Evra accuses Suarez of racism

[Icon]

[ChesterDave]

Think you may have misheard the insult. I'm not proud to admit it and it's maybe a bit stupid of me to be challenging the correctness of racial slurs but when I was growing up shortly after the war Italians were referred to as WOPS.

Again it's not the word but the intent that's the issue.

I've always heard/known/assumed Wop to be a slur to Italians where as Wog was more to Indian/Pakistani persons

[Icon]

I used to hear 'wop' a lot when I worked in the motor trade many years ago, but that was 'WithOut Passport', which even if true, is still pretty low.

I still hear the word 'wog' a fair bit here actually...

[ChesterDave]

Is your confusion about the racialism of the titty bar in Chester, or my drunkenness that thought it necessary to bring up?

[Icon]

The latter...

[Gibbo]

I've heard Wog a few times but mainly aimed at black people, with reference to a Gollywog.

I just want this to get over and done with now, so we can prove Suarez' innocence, or deal with his guilt, but tbh this thread just makes for dim viewing, people arguing over whats racist and what isn't.

It's sad that nowerday's racism is still around, and I witnessed something the other day that made me realise there really is some scum on this earth, it's really really sad that we as humans could let ourselves get into a situation where someone is seen as better or worse just because of the colour of their skin, and to be quite honest it disgusts me.

[Icon]

I remember a conversation I had a long time ago with my boss, who I'd just called a racist.
He said "OK, would you like a big family of 'them' buying the house next door?"
With this I recoiled a little and realised the mindset asking the question.
"Why does it always have top be a big family?" I asked
"That's how they live"
When I asked if a big family of white, unemployed trouble makers was OK to live next door the conversation just ended.
And this was the 'civilised' world.

It's like some people just wear blinkers. Where did they get it from?

Now I live in Bangkok where I am the minority.
Most days when I go out I get stares, but there are also smiles. It's as much out of curiosity as anything, never hatred or resentment.
And this is a pretty poor part of the world I am talking about.

I wonder if we could learn a thing or two from 'them'..?

[fidget]

Always though WOP is from the Italians who arrived in the US With Out Papers and
Wog is Working Oriental Gentleman from the Chinese workers who built the US railroads

[fah-q]

Wop is a derivative of Guappo (which is used a pisstake in Italy), I'm pretty sure the "without papers" thing is some revisionist myth as Italians were just one of a number of different immigrants arriving with no papers.

[IN_RAFA_WE_TRUST]

Guappo? I'm sure I've heard that said on the Spanish football program on sky.

[Neil Young]

Think you may have misheard the insult. I'm not proud to admit it and it's maybe a bit stupid of me to be challenging the correctness of racial slurs but when I was growing up shortly after the war Italians were referred to as WOPS.

Again it's not the word but the intent that's the issue.

I don't think it's just about intent.

It's like Homer's comment about lying:

Marge, it takes two to lie - one to lie and one to listen.

So if someone uses a racial slur unintentionally, it's still a racial slur to the person hearing it.

More to the point, if I use a term 'innocently' because to me it doesn't have negative connotations but someone else says "where I come from that's racist" then I think it's right I take it into account in future and therefore don't use it again.

Clearly that may or may not be the case with the Suarez/Evra thing.

All the same, the idea intent is everything is not good enough - it's also about context, about whether or not you are aware of the sensitivities of others. If you still use a word when you know it offends people for whom it has racist associations then it's very hard to defend.

[Fernandinho]

Neil with a quote from the simpsons during a heated debate.

brilliant sir.

[Muddled]

Guappo? I'm sure I've heard that said on the Spanish football program on sky.

Guapo is masculine for gorgeous in Spanish.

Guapa is the female version of you want to charm a Spanish lady.

[Neil Young]

Guapo is masculine for gorgeous in Spanish.

Guapa is the female version of you want to charm a Spanish lady.

It's spelt "gawjus".

Enny fule no dat.

[dom9]

I have never known anyone to be offended by Paddy, until Nicey just menyioned it.

I went to a Catholic school, full of Irish offspring and they referred to themselves as paddies.

I knew an awful Irish covers band called Paddy Goes To Hollyhead.