Is this racist?

misterPK · 26 Mar 2009 at 15:57

Sir David Jason tells this joke during a radio interview:

What do you call a Pakistani cloakroom attendant?

Mahatma coat.

Whilst quite groanworthy, I personally don't think its at all racist. It's no worse than "Ivor Biggun" or something like that. But no, because he's used the work "Pakistani" in the joke it gets instant condemnation. Political correctness gone too far in my opinion.

BBC news article

PK!

bledd · 26 Mar 2009 at 15:58

christ sake

thats the same as any #insert country# joke

Greenlizard0 · 26 Mar 2009 at 15:58

No, it's not racist.

It doesn't quite make sense since I'm guessing the Mahatma part is referencing an Indian guy..

The station didn't even receive any complaints either? :confused:

~J~ · 26 Mar 2009 at 15:59

It's not racist, but hey, this is the UK so therefore it is.

Fido McNasty · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:01

No less funny than Ben Doon and Phil McCavite or William Fitzpatrick and Patrick Fitzwilliam. Not racist at all imho. Or gay.

I can fully believe DJ's horror that someone did take offence. How PC to you need to be these days ?

Yas786 · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:01

Greenlizard0 said:
No, it's not racist.

It doesn't quite make sense since I'm guessing the Mahatma part is referencing an Indian guy..

LOL exactly...so David old boy needs to brush up on his geography and history methinks

. Mahatma is Ghandhi i imagine...who was Indian and not pakistani lol.

I dont find it racist and im pakistani in origin...i just found cringeworthy and not really that funny.

Big FAIL on David Jasons part.

Neodite · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:02

it wouldn't be racist if a pakistani made the joke, or if a pakastani made a joke about a white person

I must be stupid tho because i dont even get the joke

Sankari · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:04

It's not racist, but it's pretty idiotic - especially since he messed it up with the "Pakistani" reference.

Time to move on, DJ! Your era is long gone.

V4NT0M · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:04

Shame on the pakis.

metamorphpwner · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:07

I'm pretty sure most of them learn english just to be offended.

Pilky01 · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:07

Of course it's not.

ChrisJSY · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:08

It's making fun of a family/surname.
That is all.

arc@css · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:09

bledd. said:
christ sake

thats the same as any #insert country# joke

Bang on right. Exactly.

I refuse to bow down to this carp. The other day I had a pleasant conversation at work about Gollywogs - the jam jar stickers, neither myself nor the customer were being racist.

Viper² · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:10

Great joke. BBC can **** off.

Azagoth · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:10

No it's not even slightly racist!

The sooner these politically correct morons contract cancer and die the better!

Gerard · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:15

Read that this morning and got a grin out of it.

Vegeta · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:18

Im bangladeshi/british citizen - and erm hell no! All of us don't mind these jokes we prefer them actually it's good crack when i'm at work/uni etc and people crack terrorist jokes when I have a bag or don't shave for a bit lol.

Fido McNasty · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:18

Viper² said:
Great joke. BBC can **** off.

Maybe they can but it apparently wasn't the BBC who took offence. It was someone they curiously labelled an `absolute spokeswoman'. A term I struggle to appreciate.

MookJong · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:21

How can it be racist, it's simply a play on words...

Azagoth · 26 Mar 2009 at 16:21

Fido McNasty said:
It was someone they curiously labelled an `absolute spokeswoman'. A term I struggle to appreciate.

What's difficult about it? The radio station is called "Absolute" and the PC busy body is a spokeswoman for the station, hence an "Absolute Spokeswoman".