Is the phrase "whiter than white" racist?

[Geezertronic]

i happened to catch part of Maajid Nawaz's LBC show on Saturday afternoon (as the father in law has LBC on in the background) and he was discussing the case of a senior Met police officer who used the phrase "whiter than white" in a briefing about the need to be faultless and above reproach in carrying out inquiries, and he was reported for using racist language.

Maajid Nawaz was vehemently of the opinion that the context of the phrase negates any racist intent, my point of view is the same in that it is ridiculous to suggest the comment has any racist undertones. He also said that officers are discouraged from using the phrase "good egg" apparently due to the rhyming slang of egg and spoon which is also ridiculous because of the context.

Also, how far do we go? Maajid used the examples of whether Darth Vader was racist for turning to the dark side, black lists etc... so where do we draw the line?

Seems like the word "racist" is becoming a default position when some people are offended rather than it's intended use

 

[Darandio]

'Baa Baa Rainbow Sheep'

 

[Up_Tilt_390]

Of course it isn't racist just simply based on the context of whiter than white meaning "morally beyond reproach". Even with LBC arguably having some kind of right-wing bias (though I don't know enough about it to really confirm that as such), this is just a total non-story that shouldn't have a partisan position. The only reason I can see this being a story is morally outraged left-wingers who want to try and stir up racial tensions so they can continue to push their agenda, and even then I've no idea where this would be going for them. All I am totally certain on in that this is a total non-story and shouldn't be in the news at all.

 

[AlterEgo]

No wonder some people think the police are ridiculous.

 

[najaB]

No. Next thread.

 

[Bromley boy]

i happened to catch part of Maajid Nawaz's LBC show on Saturday afternoon (as the father in law has LBC on in the background) and he was discussing the case of a senior Met police officer who used the phrase "whiter than white" in a briefing about the need to be faultless and above reproach in carrying out inquiries, and he was reported for using racist language.

Maajid Nawaz was vehemently of the opinion that the context of the phrase negates any racist intent, my point of view is the same in that it is ridiculous to suggest the comment has any racist undertones. He also said that officers are discouraged from using the phrase "good egg" apparently due to the rhyming slang of egg and spoon which is also ridiculous because of the context.

Also, how far do we go? Maajid used the examples of whether Darth Vader was racist for turning to the dark side, black lists etc... so where do we draw the line?

Seems like the word "racist" is becoming a default position when some people are offended rather than it's intended use

I completely agree with your last sentence.

Context is everything and it should be immediately clear to any reasonable person that there was no racial undertone to the comments in question.

PC gone mad. I find it truly frightening how things are going in this country.

 

[DarloRich]

no. close thread.

 

[Welly]

Nope, nopity nope nope.

 

[Geezertronic]

For those of you saying close thread, it is only right to have this discussion when ridiculous things like this are forced upon us all. I hope you say it in jest as the subject is indeed ridiculous.

 

[Mag_seven]

PC gone mad.

I think he was quite sane actually (are we allowed to use the word "mad" now?)

 

[Bromley boy]

I think he was quite sane actually (are we allowed to use the word "mad" now?)

I see what you did there .

 

[gazthomas]

Nope.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No, not racist, as it very clearly refers to white washing (it comes from an ad for one of the well known powders) and not to people with pinky beigey coloured skin.

 

[Busaholic]

Forty odd years ago a Labour politician in Lewisham, where I lived, gained a lot of attention for attacking the use of the term 'accident blackspot'. His campaign achieved the necessary result i.e. he got the publicity and he worked his way up to a position of some authority nationwide. His name was Herman Ouseley, by the way.

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

I think he was quite sane actually (are we allowed to use the word "mad" now?)

nope no-one is mad... only reality challenged... which I think sums up 99.9% of the pc brigade

 

[158747]

The problem with this sort of nonsense is not just the idiots who take offence at such phrases as this, which has been in use since the days of William Shakespeare but also the even bigger idiots in authority who take such complaints seriously. Sadly theses days the police seem more interested in political correctness than they are in fighting crime.

 

[Gemz91]

Only a racist trying to hide the fact that they are a racist would consider it being racist.

 

[Harpers Tate]

This phrase's history has absolutely nothing whatsoever do do with skin colour (and thereby, race).
It is a reference to an old advertising campaign for a brand of washing powder. This powder contained a small amount of blue/UV dye in it, making white garments appear "whiter than white" in daylight, and that phrase was the slogan. The UV component of daylight causes the UV dye to add extra reflection over and above what would normally visible, thus giving the garment the appearance of being whiter than white.

The phrase is still used in this context. Example:

 

[Intermodal]

I find this thread racist.

 

[Bromley boy]

Wasn’t there a similar case recently where a politician used the phrase “nitty gritty” and this was seized on by a load of ignorant do gooders who (wrongly) believed the expression is related to the slave trade (it isn’t).

 

[AlterEgo]

Wasn’t there a similar case recently where a politician used the phrase “nitty gritty” and this was seized on by a load of ignorant do gooders who (wrongly) believed the expression is related to the slave trade (it isn’t).

It doesn’t really matter where a word comes from anyway, only the context matters. The word n*gger is acceptable in some contexts.

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

when I was a kid and we said something wasn't fair my Dad used to reply "nor's a black man's a*se but he ain't complaining" I recently said it to my niece without thinking in public and was taken to task by someone for being racist.... why? my statement was factually correct...wasn't it?

 

[Intermodal]

when I was a kid and we said something wasn't fair my Dad used to reply "nor's a black man's a*se but he ain't complaining" I recently said it to my niece without thinking in public and was taken to task by someone for being racist.... why? my statement was factually correct...wasn't it?

You're in the wrong on this one mate.

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

You're in the wrong on this one mate.

please explain how you think I'm in the wrong

It's a play on the meaning of the word "fair" by definition a black person can't be fair-skinned...

 

[najaB]

please explain how you think I'm in the wrong

It's the 'But he isn't complaining' part. Why should I, a black man, complain about my arse not being white - the implication is that there's something wrong/inferior about it.

 

[Bromley boy]

please explain how you think I'm in the wrong

It's a play on the meaning of the word "fair" by definition a black person can't be fair-skinned...

Some black people can be very light skinned.

Again it’s about context but I can see how that might be seen as offensive/inappropriate, especially if used by members of other races. Why are black people being singled out?

 

[Intermodal]

It's the 'But he isn't complaining' part. Why should I, a black man, complain about my arse not being white - the implication is that there's something wrong/inferior about it.

Exactly what I was going to say.

Additionally, it's just needlessly offensive to make reference to skin colour in such a brash way in this day and age. Whether you like or agree with this or not, it's not culturally acceptable nowdays and you should not act surprised when told as such.

 

[Teflon Lettuce]

It's the 'But he isn't complaining' part - why should I, a black man, complain about my arse not being white - that implies that there's something wrong/inferior about it.

but on the other hand you're not complaining about it not being white because you know it isn't inferior to a white one?

Incidently it was a white person that took offence!

 

[Bromley boy]

It's the 'But he isn't complaining' part. Why should I, a black man, complain about my arse not being white - the implication is that there's something wrong/inferior about it.

You’ve put it better than I did.

 

[Intermodal]

but on the other hand you're not complaining about it not being white because you know it isn't inferior to a white one?

?????