To think that saying Idris Elba isn't suitable to play Bond because he's 'too street'...

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... is actually a racist comment, which - however 'jokingly' said - is absolutely not an appropriate thing to say in an office environment?

I'm on week two of a new position and between this kind of thing and other dodgy goings-on am debating whether to hand my notice in.

WIBU to mention my discomfort to line manager (who heard whole thing, laughed along etc.) or alternatively to just cut and run? Am I being a bit sensitive?

YABU.

Too street doesn't mean black, ffs. Danny Dyer - street. Ross Kemp - street. Eminem - street. Jason Statham - street.

It's a personality trait. rolls eyes

It's rascist. He's an actor and can change his accent (Sher Khan in Jungle Book) but cannot change his skin colour.

If it's not a comment on his skin colour then is saying he's a rubbish actor....

It would not occur to mean to think 'Street' is racist - you are over reacting.

If you google it, the Oxford dictionary has the conventional meaning followed by:
1.3a Denoting someone who is homeless.
‘the street kids of the city’

2a Relating to the outlook, values, or lifestyle of those young people who are perceived as composing a fashionable urban subculture.
‘London street style’

Nah - sorry but I think your looking for a reason to deem what colleagues said as racist. I think Jason statham and Vinny Jones are 'street' and quite 'gangster' - totally inappropriate to play bond. Last time I checked they were white.

Without the other examples we can't comment on handing your notice In

The comments maybe racist but surely you should say something rather than hand your notice in

In this context yabu but tell us the other things and you may get a different response

I think it's not that she's looking for a reason to take offence, but that given previous behaviour, when she's confronted with a remark that might be perfectly innocent or might not be, she's not giving them the benefit of the doubt.

I think that often they pick relatively unknown actors to play Bond so they are a blank canvas. People who haven't been pigeonholed as a particular type of actor. Idris Elba already has a strong image so it's harder to impose the character of Bond on him. I would argue that you couldn't have given the role to Michael Caine once he had established himself as a working class Londoner even though he would have been capable of playing the role.

Thinly veiled racism. A friend of mine used to work in an agency for voiceover artists and said the amount of times people would call up asking for a "street" or "urban" or "gangster" voice when what they were really getting at was they wanted a black voice was astounding.

I thought they meant not posh enough but followed by the gangster explanation I would say yes. Not worth handing your notice in for though. In defense of your manager maybe they didn't realise ( I honestly didnt).

Too street doesn't mean black, ffs of course it doesn't.

I can't stand the man,is he really the new Bond?

It's not at all racist and you are definitely being too sensitive calling racism for such a silly thing. He is a good actor yes but the parts he plays are from what I hear quite Street, which means not posh at all which bond normally is . Fyi , I don't think Daniel Craig is right either because he's blond and quite frankly isn't handsome in the least. I think it any be the guy who played Loki. He's naturally posh, his hair is dark and is generally how the book describes bond. However idris would be great at a new character all of his own

How is saying someone is "too street" to play Eton-educated Bond, racist in any way whatsoever?

I think if he managed a Baltimore accent for The Wire, he should be able to manage an RP accent!

... and then he was sent to Fettes, his father's school in Edinburgh.

Sounds racist to me, but I wouldn't hand my notice in over it. Sadly I think you'll struggle to find a workplace where no one is the slightest bit racist/sexist.

It wouldn't hurt to express your disapproval so at least the racists can keep their thoughts to themselves (well that's what I try to do with my MIL, but it doesn't always work!)

and more importantly Idris would be a fabulous Bond!

Oh and a word of warning op, don't go getting on the everything is racist band wagon because you are taking away the power of the word. Only use that word if it was 100 percent racism because it does the cause no good , and will actually cause racism as a result. And no I am not racist just being sensible.

We are all huge Idris fans at work and we are a mixed bunch. One girl had her hen night at chocolate city last weekend she invited me to go as i "like abit of chocolate" for one second i thought she meant we were going to Cadburys World! I declined as strippers are my worst nighmare but i did cringe but because they are Jamaican i guess its not offensive but to me it was. To them its not. And yes one of them did say to me Idris is too gangsta to play Bond and shes met him afew times. Its a minefield but I certainly woukdnt leave a job over it.

I watched Roger Moore say the same thing. I don't know if it's racist, maybe just makes you a bit miss led. Or he's a bad actor!

If he is Bond, the movie won't sell in many parts of the world where people are still racist. I'm just stating the fact.

YANBU, he is an actor. He can do a posh accent and wear a suit, the reason they think he is too street is because they think he looks too street, because he is black.
If you thought he couldn't play the part of bond you would say he was a bad actor, the word street is all about looks and the only thing that cant be changed is his skin colour.

Of course it's not racist fgs. Loads of actors of various colours would be too 'street'. As someone else mentioned - Ross Kemp for starters. It's not a 'brawn' role.

I might add it in as an example if it were one of many more definite shifty comments but as a standalone it wouldn't concern me. As has been said, the same could be said about Vinnie Jones. Or Danny Dyer or any number of white actors.

I can see where you are coming from. I took a new job in an office full of guys. Some of the conversation was close to the knuckle (sexist rather than racist) and on a night out with a different team from the same company, the conversation was "if you had to sleep with someone in the office, who would it be" 🙄 At that point I realised my guys were not the worst bunch!

I was in two minds whether to stay or not, but you know what? I speak up, We debate their comments, we talk openly about why something could be construed as sexist and I honestly believe we have all learned from it. I notice a difference in their banter now and they have definitely changed how they respond to female colleagues both within and outwith our organisation.

James Norton will be the next Bond, he is the right age, the right look and an excellent actor.

I don't think that Danny Dyer could be Bond either

Now he really would be too gangster!