Trailer: Resident Evil 5 - The Horror, The Horror

I'm a little surprised I have to explain this, and no I'm not one of those members of the "Nothing Better to do PC Brigade" (PC as in politically correct, not personal computer - what do you think this is, a gaming website?). And nor do I like the idea of massaging people's oversensitivities.

But the phrase "dark continent", to me, being white, and having an education in politics, seems a little bit too outdated to be in modern use. It originates from the 1800's as has been said, and just because it's been used in the past year by other organisations does not make it valid. There are plenty of other words which are in common use but should definitely not be, and whether they're said by major companies or individuals down your mates to the pub, it still does not mean they have any place in modern language.

My problem with the phrase is two-fold.

Firstly, there's the issue of colour, and that the contintent of Africa is inherently black. Of course, the majority of people who live in African are part of some predominantly black ethnic group. Nevertheless, it's a generalisation. Let's say for a second that the UK had a history of flour producing in the 1700's. Do you think it would be appropriate today to call ourselves the White Continent? I would say not, because even though it has it's origins, it's inappropriate in a modern context.

Secondly, there's the use of the word "dark". Dark can imply sinister, and in this case to me also has connotations of outdated, unenlightened or backwards, which again I think could easily be taken when you remember that Africa is still very much part of the developing rather than developed world. You only have to look at Zimbawbe as a recent example and while Mugabe is undoubtedly a tyrant, you equally have people such as Morgan Tsvangirai who are willing to risk death to stand up to them. For the uninitiated or ignorant, I think it would be far too easy for people to associate the phrase "dark continent" with people such as Mugabe and promote that as a stereotypical image of African people.

It's these two issues combined which seems to me to present the potential greatest problem.

As I said, I don't like being PC for the sake of it, but cases of overkill during the past ten years or so, particularly in the UK have given it a bad name. However it does have it's place when used sensibly and from my own personal experience has driven out a lot of racism where it previously existed.

I am not going as far as to suggest that a lot of SPOnG readers are uneducated (even though the odd forum posting suggests otherwise) but it's sometimes very difficult to see why some people might take offense when they live their lives from a completely different cultural background to your own.

I think that given the above potential connotations, and particularly when you could just say "Africa" instead of using a term that originated over a hundred years ago, such phrases are best left in the past.

And I say that you're reading far too much into the phrase and doing the work of the PC Shutzstaffel. Its a bloody nickname, its origins are not offensive, it wasn't created with the intention of denigrating either Africa or those of African heritage, and it isn't used in a mean-spirited way nor has it been co-opted by racists as a deragatory term. It is merely a colorful, descriptive term which has a history in literature and can add flavor to writing or speech. I seriously don't see anyone being hurt or upset by it, unless perhaps some (likely white) PC Nazi being upset that black people aren't more upset by it. Because they aren't. This is a non-issue. "Darkest Africa" has more to do with a deficit of photons at the bottom of a triple canopy rainforest deep in the Congo, than the surplus of melanin its residents exhibit. And in any event, why shouldn't Africa be the Dark Continent...much of their population is, in fact, black...unless you feel they should be ashamed of their natural skin tone for some reason...I know plenty of black people who would take it as a point of pride to affirm the name. I'm sure Chuck D would think it was cool, he thinks like that...

You are making Kilimanjaro out of a termite mound, and threatening freedom of expression for absolutely no reason...just stop...most, if not all of your arguments (in this matter) are rubbish anyway.

YEEEEEAH BOOOOOOYYYYYE!

Neither was the word 'negro'. Would you use it today?



I may not like the things you to say, but I defend your right to say them.

However, it is not threatening freedom of expression to be considerate or suggest that others do the same. If I were, say, able to show you what an absolute raging geekboy you are, who thinks that using big words and talking like Comic Book Guy every time you post as if it makes you the slightest bit more relevant in anyone else's life, and it resulted in you piping down, then I would be doing everyone a favour. Nevertheless, if you want to keep sending your self-image down the s**tter, that's just fine by me.



There you go, you've posted some drivel in this thread too. Now load up that hentai bukkake picture you drew of yourself, then have a nice lie down.

Completely specious comaprison (nice selective quoting there, btw), the word negro has, in fact been
and it has


And yes, the word Negro is acceptable for use in certain areas of discussion here in the United States, pre-integration baseball for instance is still known as the Negro Leagues, there is (was last time I looked) a feature in the STL Riverfront Times called "Ask a Negro Leaguer".





Considerate of whom? Africans and those of African descent who have no problem with the term?

(I was going to use the word specious again, but since you're so prejudiced against anything that sounds "too smart", I'll say it simply.)

Your suggestion that not using the term is considerate of anyone besides the feelings of PC whackjobs like yourself is bullshit. (And I'm fairly certain that many of even the most PC whackjobs would side with me on this one) So far you're the only person on here who thinks the term has any taint at all. Your argument that its an old term doesn't hold water either, a lot of phrases we use today are old as dirt...that doesn't make them bad or wrong in and of itself and your argument that ignorant folk might misunderstand the term is a crock of s**t as well, ignorant folk will think what they will, nuts to them, they should get a f**king education so they can talk real purty like me.

You're completely in the wrong on this. full stop. You want to help Africans, give to Feed the Children or something, this is a non-issue and you are talking nonsense.

I wasn't aware you spoke for the African nation. And before you point it out, no-one else on here has taken offence to the term except for me as yet, but that doesn't mean that no-one could be offended by it.

And since I have to spell everything out to you, that also doesn't mean I'm saying that everything should be filtered that might vaguely cause offence because that would make me both a "PC Nazi" as I think you called me, and would also result in virtually no content at all.

