AusCelebs Forums

View active topics It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 4:39 pm



Reply to topic 
 [ 44 posts ] 
 Are Australians racist? 
Message Author

Postby wolverine » Wed Feb 17, 2010 6:56 pm


This is a classic :lol:

M 1044x836 141


Capo Bastone
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 05, 2002 8:26 am
Posts: 3795
Karma: 320.29 (12155 thanks)
Wed Feb 17, 2010 6:56 pm
Profile

Postby mr_walker* » Wed Feb 17, 2010 7:04 pm


We should find a nice Muslim girl for Greg. :lol:


Carl Carlson
User avatar

Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2001 3:23 am
Posts: 602
Karma: 157.97 (951 thanks)

Location: No longer in a queue at Centrelink.
Wed Feb 17, 2010 7:04 pm
Profile

Postby atefooterz » Wed Feb 17, 2010 7:33 pm


i am very impressed by the keywords now giving us ads for cute Muslim Ladies to hook up with ... thanks google :yes: :chuckel:


Santa's Little Helper
User avatar

Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2003 2:34 pm
Posts: 14026
Karma: 190.27 (26687 thanks)

Location: #nowhereman
Wed Feb 17, 2010 7:33 pm
Profile WWW

Postby kirkbright » Mon Feb 22, 2010 11:07 am


I love Humph's 'rocket surgery' . . . brilliant. But then, I must be careful . . . as my Mom used to say "Flatulence will get you nowhere!"

Back on subject . . . are Australians racist? Just ask anyone with an English accent . . . then ask them if they've ever heard the word 'Pom' used as a term of endearment. Then ask Italians, Greeks, Vietnamese, Jews and Muslims how they’ve been verbally vilified. All 'minorities' appear to be subjected to it to some degree.

To be frank I believe Australian racism is rife and always has been . . . but the vast majority of it is a more taunting, ribbing, non violent form of racism than what we've experienced against Indian students in Melbourne of late.

The typical racist slur appears to be more a way of saying ‘you’re not one of us’, or ‘you’re different’.

A while ago I heard this being discussed on one of those awful commercial TV stations with an early morning programme called 'Sunrise' . . . the male compare of which must be one of the most bigoted, chauvinistic, sexist, racist ratbags on TV.

His claim was that it’s okay to call people of British heritage or origin 'Poms' because those people refer to Australians as 'Aussies'.

Now is that comparing apples with rocket surgeons or what?

Incidentally, he has a very large nose and a Germanic surname.

His counterpart on the opposing channel is equally racist and continually uses terms listed in the Racial Slur Database (of which there are many online such as http://www.rsdb.org/?sort=represents). His surname is of Serbian gypsy origin . . . so should he be referred to as a 'Cigani' . . . a dreadful word as any Serb will tell you.

Nobody I know would consider the word Aussie as a racial slur . . . but the word 'Pom'' is usually accompanied by some form of adjective or adverb . . . none of which are pleasant.

So, in future, please let everybody compare apples with apples and, if you're an Australian and you refer to someone as a pom, a gook, a nigger, a coon, a slope, a sand monkey, a chink or similar . . . you’re nothing but a racist OCKER.

I don’t think any genuine ‘Aussie’ would like to be called that.


Carl Carlson
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:57 am
Posts: 651
Karma: 22.73 (148 thanks)
Mon Feb 22, 2010 11:07 am
Profile

Postby SKaVeN » Mon Feb 22, 2010 4:45 pm


I call Brits Poms sometimes but it is different because, for are large part of this country's heritage (when the term was introduced), the British were not a minority group. Because Australia, for a long time, had an almost exclusively British population & ancestry, even the Brits arriving today aren't so much forced to try & fit & adapt to a new culture, like most of the other racial groups. In other words, there's no ethnic barrier to overcome.

I'm Australian, but I'm only first generation. My mum's from England, my dad was from Scotland & even my two older sisters were born in England. We've had many of our antipodal relatives come to visit of the years & even made a family trip to the mother country. I hear the word "Pom" used a lot by our visitors & during our trip in the UK (where the English are by no means a minority group) so clearly they don't see the word as a derogatory term.

