Atkinson resigns after making a racist comment

[Bifta]

Originally Posted by Pierre

but would anyone be making such a fuss if it was any of these variations?:

The lazy paddy git

Yes

Is callng a scouser "a thieving scouser" racist or just insulting?

I didn't know scousers were a racial group.

Whenever someone makes a derogatory remark about another they will pick on the most obvious thing about that person. In this case his colour.

O.k. so he's black, I fail to see how being black is something to be insulted over.

I think it is the word "Nigger" that is distastful and insulting, but unfortunately Ron comes from a generation were the use of that word was more prevelant.

That's hardly an excuse, he's old enough to know better.

But if he had said the "lazy black bast@rd" would that have been racist?

Of course it's racist.

What I am trying to say is I don't think we cantar him with the same brush as combat 18, I don't think he is a maliceous racist he just couldn't express himself in a more PC manner.

I'd at least agree with the first part of that, and as for the older generation using the term 'nigger', I've never noticed that, in my experience they tend to err towards different phrases, a bit like the ones Warren Mitchell would use.

i think he's timed it right so he can go sit in the sun and turn ORANGE again!!

[andygrif]

Aside from any racial discussions, it's plain unprofessional. I've been involved in plenty of live broadcasts over the years, and if there's one golden rule to remember...it's that if you're in front of microphone (whether you think it's live or not) you treat it as if it's live.

[Pierre]

I didn't know scousers were a racial group.

Being a scouser myself I'd say no. But they are as much a racial group as the Welsh, Scots and Irish. They are all white european.

I personally do not think calling someone from Ireland a thick paddy is racist, in the same way if someone called be a thieving scouser I am not mortally wounded or offended. It may be insulting but it is not racist.

O.k. so he's black, I fail to see how being black is something to be insulted over.

It's not. but people will use your appearance to express their insult. Not just a thick get- but a thick ginger get. Not just a ba$t@rd - but an "ugly" ba$t@rd, or a "big nosed" ba$t@rd, or a Black ba$t@rd.

Quote:
But if he had said the "lazy black bast@rd" would that have been racist?


Of course it's racist.

Is it though? is calling someone a thick ginger get. Gingerist ?

or an "ugly" ba$t@rd, Uglyist

or "big nosed" ba$t@rd, noseist.

Why does it have to be racist, can it not be just an insult?

If you give a white person a job over a black person just because of their colour - now that's racism. Beating somebody up because of their colour - that's racisim.

It's a fine line. Just going up to someone in the street and calling them a black B@stard for no reason is obviously not acceptable. - and that too is racism.

But if you are involved in a discussion or argument and say a "throw away" comment/insult with no real malice behind it. Is it worth all this exposure.

I'm not condoning what he did I'm just trying to put it into context.

[Bifta]

Originally Posted by Pierre

But if you are involved in a discussion or argument and say a "throw away" comment/insult with no real malice behind it. Is it worth all this exposure.

I'm not condoning what he did I'm just trying to put it into context.

I'm not sure how you came to the conclusion that calling someone a lazy nigger is a "throw away" comment. Let's not start comparing a comment like that to calling someone a ginger ******, he made a racist comment, calling someone a big nosed ******* is also not racist, insulting yes, but not racist. Racism involves descriminating against people based on their race, not the size of one of their appendages (bad example) or the colour of their hair.

Originally Posted by Mr_Burns

If that is what he said, he deserves everything coming. He could have just called him ****ing lazy, no need to bring the n-word out

That's why I referred to the comment as "stupid". (And I found out the wording by a quick google for news reports)

Someone else has said he could have used the word "ba$$$$d" instead, but not that long ago that word was just as offensive as the "n word" because being of illegitimate parentage could mean complete social exclusion.

It's only that ba$$$$d has now become acceptable and is considered fairly mild (English law no longer recognising the concept of ba$$$$dy) [I've just had to re-write that because even though it's a perfectly legitimate(hah!) English word, it got censored!) that he could have probably used it with impunity.

