[News] Whiter than white

[Postman Pat]

Do you consider this to be a racist term?

A senior Metropolitan Police officer who used the phrase "whiter than white" faces losing his job for alleged racism and gross misconduct.

The detective superintendent is said to have made the comment in a briefing to colleagues during which he discussed the need to be faultless and above reproach in carrying out inquiries.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/14/senior-officer-faces-action-saying-whiter-white/

I wouldn't have put any racist overtone against that saying, just a common phrase.

This seems to fall into the same category of people being offended by baa baa black sheep.

 

[Bakero]

String him up. Don't get me started on those despicable Daz adverts.

 

[bluenitsuj]

No it is not racist. Soon they will be banning the words white and black

I am sure someone will be offended that I put the word white before black.

 

[Bakero]

From the article:

“A notice is issued to inform an officer at the earliest opportunity following an allegation and to safeguard their interests. It in no way indicates that misconduct proceedings will take place.”

The guy is surely in no danger of losing his job. Clickbait.

 

[father_and_son]

I don't know the derivation of the phrase but I have always assumed "white" equates to virginal white putity. So "whiter than white" means we have to be purer than pure or, otherwise, beyond reproach.

I prrsonally had never considered a skin-colour undertone or origin until I saw this story.

Racism is abhorrent (as I have covered in numerous threads) but sometimes it's difficult to continue to defend the equality agenda when people are twisting things in order to claim to be offended!

 

[Bakero]

The only way I can see that it might have caused offence is if they were discussing a black person and he quipped that the person in question wasn't exactly whiter than white. Or something similar. Surely nobody is upset about the phrase itself.

 

[beorhthelm]

its utterly ridiculous. this is beyond PC gone mad to actually damaging society, suspending police for simply using common vernacular. if he'd said the comment in a context relating to race, yes its a problem. he didnt, he said it in relation to police conduct. its a common phrase with zero racial connotation. apparently another offier is facing investigation for saying someone was a "good egg", which is contrivied to be close to "egg and spoon" which was a rhyming slang. the only thing offensive about "good egg" is that its about 30-40 years out of date.

 

[GT49er]

FFS! Racism is a serious matter - the fight against racism is made to look stupid by twaddle like this. Call out racism where there is racism, don't devalue the cause by calling out racism when it isn't there!
Don't they teach kids the tale of The Boy Who Cried Wolf any more? Too wolfist, I suppose.............................

 

[Justice]

A black woman called a bus driver a white c..t the other day I was thinking what her reaction would of been had it been the other way roundl proably gone for his job.

 

[Goldstone1976]

How about “calling a spade a spade”? I’ve been told that an Indian-born chap considers it a racist phrase.

 

[Eeyore]

It's not a racist term.

If there was a complaint then someone has an axe to grind.

And you never get the full story anyway.

Still, it starts threads and is good for comments columns.

 

[Eeyore]

A black woman called a bus driver a white c..t the other day I was thinking what her reaction would of been had it been the other way roundl proably gone for his job.

She would face prosecution if reported. It's the same for everyone- although some media would have you believe otherwise.

 

[carlzeiss]

String him up. Don't get me started on those despicable Daz adverts.

Have recently noticed a a trend in TV advertisements that feature a typical couple that the male is often black and his attractive female partner is usually not black .
Haven't noticed any where the female is black and the male not black. Could this be for marketing reasons only or am I only not observing this due to racist tendencies ?
Please note I haven't used the wxxxx word here .

 

[Eeyore]

FFS! Racism is a serious matter - the fight against racism is made to look stupid by twaddle like this. Call out racism where there is racism, don't devalue the cause by calling out racism when it isn't there!
Don't they teach kids the tale of The Boy Who Cried Wolf any more? Too wolfist, I suppose.............................

Some folk cannot exist without wanting to get outraged- whether 'right on' or the opposite.

'Intent' and 'context' will soon be deleted from the Collins.

 

[happypig]

Would 'The man on the Clapham omnibus' find it offensive or racist ? I think not.

 

[banjo]

The worlds gone blooming mad.

 

[GT49er]

Would 'The man on the Clapham omnibus' find it offensive or racist ? I think not.

Surely that depends on whether 'The Man on the Clapham Omnibus' was a fascist, racist xenophobe, or an ultra-lefty virtue signaller looking for every chance to be offended about nothing on someone else's behalf? I don't think that has ever been established.............

 

[blue'n'white]

Do you consider this to be a racist term?

A senior Metropolitan Police officer who used the phrase "whiter than white" faces losing his job for alleged racism and gross misconduct.

The detective superintendent is said to have made the comment in a briefing to colleagues during which he discussed the need to be faultless and above reproach in carrying out inquiries.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/09/14/senior-officer-faces-action-saying-whiter-white/

I wouldn't have put any racist overtone against that saying, just a common phrase.

This seems to fall into the same category of people being offended by baa baa black sheep.

Of course there are no racist overtones - some people just delight in finding offence anywhere !

 

[studio150]

No it is not racist. Soon they will be banning the words white and black

I am sure someone will be offended that I put the word white before black.

I'm offended that you have failed to mention other colours, there are far more than black and white (or white and black)

 

[Bakero]

Have recently noticed a a trend in TV advertisements that feature a typical couple that the male is often black and his attractive female partner is usually not black .
Haven't noticed any where the female is black and the male not black. Could this be for marketing reasons only or am I only not observing this due to racist tendencies ?
Please note I haven't used the wxxxx word here .

I think you're right that interracial couples frequently appear in TV adverts but there are definitely examples of a white guy with a non-white partner. Companies are keen to stress their diversity credentials and appeal to broadest market possible. Can't say it particularly bothers me either way. Interracial couples aren't exactly unusual these days.