Bernard Cumbebatch - I really dont get it

Benedict, Benedict- he looks like a Bernard

Every day now we've a mob of ar**holes on twitter in some moral outrage over something completely trivial?

They are getting very boring, aren't they...

I know older people who haven't a racist bone in their body who use that expression and think it's polite, they weren't sent the memo from the Guardian that it's now taboooooooooooooooo.

When I was a kid in the 60's it was considered polite to call black people 'coloured'. To call them 'black' was rude.


Times change, and he was a little bit stupid / naive to use 'coloured'.



However, he obviously didn't mean any offence, just wrong terminology, so they should accept his apology gracefully and move on

But if a famous civil rights org uses the expression how can it be offensive?

Funnily enough on Call the Midwife  on Sunday set in 1960 London one of the Nuns said your bike was bought back by a black man, she would have never used that terminology then imo.

would'nt brimg it back now tho

Is white honky offensive ?

if it is what should I reply in return ?

"My Dad for example, he's not as cosmopolitan or as educated as me and it can be embarrassing, you know. He doesn't understand all the trendy new words. Like he will say 'p00fs' instead of 'gays', 'birds' instead of 'women', 'd4rkies' instead of 'coloureds'."

Gareth Keenan, The Office. That was funny about 15 years ago, so whether you agree that it is offensive or not, it's not as if BC shouldn't have known better.

How does the brain decide what colour someone is? I noticed just recently that Chinese people were white.

These days if you say you're English you'll get arrested and they'll throw you in jail.

Truly incredible scenes indeed. Cumberbatch was actually being supportive of black actors, yet was ritually slaughtered for using a perfectly sensible, non-offensive word. If people insist on taking Pretendy Offence and crave victimhood, don't be surprised if employers will overlook you for work. Including acting roles.

No apology was necessary but as long as people do then this sort of stupidity will continue.

Alan Hansen got slaughtered for using the same phrase. The PC brigade need to get a grip. They keep changing the language and the rules, so its inevitable some innocent people will step on the odd PC landmine.

BTW, is it offensive to use the phrase Oriental ?

Absolute nonsense. What is offensive about that?

That wasn't in reply to you Plat. Was referring to the OP.

It is right that some words become "taboo" otherwise how else are we going to know whether we are racist or not.

I'm surprised  that taboo isn't a racist word

Pasted from University of Wisconsin ..."Outstanding Women of Color in Education Awards

The UW System Outstanding Women of Color in Education Awards are organized and supported annually by the UW System Women's Studies Consortium and Office of Academic Diversity and Development" ... and on it goes.

Seems to my simple mind that it's racist (what about whites) sexist (what about men) and uses the word "color" (not black) terminology.

And there a numerous "women of color" awards in the US.

Oh, the irony ... but then the intellectually challenged tend to not get the concept of irony.

A Lib-Dem chap in Bristol had to apologise for stating that 'working class whites' who had left the area, were being replaced by Somalis, and it was causing pubs to close down.

I blame Cumberbatch.  He shouldn't have apologised.  None of them should apologise if they haven't said anything wrong, which he didn't.

Nobody has to apologize. They are just weak and always bow down to these people. Pathetic.

What we need is a great big melting pot

from a BBC link:
According to the British Sociological Association, there are other words and phrases used to describe race, skin colour and heritage which could be found offensive however.
"Halfe-caste" is a "dated, racist term which should be avoided", they explain.
"Mixed race is a misleading term since it implies that a 'pure race' exists."
They advise alternatives including "mixed parentage" and "dual heritage".

That's a new one on me tbh. I've always said mixed race, but have insidiously been promoting racial purity then.
Mind you I don’t want to live under Islamic blasphemy law, and to some that makes me a racist also.

This is from the Telegraph 2 days ago.
The 9 words so offensive that we need to ditch them. Now! By Radhika Sanghani

6) Half-caste
This term was traditionally used to describe people who of mixed heritage, but its literal meaning is ‘half-pure’. That's not cool. Avoid it, so you don't come across as racially ignorant.
Use this instead: Mixed race.



.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11371874/Benedict-Cumberbatch-race-row-9-offensive-words-we-need-to-ditch.html

Why have anything ... boy, girl, man, woman should be enough.

