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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think this is a wee bit racist?

106 replies

DaysAreWhereWeLive · 12/05/2015 16:02

I've just been on Twitter to see that Chuka Ummuna is trending because he has thrown his hat into the ring for the Labour leadership contest.

The first two tweets called him 'the next Barrack Obama' (presumably because he's black) and 'the Fresh Prince'. (er, same)

Is it all just a bit cringy and wrong? Essentially they were pointing out nothing about his politics, his experience or his chances at leadership. Just the fact that he is black. Anybody else think the same?

OP posts:
SolomanDaisy · 12/05/2015 17:03

Americans have made the Clinton Thatcher reference fairly often, but it is somewhat restricted by them being on different parts of the political spectrum. Obama- Chuka is more relevant.

fakenamefornow · 12/05/2015 17:03

Oh that video in the school puts a completely different slant on it. At first I thought Hmm at the Will Smith comment, now I actually feel a bit bad for thinking the tweeter was just being racist. It's terrible to be the victim of racism, but it's also a terrible thing to be called a racist so I think we should be also be careful how we interpret things.

SolomanDaisy · 12/05/2015 17:04

I imagine there will be a fair few Yvette Cooper - Hillary Clinton comparisons too, if she stands.

ApplePaltrow · 12/05/2015 17:06

Didn't he explicitly compare himself to Barack Obama at one stage? Moderate, child of immigrants, charismatic etc etc - lots more in common than just being black.

MNpostingbot · 12/05/2015 17:13

It's not racist, lookalikes are funny, and it's very difficult (though not impossible) to do cross racial ones

a colleague met umanna a few weeks ago, was very impressed with him but also said "he reminded me of will smith" I guess it's the ears

m.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/i545018-8/stars-meeting-politiciansworld-leaders-tessa-jowell-will-smith-chuka-umunna-rachel-heywood.html#~pcuhsJdZR46yVQ

As for the Obama references, given obama was the first black U.S. president and there is a chance Umanna is the first black Prime minister it's hardly an unreasonable comparison.

Now, if people start saying umanna is "articulate" a lot (which will happen!) then it is racist. Drives me mad that people say this about black sportsmen as if it's a surprise they are articulate. Umanna is a politician, I'd be stunned if he wasn't!

MNpostingbot · 12/05/2015 17:15

Sorry, can't even spell his name right.

If youre reading chukka, predictive text wanted me to call you My momma

NKfell · 12/05/2015 17:19

jellybeans I always find him a bit slippery...then again, which politician isn't!

NKfell · 12/05/2015 17:24

I posted too quickly!

I was going to say, what is disappointing is how he is mixed, as is Obama but all the tweets/news/etc reinforces the opinion of the 'one drop' theory. Anyway, that's a whole other debate!

MonstrousRatbag · 12/05/2015 17:45

Obama is referred to as black because that is what he chooses to call himself. Don't know how C.U. identifies himself.

Thymeout · 12/05/2015 17:48

Mnposting - I called Yvette Cooper 'articulate' the other day. Was I being sexist, expressing surprise that a woman can string two words together?

It's just one of those qualities you look for in a potential leader.

Alexaa · 12/05/2015 17:49

Nowadays people over racify things (just a word I came up with). It is not racist to compare him to other black people (even if the Fresh Prince one is a little strange) but it would be racist to say they hated him because he was black. But they didn't. I don't see how comparing him to other people of the same race justifies as racist. Surely that wouldn't offend him, would it?

Preciousbane · 12/05/2015 17:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MonstrousRatbag · 12/05/2015 17:57

It is not racist to compare him to other black people (even if the Fresh Prince one is a little strange) but it would be racist to say they hated him because he was black. But they didn't. I don't see how comparing him to other people of the same race justifies as racist. Surely that wouldn't offend him, would it?

Well yes, it could very well be. It could mean not seeing him as an individual but someone who had to be related to the only black person you could think of to make you feel more confortable with him.

The 'articulate' issue is quite a charged one in America, less so here I think.

Justanotherlurker · 12/05/2015 18:03

His law firm, 'coincidentally', tried to amend his wikipedia page to call him 'Britain's Barack Obama'. He is about the most tesco value Barack Obama I can think of. Labour are going to resign themselves to a failure next election if they choose him in my opinion. Comes across as a chancer who wants power.

That and his "trash" comment, is hardly going to win over the working class

LadyFairfaxSake · 12/05/2015 18:13

Perhaps "fresh prince" is a somewhat laboured {see what I did there) play on words for a new leader (ergo "fresh prince") for the Labour party.
I don't think it's racist but it's so laboured that it's not funny.
Stand by for the professionally offended to argue otherwise...

Original poster
DaysAreWhereWeLive · 12/05/2015 18:14

I think the racist overtones come in when people go 'oh a black man in politics. What does he remind me of? Oh yes the only other black man in politics I know.'

Like its his only identifying characteristic.

And I agree, I think he comes off a little slick and careerist.

OP posts:
jellybeans · 12/05/2015 18:18

'His law firm, 'coincidentally', tried to amend his wikipedia page to call him 'Britain's Barack Obama''

Are you sure that was with his knowledge?

The trash comment he apologized for didn't he? And surely none of us are perfect all the time & how do we know the exact context it was meant? Does it really matter? How is he with working class people in his constituency, that may be more important than what he wrote some time back Surely all potential leaders will have some skeletons in their closet? (Stafford scandal etc, married to Ed Balls etc)

KneeQuestion · 12/05/2015 18:21

What was the trash comment?

jellybeans · 12/05/2015 18:28

here

MrsPeterQuill · 12/05/2015 18:30

Chukka Umunna compared himself to Barack Obama on his Wikipedia page, so make of that what you will.

As for calling him the Fresh Prince, no idea, but there is a picture of him and Will Smith doing the rounds on Twitter.

MrsPeterQuill · 12/05/2015 18:32

Cross post. Apparently, it was his 'team'.

SomethingFunny · 12/05/2015 18:40

"all potential leaders will have some skeletons in their closet? (Stafford scandal etc, married to Ed Balls etc)"

This gives me a mental image of a starved Ed Balls locked Yvette Cooper's wardrobe!

Blarblarblar · 12/05/2015 18:46

something Grin thanks for that image,in my head he is now wearing y-fronts it's not pretty.

GloGirl · 12/05/2015 18:47

Grief, what a horrible nasty man that Telegraph article has shown him to be.

To be honest it makes him sound like a Tory...

MrsPeterQuill · 12/05/2015 18:54

Yes, I wish Dan Jarvis had gone for the leadership. Umuna comes across as a bit contemptuous of the working classes.