Ed Do you like your cheese?

[Belz...]

The cheese is being marketed in Australia, so I don’t think Americans are going to be too worried, whatever their skin colour.

The term is certainly known as a racial epithet in the UK (see the video I linked earlier), though I’ve not heard it used for many years (outside re-broadcasts of old material). Whether it is known in Oz is surely the crucial point, though it could be a generational thing; I’m pretty sure Till Death Us Do Part would have been shown there. The fact that a name change has been proposed suggests that at least some people know about it.

In the current global market of ideas it's also easy for someone in one country to claim to be offended at something in another country.

 

[zooterkin]

White people or black people?

That's kind of important, because otherwise white people are just assuming that black people _should_ be offended by the brand name.

The activist who’s been campaigning to change the name for 20 years or so happens to be black.

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...hange-name-in-effort-to-help-eliminate-racism

The Australian cheese brand Coon will change its name to help “eliminate racism” following a campaign stating the product name was offensive to Indigenous Australians.

Friday’s announcement by Saputo, the dairy company that owns Coon, “to retire the Coon brand name”, comes after a decades-long effort to rename the cheese, including an unsuccessful 1999 complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission from Indigenous activist Dr Stephen Hagan.

 

[Belz...]

The activist who’s been campaigning to change the name for 20 years or so happens to be black.

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...hange-name-in-effort-to-help-eliminate-racism

Yeah, I mean in general.

Look at it this way: If you posted something a thread and someone said "hey, this is offensive to Belz...", wouldn't you rather hear it from me? Or if someone claimed to me that something I post was offensive to you, would you not rather someone not speak out in your stead?

 

[Sherman Bay]

I wouldn't mind buying "Whitey's Cream Cheese -- it's the whitest!"

Or a car accessory: "Honky's Auto Horns -- they will hear from you!"

 

[PursuedByABear]

Yeah, I mean in general.

Look at it this way: If you posted something a thread and someone said "hey, this is offensive to Belz...", wouldn't you rather hear it from me? Or if someone claimed to me that something I post was offensive to you, would you not rather someone not speak out in your stead?

This is one of the biggest canarrds used by racists to defend their idiocy. "My mate Chalky doesn't mind it." Who are you, Jim Davidson?

 

[casebro]

Why are you assuming not only that black people are offended by a brand name without checking, but that they might get violent on me just for asking the question?

Racism, prejudging people based on their race. Positively or negatively, it's still racism.

 

[Belz...]

This is one of the biggest canarrds used by racists to defend their idiocy. "My mate Chalky doesn't mind it." Who are you, Jim Davidson?

Do you have an actual point to make? What is it, specifically, that you disagree with in my post?

 

[casebro]

But isn't the Ozzy word 'coon' an aboriginal word to begin with?

 

[Skeptical Greg]

Yeah, I mean in general.

Look at it this way: If you posted something a thread and someone said "hey, this is offensive to Belz...", wouldn't you rather hear it from me? Or if someone claimed to me that something I post was offensive to you, would you not rather someone not speak out in your stead?

If I'm going to say something offensive, I really don't care who it offends..

What would be the point in basing one's offensive statements on such criteria?

 

[zooterkin]

Yeah, I mean in general.

Look at it this way: If you posted something a thread and someone said "hey, this is offensive to Belz...", wouldn't you rather hear it from me? Or if someone claimed to me that something I post was offensive to you, would you not rather someone not speak out in your stead?

You asked if black people were objecting. I’ve shown that they are.

 

[casebro]

Niggardly Niggardly Niggardly. We went through that one a few years ago.

 

[zooterkin]

But isn't the Ozzy word 'coon' an aboriginal word to begin with?

Why would you think that?

 

[Belz...]

You asked if black people were objecting. I’ve shown that they are.

No, you've shown a single data point.

Do you understand the point in the post you quoted?

If I'm going to say something offensive, I really don't care who it offends..

What would be the point in basing one's offensive statements on such criteria?

I believe I've made the point clear: if you assume that word X is going to offend people of group A but the only people complaining are people of group B, why should anyone assume that people A really are offended? Indirect offense is even less convincing than direct offense.

 

[CaptainHowdy]

I wouldn't mind buying "Whitey's Cream Cheese -- it's the whitest!"

Or a car accessory: "Honky's Auto Horns -- they will hear from you!"

I would be offended by that. Just like I'm outraged every time I see the "cracker" aisle in the supermarket.

 

[Elagabalus]

Thanks to Jelle's Marble Runs, I now know that in the UK there's a milk brand named Cravendale. Apparently the cows which inhabit this dale are contemptibly lacking in courage.

 

[Garrison]

I knew about the redskins from the team that was probably right to change.

I'd never heard of chicos or the connotations.

I have a feeling the Kentucky area were quite reliant on slave labour and in the US there is connotations around fried chicken apparently

Anyone up for a group forcing KFC to change?

I'll do up a petition.

KFC was the change. They stopped using the full name years ago, though I think that was with regard to the negative health connotations surrounding 'Fried'

 

[JoeMorgue]

KFC was the change. They stopped using the full name years ago, though I think that was with regard to the negative health connotations surrounding 'Fried'

Oh come on everyone knows it's because KFC breed a special race of mutant poultry with extra drumsticks and the FDA wouldn't let them call it "chicken" anymore.

 

[PursuedByABear]

Do you have an actual point to make? What is it, specifically, that you disagree with in my post?

Pretty much all of it, and everything you have said. It's nonsense. it's a defence used by racists to justify their racism. "Black people don't complain about the way we treat them" was said by every white man who ever stood over a black man with a gun threatening to shoot him if he complained.

It's just them Northern college boys comin' down here stirrin' 'em up, isn't it.

 

[Belz...]

Pretty much all of it, and everything you have said. It's nonsense. it's a defence used by racists to justify their racism. "Black people don't complain about the way we treat them" was said by every white man who ever stood over a black man with a gun threatening to shoot him if he complained.

It's just them Northern college boys comin' down here stirrin' 'em up, isn't it.

I asked you if you had any specific disagreement on this:

Look at it this way: If you posted something a thread and someone said "hey, this is offensive to Belz...", wouldn't you rather hear it from me? Or if someone claimed to me that something I post was offensive to you, would you not rather someone not speak out in your stead?

Do you? If so, please make ACTUAL arguments, not blanket accusations.

 

[PursuedByABear]

I asked you if you had any specific disagreement on this:

Look at it this way: If you posted something a thread and someone said "hey, this is offensive to Belz...", wouldn't you rather hear it from me? Or if someone claimed to me that something I post was offensive to you, would you not rather someone not speak out in your stead?

Do you? If so, please make ACTUAL arguments, not blanket accusations.

I don't need to make arguments against your outdated rubbish. They've all been made, over the course of decades. You are wilfully ignoring them. Not for one minute do I think you are simply ignorant.