TV outrage of the week

m@cc@

Seems appropriate to have a weekly thread on this now. :rolleyes:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/3416052/TV-presenter-Jim-Rosenthal-apologises-to-Tessa-Sanderson-Athletics.html

Jim Rosenthal's 'spear-chucker' gaffe forces ITV apology to 'good friend' Tessa Sanderson

An ITV spokesman has been forced to issue an apology on behalf of Jim Rosenthal after the presenter referred to black athlete Tessa Sanderson as a "spear chucker" live on air.


Rosenthal, 60, was hosting Danny Williams' boxing match on Friday night when he used the term after a link from a short film about charity work by 1984 Olympic gold medallist Sanderson, 52, to help troubled inner city youths.
When the camera returned to Rosenthal, he said: “Tessa Sanderson there, she was a great spear chucker.”
Rosenthal's comment prompted a flurry of complaints from ITV viewers, one of whom wrote: “The term is highly racist to black people. The only more offensive thing he could have said was what we shall leave as ‘the N word’.”
A spokesman for ITV4 said: “Jim was referring to Tessa’s achievements as a javelin thrower and there was absolutely no intention to offend on his part.
“However, in hindsight, Jim accepts that it was a poor choice of phrase and will be apologising to Tessa, who is a good friend of his.”
The controversy is not without precedent in this country. Maori New Zealander John Witanga won £11,000 in a race discrimination case in 2003 after being called a spear chucker by boss Colin Lusted in his first week at catering firm Rail Gourmet, of Edinburgh.

Wagon

How the hell is "spear chucker" racist?! It just means you throw big sticks really far. And she does....oh wait, look. She's black. Hang him, throw him to the dogs etc...

Bob1970

thats a bit much tbh

Turd Ferguson

Will this PC bullshit parade never end?

dresden8

Seriously, when are we going to tell these people to fuck off?

L31mr0d

she's a freakin javelin thrower!!! Her profession was chucking spears??? HOW IS THAT RASCIST!!!

MarkR

Ever hear the javelin throwers in the olympics being called a spear chucker? It's a common derogatory term for black people.

I agree the words themselves have no specific racists tones, but for someone in the media to use that term, when there is the much more simple commonly used term of javelin thrower makes you wonder was he being a bit tongue in cheek?

seanybiker

tis a bit much alright

RobertFoster

“The term is highly racist to black people. The only more offensive thing he could have said was what we shall leave as ‘the N word’.”

In other words, I'm a white person who feels morally responsible for the feelings of other races/"minorities".

Ban this sick filth/think of the children/etc.

mike65

Is it cos Jim is black? er crap?

Mike

Nodin

L31mr0d wrote: »

she's a freakin javelin thrower!!! Her profession was chucking spears??? HOW IS THAT RASCIST!!!

Because "Spear chucker" is an old and well known racist term. He probably didn't mean it that way, but there ye go.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Nodin wrote: »

He probably didn't mean it that way

Still funny though.

seanybiker

Addyson Large Nursery wrote: »

Still funny though.

Tis that alright he he

robinph

Never heard of "spear chucker" being used in a racist way before and I would instantly thing somone was refering to a javelin thrower if they did use the phrase. Well either that or some ancient Spartan types maybe, but still not racist.

ArseBurger

Completely over the top and PC gone wild.

Javelin throwers call themselves spear chuckers.

MoominPapa

I seem to remember Rosenthal been the brunt of some pretty crude Jew Bating by Saint & Greavsie, well just Greavsie really, way back when.

Ah, those were the days - fcukin horrible, they were

ejmaztec

I'm surprised the the people having a go at him haven't been accused of anti-semitism, him being Jewish and all. Perhaps that'll come later. :P

m@cc@

He was obviously using the term 'spear chucker' in reference to her being a javelin and nothing to do her being black. Outrage at this is a form of in itself to make the link between black people and 'spear chuckers'. Things like this just enchance prejudice.

mickos

m@cc@ wrote: »

He was obviously using the term 'spear chucker' in reference to her being a javelin and nothing to do her being black. Outrage at this is a form of in itself to make the link between black people and 'spear chuckers'. Things like this just enchance prejudice.

Yes, surely its the people who are outraged at this comment are more racist. If I had seen the comment live I would have associated it with her being a javelin thrower, race would of never entered my head.