Blimey, what contortions people go through to find words that they think are not racist but obviously are ... mixed parentage and dual heritage are deeply condescending and very racist, in my opinion - they clearly point out that the mixed or dual person is obviously not white.

And if anybody wants to describe somebody where their characteristics are important (e.g. crime issue) just say a big black man in his twenties was seen running from the scene ... that's all we need ... or of course, a small white girl aged about 10 was seen running out of the bank with a bag of money.
Not "a dual heritage person having mixed parentage was seen running from the crime scene" ... by the time the police had worked that one out, they'd be back home watching Eastenders (the dual heritage person that is, not the police - they'd be already watching it in the Station).

Why not be radical and use whatever words you want and if people want to be offended then let them.

Good job no station shows 'till death do us part'.

The classic for the irreverent would be the scene where Alf Garnett is in the pub drinking. The guest on the show is Kenny Lynch who is also at the bar, they exchange a few unpleasantries, ending with Alf suggesting that Kenny should get a job on the market selling ties, with the closing line of Alf telling Kenny he would then be a tycoon.

Just imagine the uproar if that went out today - and rightly so.  How times have moved on.

Still funny.

Is ANYONE in the supposedly 'tough' media going to ask why on earth Cumberbatch (or anyone else for that matter) should apologise for using the term coloured when so many organisations and awards make reference to Colour/Color ? 

Is it the usual depressing case of only those who are WHITE can cause Pretendy offence ?

What happened to 'the freedom to offend' we heard about a couple of weeks ago?

I see England cricketer, Stuart Broad has also had to apologise for saying people on a minimum wage are better off than most of the world's population.

Why say sorry for speaking the truth?

I saw a photo of a mini-supermarket recently (I shall have to try and find it again)
I think it was in the west Midlands, it was painted in 'Sainsburys' colours, but it was called 'Singhburys', which amused me.

David Oyelowo, star of Selma, says the controversy over Benedict Cumberbatch's use of the word 'coloured' is ridiculous.
Speaking at the UK premiere of Selma, Oyelowo said he could not believe the fuss Cumberbatch’s comment had caused.
“I reached out to him in support and I said I think it’s ridiculous,” he told BBC Radio 1.

“When you look at what he was actually saying, it’s clear that he’s a huge supporter of black performers."
“To attack him for a term, as opposed to what he was actually saying, I think is very disingenuous and is indicative of the age we live in where people are looking for soundbites as opposed to substance.”

Found it

.
http://i60.tinypic.com/14uyyrs.jpg

this thread full of posters offended by people being offended

Re: "women of colour" mentioned earlier: this demonstrates the madness of it all, women of colour,people of colour,men of colour, is perfectly acceptable and pc  but coloured man, coloured people isn't.

that telegraph article made me chuckle.

In the author's top 9 offensive words, she says "gay" shouldn't be used to mean pathetic or lame. but of course its perfectly fine to re-brand homosexual as "gay". That's not basterdizing the language is it now?

and why only 9 examples?  that's an odd number. Maybe number 10 was edited out. Here's one you should add to the list - islamophobia

Red Indians - Native americans?
Eskimos - Innuit?

As for 'half-caste', that was they were called when I was a boy, it wasn't insulting back then, so I've never changed it.

I don't think my mothers term of 'Picca-ninni girls', for young Jamaican girls, was that common, she was the only person I ever heard use it.

Gay men were 'poofs', gay women were 'lesbians', they weren't insults, they were just names, and far quicker than saying 'homosexual'.

tyhe usual suspects the sky totties were all over this saying where had he been for the last 20 years, probably the same place as me untill the hansen incident  i was non the wiser, and without thinking would still use coloured instead of black

The desperation of people to be offended by utterly innocuous things never ceases to amaze me. This is why we are such an intolerant society now. Get a grip and get on with things. All this mock offence we see today is akin to a footballer getting his arm brushed and writing around clutching his face like he's been the victim of a machete attack.

Roger the Butler, I couldn't agree with you more.
It IS intolerant, anyone who steps out of what is their idea of 100% correct behaviour and they go off on one in faux mob outrage. They obviously get off on it in some sad way, and lazy journalists can get "stories" out of it without putting their mug of coffee down, and so the cycle continues.

