Are you guilty of racism against chavs?

[BLEEPyouYOUbleepingBLEEP]

I was listening to Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 earlier, and they were talking about how feelings are running high in some white, working class areas where people feel they're being ignored by the government (which some might say is a blessing!)

Jeremy asked, in a totally serious tone 'Should the term chav not be used because it could be considered racist?'

Unfortunately, I was laughing so hard I missed the answer he was given.

So perhaps you could give me the answer, could chavs be considered a race in themselves?

(If you're still not sure what a chav is, just put it into google images...veeery enlightening)

Is it vulgar or showy, I am a showy person which I know is supposed to be a working class thing. I grew up with nowt and can now afford nice things so tend to get them . I like all things sparkly. Perhaps if I had grown up in a more affluent home I would not have such magpie tastes.

Chav is an insult, i think it comes from Romany dialect, no idea what it means though.

I'm not guilty of being anti chav, if I'm anti anything it's being anti the sense of entitlement that people who engage in outrageous behaviour have in feeling that they have to force it upon the rest of us.

99.9% of the people that get their 15 minutes on the JK show, 20 years ago would have done the right thing and kept their behaviour quiet, washing their dirty laundry in private.

I don't want to know about Peter Andre, his wife or his kids, I don't want to know about anyone stupid enough to be on Bid sodding Brother. I could care less if those that went to the Jungle were eaten alive by fire ants, or their bones picked clean by piranhas.

I just wish who ever these people are, whatever we are supposed to call them, would go home and keep themselves to themselves and stop trying to normalise their behaviour, by ramming it down everyone's throat in any way that they can. I don't want to know about some weird incestuous relationsip a quatre, set ups like that ought to be in private, not shouted from the roof tops.

The abysmal way that these people live pollutes the rest of our society.

There, I feel slightly better for that! Sorry, chicken pox on way, i feel like death... i'm off to me bed..

I think the term originated by some people wearing similar clothing (usually expensive), and they became vilified by the media as 'thugs' as they became associcated with violence on estates and, as with the casuals, at football matches. It happened in the 50s with the teddy boys, in the 60s (mods and rockers) and 70s with the skinheads. Am now off to get a life....

Have you caught my sociology disorder BLEEP?

"..white, working class areas where people feel they're being ignored by the government (which some might say is a blessing!)"...Why would that ever be a blessing?
Why were you laughing so much you couldn't hear the answer?....Because the term 'chav' is SOOOO funny? Is it?!
Typing 'chav' into Google to see what 'they' look like would feel like typing 'paki' 'gay', 'nigger'....wouldn't feel right at all !

Naaa, got chickenpox off 6feet, bloody comin' on here spreading her lurgy

I thought he was called Jeremy Vile? Must have misheard or misinterpreted!!

You're determined to take offence arent you taokiddy? I'll just say again what I replied to mrsruffalo and daftpunk when they asked about the white, working classes being ignored by the governement, it is a long haul trauling through the posts to read what everyone else has posted isn't it?...

'any group who finds themselves under the scrutiny of the government are suddenly criminalised or hit by stealth taxes in the forms of 'fines', nothing to do with being white or working class.

Sorry if you read it with being offended in your mind.

I laughed out loud in an outraged way at the word racism being applied to a social group defined by the way they dress/behave, when it's usually used to describe the hideous discrimination against someone because of their biological traits.

taokiddy - am just going to stick up for bleep here, re being ignored by govt - there are times when it would be great to be ignored by the govt and some of their nanny state policies which is I think what she might be referring to (and this would also be for every other social status that could be used)
Re laughing so much didn't hear the answer - its Jeremy Vine asking a question that kind of question that is so funny not the question itself.
re typing chav into google - can't really defend and haven't looked but if you didn't know what chav is (which all of us are struggling to define exactly what chav means as it is different people to each of us) and you googled the word you would get a variety of images and descriptions no doubt - and i think a few of us have typed it into google in research of answers to this post!

Actually don't think the original post was that offensive, just asking the question which has already been asked in public today by the god known as Jeremy Vine - spend a lot of time listening to the radio

I spend - sorry

Yup, that's what I mean doodle cheers lol

But...having said that, it is nice to see some posters sticking up for chavs (however they may be defined) of course I would never condone being nasty or laughing at any group of people, I'm trying to give up laughing, nasty habit.

I think we have lost sight of the definition of race.

No distinction between race and ethnicity has been present in British law since 1976. According to my employer's equal opportunities department:

The definition of ?ethnic? was provided in the case of Mandlau v Dovell Lee (1983). Here it was stated that an ethnic group is one that has a long and shared history, of which the group is conscious as distinguishing it from other groups, and the memory of which it kept alive and a cultural tradition of its own, including family and social customs and manners. This was then included in the Public Order Act (1986).

I would say that chavs are not an ethnic groups as they do not have a long or shared history.

I think we need an extension of the Equality Act, so that prejudice based on social class or regional background becomes illegal. That would stop disadvantaged groups being squeezed into an ethnicity definition in order to gain protection from discrimination. I thought Trevor Phillips was already trying to get something done about legal protection for economically disadvantaged groups..

Racism against chavs! I've never heard such a load of shite in my life.
Racism is ignorant, horrible and in my opinion evil prejudice just for the colour of someones' skin or where they are from, for no other reason.
If chavs don't want to be discriminated against then they should stop acting like arses, that's where the discrimination comes from - not just because they wear a burberry cap.

But the damage comes from looking at an individual who lives in a certain area, speaks in a certain way or dresses in a particular style and labelling them as a chav - regardless of the way the individual actually behaves or thinks.

And by applying this derogatory label, people feel justified in being rude, perhaps discriminating against perceived chavs in education or the workplace etc. etc.

I think if you were to drive past our school playground at drop off time, you would quickly label us as a bunch of chavs - without knowing our individual stories, where we went to uni, the jobs we have, the voluntry work we do, what our dreams and aspirations are, what we hope our children will achieve. In fact, you would probably not even get out of your Volvo to say hello.

I think it's really sad attitude to have.

pipWereRabbit I agree, being a "chav" has fuck all to do with how you dress, where you come from, where you live or if you speak with a certain accent and calling someone a chav just because of those reasons is derogatory and downright insulting.
As I've said before "chavs" to me ARE low lifes, and thats not me being nasty. I and other decent white working class people I know have to live amongst them, they do the things they do out of choice because they can't be bothered to better themselves or even try to contribute anything to society.....right I've had my rant now I'll go and hide now before I get shot down