Benedict Cumberpatch and the 'c' word.

[taxman 12]

If someone is brown, would they object to being called black?

 

Who decides which term is acceptable/offensive at any given time?

[onenerveleft 10]

If someone is brown, would they object to being called black?

 

Who decides which term is acceptable/offensive at any given time?

 

Exactly.

 

Im going for differentially pigmented until I'm given a full colour chart with terms.

[Bill Plant 10]

I used the word coloured once when describing a black person and my friend said black is the correct word to use as we are not coloured like a rainbow.

It is not only bored out of touch white folk who get offended by the word coloured.

 

Never said it was mate.

 

---------- Post added 27-01-2015 at 23:52 ----------

 

Exactly.

 

Im going for differentially pigmented until I'm given a full colour chart with terms.

 

I just use the white brown black yellow colour scheme. I dont go in for all these name changes due to some wallflowers sensitivities.

[barleycorn 10]

Technically this is mostly true due to a lack of pigment in the skin. It's been a while since I did biology though

 

Surely the only people who lack pigment are albinos. 'White' people have pigment, that's why they go brown in the sun (or red, depending on your skin type).

 

jb

 

---------- Post added 28-01-2015 at 14:07 ----------

 

Exactly.

 

Im going for differentially pigmented until I'm given a full colour chart with terms.

 

Perhaps the Fitzpatrick Scale would suffice?

 

jb

[tzijlstra 11]

Surely the only people who lack pigment are albinos. 'White' people have pigment, that's why they go brown in the sun (or red, depending on your skin type).

 

jb

 

---------- Post added 28-01-2015 at 14:07 ----------

 

 

Perhaps the Fitzpatrick Scale would suffice?

 

jb

 

I'm such a type 1/2 crossover, I find that scale offensive because it has no in between category

[Vaati 11]

I said this in the other thread:

 

I'm not a colour - I'm a person. I am not defined by my skin tone, hair colour, eye colour etc. I'm just 'me' and that is all I ever will be.

 

Eff colour etc! We are who we are.

[cressida 1,551]

I've found that the word 'coloured' is used less and less, I always say 'black' as the word 'coloured' makes me think of crayons.

 

black, white is a straightforward and simple way of describing people, people who are black on hearing themselves being referred to as 'coloured' may not be certain the speaker wasn't being offensive.

Edited January 28, 2015 by cressida

[tinfoilhat 11]

What about all the ones inbetween - which Sherlock I think was trying to include in his ham fisted way when he was talking about diversity (or lack off) in Hollywood. That's how I read it anyway. That or he thinks there are plenty of Asian, Hispanic etc actors in Hollywood and there just aren't enough black ones.

[Guest]

Not if it's Christa Ackroyd

 

Or David Dickinson.

[Ms Macbeth 73]

I

I said this in the other thread:

 

I'm not a colour - I'm a person. I am not defined by my skin tone, hair colour, eye colour etc. I'm just 'me' and that is all I ever will be.

 

Eff colour etc! We are who we are.

 

You might not think you are defined by how you look but ithe way each of us looks is important when a description is needed. Being described as 'an elderly woman' in my case wouldn't help anyone trying to identify me. However being described as 'an older white woman of average height, with glasses and white hair' could pick me out.

 

Benedict Cumberbatch went over the top with his apology, his intention was not to be offensive as most sensible folk would realise.

[Solomon1 10]

OMG! I am so confused now. I honestly thought 'coloured' was a perfectly acceptable word to describe a black person???

I hope I've never unknowingly ever offended anyone by using this term. I feel bad now

 

Don't feel bad dude. It wasn't done out of malice and you are willing to be educated, that's all that matters

 

---------- Post added 29-01-2015 at 13:32 ----------

 

If someone is brown, would they object to being called black?

 

Who decides which term is acceptable/offensive at any given time?

 

The individual and the collective

 

---------- Post added 29-01-2015 at 13:36 ----------

 

I just use the white brown black yellow colour scheme. I dont go in for all these name changes due to some wallflowers sensitivities

 

Working class, council estate born and bred?

[Susil 10]

Apparently it is De rigueur to say "people of colour" but a serious faux pas to say "coloured" (go figure).

 

 

A big part of the problem lies in the difference between the history of Britain and the US. Bear in mind that in the states, segregation is still within living memory for some. The word "coloured" was regularly used in segregated areas (signs saying "no coloured" and whatnot) so it carries those connotations in the US that it doesn't really have over here.