2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[clueless chick]

What a shame the silly woman has been sacked for something said

in a green room. I saw the episode with Joe Brand and thought something

was amiss Joe looked as if she had sucked on a lemon. It really annoys

me that Jonathon Ross who is anything but silly, just a bad mouth( couldnt write fowl)

can get away with anything dont get me wrong what Carol is reported as saying was out of order but we dont even know in what context it was said.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I agree. I can't stand the woman personally but sacking her for something said in a private conversation just seems political correctness gone mad (she should have had more sense than to use the word).

[Leicester_H]

Hi

I can't decide about this - I/we don't know enough. Context is everything. She hasn't apologised or defended herself ??

 

But, it wasn't quite a private conversation. She was at work, on work premises, talking to work guests. It doesn't sound professional.

 

H

Edited February 6, 2009 by Guest

[Egluntyne]

I can't see how use of that word, in that particular context, in a world that has just seen the election of the first African American US President can be seen as acceptable, whether uttered in private or public.

 

I do agree, however that the BBC need to be consistent in the way they deal with high profile employees who overstep the mark.

[Guest]

I agree with you Egluntine, but I think the difference is that she hasn't apologised and Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand both did, albeit extremely unconvincingly. Maybe the BBC's hands are tied because of this?

[Egluntyne]

I reckon you are right.

[Cooks]

I agree with you Egluntine, but I think the difference is that she hasn't apologised and Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand both did, albeit extremely unconvincingly. Maybe the BBC's hands are tied because of this?

 

I agree. What was she thinking? makes you wonder really, I really must be naive I didn't think people would use a term/word like that in that context nowadays, it's very sad and low minded and she's just shown herself up to be honest.

[poachedegg]

I think she was wrong to say it, however I also think the BBC have dealt with it wrong too. She should certainly have been pulled up over it and reprimanded, but why so publicly? What happened to dealing with things correctly inhouse? Very OTT in my opinion.

[Olly]

The interview I heard with the BBC1 bod responsible said that although it was in a green room, there were about 12 people present (including journalists) all of whom overheard it; she also said that they'd given her the opportunity to apologise, and none had been forthcoming. It wasn't really a private conversation, if there were journalists present she was either very reckless or naive!

 

I think she has shown herself up, as loopyloo says - I just can't see any reason for using that word, and I don't think saying 'Oh, it was a joke' is really any better.

 

Can you imagine the flak the BBC would be getting if they HADN'T responded in some way to this?

[Cooks]

The BBC are more worried about not being 'seen' to do the right thing though, so go wading in. She should have apologised, is she too important not to apologise or something?? what's with that? She could Have said I am sorry for using that word, it was wrong of me, however it was a private conversation and therefore not for the public domain.

It does make you think that anything we say in a private conversation is no longer private anymore though doesn't it.

 

edited to add I did not know jounalists were in the room... silly woman.

[Phoebe]

I agree with Hazel and Egluntine. Its an awful word to use and she should have more sense. Work conversations are not "private" unless you happen to be good mates out of work as well, and as soon as she realised she had offended others, she ought to have apologised.

The fact that she refused to apologise shows that she lacks both tact and sensitivity; its therefore entirely understandable for the BBC not to want to employ her in a role where she interviews a variety of different people on the BBC's behalf.

 

 

(does my hostility to her mother show ??? )

[Tessa the Duchess]

 

 

(does my hostility to her mother show ??? )

 

I feel a bit sorry for Carol Thatcher, what with her ghastly mother and even more ghastly twin brother, she has a lot to overcome. As I understand it she used the word to describe someone's hairstyle This was discussed on Question Time on BBC last night and one of the panelists said she has in fact now apologised. I really don't think she meant any harm by using this word, she just didn't think. I used to have a golly doll when I was little.

 

Tessa

[Willow]

I think the BBC should be consistent but the difference is they feel Jonathan Ross delivers ratings and clearly Carol Thather less so.

 

I don't believe she thought she was being racist but that doesn't mean the comment wouldn't be seen as racist. Times have changed and for a journalist she seems surprising out of touch.

 

One of my godsons is black and I would be horrified if he or his brother were called that at school.

 

I thought this was a good article http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article5671433.ece

[Phoebe]

thanks for that Patricia; a good article in the Times.

 

and I agree that Ross' comparative success has enabled him to get away with much more than he should have done.

[Shirl]

Carol should not have been sacked. Consider how lightly Sarah Kennedy got off for saying something on air and something much worse. I know it wasn't a recent thing and the BBc is feeling like ithas to stamp down on this but that is not Carol's fault and she should not have been dealt with so harshly.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-490811/Sarah-Kennedy-talks-radio-race-controversy.html

[Seagazer]

Its so wrong to use that word.

