reason for their low self esteem but more a symptom of it. The low intelligence that they usually exhibit is more because the nonracist tends to be better educated.

Maybe Anton needs to reflect on his behaviour and his use of racist terminology.

I say this in the hope that it offends all racists everywhere. They tend to be much more nasty vile types than the overweight.

i think you will find that there are a hell of a lot of overweight people that are very much racist,yet they get offended when someone talks about overweight people as being fat.

I personally, just anecdotally, don't know a single Asian who cares. All of them seem to be of the impression tha there are bigger things to get their knickers in a twist about than a manufacturerd dancing personality misusing a word in a joke gone wrong. Things like, apparently actual cases of racism causing harm. They think it's damaging to focus so much on this incident when there is real racism in the world that's hurting people.

Not an attack at you there, by the way

So what of those who are clinically obese should they shoot themselves?

oh for gods sake,i don't have a problem about over weight people.

its their life.

i was just replying to a post.

if i had a penny for every time i or one of my friends said ch i will shoot myself ,i would be very rich.

and unless one is mentally ill and unstable,i don't think they are actually going to shoot themselves.

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum but have been following this story in the media. I've read quite a few posts but not all as this thread is incredibly long!

I'd just like to point out that when a person dies at the hands of another - a court, when passing judgement, will look at the intent. Was this an accident, an act of negligence etc? Or did the accused set out with murderous intent? The verdict would reflect this. Why can't the same principal be applied here?

My own belief is that Anton's comments were not malicious, merely stupid.

Wow - a very perspicacious first post.

Thank You!

obviously casey ftw clearly sees what i and allot of fms have been saying for weeks.

When precisely do you think we had an absolute right to freedom of speech? How old do you think the libel laws in this country are, just to give one example? Further, I'm unconvinced an absolute right to freedom of speech is good if it implies the right to incite racial hatred (prohibited), or the right to smear and perpetuate blatant and offensive inaccuracies. (See Jan Moir example for excellent e.g. of same.)

As for Anton, I'm quite happy to accept his apology: I think he probably used a word that has strong racist connotations, but without racist intent, and I think that's enough. What I won't accept are people a) claiming that saying someone is p*** is OK or b) trying to minimize the importance of this. I too know a number of non-white people (amazing!), and most of them thought it was pretty idiotic. I too try not to get personal - although it's difficult in some cases - but really, running around using the p-word in 2009 just isn't acceptable.

I agree on his intent and his stupidity. That's why I accept his apology. But two points:

1) What's against the law is not the same as what is socially acceptable: something can be within the law, but still highly objectionable, and I think that's actually how it should be. So, for example, I'm gay, but I don't want someone slung in jail for saying that gay relationships are intrinsically more unstable than straight ones. (I obviously think this point of view is incredibly stupid though.)

2) Words inevitably acquire traditions, practices, connotations. In amongst the dross on this thread (which there is plenty of) there are some quite good points on this. You can use the p-word without racist intent, but still be doing a stupid thing by using a term that has strong racist connotations.

As far as I was aware, some anonymous tan sprayer (although Ian DID mention a name last week ) started it all off by telling all to the press.
Obviously he/she wasn't outraged enough to go through the proper channels but outraged enough to get his/her Christmas paid for - I wonder if SCD has a new tan sprayer?

On another note - what does 'fms' mean?

Not sure what context you've seen it in but its usually an abbreviation for 'forum members'

Or decent enough to think the incident shouldn't be covered up. It is all a point of view. There were apparently about 12 witnesses, which is why despite Anton's attempt to lie, he couldn't sustain a denial that it happened - but only 1 was decent enough to do something about it. I find it interesting that this person and Laila are attacked but yet people insist that it wasn't malicious. If it wasn't malicous why was he ashamed of admitting it and why didn't he apologise immediately, and why the non-apology apology?

The "non-apology apology" was probably delivered to those who were neither directly affected by the incident nor entitled to to one anyway, ie those who were not involved in the incident ie the likes of you and I.

If I insulted someone I certainly wouldn't owe you an apology.

So you would agree that when you insult a whole race with a racist insult you would owe that whole race an apology then ?

hope john and edward get through on x factor tonight and where my creme egg please