Julia Robert's racist comment

[Nicky-j]

I don't mean to be pedantic but it is surname not 'sir' which maybe old french meaning last or after.
I dont wish to be a man's piece of property either !!! xxx

I believe it does come from the French "sur nom" or something like that.


I've filled in forms where it's a 'family name' - I think US immigration cards have that.

 

[susygrace]

Sometimes the small offensive remarks which fall so easily off the lips are a indication to what lurks under the surface.

JR is a presenter with years or experience (and was one of my favourites) she should be fully aware of what not to say on TV.

If she had said he is Black or chinese, I would have found it equally offensive and racist.

Sorry for being so serious.

 

[watersiren]

Sometimes the small offensive remarks which fall so easily off the lips are a indication to what lurks under the surface.

JR is a presenter with years or experience (and was one of my favourites) she should be fully aware of what not to say on TV.

If she had said he is Black or chinese, I would have found it equally offensive and racist.

Sorry for being so serious.

You have every right to feel the way you did. The remark was uncalled for and very silly. However, one is not less serious when one puts things into perspective. There are a million opportunities to 'get offended' on a daily basis. 'Being offended' is often a matter of choice.

 

[rosielinks]

I thought the Irish comment was just a rather lame joke by JR - I'm sure she wasn't being racist. She is very full of herself and believes herself to be wittier than she is. However, I was riled by her 'apology' which was very grudging and displayed her arrogance.
Her comment minutes before about the model's outfit being 'horrible' was really catty. I think she is a capable presenter - she can be very informative - obviously she is very experienced but she needs to watch her bitchiness towards other females, her need to score points off people and her desire to puff up her own importance so frequently.
It is making her very tiresome.

 

[silversequin]

I think she lives in her own bubble of a world and does not realise that things have changed, touch of the Norma Desmond's "it wasn't QVC that got big, it was just me that stayed a size "small"" . or to put it another way, she is so sure that she is their best presenter she has lost any self awareness that might give her cause to pause and examine her behaviour and how it might affect others

 

[loujareth]

It's a very personal thing I think, considering what is and isn't racist. My son was taught in school last year that labelling someone blonde or blondie is racist. I was quite surprised by this, for a few seconds and then realised his teacher was blonde. On the one hand yes, it could be classed as racist, on the other, is it? I don't know. From a completely different aspect, was it correct of her to enforce her personal views on a group of nine year olds.

 

[BusyMum]

It's a very personal thing I think, considering what is and isn't racist. My son was taught in school last year that labelling someone blonde or blondie is racist. I was quite surprised by this, for a few seconds and then realised his teacher was blonde. On the one hand yes, it could be classed as racist, on the other, is it? I don't know. From a completely different aspect, was it correct of her to enforce her personal views on a group of nine year olds.

I think it's a shame we have to think every time we open our mouths these days for fear of offending someone, because there is always someone just waiting to jump on you for saying something you shouldn't have. Not that racism is acceptable, but how on earth can "labelling" someone "blonde" be racist? I put labelling in quotes because to me it seems a strange word to use...the teacher in question sounds just like one of those people I mentioned, just waiting to pounce on something - and in a class of 9 year olds? Are our kids being indoctrinated in the classrooms these days?

 

[Grockle Princess]

I sorry but saying some one is blonde is perfectly acceptable. It is a descriptive word the same as brunette or red-head. I do accept that they are mainly used to describe women, so maybe that is why the teacher in question got a bit upset. But rascist! someone needs to have a word! Calling someone Blondie is a bit patronising and they would only ever call me that once, if I was blonde!

 

[loujareth]

Calling someone Blondie is a bit patronising

Yes I agree, methinks this particular teacher has some history with the term but now I hear my son using the word racist in silly situations and can't help but wonder what seeds of ideas she has planted.

 

[Grockle Princess]

I know, rascism proper rascism is evil and disgusting imo. Treating another human being with disrespect because of their colour of their skin makes me sick. The only reason to do that is if they are a *****(fill in your own favourite insulting word for someone who is a pain)! I also feel the same about religous intolerance and homophobia and more important sexism!

But when it gets misused like in this case, it just irritates me. It's like bullying, real bullying is awful and should be stamped out, but it seems that everything is bullying at school nowadays. My son is convinced all the teachers at his school are trying to turn all the boys into girls!

 

[petpixie]

Common sense seems to be a thing of the past. I was brought up to be mindful of people's feeling, not to be rude, not to make personal hurtful remarks and to accept people for who they are. Maybe if there were better parenting skills out there, we wouldn't have to have all this 'PC' nonsense which ends up backlashing against the people it's meant to protect whilst giving licence to nitwits who use it for their own ridiculous reasons.

 

[scaryspice]

It will be the same people that have turned Christmas into a "Winter Festival" and won't say blackboard for fear of causing offence.
When I was working, I was the Manager because that's what I did, I managed.Many people told me that I should insist on being referred to as Manageress. I couldn't see the problem. Those that called me manager were not being rude or demeaning or trying to imply that the title was male-orientated, it described what I did.
Some old-fashioned expressions are obviously outmoded and were needful of change, like cripple, spastic and , as Vampy mentioned, Half-caste. Any word can be offensive in the wrong context and by changing the emphasis, where does it all end...........

My sister (who works in a school) and I were discussing that one cannot say blackboard, but must call it a chalk board, well that could/should be construed as racist, as well then, assuming you use white chalk!! but I would never think i was being racist for using the word blackboard, BECAUSE THATS WHAT IT IS. the worlds gone mad (oops can i say the word mad - incase i offend anyone!