Wagon

m@cc@ wrote: »

He was obviously using the term 'spear chucker' in reference to her being a javelin and nothing to do her being black. Outrage at this is a form of in itself to make the link between black people and 'spear chuckers'. Things like this just enchance prejudice.

Yeah...but I think it's more down to the fact that ITV's audience are a shower of ****ing idiots. Ban this sick filth etc...

Fratton Fred

they'll be trying to ban Black and Tan ice cream next

Turd Ferguson

Fratton Fred wrote: »

they'll be trying to ban Black and Tan ice cream next

Wouldnt surprise me. Do they even sell Golliwogs anymore?

Fratton Fred

Turd Ferguson wrote: »

Wouldnt surprise me. Do they even sell Golliwogs anymore?

Don't think so. It was a sad day the Golliwog went from the top of Robinson's Jam.

I can see why though.

Indie18

Turd Ferguson wrote: »

Wouldnt surprise me. Do they even sell Golliwogs anymore?

yeah but they are not allowed to be called golliwogs anymore i forget what they are called now. but its now racist to call them golliwogs. why don't the pc brigade just f**k off and die serously.

ejmaztec

Indie18 wrote: »

yeah but there not allowed to be called golliwogs anymore i forget what they are called now. but its now racist to call them golliwogs. why don't the pc brigade just f**k off and die serously.

Probably "Golliheavilytannedethnicminority" doll.

Nodin

m@cc@ wrote: »

He was obviously using the term 'spear chucker' in reference to her being a javelin and nothing to do her being black. Outrage at this is a form of in itself to make the link between black people and 'spear chuckers'. Things like this just enchance prejudice.

Obvious to me and you maybe. However, given the current lynch mob mentality the Brit papers seem embarked on with regards TV, any failure to apologise and promptly might see him end up in Siberia with Big Ron.

m@cc@

Turd Ferguson wrote: »

Wouldnt surprise me. Do they even sell Golliwogs anymore?

It's funny you should mention Golliwogs. Here in the Netherlands, they celebrate the arrival of 'Sinterklass'. He also has helpers called 'Zwarte Pieten' which basicially involves 'blackening up' to represent the African slave imported by Saint Nicolas (these days they try to say it's due to being down the chimneys). Can you imagine how far this would get in the UK and Ireland?!

High&Low

MarkR wrote: »

Ever hear the javelin throwers in the olympics being called a spear chucker? It's a common derogatory term for black people.

I agree the words themselves have no specific racists tones, but for someone in the media to use that term, when there is the much more simple commonly used term of javelin thrower makes you wonder was he being a bit tongue in cheek?

It may be construed as derogatory, but its not common. If you type "spear chucker" into google you'll only return about 15,000 results.

The javelin is often referred to as a "spear" in athletics circles...

MarkR

Maybe because i'm from the states, i've heard them all at some stage or other. Probably not a common term here, and so not seen as racist?

Nodin

m@cc@ wrote: »

It's funny you should mention Golliwogs. Here in the Netherlands, they celebrate the arrival of 'Sinterklass'. He also has helpers called 'Zwarte Pieten' which basicially involves 'blackening up' to represent the African slave imported by Saint Nicolas (these days they try to say it's due to being down the chimneys). Can you imagine how far this would get in the UK and Ireland?!

Dear Baby Jesus......

ejmaztec

Nodin wrote: »

Dear Baby Jesus......

Talking of Baby Jesus, in these parts he's depicted as whiter than white.

Fratton Fred

High&Low wrote: »

It may be construed as derogatory, but its not common. If you type "spear chucker" into google you'll only return about 15,000 results.

The javelin is often referred to as a "spear" in athletics circles...

I can't believe the newspapers have "thrown a paddy" about it to be honest

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Don't chuck, those spears, at me...

RobertFoster

m@cc@ wrote: »

It's funny you should mention Golliwogs. Here in the Netherlands, they celebrate the arrival of 'Sinterklass'. He also has helpers called 'Zwarte Pieten' which basicially involves 'blackening up' to represent the African slave imported by Saint Nicolas (these days they try to say it's due to being down the chimneys). Can you imagine how far this would get in the UK and Ireland?!

