To think 'Holo-course' is offensive?

[Mehfruittea]

Disney channel kids to show - Miles from Tomorrow.

My DS 5 loves it and today there was an episode that included a rollercoaster called the Holo-course. I'm assuming it's a mash-up from hologram and racecourse but still...it's a bit...er...not right? AIBU?

[WaitrosePigeon]

MN usually delete posts that quote a deleted post, too.

[SickNotes]

I agree with maggie. 'Holo-' as a prefix is common enough in sci-if/futuristic TV - hologram, Star Trek's holodeck etc, so a normal enough thing to call a futuristic rollercoaster, and 'course' doesn't sound remotely like '-caust' in rhotic accents. Assuming the makers are US, I doubt they were pondering whether some non-rhotic speakers thought they were referring to genocide.

[Mehfruittea]

DH and I both picked up on it straight away - and had that uncomfortable kind of 'did they really just say that?' Look at each other.

It's a made up word, so they could have easily made a different one. Walt Disney is often accused of making propaganda, being a nazi and having anti-semitic views. I would have thought those who make Disney programs today would want to distance themselves, not create deliberately goady words. My question was AIBU to think the made up word, by Disney, is offensive? Given the Disney context.

[user1477282676]

OP you're right. They could easily have called it something like The Holo Ride or The Holo Speed or The Holo Track or any number of more suitable names.

[AnnieAnoniMouse]

Perhaphs, to give them the benefit of the doubt, they were just so intensely focussed on the creativity of it all they didn't see it. Also, depending on their accents it might not have sounded so similar. Then there's the fact that the people doing those jobs all seem to be about 12, so scary, but true, they might not even have heard about the holocaust.

Other than raise my eyebrows I don't think I'd do anything about it, but if you feel you want to, then you should.

[steff13]

I don't think they sound that similar. I've noticed, though, that some British people put the letter "r" in words without an r. Like how Paul McCartney called Linda "Lindur." If you did that with holocaust, I can see how they'd sound the same.

[HelenaGWells]

They could easily have called it something like The Holo Ride or The Holo Speed or The Holo Track or any number of more suitable names.

But it isn't a track or a ride its a holographic training course so tbh it makes sense that they would call it the holo course. It's a perfectly sensible name imo as it's just a shortening of what the thing actually is.

It also doesn't sound the same to me. Hol - oh - cor - s and Hall - oh - Cost. It's reasonably close but I wouldn't have made the connection between the two words at all personally.

[kali110]

like Cosmicglitterpug i found others using the word too.( something to do with technology)

[Mehfruittea]

HelenaGWells it was in an American accent - Har-low-corse

[KateDaniels2]

Its a holographic course.

It fits.

[KateDaniels2]

My kids watch miles and i have seen this one several times and never though it sounded like anything but holo course.

[TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge]

Get a grip. There's nothing offensive about it, it's used elsewhere and does not sound the same as holocaust.

[Mehfruittea]

TripTrap it's not used elsewhere- I don't know where people are getting that from.

I suppose it's one of those subjective things, offense is not intended but, would Jewish people and those directly affected be offended?

I'm not directly affected by it which is why I asked for opinion. I think the sensitivity for me lies around the historical accusations against Walt Disney and this being a Disney cartoon. If i worked for Disney I would be advising them against it or to consult with religious groups.

[TheLivingAsheth]

I worked for a company that wanted to call something "The Vinyl Solution". I had to argue A LOT to get them to not do that. I just thought I would Google it just now and there is a company called that, which makes decking.

[RedSauce]

I've never heard of it but as soon as I read the thread title I assumed it was a play on the word holocaust.

[CrotchetQuaverMinim]

doubt someone working at Disney with an American accent would think they sounded the same at all - they really don't in a accent where you say 'r' and where the first vowel might be different too - and it wouldn't have occurred to them that anyone might have a problem with it.

[PenelopeFlintstone]

I've changed my mind after thinking about the American accent and other points made. I agree that they 'underthought' it.

[scottishdiem]

I think that it is too far removed to be picked up to be honest. The contexts are going to be very different.

[TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge]

Meh other people DO use it!

[JustAnotherPoster00]

The poutrage is real

[Prawnofthepatriarchy]

YANBU. I can't believe that anyone in the probably huge team at Disney didn't notice the issue. I was just hearing about it. And for those who think Americans aren't so aware of the Holocaust, Jewish views and interests are far more prominent there than they are here, with powerful lobbying groups.

[maggiethemagpie]

Ironic that my post comparing the word to niggardly has been deleted -presumably because someone complained about the word niggardly.

Which kind of proves my point.

[maggiethemagpie]

And I have lost members of my family in the actual holocaust so if anyone should be offended it's me.

[shovetheholly]

I think it's insensitive, and slightly worrying that it didn't immediately occur to them that this wasn't a suitable made-up name for a kid's show.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

I do find it a bit weird that they used that particular turn of phrase, op. It feels definitively unnecessary.