Benedict Cumberbatch OUTRAGE!!!

Judgeneo said:
If their black, call them black, coloured is incorrect then, as it is a descriptor of difference.

But if you are referring people from a variety of ethnicities, what then? "Non-white" sounds far worse than "coloured".
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but so is 'people of colour' surely - yet that is rather en vogue these days

tis more just because it is a term that was used in the past when race relations were bad

sort of like 'retard' and 'spastic' got tainted by playground insults etc.. 'spastics society' had to change its name to 'scope'... problem is that kids, being little ****s then started using the term 'scopers' to taunt people
 
The Guardian had a comment piece which was reasonably considered (as far as these things go), but still didn't get to the root of what actually would be acceptable for him to have said.

http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...loured-gaffe-white-film-industry-black-actors

Worth remembering he was in USA, where "African American" is the preferred term, with "black" not being wholly accepted. But "African American" is of little use when discussing Black-British actors, as he was.
 
I have a bit of an issue with this diversity issue as well. I honestly don't see a lack of diversity in popular culture. The American racial demographics from 2010 show White Americans as 72.4% and African (note not Black) Americans as 12.6% of the population. From the films, TV and music videos I see, I think there is probably an over representation. Denzel was just the Equalizer ffs!

I have no issue at all with that except how ludicrous the argument is.
 
I'd remove that Guardian link, it contains a rather naughty word!

Seriously though, what is he supposed to say? African-Amarican doesn't work if he's talking about British black people, Black and coloured are apparently racist and 'People of colour' does nothing to reduce the segregation aspect and sounds so ****ing pretentious.

ArchAnGeL said:
I have a bit of an issue with this diversity issue as well. I honestly don't see a lack of diversity in popular culture. The American racial demographics from 2010 show White Americans as 72.4% and African (note not Black) Americans as 12.6% of the population. From the films, TV and music videos I see, I think there is probably an over representation.
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That would be an interesting thing to investigate. If there are 90 white people and 10 black people going for 20 unspecified colour roles, would they consider it discrimination if only 2 black people got a role? I'm sure there would be groups that would.
 
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I read about this in a snippet the other night, I lolled then carried on with life.The average Brit is dumb as a brick. The average American is even worse. No surprise there.
 
Yay for the country of overreaction.

I reckon BBC America should broadcast the 1975 episode of The Goodies called South Africa. Sit back and watch the complete flip-out that happens.
 
I find the term "african american" stupid. You're not african american. You know who's african american? Charlize Theron. And she's white. You're not Irish American either. Or Scots Irish American. Or Italian American. You are American. You might have that ancestry. But that's it.

It's like me saying "I'm Ulster Scots". No I'm not. I have Ulster Scots ancestry. But that's it. Ancestry that goes back in Ireland longer than most "african americans" ancestry has been in America.
 
Moothead2 said:
We should start using hex codes to describe skin colour. Surely they can't complain about that :p?

RK8C0_LQ8L.png
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Oi! My degree of Northern pinkness/ ruddy complexion is not represented in your facist utopia (my legs are more like the background)
 
Judgeneo said:
If their black, call them black, coloured is incorrect then, as it is a descriptor of difference..
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I had this conversation with my son when he was 4, when he was describing a brown boy in his class. I told him he was black, he then proceeded with aid of crayons to explain to me the difference between brown and black.

Just another lie we tell our kids ;)

I don't get all the fuss why we call someone who is clearly brown, black but I just go along with it. Just like I nod when someone calls themselves African American.
 
The black race are many shades of brown... so whats so wrong with using the term coloured? Where is the transcript of the entire conversation? Is he also referring to other raced actors?
 
I was so un-PC this morning. I had an appoint with a doctor an whilst waiting my appointment I noted how young the doctors were and for the most part very attractive.

When my name was called I was pleased to see that the the doctor I was seeing was a woman and young and attractive. I mentioned to her that there is a saying, or certainly used to be, that you knew you were getting old when the policeman looked very young. I thought this now needed to include doctors. I also mentioned that in my childhood my doctor was old and bearded but today I had a young and attractive doc to tend to my ills. I don't think she was embarrassed or in anyway offended as she thanked me but said she was older than she looked.

I have no doubt that my words were deeply not politically correct but the great thing about being in your sixties is we don't know any better so we get away with. But some of the PC nonsense that is out there and fully embraced by the Big Bad Cowards is ridiculous these days.
 
dannyjo22 said:
I had this conversation with my son when he was 4, when he was describing a brown boy in his class. I told him he was black, he then proceeded with aid of crayons to explain to me the difference between brown and black.

Just another lie we tell our kids ;)

I don't get all the fuss why we call someone who is clearly brown, black but I just go along with it. Just like I nod when someone calls themselves African American.
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Probably because we use "brown" to describe ethnicities from the Indian sub-continent.


I apologise profusely for my previous post, I was not considered enough in the use of the English language, and used "their" instead of "they're". I hope that GD can forgive this case of mis-typing.
 
Moothead2 said:
That would be an interesting thing to investigate. If there are 90 white people and 10 black people going for 20 unspecified colour roles, would they consider it discrimination if only 2 black people got a role? I'm sure there would be groups that would.
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I investigated demographics of the American police force, because of all the hate for the police atm and them apparently being racist. It is spot on more or less. Hispanics are under represented (~9%) but that's it... nothing too major.

Why is positive discrimination so accepted? (We have to have X amount of this sort of person)
 
balky12 said:
Why is positive discrimination so accepted? (We have to have X amount of this sort of person)
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They did that here in Northern Ireland to get more catholics into the RUC (and later PSNI after restructuring) in the late 90s / early 00s. And it still didn't work from what I remember. Just under 30% are from catholic backgrounds the last time I checked. It was called the 50/50 plan or something.
 
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