To be this upset about minor racist joke

[Jetlaggedandangry]

I am on a business trip to my country of birth, where I secured a major win today for my British employer. I should be celebrating but instead I am so upset😠
A colleague who is travelling with me called the HQ and when he said "I am calling from jetlag's country" the response was "I am amazed they have mobile network there". They were both very chuffed at the joke.
This is a wealthy country with very developed infrastructure.
I am seething and not able to sleep. Please tell me the iabu and then we can be done with it.

Yanbu. For what little it's worth one of the most peculiar results of this Brexit shitshow is the waning influence of British exceptionalism. I occasionally go to the continent for work and we're pretty much seen as a joke nation at the moment.

Well that’s not racism first off. Insulting a country isn’t the same as insulting the race that makes up the majority of its inhabitants. If anything it’s racism to think that the country of origin is a reflection on members of the race.

Just write them off as gauche and unsophisticated if they know so little about the world.

Also Scottish here and yes get the TV/electricity/internet joke all the time. The most though was when working briefly in London someone actually asked if we learn English at school like they learn French....

It was a childish joke but I don't see it as racist, especially as you were on the 42nd floor of an office block in the capital so it clearly isn't a country that is behind the times.

Please don't take it to heart.

Ynbu. Don't let them think it's ok though, as it has made you annoyed and they should be made aware of it. I used to study around a lot of Americans when abroad and the constant laughing about "aren't all English girls really ugly?", "you all have really bad teeth", amongst lots of other things got grating after a long while before I started to tell them to knock it off because it was irritating and racist.

It's not racist, deeply unfunny, yes, but not racist. I just don't 'get' that type of err 'humour', its unoriginal and dull. My parents are Irish but I was born in the UK, so I of course have an English accent, I have heard a lifetime of ignorant anti Irish comments where people are unaware of my origins, but they are really not worth losing sleep over. Don't let idiots take up head space.

Lifecraft - oh how he must laugh. You’re a twat.

Tunnockswafer...he gives as good as he gets, and us Londoners get our fair share of ribbing off him. That's because he's a normal human being who has social skills and can interact with others. I realise this may be an alien concept to you, but not everyone bursts into tears when a joke is made at the expense of their home town or country.

YouJustDoYou

I used to study around a lot of Americans when abroad and the constant laughing about "aren't all English girls really ugly?", "you all have really bad teeth", amongst lots of other things got grating after a long while before I started to tell them to knock it off because it was irritating and racist

Those comments are racist though. Not remotely funny, but not racist.

As someone with normal social skills I manage to communicate at work in a way that’s friendly and that wouldn’t potentially get me in trouble with HR. You sound like a kid at school.

I'm going against the grain here but I'm really not getting how this is racist or particularly offensive.

This.

*aren't

Not Racist what so ever

it was ignorance rather than racism

This ^^

I’ve has remarks like that just from being from a different part of the same country.

BarbaraofSevillle

You might think differently if you were constantly the butt of such 'jokes' from people who clearly think their UK heritage or whatever makes them more sophisticated...

But you’ve just done this yourself! You wrote:

Like all those people from London who think they have the monopoly on culture, diversity and a big city lifestyle and everywhere outside London is some rural wasteland that doesn't have running water, electricity or paved roads.

it is deliberate, OP, I agree, it's not ignorance.

I'm not sure whether I'd complain to HR...probably...then again HR might love the "joke" too.

that was an example of the type of thing, though Marypoppins. It happens a lot.

And it's one thing making fun of Boro with a friend but it is another thing completely to insult a country - especially when, as it seems, your company needs someone who is a native of that country to help them get a trade deal.

I've worked in male dominated industries all my working life and am constantly being told to suck up low-level sexism. Which is horses for courses, sometimes you have to know when speaking up is desirable or not. But one result of letting a lot of it go turned out to be a #MeToo moment in a lift with somone who said "but I thought you didn't mind"

Racism and xenophobia are the same. Sadly I'm not surprised because we seem to be seeing a lot of that coming from the UK lately.

I’ve said this to my mum who lives on the outskirts of Milton Keynes but in a small village .

I was also asked tongue in cheek if we had central heating in England when I was studying in Canada in about 2004.

Unless this is a straw that broke the camels back type comment I think you’re overreacting.

Viewing another country where most people aren’t white as a less advanced backwater seems racist to me. It’s easy to say things are not racist or offensive when they’re not happening to you.

Yes it was an example, of the sort of thing you hear/read a lot. Lots of people in London seem to think that they are the only ones with access to museums, theatre and restaurants etc.

I was once in London and someone said to me 'I bet you're excited about the shopping aren't you' which confused me, because I'd rather poke my eyes out than travel 200 miles to go to some shops and coming from one of the largest cities in the UK, we have plenty of shops here thank you very much.

Those comments are racist though. Not remotely funny, but not racist

"Aren't all Black people xyz?" Said with a laugh. "Aren't all Japanese people xyz?" Said mockingly. Etc. If you're making a statement based on race, it's racist.

As someone with normal social skills I manage to communicate at work in a way that’s friendly and that wouldn’t potentially get me in trouble with HR. You sound like a kid at school

As opposed to online, where you're happy to call people twats for making jokes you don't happen to find funny. People who haven't sworn at or insulted you.

You are the worst kind or virtue signalling self proclaimed keyboard warrior, always offended on someone else's behalf.

Like all those people from London who think they have the monopoly on culture, diversity and a big city lifestyle and everywhere outside London is some rural wasteland that doesn't have running water, electricity or paved roads.

No one in London actually believes that, although we often joke about the rest of the UK along those lines. Just like my Northern colleagues often joke that I must have jellied eels in my lunchbox and are surprised that I'm not dressed as a pearly queen and constantly singing about doing the Lambeth walk!

You workplace keeps sounding better and better Lifecraft.
I’m not going to apologise for sticking up for your colleague or telling you your behaviour is inappropriate. I’m going to puzzle now about how I am a “self proclaimed keyboard warrior” as I’m pretty sure I’ve never proclaimed myself as a keyboard warrior and I would happily speak up about offensive “jokes” in the workplace in real life too.

I have a feeling I know someone at lifecraft workplace

my friend regularly visits Middlesbrough - his home while growing up - and has talked of a colleague who makes "jokes" about it.

it's the kind of workplace I hope I never end up in - generally sounds pretty fucking horrendous.