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?

No not racist

Allo Allo was a funny and popular comedy. COMEDY, remember that? It was before everything got cancelled and we started living in 1984.

These people would faint dead away if they grew up in the seventies-you remember (if you do) Love thy Neighbour, The Black and White Minstrel show-as for "The Melting Pot" or "Curry and Chips", forget it.

It's just doing an impression of the voice. If you didn't follow it exactly as it sounds it wouldn't make sense. It's like doing Peter Kay's "garlic bread" in a West Country accent. It just wouldn't have the same effect and you'd have no idea why the person was saying it. You need the impression to get that association. Race doesn't come into it.

Of course it's racist. The comedian is making fun of his own culture/family. That doesn't make it okay for everyone else to pile in with their "hilarious" Asian accents wth.

I think it depends how it’s done

Russell Peters has built a whole career on mimicking accents and observing and making fun of different cultural ways. People are ridiculous at times all cultures have this. He is very funny. He will pick on someone in the crowd ask their name and often then mimic their accent (or accent he expects them to have) and then usually a playful insult based on a stereotype

he is highly popular all over the world but I doubt he would be shown on the BBC

This thread makes me sad

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

100% this, a relative on my DH side taught their young child to say a phrase in a very bad Scottish accent and they all think its hilarious.

Its really not and I'm glad the child has forgotten it in recent months!

Jeez. People really need to lighten up. You don't need to be offended over every little thing.

To the poster who said please don't do 'The Voice' - a Scottish accent - no can do sorry. Every envelope we open with Scottish money we'll probably continue to immitate MM because it's funny. I'll take the word of dh and the dozens of Scots I know in RL over a couple of offended Internet randos.

I'm not English though if that helps.

This.

Also I think its distracting and misleading debating whether or not it's "racist", it only needs to feel uncomfortable for you to think "best not say that". Why does it matter if you can theorise your way out of it officially fitting in that box?

My DP is of Chinese origin and we watch Nigel Ng and others and we laugh at the jokes. I never mimic them back to him (I'm white). I don't think he'd turn round and call me racist, it would just feel really uncomfortable and wrong. In the same way, when discussing something his mum said, I wouldn't say it in her accent as it is unnecessary and would sound like I'm mocking her.

Plus your children might be saying this with people who are not familiar with the tik tok.

But essentially the point is it actually doesn't matter whether your kids are being intentionally racist or not, I would be telling them not to mimic it as intent and definitions of racism are irrelevant if something just feels uncomfortable and someone could misinterpret.

Oh and the type of accent does matter.

There's a bit of stand up from Jimmy Carr on YouTube where he specifically talks about accents and asks people from the audience to tell him where they're from and he does the regional accent (Newcastle, Scotland d etc). One guy responds with 'Chinese ', and judging by carr's reaction, the man is most likely not Chinese and is just trying to get Carr to do it. Carr points out quickly (comedically) how that wouldn't come across well and doesn't do it.

So I don't really think you can use the 'comedians mimic accents all the time', because context of which accent and the person saying it matter.

@AffIt Does that mean mean that never again will I be able to say "Moneypenny" in my best Sean Connery accent?

Oh FFS

@Sandinmyknickers
@SummaLuvin

"But essentially the point is it actually doesn't matter whether your kids are being intentionally racist or not, I would be telling them not to mimic it as intent and definitions of racism are irrelevant if something just feels uncomfortable and someone could misinterpret."

But if they are copying something because they admire the original author of it and think it's funny with no intent to deride or be negative about the persons race?

This could easily became racist the other way round - you can only admire and promote things that are by other white Caucasians and must ignore anything by other nationalities for fear of being labelled racist.

Billy Connolly trades on his fabulous larger than life Scottishness and many people attempt to (often badly) copy the accent when repeating his jokes.

It can be admiration not racism.

'Emotional damage' is Steven He isn't it? He has collab'd (spelling?) with Nigel (Uncle Rodger) before though. We don't do tiktok but as a family absolutely love their youtube videos. They are regularly watched in the house and we do quote them.

Yep agreed!

As a British born Chinese woman, this thread makes me incredibly uncomfortable. White people stating that mocking a Cockney/Scottish etc accent is the same as mocking a stereotypical generalised “East Asian” accent? I grew up with people mocking this fake over the top accent, pulling their eyes, asking if I ate dog etc. Saying “I like haggis” in a Scottish accent isn’t the same.

If you don’t think it is racist to take the piss out of East Asians then you are the reason why your “dear” children are continuing the racism. They learn from their parents.

Fyi Nigel Ng and Stephen He’s real life accents are nothing like their personas that you see on Tik Tok.

If you don’t think it is racist to take the piss out of East Asians then you are the reason why your “dear” children are continuing the racism. They learn from their parents

But nobody is talking about taking the piss, are they? Completely different thing.

Weird how people are trying to make an innocuous thing about children emulating someone they admire (which is literally the opposite of taking the piss out of them) super racist, while ignoring the properly obvious racism of adults posting on this thread. What's that all about?

I don't think its racist in that context but I wouldn't go around mocking anyone's accent. Its distasteful and crass IMO.

I might have missed it, but I didn’t see anyone saying it was the same.

I did however say it’s not OK. When I was seven years old I was beaten so badly that I was in the hospital for 3 days, because I was Scottish. That is not OK either.

A joke is always funny in the eye of the joker. I think it is positive to raise the concern with your son, that it could hurt someone's feeling so to be mindful of it.

I'm Asian, and although I've watched some Nigel Ng, was unaware of this Emotional Damage meme. If someone had gone around saying that around me in a mock accent, I think I'd be offended! So your son could be causing distress to others even if that wasn't his intention.

What joke? What do you think this conversation is about?

Nigel Ng has never said it (as far as I know) but both comedians are doing the character of an Asian dad/uncle

Are the vast majority of British middle class teenagers racist? Because it seems that most speak in a Jamaican patras and use gang words. I don't think it's racist just depressing