To think that 'black man's time' is a derogatory term?

[ptangyangkipperbang]

I was listening to the radio yesterday and someone from JLS was being interviewed. There was a comment about him being late for something and the DJ said, "what are you on - black man's time?"
I was really shocked (as was teenage DS) and I emailed the programme controller.
I've received a reply saying he agrees if I'd tuned in half way through the programme I might have taken it out of context but "In no way was the term derogatory and the interview was very cheerful, positive and upbeat".

Am I guilty of being too PC?

[sarahseashell]

OP YANBU I'd consider it racist in context of radio programme

[NoraGainesborough]

I'm amazed at this. I've never heard the phrase but of course it's not on. If a black person uses it about themselves within a culture then that's different but obviously if I (white) used it it would be offensive. So it matters that it was broadcast - the context was missing. Let's put it this way: if I used it at work about a black employee's timekeeping it would be a certain (and fair) discrimination case.

Can someone explain this to me? I don't get how something is only racist if a white person says it.

[Fishwife1980]

NoraGainesborough ok as a black woman let me explain this yo you slowly


I assume you have a mother

You can talk aout your mother tell us all what a cow she is and make jokes at her expense but its commely know that others cannot make jokes about others peoples mum with out getting a slap


Same sort of thing my husband makes irish jokes all the time usually in relation to drinking i would not dare i am not irish

[InNeedOfBrandy]

Yes or we Brits can slag off our weather and how we wish we lived in the sun but an outsider saying urgh I would hate to live in Britain how shit the weather is and the traffic brits are smelly and binge drink not in a million years, that would make us go who the hell our you to say that about us.

But we can slag off the weather and the binge drinkers as much as we like

[HolyBrrrrrrBatman]

But there is a clear difference between saying a specific person (e.g. your mum) is a cow and all black people/Irish people/gay people are cows.

You can slag off one person, not an entire group.

[MmeLindor]

Nora
If a black person makes a joke about this, then we can assume that he is not being racist. If a white person makes the same joke, we don't know if it is a joke or not. Unless we know that person very well.

Which is why a comment like this on the radio is dodgy.

I remember saying to my aunt that I couldn't remember the names of her girls (she had 4 girls who were very close in age, and we only saw them every couple of years, I knew their names, but not who was who). She replied that she couldn't tell them apart, so she just went to the door and shouted, 'Cmere you little black bastards'.

She could say that. I couldn't.

[NoraGainesborough]

fishwife I completely disagree. Talking shit about my mother is not likely to lead to you being arrested.

Actually in regards to the irish thing (i am) i hate the jokes and being irish, imo is not an excuse. A joke is either racist or not.

Racism is racism.

Here is an example. DD got loads of shit from a girl for being irish at school. It was classed as bullying and racisit. Turns out the girls grandparents were irish and she never knew. Didn't change that she was using my dds race to bully.

[Fishwife1980]

Sorry but its very simiar



Evean on mumsnet i here thongs women say about other women that is a man said them there would be up raoar

Of the radio guy is balck then every one should move on i am black an i will say on here


black people are always late for everything and my oh well tell a few things about teh irish likeing a drink

[FreudiansSlipper]

i think you are getting confused about laughing at and laughing with. you can laugh at culture and cultural differences what is wrong with that

my friend (german) and i laugh at my timing she calls it asian timing (her ex was asian always late). so we agree to meet in the middle of german and asian time

my family call it sri lankan time, parties always start after 10pm even if invite says 8pm so you know to eat before you go

my friends say they will be round at say 6 jamaican/carribean/bajan/brazillian time that means 8ish at the earliest

[HolyBrrrrrrBatman]

'black people are always late for everything'

Fishwife if i asked you to be in charge of finding me a new PA, punctuality is very important to the role, would you dismiss all the black applicants on the grounds 'black people are always late for everything'?

[InNeedOfBrandy]

There are cliches for a reason..Brits liking their tea is one cliche. Ok not every single British person likes hot sweet milky tea but it's a cliche for a reason.

[Fishwife1980]

NoraGainesborough there you go mmelindor has just explained it for you


I very much dobut that me as a black person commenting on balck mans time when my sister is late i will be arrested

As a white person you might say somthing like this to a black person you know but not a random black person

End off just as i might agree my mates mum is a cow but would never dream of saying that to a random person

[NoraGainesborough]

Evean on mumsnet i here thongs women say about other women that is a man said them there would be up raoar

And I disagree with that train of thought as well.

[Fishwife1980]

HolyBrrrrrrBatman no but it dose make us giggle to talk aout black mans time when my sister late

Sorry but as most poster have already said the black people they know are the ones who have told them about this the only people who seemed worried are people who are NOT black

I am black and have no issue with this belive me or dont

[HokeyCokeyPigInAPokey]

Mme Lindor makes a good point:

If a black person makes a joke about this, then we can assume that he is not being racist. If a white person makes the same joke, we don't know if it is a joke or not. Unless we know that person very well

Which is why a comment like this on the radio is dodgy.

That's it in a nutshell.

I have heard it a million times, my dh is black and A LOT of his family run on black people time as we call it, dh doesn't though which is just as well as i am far too uptight to ever be late and i would bloody kill him!!

[Fishwife1980]

If the dj was not black then its a bit dogy but then again he could know them really well


If hes black then mostly likey just cracking the in joke that every black perons cracks if you are late to and event


Just like when the old joke about women always being late due to takeing ages to getting ready is thown out there and amazingly i am not offend by that either

[MmeLindor]

I am actually wondering now about the whole 'black time' thing - it is surely a UK thing?

It comes from the immigrant Caribbean / West Indian culture, I am guessing? Laid back, less obsessed with punctuality etc

You couldn't say it in America, about African Americans.

So 'black man's time' is really implying 'Caribbean / West Indian time' which would be like me saying 'Siegfried Time', or my friend talking about her husband being on 'Italian Time'.

[NoraGainesborough]

we don't know if it is a joke or not. Unless we know that person very well but you would assume it is racist? Why?

[HokeyCokeyPigInAPokey]

I don't see how it can all be due to that MmeLindor

For example my sil is from the west indies, she was raised there until a teenager, in her 50's, she is a professional woman, punctual and never late for anything.

Her two daughters however are young mid twenties women who were born and raised here, they are professional women and late for everything and i mean everything and i am not talking a little bit late, i mean LATE.

I am not sure how they keep a job, they drive me bloody mad!!

[MmeLindor]

Nora
I wouldn't assume that person was racist, but I would pay more attention to his/her comments.

[Bogeyface]

My black DH said "Put that the service starts at 3pm instead of 4pm on the invites for the black folks" when we were organising our wedding :o

All of the black people bar 2 (him and a female friend of ours) were late, and I was amazed that he was on time! Its kind of a standing joke that DH is on "black mans time" whenever we go out. He doesnt find it racist at all.

[MmeLindor]

Hokey
oh, not meaning that all with Caribbean/West Indian heritage are chronically unpunctual, but the stereotype gave rise to the expression.

Anyone a West Wing fan? When the President is interviewing for a new secretary and asks one woman the worst thing about working for the French ambassador, and she answers, 'The pliable relationship the French have with time'.

[Fishwife1980]

Bogey i have to do this with my sister as well :)



Nightmare my oh finds this very frustrating

[AmberSocks]

I remember going to a christening and my cousins boyfriend is black and his family are all from jamaica,they were about an hour late and everyone was saying(black and white people)they were on jamaican time.

i am shocked they said it on the radio!