The point, however, is that he was stupid to use such a "loaded" word in a place where it could be over-heard, however from what I've seen, Atkinson has never shied away from using black players, so claims that he's actually racist are, IMO, wrong.

[gazzae]

I will miss his commentary though.

No more "Jinkers" or "Fliers". No more "lollipops" or "Watching Cartoons" and of course no more of "The little ginger fellow"

[gazzae]

Big Ron: The Whole F***ing Transcript

The recording runs as follows -

Ron: "What in heaven's name was f***ing Ranieri thinking in bringing Veron on?"

Second, unidentified voice: "He'll get savaged by the press.."

Ron [in an increasingly animated voice]: "Oh and f***ing rightly so.

"And I'm sorry, but I f***ing think that f***ing Desailly is a cheating f***. That was wrong."

[Noise from crowd and interference momentarily obscures Ron's voice...]

"He's f***ing been gone for two and a half years! And instead of playing like an old man and saying 'alright I'll f***ing stay where I can't get exploited'...

"I've always thought that he has no awareness of danger.

"He is what is known in some schools as a f***ing lazy thick ni**er."

[Still Ron, but now shouting]

"That is a f***ing disgusting performance.

"Full marks to them though. They were f***ing different class."

[Defiant]

Originally Posted by gary_580

apparently Atkinson said: "He's what is known in some schools as a ****ing lazy thick nigger."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/st...200304,00.html

but then again it is only a press report

Is this really racist though. I mean I've heard coloured people calling themselves nigger. Is it okay that they call it themself

[kronas]

Originally Posted by Defiant

Is this really racist though. I mean I've heard coloured people calling themselves nigger. Is it okay that they call it themself

oh come on, many people have used it as a derogitery term for years, were talking back to the days of white supremacy, your telling me its right to call someone that..... not in my book.......

[Defiant]

Originally Posted by kronas

oh come on, many people have used it as a derogitery term for years, were talking back to the days of white supremacy, your telling me its right to call someone that..... not in my book.......

Er did I say it was right


I pointed out I have heard coloured people calling it themselve's with mates like hey nigger etc. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has heard colour people say this either so READ before jumping the gun please

[paulyoung666]

thinks back to pulp fiction when the dark coloured person says to the light coloured person , 'hey my nigger' , ok so he shouldnt have said it , but ............ , would as much of a fuss been made if he said something about a white player

[kronas]

Originally Posted by Defiant

Er did I say it was right

no but it looked like you were looking to justify his comments...

Originally Posted by Defiant

I pointed out I have heard coloured people calling it themselve's with mates like hey nigger etc. I'm sure I'm not the only one that has heard colour people say this either so READ before jumping the gun please

and if i ever heard someone call me that i would kick off, im not prepared to be insulted by the usage of that word whether it be 'passive' or not......

at the end of it all, atkinson HAD to go, no commentator or media representative is allowed to be racist......

[Neil]

Ok-bear with me on this one......

I am a fan of Actor/Rapper 'Ice Cube'. He is the lead in a lot of what I would call 'black' films-Friday/Barbershop/All About The Benjamins etc.

The rhetoric in these films is mainly between black guys, & they constantly refer to each other as 'nigger', as in 'yo nigger-how's it going?'

If you think back a couple of years ago to Denzil Washington's character in 'Training Day', he regularly referred to Ethan Hawke's character as 'My nigger'.......

It does seem a bit strange that there is almost a culture these days of black guys/girls referring to each other as 'nigga'

What's also strange, is that sometimes when they use the 'N' word it's in a derogatory fashion, & sometimes it's complimentary.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by kronas

and if i ever heard someone call me that i would kick off, im not prepared to be insulted by the usage of that word whether it be 'passive' or not......

What if it was a friend of yours doing a Denzil Washington impression, a la 'Training Day'?

at the end of it all, atkinson HAD to go, no commentator or media representative is allowed to be racist......

Absolutely, but I don't think anyone is disputing that.