What else would a doll version of Andy Cole have looked like though? You could hardly have made him white could you?

 

The doll doesn't bother me. The ashtray does

 

That's not Andy Cole it is Oberfemi Martins you can tell by the shirt number! Either that or it is Alan Shearer after a bad day.

 

Not with the sponsor of McKewans Lager.
Andy Cole with Kevin Keegan's hair.

 

I think I am extremely well qualified growing up in the '60s and '70s being the only non-white person in my town and school. From first hand I have experienced all the views being expressed in this thread - people who just see the person, people who express views that they believe are innocent and are deeply hurtful and exclusive, and people who are actively, sometimes aggressively, exclusive. In my personal experience I have all the varieties of name calling and the odd beating simply because of my skin colour.

I understand deeply the effects of racism and how certain views taken for granted are not quite so innocent when you are on the receiving end of them.

Today we live in a highly pluralist society that has multiple racial dimensions and it is much more complex than when I was a child. Generally I think that society is much less racist although there are clearly some significant barriers in some areas, whether racial, ethnic or sectarian. These are mostly due to some significant racial or ethnic enclaves that have become established.

And so from my perspective I do think that the Black and White Minstrel show, that I did watch as a youngster, is past it's sell-by date in a modern, pluralist and inclusive society.

 

PS And to add tinge of irony - one of my wife's auntie's rather bizarrely bought our kids a 'Golly' as a present last year. Touching.

 

All fair enough, Trout. But to suggest that the Black and White Minstrel Show was created on a racist premise is, with respect, almost offensive. Are you sure you're not looking for the racist angle on anything with a skin colour dimension? Outright racism is one thing, a light entertainment programme of a completely different era is another. Past its (not it's) sell-by date, definitely. Racist? Nah.

 

 

Ah, them where the days

 

I find this one offensive

 

Why? Is it because you can't stand the jocks?

 

Is anyone actually thinking about bringing back the Black and White Minstrel Show ? perhaps not, as I think nowadays it would be a bit ****.

Papa Lazarus in the League of Gentlemen is blacked up, has that had any complaints ?

 

I was given a Gollywog mug last christmas!

Feckin dropped it at work and it smashed

 

The biggest ****** are always black, does that make them racist toys ?

 

Not going to bother asking how you know this fact

 

Maybe he slipped, twice for comparison.

 

As I said it was a touch patronising - I think that in todays political and social climate it probably could not be created as it would be viewed as racist. Surely that is as much a comment about todays climate rather than my view of skin colour.

I certainly never said it was created on a racist premise - I suspect you may be looking for the racist angle on anything with a racial politic dimension.

 

Trout..
Until the colour of a mans skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes......


the rest of it is bollo, pure and simple bollo !

nowt worse racially than a 'black' (as they like to be called, yet they are brown)with a chip on his (or her) shoulder.

you dont get two dogs fighting just because they are different colours, yet we as the apparent master race on this planet will row/ruck/ go to war over just that .

 

Very poetic I am sure but I have no idea what you are saying!

Are you saying skin colour does matter or doesn't matter. I think most would agree that the best thing is that it shouldn't matter.

As for dogs I think you will find that dogs are colour blind - maybe that is accidentally metaphorical

 

Of course they are Trout.
In my colour blind eyes skin matters not a jot. its the person within that matters.























*And you've obviously never listened to Bob Marley..

 

Why, Do you want to "jam it" with trout?

 

Oh - just worked out the Bob Marley reference - it is to your penultimate post!

 

Jammin', I want to jam it wit you...

 

you can't jam it with me Dan might get jealous