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How are we supposed to refer to black people?
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Original post by G8D
Who, outside of the scientific/academic community, refers to white people as 'caucasian' instead of 'white? 
I generally avoid any of those old "scientific" terms. Especially since the black equivalent of caucasian happens to be "negroid", which isn't exactly a word you want to take home to meet your parents. :P
But nah, I think most people (if they must) say "black" or "white". It just makes sense, because nobody really finds those ones offensive except maybe weirdos like the ones that influenced the OP to start the thread.
Original post by RFUR1
I thought you weren't raised in the UK. Those words are seen as offensive in British society. If anyone does say those words to you in the UK you should be offended because those words are not acceptable in our society. It might be different in the countries you have been raised in.
"should be" offended? No thanks....life is too short to be wasting time complaining about something as meaningless. I'll admit I enjoy feigning offence every so often just to mess with people but in reality, it really doesn't matter at all. As I said before, I care more about how the word is used instead of the word itself. Not gonna be here much longer anyways so why bother, just gonna enjoy it
Original post by Gauntlets28
I generally avoid any of those old "scientific" terms. Especially since the black equivalent of caucasian happens to be "negroid", which isn't exactly a word you want to take home to meet your parents. :P
But nah, I think most people (if they must) say "black" or "white". It just makes sense, because nobody really finds those ones offensive except maybe weirdos like the ones that influenced the OP to start the thread.
But nah, I think most people (if they must) say "black" or "white". It just makes sense, because nobody really finds those ones offensive except maybe weirdos like the ones that influenced the OP to start the thread.
Caucasian or Negroid in the scientific sense are colour blind. Scientists measure race by genetics and features.
A dark person can be Caucasian, so long as his features and genetics agree to the criteria of classification.
This is how scientists and anthropologists are trying to figure the race of the ancient Egyptians - by analysing the features of the remaining artefacts.
Skin colour cannot be a factor in race, because you will always see dark people like the aboriginals who don't really share any genetics with let's say people who are Negroids.
This idea is outdated but scientists realise measuring skin colour with race is ridiculous.
However, socially.
Black and white are social constructs and mean nothing in terms of giving us information about a person.
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Original post by EatAndRevise
No it doesn't. Please explain how/when these racist connotations were established.
What? It is not deemed an acceptable thing to say. Hence why Benedict Cumberbatch apologised for using it.
Political correctness gone mad again - it doesn't work both ways anyway.
Call them what you like within reason (e.g. black, coloured, etc.).
Call them what you like within reason (e.g. black, coloured, etc.).
Call black people black. Colored is a general term used for everyone not white asians, Arabs etc included). We are not in the 20th century anymore, where may I point out, raciscm was on a high.
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Original post by Plastic Face
why do you want to 'point them out' to begin with? that sounds like very invasive and hostile behavior...
There are literally a million reasons why you might want to point them out??!?
"Look, there's my friend over there"
"Can you give this to my friend over there?"
"I like his top"
I am going to be honest here..
Normally it is non-black people who just make it more a big deal and feel like they will offend people.
Why would I be offended if you said 'black people'? Or 'white people' or 'asian people'.
Coloured is just...if you use it you just look uneducated to be honest.
What I hate more than anything is growing up and people would be like 'not to be racist...but that black guy has nice shoes'. Or 'not trying to be racist but you see that black guy over there? Yeah he's the friend I was telling you about.
And I'm just here like...how the hell is saying 'black guy' racist? Like what are you on? Crack?
Normally it is non-black people who just make it more a big deal and feel like they will offend people.
Why would I be offended if you said 'black people'? Or 'white people' or 'asian people'.
Coloured is just...if you use it you just look uneducated to be honest.
What I hate more than anything is growing up and people would be like 'not to be racist...but that black guy has nice shoes'. Or 'not trying to be racist but you see that black guy over there? Yeah he's the friend I was telling you about.
And I'm just here like...how the hell is saying 'black guy' racist? Like what are you on? Crack?
Original post by RD208
What? It is not deemed an acceptable thing to say. Hence why Benedict Cumberbatch apologised for using it.
He apologised because sensitive people were getting annoyed that he had used 'coloured' when refering to coloured people.
People apologise all the time, but that does not mean that they believe what they did was wrong.
Original post by EatAndRevise
He apologised because sensitive people were getting annoyed that he had used 'coloured' when refering to coloured people.
People apologise all the time, but that does not mean that they believe what they did was wrong.
People apologise all the time, but that does not mean that they believe what they did was wrong.
What does a person who's not coloured look like then?
Just call them blacks. That's definitely not insulting word.
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Original post by Izzyeviel
I was thinking of this the other day, no-one says the 'Benedict Cumperpatch who is a white actor' why is that? why the need to highlight the fact that a person is a different race?
And also, what is the best way to refer to their race? We call whites 'caucasian' but how should we refer to non-whites? I don't like the terms Black, or coloured, I prefer African American - but what if they're not African and not American?
What I (&we I suppose) should really be doing is ignore their ethnicity and just call them by their nationality.
And also, what is the best way to refer to their race? We call whites 'caucasian' but how should we refer to non-whites? I don't like the terms Black, or coloured, I prefer African American - but what if they're not African and not American?
What I (&we I suppose) should really be doing is ignore their ethnicity and just call them by their nationality.
When most actors are white, the identifying term becomes less useful. In Africa, for example, or places with very large black communities, it's more common to say "that white guy over there" when picking somebody out, because it's a clearer way of identifying them.
Original post by Plastic Face
call em by their name.
or just people man....
why does there need to be anything to define them...
or just people man....
why does there need to be anything to define them...
What if you don't know their name? Do you just run straight to them and start asking questions? The same way you say that blonde chick was hot, the same way you should be allowed to say that white/black man over there without being looked at like you've just committed the biggest crime that ever existed on this planet.
He didn't apologise because 'sensible people' got offended. He apologised because it's an incredibly subjective term, and from a logical point of view isnt exactly a valid description of a person is it? It assumes white as default, and everyone else as a variation.
'White' people are a colour as much as anyone else. This isn't about being black or white, it's assuming one skin tone is 'default' enough to be able to assume that it's everyone else in the world thats a different colour and not them.
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'White' people are a colour as much as anyone else. This isn't about being black or white, it's assuming one skin tone is 'default' enough to be able to assume that it's everyone else in the world thats a different colour and not them.
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