In the 60's it was correct to use the term coloured and wrong to use black.

Now it seems to be the other way round.


On what date exactly did the PC brigade decide to switch things round?

TYIA

apologies due to forward his oscar chances

he isnt over 65 so should have known better, probably just slipped out

should have bought a better education, imo

One word, a slip of the tongue...do we make a ridiculous fuss nowadays

It hardly makes him a member of the Klu Klux clan

We are turning into a women's society with all their sad pathetic values, God help us

most of the people offended and complaining about all this will be white, middleclass Guardian readers

i wouldnt expect many americans take the gruniad, whatever the colour ( color) of their skin

if black people request to be called black and not coloured ( colored) its not really much
of a hardship to oblige them

cumberbatch should know betters, others may not know better, they should be excused

a capital offence with you Donny I see

I do not think we know we know what real racism is,
if you think one word makes a difference we are deluding ourselves

this sort of thing creates racism, believe it or not

I saw an interview on Sky Sports News this evening where Tiger Woods described himself as brown.
Fair point, I thought.

its not a capital offence, merely good manners

seems as though cumberbatch may be struggling to land to plum jobs he hoped for

unless he grovels...

He has nothing to grovel for

If we go on like this, why do we not admit we are all racists and let rip....

Maybe then we will get some common sense

I call everyone earthling. Will only be racist when we integrate with aliens.

ebulGery makes a good point. I bet most of the psuedo-offended are women.

Somebody already made the point that I was to make.
That 'coloured people' supposedly isn't allowed yet 'people of colour' seemingly is fine, or perhaps it isn't they just are waiting for a white person to say it to get all arsey over it. (Don't really want to over complicate matters but black isn't a colour)

'Poofs' was and sometimes still is used to refer to gays around here, but 'b ent' was a term used quite often that you hardly hear now, which leads to the question, do gays get offended by heterosexuals referring to themselves as 'straight' as by definition it suggests any deviation from the norm is not straight, ie b ent?

Women are a total different kettle of frogs entirely, only today they have taken on themselves to decide that for having tits they should be allowed off and not sent to prison, that's after them manipulating logic to allow them to sell sex under assumed coercion of males so the male will be the one charged or that adequate men should be displaced in the boardroom just to even numbers up within capitalistic companies trying to make the best return for shareholders.

World is kaput

My (white) uncle who lived off the Walworth Rd in SE London was the most bigoted man I ever met, yet I remember him telling me way back in the early 1970s that black people prefer to be called "black" rather than "coloured", simply because it makes the situation clear: "I'm black and you're white."

But Blunderbatch is a public schoolboy and, I suppose, rather unlikely to have had the benefit of a Walworth Road education.

As for those of us, like me, with parents of different backgrounds, why not use the phrase people use when they see my dog: "Blimey! You're a bit of a mixture, aren't you?"

Or mongrel

But can't say mongrel cos it contains 'mong' innit

Yes. It's just the opposite of the term "disease-ridden inbred" (or the "indigenous" people, as we now must call them).

He has nothing to grovel for


except a wished for career in hollywood

That may be Donny

But real racism is what we used to see in America's deep South...discrimination, segregation , violence

An unintentional slip of the tongue does not make anyone a racist, or ever will

We are becoming very silly over this

if its unintentional there is no harm in offering an apology

it doesnt make him a racist, as it didnt with mr whelan at wigan

more outrage and gnashing of teeth today as more people take offence and are deeply upset:

'James Blunt has been accused of homophobia after joking about 'picking up the soap' in the showers around fellow public schoolboys including David Cameron and Boris Johnson.
The pop star faced a backlash after posting the comment online alongside a magazine front cover of himself under the words: 'Does it pay to be to posh'.
The group were pictured sipping champagne and wearing white tie evening dress on the cover of the New Statesman, to go with an article on privilege and success.
Blunt, 40, posted the image on Twitter and then joked: 'I won't be picking up the soap when this party moves to the showers.'

Just had a look at the Telegraph 'article' posted by HHSV. It reads like it was written by a 14yo...

