David Jason-apology.

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TheWombat

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Peter
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Jason was forced to apologise to "Absolute Radio" listeners after cracking an old and admittedly not very funny joke---What do you call a Pakistani cloakroom attendant ?-------"Mahatma coat"---boom boom.
How nice it would have been for this so called incident to have passed without remark.Jasons offence according to a "Muslim spokesperson" was racial stereotyping by showing the Pakistani doing a demeaning job.Of course the joke which is a typically British play on words only works with that particular job title.The irony,no doubt lost,was that the spokesperson failed to realise that by implication he in turn was demeanig all worthy cloakroom attendants.
Would such a fuss have been made if Jason had used the word Indian---I wonder?
In fairness I should point out that it was the Radio station who insisted on the issuance of an apology.By deeming the joke ok to broadcast without apology,the station would have revealed a greater robustness and a healthier integration within our current society.Jason I feel sure intended no offence and the joke/pun is harmless enough but sadly it seems we live not just in sensitive times but over sensitive times.So much so that the next person to call me fat is going to get sued.
Pete.
 
"All the worst people in Britain read the Daily Mail" - Chris TT.

It was simply a pun. Nothing racist.

I was watching a Manchester comedian live at the Apollo the other day - he said the weather in Manchester was like the muslims in Iraq - either Sunni or Shi'ite. There was an intake of breath by the audience, and the chap rightly addressed it - "You nearly **** yourself at the beginning of that joke, didn't you? Don't worry - it's just an innocent pun on international terminology - nothing offensive - we're all friends here ... "

The sad thing is that he felt the need to explain himself.
 
political correctness is overated, he made a joke, its pritty funny and im pritty sure a pakistani would find it fairly amusing also....
 
Nothing racist at all.

However, I don't think the station forced him to apologise. There were no complaints (as of yesterday) and he offered the apology himself after being told it was unacceptable.

What a load of crap. I don't want to go into a Daily Mail style rant, but ALL jokes make fun of someone, somewhere.
And this was merely a play on words.

What I find sad is that he felt he had to apologise...that's what's wrong.
 
I am very much against racism as I am sure many people are... But i thought it was funny and not racially offensive...

Had he said the same joke but abreviated "pakistani" then it would ahve been offensive IMHO and the same joke would have taken a nasty tone...
 
I think the term racism has been overused to the extenr where it in virtually meaningless in it's correct context.

(And I thought it was a groaningly funny joke, no need to apologise!)
 
KIPAX said:
I am very much against racism as I am sure many people are... But i thought it was funny and not racially offensive...

Had he said the same joke but abreviated "pakistani" then it would ahve been offensive IMHO and the same joke would have taken a nasty tone...
Click to expand...

I'm not even sure about that actually? We often hear Australlians called "Aussies", Irish called "paddy", Scots called "Jock", Welsh called "taffy", English called "Brits" or "Poms" and so on... And I've never heard anyone up in arms about it. I genuinely see little difference in an abreviation of Pakistani. Perhaps they're just being *too* sensitive.

As usual it just sounds like political correctness taken to the point of absurdity.
 
Sorry but no.. the abreviated word has already been marked as a form of racism.... the same way the spastic society had to change there name because so many people used the word spastic in a nasty way.... all the rest you list are used in terms of endearment or jokingly... the pakistani word abreviated is used mostly as an insult.. we all know that..
 
And therein lies the difference. What about when the word ISN'T being used as an offensive term?
 
So why did the spastic society change there name when spastic could be used now and then in its normal term.. Same difference.. Both words became historically known as insults.. the major use was to insult.. the major use for BRIT or AUSSIE isnt to try and insult someone..

Why am I explaining this when you already know the answer ? :)
 
The racist card is played far, far, far too much in this country...

When its the other way round not a peep is said...


And whilst we're on the subject, that ruddy 'oven pride ad'... 'So easy a man could do it'

If that was the other way round the femiinsts would be galloping their Clydesdale's into battle...
 
Rob_W said:
The racist card is played far, far, far too much in this country...

When its the other way round not a peep is said...


And whilst we're on the subject, that ruddy 'oven pride ad'... 'So easy a man could do it'

If that was the other way round the femiinsts would be galloping their Clydesdale's into battle...
Click to expand...

When Coke started doing the Diet Coke ads with the hunky man drinking it, and all the office girls swooning over him, my mate had an excellent idea: Pepsi should have done exactly the same for Diet Pepsi, but with some fit girl drinking it and all the men in the office getting all giggly.

But of course that would have been sexist ...
 
I think David Jason was right to apologise.... that joke was rank.

I also think the most sexist ad on TV should be banned. You know the one. That over-priced "probiotic" yoghurt in the green tubs that is for women only. Apparently men don't get bloated from over eating. (and FFS Nell, what have you done to your hair?)

Here's a tip though if you feel you need a carton of this goo. Stop eating before your body tells you it needs to vomit.
 
Myky D said:
I was watching a Manchester comedian live at the Apollo the other day - he said the weather in Manchester was like the muslims in Iraq - either Sunni or Shi'ite. There was an intake of breath by the audience, and the chap rightly addressed it - "You nearly **** yourself at the beginning of that joke, didn't you? Don't worry - it's just an innocent pun on international terminology - nothing offensive - we're all friends here ... "

The sad thing is that he felt the need to explain himself.
Click to expand...

