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?

I'm black. It's not racist. Really not.

I personally wouldn't say it because some people would be offended and their feelings are equally as valid as those who are not offended. It's a grey area at best.

DogsAndGin We actually have black and Asian people in Scotland now. How do you know the OP is white?

"Emotional Damage" was created by Steven He

misses point

If an Asian or African comedian builds their career around sketches playing off Asian/African stereotypes is it racist for non Asian or Africans to find it funny?

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?

Allo Allo was massively racist.
Using the lines from Allo Allo out of context was almost certainly racist.
Your parents are not exempt from the all-pervasive racism in society.
If something feels racist it probably is.
If something doesn’t feel racist to you, it still might be.
Society isn’t made up of ‘racists’ and ‘non-racists’. We can all do and say racist things.
The difference is whether you learn and do better next time.

I know exactly who you're talking about and find his videos hilarious. Not seen him on TikTok, but on YouTube for years. I wouldn't think mimicking him and repeating his jokes would be racist at all, as long as the people you're speaking with also are aware of him and know who you're talking about. It's all about context.

It's the same with comedian Russel Peters. He's Indian with a Canadian accent. He mimics his dad during his routine and uses and Indian accent. He wouldn't have been half as popular as he is now without the jokes where he mimics his dad in an accent and I know many many people of all colours who repeat his catch phrase line and jokes. I wouldn't consider it racist at all.

Would you consider an Indian (or any other non-white British) person racist if they repeated a Jack Whitehall joke in a posh British accent?

Yeah, allo allo was xenophobic and sexist- as were a lot of shows from that era.

My DS has a habit of putting on silly accents. I've spoken to him about this and said some people might think you're taking the mickey/ being disrespectful. I think this falls into that category.

As an aside - speaking of offence being in the eye of the beholder, and since Allo Allo has been discussed here - I had relatives who were Holocaust survivors who found Allo Allo very offensive (not because of the accents, but because they felt the entire topic was not a joking matter).

If an Asian or African comedian builds their career around sketches playing off Asian/African stereotypes is it racist for non Asian or Africans to find it funny?

I've wondered before, when non-white British comedians play characters or make jokes using accents that maybe their parents or grandparents might have, but which they themselves most certainly do not, having lived in the UK all (or almost all) of their lives. People like Omid Djalili, Jocelyn Jee Esien, Gina Yashere, Sanjeev Kohli, Steven K Amos etc.

Most obviously, it's not borne of racial hatred of people of their own racial heritage, but as people with 'majority' British accents, for which they will never have been mocked, is it still 100% OK for them to imitate stereotypical non-white accents for comic effect?

X-posted with adhdforme.

@Smartsub, ‘Allo ‘Allo has been repeated very recently on TV.

I agree with Asim Chaudry, who is feckin' brilliant as Chabuddy G on People just do Nothing. I think he said it anyway. Doesn't mind people doing different accents or it's done in a truly observational way, rather than to be insulting or offensive. My ancestors have what is made into a 'comedy' accent sometimes. I can't get worked up about it.

A white person emulating a different race has connotations.

Only a white person? Maybe if you said a person emulating a person of a different race it might sound less pathetic.

But when racial words are used in songs/rap its OK? I had a year 4 in a whole lot of trouble the other day because he used a certain word (which should not be said outloud unless you are allowed to apparently!!)He, as it turned out had heard it from a song and repeated it. He was in more trouble for this than when he punched a girl in the face and called her ugly. Being offended is not the end of the world.

I went to see Six the Musical recently, and there's a whole song where they all sing in exaggerated German accents. It made me wonder where we are on whether putting on an accent of another nation, in a slightly mocking way, is xenophobic / racist / offensive. It really surprised me as the show as a whole was pretty woke.

The original is Stephen He I think. He basically mocks strict Asian parents. My DCs love his channel and often mimic it. My MIL (their GM) is Chinese and the videos capture very well our experience of stereotypical "strict asian parent/grandparent". I don't see why it's okay to put on a French accent but not a Chinese one. Or why it might be okay for my half Chinese DH to copy his mum's Chinese accent but not okay for my 1/4 Chinese (but white-looking) DCs to fo the same.

I think people can be offended by whatever they want, but that intent is everything. I still quote Goodness Gracious Me, because I thought it was a very funny programme. Is that racist? I don't think so, isn't comedy supposed to be enjoyed? I think things like this are just causing more divide than is necessary.

“Emotional damage” is Steven He. Nigel Ng does the rice cooking review videos, while all Steven’s vids pretty much centre on the emotional damage that the high expectations of immigrant Asian American parents can cause. As someone with immigrant parents, there are lots of parallels that I can relate to.

Personally, I wouldn’t imitate the accent but I can see why a teenager would do so seeing how popular the meme is.

My DS9 is forever saying it and showing me the meme. He thinks it's hilarious.

I'd never considered it racist at all.

Quite annoying. But not racist.

DF was Scottish and my maternal Grandmother was also Scottish, we have far more relatives across the border than over here, we grew up mimicking each other and still do today.

Sadly DF and DGM are no longer with us but their legends and their amazing accents live on through us, telling stories about them, in a lighthearted way.

I love doing a good accent, Peaky Blinders, Killing Eve, Trump!, Liverpooool, all lighthearted and in good humour, I struggle with the Geordie accent though, can manage Photocopier and Kawasaki 😃😆. They’re all so much nicer than my own so I’m not mocking or being racist, it’s always been our humour growing up.

No idea who those comedian are, never heard that phrase, don’t go on TikTok. This thread has been educational.

crawls back under rock.

Waaaazzzzzzuuuup???
If people think a comedy catchphrase created by non-white people but then repeated by white people is racist, they can kiss my chuddies.

Haven't rtft but can people stop comparing mimicking someone black or E/SA Asian to someone Scottish? It is not the same if it's not a minority/racialised group.

I'm just here for the English people who think Scottish people like having their accent mocked, newsflash, we do not. It's extremely annoying especially when English people seem to expect us to go along with the hilarious joke.

I don't know about this - I think alerting him to it being insensitive to people who have that accent rather than focusing on whether it's racist is probably the way to go.