Would you use language like this..

[kidley 48]

Well if they were sympathy seeking they'll be lucky if they get any, especially from their UKIP colleagues

 

:hihi: you are so right there

[Zamo 10]

It was the UKIP supporter who was offended.

 

Vincent Munday said it was outrageous, rude and offensive and he and his wife would withdraw their UKIP membership.

 

The question is then... why was the couple outraged and offended?

 

The wife was outraged for two reasons. Firstly, Ting Tong means crazy person in Thia. Well, even if Atkinson was insulting the woman in Thai (obviously not the case) it is not racist to call someone crazy... just offensive. Secondly, she was outraged because the husband lied when he explained to her what was meant by a 'Ting Tong'. He pretended it was a reference to being non-white and/or not British. But 'Ting Tong' is not used as a racial slur in the UK and he knew that was a lie. The husband lied to her because he didn't want to say what it was really a reference to and what actually offended him.

 

He was offended because 'Ting Tong' is clearly a reference to the wife being a mail order bride like the Little Britain character. He was offended because, if she is Ting Tong, then he must be Dudley Punt. Being compared to either of the characters is undoubtedly unflattering but it isn't racist.

 

So, yes, the couple were genuinely offended but the offence wasn't caused by racism. The offence was caused by an inept politician who turning a PR coup (as it is when they find immigrants who support their policies) into a PR disaster by insult an asset.

 

---------- Post added 26-08-2014 at 12:54 ----------

 

That all depends on the context of this pointing out, doesn't it?

 

Pointing out that someone is non-white, in the context of an issue wherein 'not being white' is relevant, is arguably not racist: it's a statement of fact that goes to the issue.

 

Pointing out that someone is non-white as a descriptive only, absent any context (as was the case here) can be racist, subject to the terminology used. Considering the facts, using "ting tong" rather than the equally-relevant and factually-equivalent "Asian" or "Thai" is needlessly pejorative, and so clearly xenophobic.

 

But you knew this already, of course

 

Nice strawman, btw

 

You would be completely correct if 'Ting Tong' was used in this country as a derogatory term for Asian, Thai or even someone generally from abroad. But it isn't and there your whole argument falls down.

 

'Ting Tong' was not a reference to race or nationality. It was clearly an unflattering reference to a mail order bride character because the woman being describe is obviously a mail order bride.

[kidley 48]

ting tong from somewhere, was the phrase used.

[Chris_Sleeps 10]

The question is then... why was the couple outraged and offended?

Because they're loony-leftie PC Brigade members, obviously.

Edited August 26, 2014 by Chris_Sleeps

[Alcoblog 10]

Yaaaaaawwwwnnnn ... argue, argue, argue, bicker, bicker. Another day on SF.

[rickiethecat 10]

Yaaaaaawwwwnnnn ... argue, argue, argue, bicker, bicker. Another day on SF.

 

Why have you got nearly 8,000 posts on here if you find SF so boring?

[Alcoblog 10]

Why have you got nearly 8,000 posts on here if you find SF so boring?

I just find it stultifyingly boring that people can spend all day arguing the toss over a totally inconsequential piece of tittle-tattle in what seems a never ending battle of one-upmanship.

Someone called someone else a name ... big deal. It happens. Get over it.

[Zamo 10]

Have you got statements from police and social workers involved in these cases that back your claims up that fear of being labelled a racist abandoned children to ethnic minorities?

 

Report into abuse in Rotherham now released and the press conferences ongoing.

 

An investigation has found evidence of "appalling" exploitation of at least 1,400 children in Rotherham over a period of 16 years.

 

The inquiry carried out by Professor Alexis Jay looked at how Rotherham Council's children's services department dealt with cases involving child exploitation between 1997 and 2013.

 

She found there was a "collective failure" by both the police and the local council to stop the abuse.

 

The independent investigation found that almost all the perpetrators were of Pakistani heritage.

 

Prof Jay says there was evidence that senior people in the council and police wanted to "play down" the "ethnic dimensions" of the sexual exploitation for fear of being regarded as racist.

 

Pretty clear that political correctness can, has and does go to far. This is the danger of accusing people of racism on the flimsiest of evidence and assuming that any white person criticising, accusing or insulting someone of a different race/culture is automatically racist.

[Cyclone 10]

I think everybody has been called an idiot at some time or other, if a Russian called me an idiot in English i wouldn't think he was racist.

If someone calls you a white idiot then it's a racist slur.

[kidley 48]

If someone calls you a white idiot then it's a racist slur.

 

no colour or race was mentioned here though as said above, ting tong from somewhere.

[Mr Bloke 1,445]

I just find it stultifyingly boring that people can spend all day arguing the toss over a totally inconsequential piece of tittle-tattle in what seems a never ending battle of one-upmanship.

Someone called someone else a name ... big deal. It happens. Get over it.

At last!

 

I was beginning to think it was just me that felt like this!

[Cyclone 10]

no colour or race was mentioned here though as said above, ting tong from somewhere.

 

Yeah, so now you're pretending as hard as you can that "ting tong from somewhere" isn't a reference to race, when it quite clearly is.

Are you going to pretend that she might have said the same thing to a white person? And that the coincidence of the character being Thai and the person being insulted also being Thai, is just that, an unlikely coincidence?

 

---------- Post added 26-08-2014 at 14:54 ----------

 

I just find it stultifyingly boring that people can spend all day arguing the toss over a totally inconsequential piece of tittle-tattle in what seems a never ending battle of one-upmanship.

Someone called someone else a name ... big deal. It happens. Get over it.

 

Nobody makes you read this thread...