 

[Sim1]

Just a thought, I have to agree that those who are telling people to lighten up and not to be too pc have not been offended by JR comments. If a condescending comment was made about where you are from, or where your parents were/are from, I think you would all be up in arms about it!
I don't think it is a case of people over-reacting....you cant' just flippantly label, especially on TV, a group of people.. Many Muslims have said that they feel when they boarded a plane after 9/11, they were stared at and watched by other passengers, it doesn't mean they were all up to no good!
If Julia was a young one with no experience then you might say she didn't know better. But remember that a lot of people, who probably have told us to lighten up, say that JR thinks she is Queen Bee and feels that she is the most important presenter. So you would have thought she would have had more sense!

If people are offended by a particular statement, they are entitled to voice their opinions and not be told to 'Lighten Up'. Just my thoughts...

 

[helena]

My husband is Spanish and when I went to meet his parents in a small village in northern Spain the locals referred to me as La Inglesa. [For weeks I walked around thinking they were calling me a church, which is Iglesia]lol. Anyway I didn't feel offended when I found out it meant the English one. My husband often gets comments from me when we're out if he hasn't comprehended straight away what I have said so I then do my 'Sybil Fawlty' and go on about 'excuse him, he's from Barcelona'.... It's just a bit of fun but it's how you take it I suppose.

 

[Topaz]

What did she say ???

I think this must be one of the most frustrating threads ever, unless you actually saw the show where Julia made this offending remark. Can someone please enlighten the rest of us who didn't see it by telling us what she said please, so we know what this discussion is all about. Thanks.

 

[Mrs James]

I think this must be one of the most frustrating threads ever, unless you actually saw the show where Julia made this offending remark. Can someone please enlighten the rest of us who didn't see it by telling us what she said please, so we know what this discussion is all about. Thanks.

i already have in post 33

 

[star234]

I have read this discussion with interest and am amazed to see how quick people are to judge. The story of the teacher is hearsay and we have no idea what actually went on. Could it be that someone was making jokes about blond people ( eg all blondes are stupid ect) and a child got upset so the teacher had to deal with it by explaining that jokes about blond people are unacceptable? Maybe the child who told his mother took it out of context and related the story as best he could with a) lack of detail and b) was in a rush only gave the basics?
If the teacher had not done anything about blond people jokes for instance (assuming that this might have been the case) there would also be uproar about that.
I also wonder how people would have reacted if anyone else on QVc would have made the comment? Seems that Julia can not do anything right. I did not see the show nor seem to catch when Julia is "horrible to other women", "is too high for her boots" or "needs to be taken down a peck of two", neither am I actually sure what all of that means - but maybe I am just dumb. Then the threat got into Chriistian names. last sensus the country described itself by over 3/4 Christian. Would that make Great Britain a Christian Country? With the Head of that Country also the Head of the Church? If you live in other countries you follow their rules, eg when I lived in Saudi Arabia I had to follow their rules, seems in Britain everyone wants to not offend anyone and ends up offending everyone for that reason.

Vampyre wrote: it's just very ignorant particularly to faiths that way predate Christianity. Case in point really. Could one not also argue that that is an ignorant fact to say as it excludes all religions who started after Christianity, e.g. Islam, Athieism? Not that I am picking on you Vampyre, I just wanted to point out how very easy it is to take offence at almost anything, even if written with the best of intentions and all it takes is one word taken the wrong way

 

[Akimbo]

My observation, for what it's worth: QVC presenters never get into difficult areas like this when they stick to their remit, talking about the stuff they're selling. Presenters straying from this into their family-life, their attempts at humour and their self-promotion spark as many threads here as the products do!

Offence is felt by the offended person even if it's not intended; once it's been pointed out that something might be perceived as offensive we then have a choice to avoid repeating this or disregarding it. Applying the caveat "No Offence!" almost makes it worse.

If JR is challenged over her use of the Christian-name or Irish references or whatever I'd hope she'd take notice. If no one has pointed these things out the production team should explain it to her after the show. I'd concede that a few words via talk-back during a live show probably isn't enough. JR's "apology" (which I did see) seemed hasty and defensive imho.

When you see other presenters consistently misusing vocabulary I'd assume no one takes steps to put them right.

If you are offended by something on TV, contact the station and ask them to take steps to stop it being repeated.

Jude xx

PS I'm just about to post an Irish-Blonde joke in the drop....no offence!

 

[Pinkpussycat]

Jeez, I see the up-in-arms pc brigade are still wittering on, it must be soooo tiring walking around with those huge chips on their shoulders!! I lived with an Irish guy for 9 years and thank feck he had a sense of humour and didn't take offence every time an Irish joke came on tv or when I took the pi$$ out of his accent, just as he did out of my London accent. In fact when he made some sort of gaff he would say 'well I am Irish' and we'd have a good giggle, but sadly, (as Watersiren has already said), people are just looking for an excuse to be offended now and I suspect they would be the very ones to sue their employer for hurt feelings if someone dared to have a lighthearted joke in the workplace. I am no fan of JR but I have to say this thread demonstrates just what a miserable country this has become and it's no wonder there is such hatred in our society when so many can get so outraged over very little.

 

[minnietheminx]

Friday's video footage was unavailable online in the archive that evening, so there must've been something contentious there for it to be pulled. I didn't see the programme, but it doesn't sound good.

I'm no Julia hater but her comments appear rude, ignorant and misguided, and from the sounds of it, the apology that followed didn't quite cut the mustard.

I wouldn't necessarily call it racist, but singling out an ethnic group is discriminatory. Both my parents are Irish however I don't think they'd get too excited by her remarks, just treat them with the disdain they deserve.

Did anyone see the Gerbera TSV trailer last night with Jilly handing back to Charlie? There was some talk about the Wizard of Oz and Charlie was figuring out which character he/other QVC presenters would be. Then he piped up, "I wonder who the Wicked Witch of the West would be?!" Charlie, you cheeky pup you!