The word "Pom" itself was never meant to be an insulting or derogatory word so I don't think you can compare calling a Brit a Pom with calling a Asian person a "gook", a Muslim a "towel head" or a Aborigine a "boong". I think it's important to remember that & understand where there is most definitely a difference & to still be able to distinguish the difference & not let the media try & cloud it (or the politically correct do-gooders).

Even the SBS Muslim comedy panel programme "Salam Cafe" used the word "Poms" in an episode when talking about the cricket.

Prefixing the word "Pom" with an unpleasant adjective is obviously offensive, but it's the addition & usage of that adjective that's makes it offensive (as well as the context & the inference), not the noun. Using insulting adjectives are offensive in front of any noun (even Aussies). :wink:


Ned Flanders
User avatar

Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2005 12:51 am
Posts: 2065
Karma: 3.10 (64 thanks)

Location: Adelaide
Mon Feb 22, 2010 4:45 pm
Profile

Postby kirkbright » Tue Feb 23, 2010 9:22 am


So, even when given the evidence by a Brit that's been in Australia for over 35 years, and being told in no uncertain terms that the expression is offensive to people of that heritage/origin, and the fact that it is listed on the Racial Slur Database . . . and that it is an extremely sensitive issue, a word that is used as an insult . . . here's someone defending it's use.

Let's try this . . . if your name is Michael but you hate being referred to as Mick . . . would you defend the use of the name you detest?

It's a bit like junk mail. If you put a sign on your letterbox that you don't want junk mail or advertising material . . . nobody has the right to force it upon you.

Do you get it yet?


Carl Carlson
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:57 am
Posts: 651
Karma: 22.73 (148 thanks)
Tue Feb 23, 2010 9:22 am
Profile

Postby HumphreyBBear » Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:28 pm


kirkbright wrote:
Do you get it yet?



I don't get it, yet. I understand that the term "Pom" may be taken as an offense.

But since both sides of my family immigrated from Britain between the 1830's and 1850's. Nearly all of my ancestors lived in the United Kingdom since the 18th century (which is as far as I have researched on my family tree): Please explain how, over the course of 150 years, I have evolved to become racially distinct from British people?

If I am not racially distinct, then, in spite of the negative aspect of the term "Pom", how can it's use (by me) be referred to as "racist"?


Otto Man
User avatar

Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2005 7:45 pm
Posts: 758
Karma: 80.34 (609 thanks)
Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:28 pm
Profile

Postby kirkbright » Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:37 pm


Maybe we should start a new thread entitled "Definition of racism".


Carl Carlson
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2008 6:57 am
Posts: 651
Karma: 22.73 (148 thanks)
Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:37 pm
Profile

Postby SKaVeN » Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:30 pm


kirkbright wrote:
So, even when given the evidence by a Brit that's been in Australia for over 35 years, and being told in no uncertain terms that the expression is offensive to people of that heritage/origin, and the fact that it is listed on the Racial Slur Database . . . and that it is an extremely sensitive issue, a word that is used as an insult . . . here's someone defending it's use.

Mate just because some person decides it's offensive & sticks it on a database doesn't mean we all have to agree with him. When I worked at the education department, before a parent teacher day, a principal added the word "parent" to a database because the word is sexist & told the staff to instead call them "care givers".

Another example is a case of sexism. An EO opportunity officer once added a man holding a door open for a woman coming after him is sexist because it suggests she is incapable of opening a the door herself.

It's these political correct do-gooders who have lost all objectivity who tried to have Humphrey B Bear taken off the air because he doesn't wear pants.

You have to have a clear idea yourself & not be dictated to by some person. Like I said, just about all my relatives are British & use the word Pom more than I do. I seont three months in the UK & heard the word used more then than any other time in my life. So do I (an Australian) accuse them of being racist? Is it my decision to deem what just offensive to them, someone with a database or is it the English themselves?

Sure people could use the word Pom in a derogatory way if they so wanted, just like anything other word. I've even heard the word Brit used in an unflattering context.

kirkbright wrote:
Let's try this . . . if your name is Michael but you hate being referred to as Mick . . . would you defend the use of the name you detest?


No, but that doesn't mean I'd consider it to be a derogatory or offensive term. I prefer being called an Australian than an Aussie but I don't feel racially abused when people call me an Aussie.

