Edinburgh Uni Race Row

[The Modfather]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/11/18/somalian-pirates-edinburgh-students-black-up_n_4294952.html

Maybe I've led a sheltered life, but I can't see the automatic connection that painting your faces black for fancy dress is racist/innapropriate. Can someone explain this one to me?

I could understand if they had gone as the black and white minstrels as that belongs to an age we've moved on from, but I assumed they had dressed as Robert Downey Jr's character in that Ben Stiller film (Tropic Thunder?) Would it have been racist/innapropriate if a non white (PC brigade sit back down! :wink:) had painted their face white?

[Future17]

No reason whatsoever to consider the costumes racist. If you're going to a fancy dress party as someone who is black, how else are you supposed to achieve the effect?

No surprise to see it condemned by the usual bods who would rather play safe that have an informed discussion of race issues. It strikes me that the sort of mock outrage associated with this story only serves to detract from real issues of racial abuse, prejudice and discrimination, which we should be encouraging and empowering people to tackle head on.

[Scouse Hibee]

So far this week I've seen a story in the EEN about a golliwog on a school mural causing offence, a story on the ITV news about Black Petr or Peter? in Holland and now this. God help us when STV start re-runs of Love Thy Neighbour!

[Jack]

In other Edinburgh University news several Uni Clubs are in a bit of a tiz about a pole dancing keep fit club that seems to be going well.

I only heard this second hand but when one of the participants was being given a hard time by one of the femdom feminist types she retorted be asking her how well she was getting on in the university Movember challenge.

Quite well apparently, according to my source :-)

[Phil D. Rolls]

So far this week I've seen a story in the EEN about a golliwog on a school mural causing offence, a story on the ITV news about Black Petr or Peter? in Holland and now this. God help us when STV start re-runs of Love Thy Neighbour!

http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/education/mum-says-school-golliwog-painting-offensive-1-3192105

Not PC gone mad, but madness gone PC. The council appear to have handled the nonsense quite well - but now the daft woman has gone to the polis!!

My kids went to that school, and neither of them can even remember the golly on the wall.

[Beefster]

'Blacking up' is a bit like calling someone a 'Paki'. It seems fine on the face of it ("Paki is just a contraction of Pakistani and folk call me a Scot") but, given the way it has been used in the past, maybe not…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface

[Future17]

'Blacking up' is a bit like calling someone a 'Paki'. It seems fine on the face of it ("Paki is just a contraction of Pakistani and folk call me a Scot") but, given the way it has been used in the past, maybe not…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface

I thought you were leading up to Tim Vine joke for a minute....

[Sir David Gray]

'Blacking up' is a bit like calling someone a 'Paki'. It seems fine on the face of it ("Paki is just a contraction of Pakistani and folk call me a Scot") but, given the way it has been used in the past, maybe not…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackface

Surely context has to come into the discussion?

If people are going to dress up as Somali pirates to go to a fancy dress party, it's surely a prerequisite that they'll make their skin colour black.

I often think, whenever I hear accusations of racism or any kind of prejudice for that matter, that people need to stop and think about the context in which something is being said or done.

It's really sad that a group of people who are having a bit of innocent fun at a fancy dress party have had that fun taken away from them and been made out to be racists.

I think it's pathetic that anyone could be genuinely outraged by this.

[Sylar]

Surely context has to come into the discussion?

If people are going to dress up as Somali pirates to go to a fancy dress party, it's surely a prerequisite that they'll make their skin colour black.

I often think, whenever I hear accusations of racism or any kind of prejudice for that matter, that people need to stop and think about the context in which something is being said or done.

It's really sad that a group of people who are having a bit of innocent fun at a fancy dress party have had that fun taken away from them and been made out to be racists.

I think it's pathetic that anyone could be genuinely outraged by this.

I agree that dialogue and context are crucial but I disagree with the part of your post in bold.

'Fun' is also subjective and what might seem funny or having a laugh to some folks, can genuinely disturb/upset others. The two girls who recently dressed up as the Twin Towers are a perfect case in point.

[danhibees1875]

Just Edinburgh uni getting bored again.

Nestle, The Sun, Blurred Lines, etc, etc.

These student types need to moan less and drink more. :greengrin

[Beefster]

Surely context has to come into the discussion?

I thought that my main point was about context.

[Speedy]

I agree that dialogue and context are crucial but I disagree with the part of your post in bold.

'Fun' is also subjective and what might seem funny or having a laugh to some folks, can genuinely disturb/upset others. The two girls who recently dressed up as the Twin Towers are a perfect case in point.

Was the point of that party not to dress up as something that was bad taste?

[Sylar]

Was the point of that party not to dress up as something that was bad taste?

Not according to the article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24835322

[VivaHiberña]

In other Edinburgh University news several Uni Clubs are in a bit of a tiz about a pole dancing keep fit club that seems to be going well.

I only heard this second hand but when one of the participants was being given a hard time by one of the femdom feminist types she retorted be asking her how well she was getting on in the university Movember challenge.

Quite well apparently, according to my source :-)

:faf::faf: That is top-drawer.

Apparently the fuss was started by members of the Vegan Society* who felt "intimidated" and the need to take offence on behalf of those who didn't.

Honestly, what makes these fannies tick?





*Nothing wrong with vegans in general, but the self-righteous f**s who need a society to rub their moral superiority in other peoples' faces when they're not busy calling people racists can do one. Aberdeen Uni has its share of them but Edinburgh sounds horrific.