Jason Manford - brilliant. :thumbs:

I've seen him do that same joke in a small comedy club up here to loads of laughter. No intake of breath or anything, probably as we were taking the p*** out of our weather anyway. Seems to be the way when comedians go from oop north to the big smoke or vice versa. Some of the comedy gets lost in translation with the audience.
 
The only thing David Jason should apologise for if he felt the need too, was for telling such an old joke.
 
Since sexual descrimination has been brought up; how about the "Race for Life"? It's not as if there aren't blokes (hopes "blokes" is not a derogatory term) who have lost relatives to cancer or who wish to support the cause. Why is it only open to women?

An equivalent male only event would no doubt be controversial, as would a White only or Black only or Immigrant only or Native only fixture.

The thing is that I really don't mind the Race for Life, it's a nice idea and a well run event. It's the double standards that get me.

What we lack these days is perspective. This is largely due to the way in which things are reported as it is no longer acceptable to be factual. It now seems more important to be sensational than accurate. Until that changes and I see no reason why it would, we are doomed to more of the same.

[/soapbox mode]
 
I hate people who overreact about things, I'm on a ranty day today, I'm a very angry redhead, and one more thing is gna flip me!!

GGGRRRRRR!!!

I HATE Facebook too!
 
KIPAX said:
I am very much against racism as I am sure many people are... But i thought it was funny and not racially offensive...

Had he said the same joke but abreviated "pakistani" then it would ahve been offensive IMHO and the same joke would have taken a nasty tone...
Click to expand...

Also...I know a few Pakistani's and they don't care being called Paki's as long as its not in hate, I mean, they even call themselves Paki's sometimes, all the word Paki is is an abbreviation of Pakistani, and Welsh people dont mind being called Welshie, British people dont mind being called Brits, so whats the problem with Paki?

FFS, People are stupid sometimes!
 
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Blame it all on the teachers, and from what i've seen it's not going to improve any time soon! :D

(said in jest, before anyone starts flaming... :lol:)
 
Myky D said:
OK - since we're starting to have fun - what about the Black Police Officers' Association?
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what? you mean there isn't a white or brown or yellow association too? :lol:
Hang on, it was just the police officer's association in my day... :shrug:
 
Myky D said:
OK - since we're starting to have fun - what about the Black Police Officers' Association?
Click to expand...
I have to admit on more than one occasion when they are featured in the paper commenting to my wife about exactly that.
I wonder what would happen if someone set up a white police officers association :thinking:
 
I hope they make Jim Davidson write an apology for all his racist stuff. That should keep him off the telly for the next 50 years or so :lol:
 
Thanks for some interesting comments.What bothers me is that the over-reaction comes from both sides of the racial spectrum.According to the many Papers that covered the story both the Radio Station and the presenter Christian O Connell distanced themseves from the joke pretty much immediately on the grounds of its perceived racist content.Equally a spokesman representing the Muslim point of view sought to find a racist content.
This is not a healthy situation.Such fragility and over sensitivity only serves to weaken harmonious race relations.Wouldnt it have been wonderful if the spokesman had replied that he thought it a "not very good joke" and "perfectly harmless." A comment like that would actually go a long way towards strengthening relations.Equally that the Radio Station should take the stance that it did and so quickly too is patronising in the extreme.
Interestingly I am fairly certain that nobody rang in to complain and yet by creating a "story" where none existed the race issue gets yet another unflattering airing.
Intentional racism is rightly abhorrent and serious abuse should be dealt with firmly.Every ethnic grouping is only strong though when it can laugh at itself and that should include an ability to shrug off unintended and minor slights.
Pete.
 
You cant 'enforce' people to think a certain way, you can only muzzle what they say.

The Race Relations Act seems only to raise it's head when colour is involved.
And anyone who has ever listened to someone from say India, speaking about
someone from Pakistan, its a lot worse than most things i could think of.

Everytime the Racist card is played over something so petty, it just serves
to push people in the opposite direction
 
KIPAX said:
So why did the spastic society change there name when spastic could be used now and then in its normal term
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Marketing and brand image.

What about the term 'fatty' then? I have been at the receiving end of such taunts for alot of my life.
If a doctor tells me I have fatty tissue I don't consider it offensive.
Same if someone points me out of a lineup and says 'The fat one there'.

Why? Because I know the difference. Intent is the key.
If it's said with malicious intent...then yes, it's offensive and shouldn't be allowed.
If it's used for descriptive purposes with no malicious intent then I couldn't care less.......after all, why should I?
 
i have mixed race friend who calls other mixed race pals paki and even call each other n*****s but low and beholed any one calls me a big fat basket weaver,,,,, i'll sit on ya,,,,he he he he
 
I really think that he should have apologised for that "joke"
It was crap when I was at school Ooo 3 or four years ago (or so)
and its still crap now :D
 
Rob_W said:
Why do i get the feeling this has gone over your head somewhat ? ... :lol:
Click to expand...

I will ask you the same question of my "comment" ;) :p
 
Brummies call me a “YAM YAM” can I sue?
 
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