****, there's "blackening up" and there's plain scary!

TerrorFirmer

Are you lads serious, Spear chucker is a well known racist term - I think the PC nonsense does go way to far but calling a black athlete a 'spear chucker' on live TV is pretty unacceptable - but don't equate this to me being a member of said brigade or in fact even giving two craps about it, in fact I had quite a hearty laugh when I read it - but it is outrageously racist, whether intended or otherwise, it'd be wierd to refuse to admit that. Yes you can say a Javelin is technically a spear but I challenge anyone here to honestly say they have ever used the terms 'Spear', 'chucker', and 'Javelin' inter-changably ("Lads did you see the spear chucking on TV" - If I said that to my friends they'd think I was watching National Geographic) - it just doesn't happen because People don't call Javelin throwers spear chuckers.

If I asked any of my friends for a few racist names, aside from the obvious, 'Spear Chucker' would probably come second or third on the list, at least.

Doesn't anyone remember that hilarious bit from Bowfinger about Spear Chucker??

m@cc@

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Spear chucker is a well known racist term

I've never heard of it which maybe is a good thing. I remember Prince Philip getting in trouble for asking some aboriginals if they still used spears. Is 'spear chucker' any more racist than calling an Irish person a 'potato picker'? Yes, they are both deeply ignorant but I'd by lying if I said either particularly bothered me.

Indie18

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Are you lads serious, Spear chucker is a well known racist term - I think the PC nonsense does go way to far but calling a black athlete a 'spear chucker' on live TV is pretty unacceptable - but don't equate this to me being a member of said brigade or in fact even giving two craps about it, in fact I had quite a hearty laugh when I read it - but it is outrageously racist,

he's one of them get him......... (Chucks spear)

TerrorFirmer

m@cc@ wrote: »

I remember Prince Philip getting in trouble for asking some aboriginals if they still used spears.

m@cc@

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Prince Phillip is a legend, one of the likeable members of the Royal Family.

robinph

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

Are you lads serious, Spear chucker is a well known racist term

Not that well known, I've never heard of it before.

Wacker

robinph wrote: »

Not that well known, I've never heard of it before.

Me neither.

Fratton Fred

In Jim Rosenthal's and Tessa Sanderson's generation, it would be a well known racist term for a Black person. I consider it to be very racist, but I don't think for a minute that is what JR meant to say, it was probably an unfortunate slip.

ejmaztec

Fratton Fred wrote: »

In Jim Rosenthal's and Tessa Sanderson's generation, it would be a well known racist term for a Black person. I consider it to be very racist, but I don't think for a minute that is what JR meant to say, it was probably an unfortunate slip.

Certainly wasn't kosher. :pac:

robinph

The Times wrote:

But they were the only words of support that Backley heard. “I thought they might appreciate that I was out of my comfort zone there,” the legendary spear-chucker said with a sigh.

Clicky

WalesOnline wrote:

The issue that has me flabbergasted is how serial under-achievers like spear-chucker Steve Backley can scream from the moral rooftops about how right it is that Chambers has been banned, while all the time ignoring the fact that the BOA is willingly taking part in a country where people’s houses are being knocked down so flower beds can be planted to make Beijing look pretty.

Clicky - yeah, I know Walse online isn't exactly the best source ever, but Google is overrun with outrage today

The Indepandant wrote:

A married man since October and now a father-to-be, Backley intends to hang up his spears after a final fling in the Greek capital next summer.

Clicky - OK only a "spear carrier" this time, but close enough.

If my Czech was better I'd find some about Jan Zelezny for you as well, but it isn't, so I won't.

flyton5

ridiculious....i had to order an african-american coffee the other day.....pc madness!!

4zn76tysfajdxp

flyton5 wrote: »

ridiculious....i had to order an african-american coffee the other day.....pc madness!!

Did it have a cocktail stick in it?

flyton5

Addyson Large Nursery wrote: »

Did it have a cocktail stick in it?

no...they said something about it appearing racist to a minority of people with too much time on their hands...

4zn76tysfajdxp

flyton5 wrote: »

no...they said something about it appearing racist to a minority of people with too much time on their hands...

Killjoys...

shenanigans1982

Just as well the spear chuckers in South American jungles have no TV's....they'd be up in arms being compared to black people.

flyton5

Addyson Large Nursery wrote: »

Killjoys...

better make sure "joys" isn't a racist term.....otherwise u'll be convicted under the incitement of hatred act....and u dont want that!! the walls have ears.....

shenanigans1982

flyton5 wrote: »

better make sure "joys" isn't a racist term.....otherwise u'll be convicted under the incitement of hatred act....and u dont want that!! the walls have ears.....

Its a derogatory term for those locked up in Mountjoy...tomorrow one of them will be on to Joe Duffy complaining about Frada.