I can never enjoy Robinson's jam in the same way anymore. Is Love Thy Neighbour due a return to the TV?
I'm glad I still have my small Robertson's gollywog collection. You'd probably find that you weren't allowed to sell them on eBay now (not that I want to). I also liked Little Black Sambo (especially the tigers running so fast they melted into ghee). But what was an African doing in India? It's all a bit confused. The nigger word has been appropriated by those who might have once been described by whites as niggers. They feel that they have licence to use it amongst themselves as it clearly has no racist overtones when used among their community - or only jokey ones. Here's an analogy: I the late 70s, I worked nights in a carpet warehouse. The normal greeting amongst our small team was "Hello, cunt!" All speech was peppered with the most ridiculous swearing so that if you really did get annoyed about anything you had no words left in the armoury to express it. Whatever. Everyone was a cunt - it didn't mean anything to anyone. But if I'd gone to the pub and some stranger called me a cunt, my reaction would likely to have been violent. I think that is how some urban black guys feel about nigger. Mind you, Spike Lee has lambasted Quentin Tarantino for using it in his films. In his view, only a black director is allowed to use it. What a load of baloney.
I had a few gollywog badges, I also had the Little Black Sambo book and loved the bit about the tigers running so fast they turned to ghee. Then there was Noddy and Big Ears.
As folk on here may know, I am white, my wife is black, and our kids are black. Would I use an offensive racist term to refer to my family? Would I find it acceptable for other people to do so? No and no. The fact remains that there are practical and physical differences between black and white people, as well as different historical backgrounds. There is nothing wrong with referring to these facts when they arise. SWMBO has dark skin, I have blue eyes - no need to be frightened of saying so, but no need to turn it into an insult.
In the run up to Christmas there was a 60's series on TV, it was the BBC I think, and there was a program about the civil rights marches in the southern USA which was quite moving, and to think that it was happening when I was entering my teens seems just so odd today. 5 is way too young to understand the complex issues surrounding those events.
Yes, five is too young... But how do I explain to my son its a "swear word", but only because he's white and if a black kid says it to another black kid, that's fine...? Not simple. I also have a mate that has a Pakistani girlfriend, who refers to others as " Pakis".. I still wince when I hear it...I take it once I know her a bit better, I can "do an Eminem" and join in???
Growing up and at school we were taught coloureds and half caste. These terms are now "un pc" however I never received any correspondence to say my education is now antiquated
"Brown" would be better. At least it's accurate. And we could all be pinkos (well, all of us who aren't brown, obviously).
We used to knock about with two lads,Leroy and Paki Pete... No-one I knew ever treated them any differently to anyone else,they were just some of us And Pete only had an AP50 or similar: even though most of us had 250cc upwards,if Pete was with us we travelled at his speed.Never thought of doing any different I hate this whole different colours thing:we're all just human beings under the skin
