david jason's 'joke'

Former Member

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7965058.stm

Do you think his 'joke' was racist?

My friend doesn't think so and I dont think David Jason meant it to be racist but it was definitely a crap joke in poor taste.

Former Member

It's not racist it's just shit. End of discussion.

Former Member

I think people take the term "racist" a bit too seriously. Something can be racist without meaning the person wants to join the KKK. In the same way that a joke or language can be a bit sexist without the suggestion being that we should take the vote off women. I was a bit racist, he acknowledged that, and apologized. It doesn't mean he's racist.

Former Member

I'm With Stupid wrote: »

I think people take the term "racist" a bit too seriously. Something can be racist without meaning the person wants to join the KKK. In the same way that a joke or language can be a bit sexist without the suggestion being that we should take the vote off women. I was a bit racist, he acknowledged that, and apologized. It doesn't mean he's racist.

yeah I think that is what I was confused about.

I know it's a bit of a shite debate, was just interested

Former Member

Well it was racist in the sense it involved race.

Whether that's wholly a bad thing I don't know. We make jokes about the welsh and the scots and the irish and the french all the time and nobody seems to be offended. Don't forget the americans!

I guess it depends if it's malicious or not, I don't think this was. Not the best joke but for a throway gag why the big fuss? Maybe they were just trying to make a point rather than anyone actually being offended.

Former Member

It's not even a good joke.

Former Member

i think i heard that joke about 20 years ago.

Former Member

Not racist. Also a non-story.

Former Member

Move along folks, nothing to see here. Anyone who found it either racist or funny deserves to be maced.

Former Member

I thought it was quite clever :razz: Not rasicst tho and blown way out of proportion

Former Member

I don't believe it was racist at all.

Former Member

Inappropriate perhaps, unfunny definitely.

Former Member

Yerascrote wrote: »

It's not racist it's just shit. End of discussion.

^ This.

Former Member

If they're so keen on paying attention to listener feedback, haven't they twigged that receiving 0 complaints means something?

What do you call a man with 3 planks on his head? Edward Woodward! = not racist.
What do you call a man in a flooded field? Paddy! = racist?

Former Member

It's not a joke about race, it's a play on words based upon a name somebody from that region may have. The joke isn't about the race, it's about the name.

Former Member

Namaste wrote: »

It's not a joke about race, it's a play on words based upon a name somebody from that region may have. The joke isn't about the race, it's about the name.

of course its racist, I can't see how you can think its anything but.

If you're saying it's hardly a hanging offence, well yes, I'd agree its pretty mild and his apology should end the matter, but let's not pretend it isn't racist just because David Jason is a 'national treasure'

Former Member

Okay, two issues here. From a pedantic point of view I don't think it can never be racist, any more than a derogatory joke about the French of the Irish can be racist.

As to whether is insulting to the point of being equivalent to racism, well, while it is of course perfectly possible to be unacceptably offensive towards people of certain nationality I'm not sure this applies. I mean, if he had instead told the following joke:

Q. "What do you call a Frenchman in sandals?"

A. "Philippe Philoppe"

Would have been considered highly offensive/racist? And would have really been any different on principle?

Former Member

Deriving humour from language, nationality and culture is not racist no matter the skin colour of the subject being mocked.

Edit: Accusations of racism are pretty funny in these cases. With Aladdin's example no one would dream of crying racism because the French are similar to stereotypical British people arent they? Here lies the actual racism in such accusations. Oh no the subject being mocked is of a different skin colour racist! racist!

Former Member

A complete non-story. If we are to chastise someone whenever they offends someone else then there'll be no time to deal with real issues that actually count.

I'm not saying we should purposely try to offend others but if it happens, let's deal with the recession, middle east issues, potential trouble in N ireland, the homeless, child poverty, domestic violence, knife attacks, religious disagreements, etc first.

Former Member

Bit daft in all honesty, ironically my Pakistani mate at work told me it and he was the only one who found it funny.

David Jason should know better, not because it was really innappropriate but because he should know how people like to overreact to nothing these days.

The only offensive thing is that Del Boy would think something like that would pass as "comedy"

Former Member

Surely it should be an indian cloakroom assistant anyway? ghandi was indian hindu right?

Former Member

You can't say anything any more without it being deemed offensive by someone. Political correctness has gone far too far.

Former Member

Bri-namite wrote: »

Bit daft in all honesty, ironically my Pakistani mate at work told me it and he was the only one who found it funny.

Ah, now, this might actually be due to religiousism/racism.

Pakistan is now a mainly Muslim country, but at the time of partition there were more Hindus there. Mahatma isn't a name, it's a Hindu term of respect - after partition and the uprising the old overlords fled, so it's funny seeing such a person being demoted to working in a cloakroom.