3) Rapey
It’s OK to use the words ‘rape’ or ‘rapist’ in context. But the invented adjective ‘rapey’ is an unwelcome knock-on effect. Typically it's used by people to describe someone who might look like a rapist (Myth buster: rapists look like anyone and everyone), is acting in a lecherous way, or a potentially sinister situation ("that alley is really rapey").
It might sound harmless, but it can trivialise a serious crime.

Seriously, wtf? She's a twit.

That said, that alley IS really rapey.

Stoke player Robert Huth fined 15 grand and banned for 2 matches for comments he made on Twatter.

He played some sort of guess the gender game.

Huth will attend a mandatory education course.

On a slightly different matter but this interested me..

14 year old Stan Lock shaved his head to raise money for Macmillan.

His school has placed him in an isolation class as punishment. He will stay there untill his hair grows a bit.

The headmaster refuses to back down saying 'rules are rules'.

I would love his whole class to shave their heads this weekend and turn up on Monday.

Says a lot about the education system where you get punished for a selfless act of generosity. I guess Stan will have to apologise...

Not on topic of this thread but the stifling/controlling element is apparent here too.

I read that story earlier Injera, it defies logic how a crew cut is deemed unacceptable in school not least because of his motive to have it done. Last count was that he has raised 4 grand for Macmillan, he should be congratulated and praised and not thrown in the cooler for his haircut.

Agreed. If I was my kid I'd be very, very proud of him.

Standing alone for what you believe turns a boy into a man. Anyone who shaves their head out of empathy for cancer sufferers is special. For a teenager to do it is wonderful.

He will have gained more from this experience than months sat in class.

The scary thing is the school can't see that...

BTW, is it offensive to use the phrase Oriental ?
NO..
I had an Oriental Massage last night and it was in no way offensive.

I have an oriental rug that is in no way offensive.

Police are hunting a man in Bradford who sat behind an Asian on a bus and mutteredstuff about the koran!

one day you will not be allowed to use words - none of them - none at all

Muttered things about the Koran.
The world has officially gone mad.

but they can nail davidson  (not guilty) but pin down a live westminster peado and you have no chance  - wait till they are dead eh!!!  fkn stinks

young lad raising funds, should get a boost by being put in cooler

head seems like a jobsworth, or its part of the plan



im not that sure why shaving your head should be a charity function, but
it seems popular,  ...each to their own.

POLICE wish to speak to this man (right) after derogatory comments about Islam were made on a bus.

The incident, described as a public order offence by police, allegedly happened on the 576 Halifax to Bradford bus, between 10pm and 10.20pm on Thursday, January 8.

The man is said to have got on the bus and sat directly behind an Asian man, before muttering his comments.

The suspect is described as white, aged 40 to 50, about 5ft 8ins tall, and was wearing a black woolly hat and black jacket that may have had a bit of red on it


http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/11757862.Police_seek_man_over_derogatory_Islam_slurs_on_bus/?ref=mr

Better get him quick before he swears at an OAP.

What's the sentence these days for travelling to Bradford?

One ticket to bradford please driver.

They're going to be discussing this on "the last leg".

It's always a bit .. sickly trendy guardiany self satisfied (especially the irritating blond guy), so I wonder if they'll approach it with common sense or ridiculous levels of judgement...

Wow blonde guy is talking sense, I take it back!!

there'll be more than a "spot" of red on his jacket if he goes on muttering too long

Meanwhile, the Asians in Bradford, usually in pasing cars, who shout out of the window "white trash", get away with it. It's a minority, but as it's happened to me twice, how many others have experienced this?

*passing cars

"Meanwhile, the Asians in Bradford, usually in pasing cars, who shout out of the window "white trash", get away with it. It's a minority, but as it's happened to me twice, how many others have experienced this?"

Kenny, have you ever considered the fact that you maybe ARE, and should stop wearing that short skirt as you don't have the legs for it?

How much did they pay you for starring in that new Money Supermarket advert anyway? We must be told!

I for one would miss the coloured girls going "doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo."

Anyone remember the track "Emma" by Hot Chocolate ??

"I want no spook in my family!"


A quality track by a quality band

That is a great song, screaming - but you have many doo where it was do.