 

I'm just glad that my kids don't see any difference between anybody, we're all humans after all.

[Cooks]

Its so wrong to use that word.

 

I'm just glad that my kids don't see any difference between anybody, we're all humans after all.

 

I totally agree

[Leicester_H]

we're all humans after all.

I agree - but I remember when that word wasn't an insult - just a cute cuddly toy (a GOOD thing)

I regret it has become insulting and can't be used under any circumstances and wouldn't use it myself.

 

People are different (wouldn't be much fun if we were all the same ) - I think point is we are all equal. People often use distinguishing features to describe people eg. ginger hair, very tall/short etc. Its a pity that to point out any differences is, almost always, taken as insulting.

 

I think its the context that makes some words insulting or not. (maybe this isn't one of those words ?)

 

If someone jokingly called me a stupid xyz (to my face) after I'd done something silly, I probably wouldn't be offended. But if someone said that behind my back that would be different.

 

I have someone who works for me who is VERY Welsh (and proud of it). We occasionally use this as a joke - but it is racist and therefore illegal. He has NEVER taken offence because of the manner in which we used it.

 

I don't know exactly what she said and how - but it was about the person not to the person so I suspect it was not 'appropriate' (especially as it was in a work context)

 

H

[..lay a little egg for me]

People often use distinguishing features to describe people eg. ginger hair, very tall/short etc. Its a pity that to point out any differences is, almost always, taken as insulting.

 

In my efforts to bring my DS up to accept all races and skin colours, I often have difficulty when describing someone. So when I am trying to describe someone who is obviously not Caucasian, I try to avoid using their skin colour to define them, but maybe say "the one with the very dark curly hair" or similar. Am I trying too hard? Unfortunately, OH who is not racist but rather unthinking will often trot out comments that might be found offensive by the person concerned, so I feel I have to go a long way in the other direction to try to keep DS on the the right path!

[Leicester_H]

So when I am trying to describe someone who is obviously not Caucasian, I try to avoid using their skin colour to define them, but maybe say "the one with the very dark curly hair" or similar. Am I trying too hard?

 

No - I wouldn't use skin colour (unless it was green, say!)

But I would use nationality eg. "tall guy, french", "short guy, round glasses, chinese"

 

H

[Old Speckled Hen]

I say, "Sack anybody and everybody who makes an inappropriate comment "

Then we can go back to watching the test card

[Guest]

I'd say "yes you are trying too hard". There was a cartoon once showing a room of white people with one black person in the crowd. The person trying to point him out was saying "that tall man over there, the one with the red tie, the one over on the right" etc etc which was ridiculous when he could have been described much more quickly as the only black man in the room. There is nothing wrong in describing someone as black or olive skinned if that is what they are. It is abusive comments and degrading generalisations which are wrong.

 

I know this is a very tricky area and I may be upsetting some people - please say if I am because I prefer to listen to other people's points of view and learn from them. But I don't think that human equality has anything to do with trying to ignore our differences. In fact I prefer to celebrate our differences, that enriches our experience of life. It's not just skin colour, it's about culture too and I have learnt such a lot from sharing in the highs and lows of Afro-Caribbean people. They know how to rejoice and how to mourn, I think they have got it right and would like to be more like them.

 

I feel the same about men and women. We are equal but different. We are losing something if we try to pretend that men's and women's natures and approaches to things are the same. They are not, but each has their own valuable part to play and they complement each other. We should respect and celebrate that.

[clueless chick]

I totally agree with Ginette. My mother was born in England her father Ireland her mother France. I have married a part Welsh and Wigan man . My son is about to be married to Giovanna (21st Feb) who's parents are Italian and Scottish. I think we are all a mixture.

 

When I was visiting my brother, who lived in Mexico for 3 yrs the people there were always saying "cover up , cover up your pink skin"

 

You see the people where he was living in Jalisco didnt know of polital correctness

[Chickvic]

I have to say we were at a wedding (about 13 years ago) and there was 1 coloured gentleman in the whole of the wedding party (close friends). The photographer was trying to arrange the photo and wouldn't say anything until he finally come up with "The gentleman in the hat" because Winston always introduced himself as a 'token black man'. Those were his exact words and he played on the image.

[Old Speckled Hen]

Perhaps the BBC committee for political,gender and race correctness should take an evening out with some popcorn and a diet cola and watch Blazing Saddles.

Not that I'm saying what was acceptable then is now but that we should perhaps step back and realise what IS important in the world now.