...to think that 'doing' an Indian accent is not racist?

[MrsMerryHenry]

I was thinking about an old friend this evening, and how when we used to teach EFL together (if you've ever learned a foreign language, rest assured, your teachers are laughing at your mistakes behind your back! ) all the teachers used to 'do' loads of accents - we'd all taught all over the world and so everyone had a bunch of foreign accents up their sleeves. However when my friend then 'did' an Indian accent, apparently some of the (white) teachers had a go at her and said she (white) was being racist. They didn't object to the content of what she said, just the fact that she was mimicking an Indian accent. There was a bloke of Indian origin amongst the teachers but I don't know whether he was there at the time to make a comment.

Am I the only one who thinks this is bizarre, hypocritical and rather hypersensitive political correctness? (by the way, if anyone says it's "political correctness gone mad" I shall shoot them )

Political correctness gone mad

But seriously, I believe a racist comment is one that is detrimental to a particular race, so YANBU.

Does it make a difference if its a 'good' Indian accent or a crap one?

You know when people do that 'deary deary me' thing? I dont know if its racist but its rubbish.

If someone was a really good mimic it could add to the general joke.

I think it the context thats important. Just doing an accent isnt racist.

I am not sure it's racist but may be thought of as rude if someone thought you were taking the piss out of their accent.
My mum gets pissed off when I talk in a scottish accent as she thinks I'm taking the piss out of her.

Hmm...I don't know that it does, chegirl - if I were doing a crap French accent I think peopel would just say I'm doing a crap accent. I don't think it should be treated any differently, should it?

naturalblonde - yes, as far as I know her words themselves were devoid of any racial content.

Ahem. 'People'.

ggirl - I agree, but in my friend's case the staffroom was full of Western native English speakers doing all manner of accents.

no I don't think it's racist

you wouldn't think it racist to do some other accent like french

but I bet you'd get flak if you mimicked a german one

strange -don't know why

When I do an Indian accent it goes Welsh. Doing one accent can't be more racist than doing another if done with affection and humour - surely it's the content and tone that might be a problem. Wish I could do a Geordie one. I'm crap at that.

NormaJean - when I do a Welsh accent, it hops across the ocean to Jamaica! (Mmm...sunnnnshiiiiiine!!! )

Good point ggirl. I believe it is a bit cultural. If Indian people perceive this as racist so it is racist. We should respect other cultures. I don't know what they think though. I am not Indian but am a dual citizen of both UK and another country. My second country is also multicultural country. If we mimic northern people's accent in my country everybody laughs and have fun but if we do the same thing to people with eastern accent p they tend to think you are racist, so we usually try not to make their accent.
My personal opinion it is rude in general unless you are doing it to your close friends or family.

I met an old farmer from Cork at the races in IReland once and he sounded Jamaican. I find accents fascinating and am always really impressed when people mimic them well. This is quite different to someone taking the piss. I think most of us know if we're hearing a good mimic making an anecdote more lively or a Jim Davidson apprentice. Sometimes you need the accents to make it obvious who's talking. I hear some long anecdotes.

i think it depends on what's actually being said.

Whether or not something is offensive is based on if someone is offended or not (mainly) so I'd say the same would be said of accents. If someone is offended then it is offensive, whether racist or not.

VQ, some people are very easily offended. Does this mean we should all walk on eggshells around them?

VS, even

I think we should be aware of what we are saying and who we are saying it around, yes. I'm not saying don't say something you believe in, no way, but if it's something that need not be said, then don't say it.

VS, people who are hypersensitively offended typically use it as a form of manipulation. I vehemently disagree with manipulation as a communication strategy, so if I'm around a manipulative person I refuse to kow-tow. That doesn't mean being blatantly offensive, but it certainly doesn't mean letting them get away with childish behaviour. So if that's the sort of person you're talking about, I think they're the unreasonable ones!

The context of the accents which I described above, if you recall, is that everyone was doing accents but they only complained at the Indian one.

mrshenry, i'm being ignored on my thread about games to play in the woods.
help me out.

Ah, but if you're around someone you know isn't genuinely offended then are you being offensive?

If someone is genuinely offended by something and not trying to be manipulative then it's a different matter, IMO, to someone who is playing the 'prejudice/pc' card, which
is something that gets my goat.

My American friends mock my Englishness.

My friends in Barecelona mock my cod spanish.

But there is a fine line between jest and causing offence.

No it's not racist.

How can it be?

If it's accompanied by certain gestures or used to ridicule or caricature certain ideas or beliefs then THAT can be racist, but the accent itself isn't.

On a tangent, and more as a humorous aside than anything, we have a black guy at work who loves taking the piss. He has an ordinary london accent but frequently puts on a black African accent. Apparently, he did it over the phone and did it once to often. Judging him by his normal accent alone, the black African recipient made a claim of racism against him. When a black man entered the room for the appeal in place of the chirpy (white) Cockney everyone had been expecting, there was an embarrassed silence ...