The reason I prefer to be called an Australian is because to me, being called an Aussie by Americans & Brits seems to have that stigma of that friendly, good natured but not terribly bright downunder folk who spend all day in their corked hats drinking Foster, have barbecues, playing cricket & singing songs about jumbucks & beaut sheilas. But that's just my opinion of the connotation that comes with the word & I can't consider my personal believe to be the standard when I know that is not how the majority of Australians feel.

However, someone preferring to be called by their proper name is a personal choice thing &, therefore, has no relevance to the racism issue anyway. That's just trying to cloud the issue. Racism is not about one's personal or individual choice, quite the contrary, which is why this serves as a poor comparison.

kirkbright wrote:
It's a bit like junk mail. If you put a sign on your letterbox that you don't want junk mail or advertising material . . . nobody has the right to force it upon you.

Do you get it yet?


No, it's nothing like that. Racism & junk mail have nothing in common. This is what I meant about people clouding the issue with irrelevant paradigms. Racism has about as much in common to received unwanted junkmail as sexism has to trespassing.

If you check out your etymological history you'll see that the word Pom was never devised as a derogatory term. That's how it differs from racial slurs like towel-head, gook, boong, etc. Therefore the word "Pom" is not an offensive word. Australia has a very British country when the current definition of the word became widely used. Can you honestly not see the difference?

Pom was not intended to be an offensive word but we decide to blacklist it as an offensive word just because a minority of idiots then they win. If we officially redefine the word as an insult then, congratulations, we've just given the racist bogans another exclusively taboo insult word to use.

PS: At least my reply was a lot more polite than yours. Please curbed the attitude. Thanks.

kirkbright wrote:
. . . as my Mom used to say

PPS: My Pommy mum wanted me to tell you that she finds the term "mom" offensive. :lol: :wink:


Ned Flanders
User avatar

Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2005 12:51 am
Posts: 2065
Karma: 3.10 (64 thanks)

Location: Adelaide
Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:30 pm
Profile

Postby atefooterz » Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:53 pm


Ditto my POMMIE parents always used the word POM as generic "person of greater british nationality" or Brit when boasting about something.

The Brits played a major part in setting up our National ideals & the white australia policy was the jewel in the crown.

Being born here yet spending my formative years in asia & london, when i returned here i was always harrassed & still am in some circles about my pro-nownce-iation.

Most of us have gained a multinational feast of great things, yet as someone nearing another birthday past half a century old .. i do see that rather than follow the gains and assimilation during the 1970- 80s we now appear to be going backwards sadly, not in any small part egged on by racist sensationalist media that always seeks to arrouse and divide any views on matters inter racial.

Another major factor does appear to be new aussies hanging onto crap, that they chose to leave behind .. thus resulting in ongoing racial stuff that has nothing to do with aussies, apart from being comitted here.
a great example is India V pakistan , many low profile attacks in all major cities weekly. middle east V asia = mostly drug or woman chasing related ..but very high stakes and maximum violence. middle europeans again mostly drug or family honour issues that spill into suburbs.

Most white aussies do not mix well and regardless of school/ uni marks are poorly educated in social skills , until kids stop listening to hate talk from grand parents & oldies they will continue to make this great place go backwards for many more years .. this negative enery flows onto new aussies who also stay within their comfort zones with fellow expats who can only be racist towards those aussies who call then crap & give them grief = no winners only loosers.

Our family, apart from living overseas gained much back here by being part of the Columbo Plan, where O/S students are welcomed by families . We met some amazing folk from everywhere from Thailand to Afghanistan to Indonesia to Nigeria. As a group we got to show & tell our place and learn about their homeland but the most important part learned is ...

Quote:
regardless of colour language or opinion " people are people " we all eats poop laugh and cry ...
it is only ignorance, greed or fear that causes any issues


now F#RK off you PC C&nTz and leave me to have a pie & sweet chilli sauce, washed down with a beer and coconut creame milkshake !


Santa's Little Helper
User avatar

Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2003 2:34 pm
Posts: 14026
Karma: 190.27 (26687 thanks)

Location: #nowhereman
Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:53 pm
Profile WWW
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic 
 [ 44 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Majestic-12 [Bot] and 10 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Designed by ST Software for PTF.