What do you think of this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7965058.stm

Really, I think it is a case of political correctness going a bit far again. I totally agree with the sackings of Carol Thatcher and Ron Atkinson as what they said was unacceptable but this was a little play on words, no worse than 'What do you call a Spanish man who has lost his car?' 'Carlos' Not offensive in the slightest bit.
Good job the PC brigade don't watch early episodes of Only Fools and Horses as they may see that on a few occasions, David Jason's Del Boy said the P word and in one episode told an Asian man of 'How he saw his misses on Friday. She's got a terrible spot on her forehead hasn't she'
But no, I find it ridiculous how Jason had to apologise. Hardly 'unacceptable' what Jason said on the radio was it.

He should apologise for telling such a crap joke.

Yeah, not at all racist.

But he should have known some people would kick up a big fuss, so he's still stoopid.

Wouldn't Mahatma actually be an Indian name rather than Pakistani?
Not that I'd really know.

People wine about PC going to far but few people are hurt by it....no ones been killed due to "over pc ness" - so, at least its better than what we had 30 years ago.

Despite no complaints having been made to the station, an Absolute spokeswoman said the joke was "unacceptable".

No complaints? Where's the problem?

Quote: Pilot @ March 26 2009, 11:35 PM GMT

He should apologise for telling such a crap joke.

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It's an old joke, a crap joke, and he managed to balls it up. Of course he should apologise!

F**k me, how is that even SLIGHTLY racist? It's shit, but not racist.

What rubbish times we live in.

As an act of contrition, he should be forced to watch Raquel ride Denzil's dark glory.

There seems to be a period in between Love Thy Neighbour and about ten years ago that if you presented a gag on sterotypes that allow it to be still broadcast now. Why they are still allowed and this is not, especially as no-one complained, is beyond me.

That's just stupid; it's a play on words, nothing in the least bit racist about it. Mahatma sounds a bit like 'my hat', what's racist about that?!

It was stupid and insensitive and he said sorry. That should be an end of it.

And I am getting really a little sick of this obdurate attitude of either "I didn't find it offensive so it isn't," or "It's just a waggish mispronounciation of some one's name race etc."

No it isn't.

When I got called a yid at school or any one of a range of hilarious reinterpratations of my race. It wasn't in fun and it didn't feel fun.

The same went for my asian friends only more so.

David Jason made a mistake acknowledged and apologised can that be an end?

N.B. for what it's worth the worst work place bullying I ever had was for being white, english and male. Go figure.

Tell me what is racist about it Sooty. The name sounds like 'My Hat' a bit, that isn't racist, it's just a fact. Being called a Yid is very different to pointing out that mahatma sounds like 'my hat'.

People say they don't find it offensive because it isn't, which is probably why the radio station actually recieved no complaints when the piece aired.

It's not specifically racist, in the same way yid is only an abreviaiton of yiddish. More it's about the history, these jokes being associated with a period of intolerance and racism.

And a broadcaster should be repsonsible enough to be proacitve and not wait for complaints.

Quote: Jack Massey @ March 26 2009, 11:33 PM GMT

Good job the PC brigade don't watch early episodes of Only Fools and Horses as they may see that on a few occasions, David Jason's Del Boy said the P word and in one episode told an Asian man of 'How he saw his misses on Friday. She's got a terrible spot on her forehead hasn't she'

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Is it still possible to see that sort of thing in the UK releases? I'd heard that they've edited a lot of them out.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ March 27 2009, 9:24 AM GMT

Tell me what is racist about it Sooty. The name sounds like 'My Hat' a bit, that isn't racist, it's just a fact. Being called a Yid is very different to pointing out that mahatma sounds like 'my hat'.

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Is it racist because it points out that foreigners have funny names?

Quote: sootyj @ March 27 2009, 9:27 AM GMT

It's not specifically racist, in the same way yid is only an abreviaiton of yiddish. More it's about the history, these jokes being associated with a period of intolerance and racism.

And a broadcaster should be repsonsible enough to be proacitve and not wait for complaints.

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I would say you're being over sensitive towards this, but each to their own.