Disagreed.
It’s just a play on words, nothing (necessarily) more.
I mean I could contrive such a joke using a standard Western name: “What do call a man who eats haggis? Scott.”
It’s a crap joke but it’s just to illustrate that such jokes don’t necessarily need to be about “foreigners silly names that we all hate”.
Great point Mijin, and if I may elaborate on it… Only fools and horses is often cited (and voted) one of the nation’s best-loved comedies. And yet, Del Boy told semi-racist jokes like this. If you look at it from DJ’s point of view, all he’s done is tell a joke like his character on the programme would have, on one of the nation’s favourite shows. So perhaps this is why he didn’t realise the offence he could cause.
They didn’t exist. “Pakistan” is not based on some ancient Urdu/Sanskrit/Arabic root word; it’s a coinage. Before partition, Pakistanis were just angry Indian Muslims.
However, racism is correctly used to describe ethnic or cultural hatred as well as hatred of those of another “race”. FWIW, most of the peoples who now populate the Indian subcontinent are descended from the same Aryan tribes who gave rise to most of the inhabitants of northern and western Europe… so Indians and Pakistanis are essentially Caucasian.
‘Race’ can be defined in all sorts of ways, which can include shared language, religion, history or culture. Having one’s own country isn’t a prerequisite - take the Kurds, for just one example.
Where are you getting aggression and outrage from? Give me a quote to back that up.
And I’m not picking a battle, just giving my opinion on a thread on a message board. Get a grip.
Let me try to clarify my position, just in case. I am disappointed, mildly irritated, and very surprised that someone like David Jason, who is not, AFAIK, in his dotage, and is well respected in the cultural milieu of the UK, could still think that this kind of humour, on national radio, would go uncommented on - or indeed should.
But apparently the original series used the word “paki” several times (and, in fact, so did the relatively recent Christmas special :smack:).
Apparently the term is used in contexts like “the paki shop”. I’m not citing because I’ve found this from reading several OFaH forums, no good sources.
My recollection is that the black character on the series had a number of jokes directed at him that would be considered racist today. But can’t find any quotes.
I’m happy if I’m proven wrong on this, since any racist comment that Del Boy ever said could probably be used now to cement the image of David Jason the Racist in people’s minds.
Thank you, I assure you that I have a firm, two-handed grip as we speak.
Were I to quote, it would be the entirety of your posts so far in this thread, which would be impractical and, in the end, an unreliable measurement of your blood pressure. So I will concede that you have made multiple contentious posts (more than any other poster in this thread, if I’m not mistaken) on a subject you care little about.
And speakers of English, at least where I’m from, use the phrase “pick your battles” idiomatically. It doesn’t literally imply donning a suit of armor and galloping off to war, but more like (at least as I interpret it) consider the consequences, both intended and unintended, of each confrontation you make—the effect on your appearance of credibility for future, perhaps more important arguments, perhaps.
Pretty sure the writing staff on “The Simpsons” is over 6, and they’ve used “Ivanna Tinkle” and similar names. Funny-name humor is also a staple on public radio’s “A Prairie Home Companion.”
Actually, the joke, such as it is, works whether Mahatma is a name or a title.
The hosts of “Car Talk” routinely thank their Russian chauffeur, “Pickup Andropov.” There is a history of anti-Russian sentiment in this country, and I’m pretty sure “Pickup” is not a reasonable Russian name, but it’s still just a silly joke.
Eh, what? I don’t get it. I heard it was a dehydrated Frenchman.
Well, Fawlty Towers is well-regarded too, but John Cleese would be a fool to launch into a dissertation about “niggers” and “wogs” during a radio interview.
I never heard of David Jason until today, but I can get behind this to a point. There are some things that you just don’t say in public without being prepared for a negative reaction, even if you think it’s unreasonable. People have the right to say them, but others have the right to criticize them as well.
I understand “pee air.” That’s why I thought “dehydrated Frenchman” was funny. I don’t get what it has to do with standing in water. Maybe I need another cup of coffee. Better yet, I could just stop thinking about it.
Sorry, can’t help you with that one. The proper meaning of Mahatma has been ingrained with me ever since a schoolmate got into an argument with the teacher over whether it was Gandhi’s first name (the teacher was in the wrong).
I must say that i don’t know what would possess someone to tell that joke during a radio interview. If he’s a comedian, and if that’s the funniest thing he’s got, it would probably be better not to advertise the fact.
That said, i can’t get too worked up about this. Silly? Yes. Ignorant? Probably? But not something to get too indignant about, IMO.
ETA: By the way, the perpetrator has given the classic “I’m sorry if some people were offended” non-apology apology.
Even less reason to tell such a pointless joke, IMO.
Anyway, another data point here:
My wife takes faster offense at jokes about Indians and Pakistanis than most people. She loves the subcontinent, and before we met she took two extended trips there, totaling almost a year, during which she traveled the country and spent part of the time living with Indian families. We have stuff from India, and books about India, and photos from India all over the place. She gets very indignant at stereotyping of south Asians.
When i told her about this little brouhaha, and about the joke that set it off, she laughed at the joke. And, harking back to jjimm’s comment on page 1 about Paddy O’Doors, she said it reminds her of a similar joke:
What’s Irish and stays out all night?
Patty O’Furniture.
Just a play on words. A little insensitive perhaps, but not worth dusting off the pitchforks over.
