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 honestly don't know but I think it is, a bit. Or maybe inappropriate would be a better word than racist.

I've had this issue come up when teaching Drama recently. I'm not a trained Drama teacher (I teach Dance/Musical Theatre but we've been short staffed) so I haven't had specific advice on this issue.
I had two 12 year old girls doing a piece of improv. They were playing Grandma/Grandaughter. The one playing the Grandma used quite a strong Nigerian accent. It wasn't a comedy one, it was very realistic and their play was very funny and effective (the comedy didn't come from the accent but was enhanced by it if that makes sense). I gave them the next instruction which built on their piece and they continued but this time the other girl also used the accent. The first girl is British but from a Nigerian family so her parents and grandparents do have that accent. The second is White British. I spoke to the second girl at the end and said that it was not okay for her to use the accent. She looked confused and said that it fitted with the piece as it developed because they were family members. Which I agreed with, it did. But I said that white actors could not use accents that are from other races and cultures as it can be offensive. She asked me why it was okay to do Italian accents then (which someone else had) and I couldn't really give her an answer. I ended up saying, 'you know what, maybe we shouldn't have done that either. It's a really complicated and sensitive issue.' I don't think she really agreed with me (which is fine) but then I also don't know if I was actually correct anyway. I just know that it felt wrong and awkward to hear a white girl using a Nigerian accent. Whereas it didn't feel wrong to hear the black girl doing it. Or to hear another white girl doing an Italian accent. But maybe all three were wrong. I don't think all three were ok but I know others would.

Not every thing is racist

@blameitonthecaffeine but you do realise there are white people in nigeria who have nigerian accents , accents are not always related to a persons colour

Er...what? How is that even vaguely related to what I said?

I am not British, you are correct. But that's because I am not, in fact, British.

Do you actually think that anyone born in Britain is British, by nationality? That is SO sweet!! You think that in 2022 that a child born to non British parents in Britain is automatically British?

Wow. Do you need some recent history lessons or what?!

@CharlieSJ yet none of my scottish friends are offended and they happily imitate english accents to
Many comedians imitate geordie accents or scouse , where do we draw the line as shock horror not all geordies are white either

@CupidStunt22 yes a white person born in India can be Indian , like a white person born in south Africa is south African , otherwise your saying any person who's parents are say from Africa if born in Britain can not consider themselves british , its up to the person nor randoms on the internet

To all the scottish people moaning about english mocking their accents , what about when its the other way is that ok?
Everything is about context surely , our bf are scottish we take the mick out if each others accents at times , neither one of us is offended.
I would necessarily go up to a stranger in the street who was ordering a coffee and copy his accent , so context is huge

Is there a prize for moat ridiculous post ever? Fuck me, its hard work looking that hard for offence that offended nobody. Poor kid must have been bewildered.

Don't be daft. You don't decide what your nationality is, you either qualify or you don't.

A person born in India after 2004 is only Indian national if their parents are Indian nationals (or one is and the other has legal residence permission)

A person born in South Africa after 1995 is only South African if their parents are SA or legal permanent residents. Born before 1995 their mother must be a SA citizen.

Don't make ridiculous assumptions about what other people are saying when you don't have the first idea what you are talking about.

You clearly shouldn't be teaching anyone.

@CupidStunt22 😳really?! I don't want to be doing things wrong but I honestly thought that it is not considered okay in current theatrical practice for actors to portray ethnicities that are not their own? Especially in comedy improv ways.

Ah I see....you're a frustrated actor turned drama teacher!

Children are not actors, school is not the theatre, and if you have such a poor grasp of these intracacies, should you really be trying to teach them to children? Your exercise was completely flawed, you set them up to fail and then called them racist when they did as it appeared you expected.

I think that's a bit harsh. The exercise was OK,just the crackers angst afterwards. I am amazed people think this hard about something so stupid. Who cares.

@CupidStunt22 No, I'm not an actor, I'm a dancer. I've just been covering Drama this term because the Drama teacher has long Covid. I usually just teach ballet, tap, jazz and musical theatre so spoken acting doesn't often come into it. How do you know the exercise was flawed, I didn't even describe what it was or what the children were set up to do? Just a small part of how a few children approached it. I was following the scheme of work of a HoD of a very successful Drama dept so I'm pretty sure it will have been fine. I hope I'm not letting her down with how I'm delivering it but it seems to be going pretty well, mostly. I don't know, I always call children actors, dancers, singers, performers etc when we're on the stage. Is that bad? Can't see why. And I know a school isn't the theatre but, when it comes to how to approach attitudes to diversity, I wouldn't have thought it should be that much different. I think children need to at least discuss boundaries of what's appropriate, offensive etc - even if they don't agree with the teacher? Maybe I'm wrong but I'm honestly just trying my best.

Blameit is getting such a hard time, at least she is trying to be modern. I think it's ridiculous and wouldn't even do that.