But that also doesn't mean that you can use whatever terms you like and as long as no-one takes offence to it, that makes it relevant and appropriate. Just because you disappeared up your own arse years ago, doesn't mean that I'm not able to see something from a viewpoint outside my own.

I would personally like to think that it would be much better for someone of a different ethnic origin to you or I to visit this site and know that it's welcoming for everyone, and that it doesn't use such terms for the reasoned argument I gave earlier in this thread, than to be based more on people like you who say "I don't see why see it's offensive, so therefore it's not".



..and I think that ends your argument right there.

Seriously Tim, what do the denziens of the Underwater Castle think about this, as professional journalists who are presumably well-educated and hopefully not racists, is there any weight at all to schnide's argument? Or is he, as I contend pissing into the wind here?

"Daaaad! schnide's bullying me! Tell him to stop!"

"Now Roi, be a good girl - go upstairs and play with your dolls."

Ah yes, more desperate personal attacks from someone without a leg to stand on.

http://tinyurl.com/5xmo6b

Roi you do use rather large words and not to say we or I dont understand them (ill be honest and say i dont understand them all, although to say i would be of uneducated origin because of that i feel is a little judgemental on your part but at least i attempt to go off an learn them) but it does add a little pompousness on your part, and you do have the comic book guy personality where by whatever anyone says (cept maybe Ed.) you have an amazing urge to correct.

why have i jumped in and had my 2 cents? well because i just letting you know how it feels!

As for the arican argument, i feel your point of view is void anyhoo unless your an african(or place of african countryian) then you really cant speak for them.

Hari, don't worry, I understand them and you're right, it does add a certain level of pompousness. It's basically just pretentious, and is the kind of thing that - say - someone who isn't really able to consider other people's viewpoint would do.

He uses words which could easily be replaced by others which everyone on here knows, and would be far more suitable - but instead he doesn't, and so tries to get people to take him seriously in a way that people don't in real life.

He reminds me of a guy I went to school with who was pretty much the same. He used to try big words and quote obscure references but was never able to realise that no-one cared. He ended up marrying the girl that his much older best mate dumped - and then took her surname. He probably thinks that was really cool too.

and then took her surname


Brilliant, lol

On the one hand, I'm happy to see a debate rather than blank acceptance of the language.

On the other hand, I'm sad to see the level of that debate descend to personal insult.

In terms of the actual issue. I can certainly see why schnide would have an problem - and as I've said before I also appreciate it being brought to the Forum. I personally disagree on this point regarding 'Dark Continent' as racist and/or not to be used because it is archaic. See my previous points regarding 'Black Country and 'Darkest Peru'.

My biggest problem as a staunch old PC whackjob is that arguments over language that could - on the margins - be seen as negative can often detract from the real issues.

Here's another example:
I worked in TV in Australia and one day the first episode of South Park to feature Timmy came into the office. Some of my colleagues were reticent to give it to me to work on. As far as some of them were concerned they were being sensitive (they didn't want me hurt or offended - it had nothing to do with the name of the character).

Later in the pub someone else said, "I find it offensive that they would portray physically challenged people on a show like that as freaks!"

That hadn't dawned on me - I had laughed like a drain.

What I'd seen was someone with cerebral palsy being shown in a satirical animation as a character worth being portrayed in a satirical animation without the usual "Oooh, aren't they special and fantastic and great and sweet" b******s.

So, I asked the person getting up in arms about how they would like to see people with CP portrayed and would that be anything like the people with CP that they knew? They didn't aaaaactually know anybody with CP. So, I asked if they like to come and meet 100 or so down at Bondi for a fundraiser. They'd like to, I was told, but that might just look like voyeurism of the worst order. "So", I asked, "how about coming to a school to help out with some of the students". No, that would have been patronising.

It dawned on me at that point that the reason that person didn't want to see Timmy(!!!) on telly was that it made them feel uncomfortable. They concentrated on seeing all but the most sickly and heroic (My Left Foot etc) images of people with CP as offensive.

The bottom line of that attitude wasn't raising any money for the school and wasn't actually 'seeing' people with CP. (note to self, see if SCOPE has made any more money than when it was called The Spastics Society).

The other people - who found the episode as funny as I did - simply thought I might be hurt. Although they were wrong, they weren't to know what my reaction was going to be, and so they erred on the side of sensitivity. I can't fault them for that. This at least was a better reaction than I'd received from other people who were downright bloody rude and totally missed the point of actually having a person with CP out in public.

The point of that lengthy example is to forefront the fact that I can appreciate the battle for language as a political device on both the 'be aware of what you are saying' and 'do not control my ability to speak freely' sides. See, I am a wet liberal fence-sitting tree-hugger but on this issue, no insult was intended and I still think you've got to look hard for one.

In terms of archaic, I don't see that 'Dark Continent' is any more archaic or offensive than 'Black Country', 'Darkest Peru' or even the name 'Australia'. The last of those being a very active issue if you're a Cadigal or Pitjantjatjara or Warlpiri or Kija...

Keep up the discussion. Bring up the tone. Don't get too sensitive but don't let the whole "I can say whatever I bloody want and it's up to everybody else to look after themselves!" attitude prevail.

Cheers

Tim

Well look, I wish I'd elaborated on this point earlier but the history involved with the phrase 'Darkest Peru' isn't the same thing. I'm not aware of any large Peruvian rights movement over the past 60 years and nor is there an issue of colour involved, unlike when you're talking about Africa.

Nevertheless, I'll repeat that it's one of the joys of SPOnG to get involved in a debate like this, and in addition, I respect your right to be completely wrong.

;)