Never thought I'd ask this here but... is this racist?

[MrsMingech]

I know these threads are fricking cringe and awful sometimes and I've deliberately not name changed as I don't want to seem like a troll.

My son and I really like a comedian called Nigel Ng who often slates peoples cooking. He has several quips, one of which is "Emotional damage"

I recently overheard my son and his friends saying it when something bad happens, in this comedians accent.

I said to him later that it's probably not the best idea, it doesn't come across well.

On the other hand I have a vague memory of my parents repeating some of the famous lines from 'Ello Ello, so that can't be racist?

I once heard someone say to their kid, if something feels wrong, then it is wrong.

And hearing the kids saying it felt wrong....

It is, isn't it?

It’s a massively massively popular tiktok meme, obviously kids will emulate this. Not racist, at all. Would it be racist if it was a Scottish, Spanish or Dutch accent? No, nobody would bat an eyelid.

I personally don't feel mimicking a popular meme is racist. However it wasn't Nigel Ng who said it first, you you may be being slightly racist bu getting your Asian comedians mixed up (I jest, but link below showing the origins)

www.dexerto.com/entertainment/what-is-the-emotional-damage-trend-on-tiktok-1739193

But they’re all the same race - white.

A white person emulating a different race has connotations.

I've only heard it from Nigel Ng, so he stole it from someone else?

I think imitating the accent of any culture, country or ethnicity that has ever had its accent mocked due to racism will always feel slightly racist even if it isn’t.

Hai yaa! It's probably a bit insensitive. I'm not sure Allo Allo is a good benchmark 😁

If they're imitating a particular person rather than just putting on s generalised accent then personally I don't think it's racist at all.

This is so popular at the moment, I don't think they are taking the piss out of him or his accent. It's all over tik tok.

I don't think putting on any accent that isn't of your own region/culture with the intention for it to be the butt of the joke is particularly sensitive. I hate it when southerners use a mocking northern accent when pretending to say something stupid, and I think offence is exacerbated cross race/country...

Something doesn't have to be racist to be insensitive in the wrong setting, so I think it's a good idea to start your ds off thinking about it.

I don't think the children had racist intent, but I do think they were probably unintentionally racist.

I also think Allo Allo was "of it's time" and isn't on TV now for a reason.

😂

Never heard of him or the phrase. What accent is it?

Allo allo is a bizarre way to judge if something is racist or not.

Using the phrase is fine; doing a foreign accent is not.

I'm not sure. I'm not offended when my cousins put on an English accent and joke about making a cup of tea.

I don't think imitating a comedians accent when repeating a well known quip of theirs is racist at all.

We regularly get Scottish money gifted from DH's family. Every time we open an envelope either us or the dc will say 'I think you'll find pal, that's legal tender' in Scottish accent a la Michael Mcintyre.
Slightly different obviously as MM was already imitating Scots - but then again I don't know any Scots offended by this skit either.

If the quip is well known in one accent it kind of falls flat if you repeat it in another imo.

Mocking another accent is denigrating regardless of the racism angle. I think you're right in that if it makes you feel uncomfortable, it's wrong.

But they’re all the same race - white.

There are plenty of non-white Scottish, Spanish and Dutch people, who have 'standard' accents for their countries (i.e. you'd know you were speaking to a Scot, Spaniard or Dutch person on the phone, but have no idea what colour skin they had) - I know you absolutely didn't mean to do so, but inadvertently othering people can also be racist.

I don't think putting on a Scottish accent is a good comparison. Scottish people haven't in recent history faced significant racial abuse from English people, and mocking the accent hasn't been a common way of laughing at them (on the other hand many people find the Scottish accent quite lovely). It's like saying that making a joke of Dutch people being tall and East Asian people have slanted eyes is level pegging as they are both physical characteristics. One would be accepted to be fair game, the other not ok.

once heard someone say to their kid, if something feels wrong, then it is wrong

That doesn't mean YOU get decide whether other people are wrong or not. You're not the arbiter or the centre of the universe.

You know Nigel Ng exaggerates the accent for effect, yes? And encourages others to copy him? They aren't mocking him, they are laughing with him, not at him. It isn't racist to put on other accents, ffs.

As a Scottish person, PLEASE don't do 'The Voice'.

I am not alone, particularly among people from the Celtic nations, in asking people not to do 'The Voice'.

No, it's not racist per se, because the vast majority of indigenous Scottish/Irish/Welsh people are ethnically Northen European and therefore white, but it is pretty annoying, not even slightly funny, and more than a wee bit offensive, especially when English people do it (I'll just point you in the direction of colonialism here, if you have to ask why).

So, basically, no, don't do 'The Voice'.

'allo 'allo is on the Yesterday channel daily at the moment.

Wow, see now that is actually really racist. You just said that all Dutch people and all Scottish people are white. Super, super racist.

Nigel ng is malayasian so has an accent

whther its racist or not i dont know we dont go round doing the chinese accent anymore

As long as its not done to cause offence i dont think theres a problem