British Empire nostalgia.

Thomas_...

In our times of political correctness that aims to avoid unnecessary offences, one can´t be too sensitive in maintaining this. As in this article, some Restaurant was Advertising for herself by some phrases that has some meaning of British Empire nostaligia and probably it wasn´t meant to offend anyone, but others took offence and reacted accordingly, now they have changed the phrade in order to get in line with what is expected when to comply with the demands of political correctness.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-37415401

A British Empire theme restaurant in Australia has been accused of racism and romanticising the colonial era.

British Colonial Co, which opened in July in Brisbane, said it was celebrating the "stylish days" of the British Empire.

It has withdrawn marketing material which said the restaurant had been "inspired by the empirical push into the developing cultures of the world".
The restaurant has said it is "saddened" by the media reports.
"We are very proud of our brand, dining experience and the loyal clientele we have established," it said in a statement.


"We are therefore upset and saddened by today's media reports that our brand is causing offence and distress to some members of the community. This certainly was not our intention."
...
Comments on social media this week criticised the restaurant's marketing material for ignoring the destructive impact of the British Empire on Australia and other countries.

"The issue is that they romanticized colonization with no respect to the fact that generation greatly suffered in Australia because of it," said one user on the restaurant's Facebook page.

Another user on Twitter suggested a visit to the restaurant if you are in Brisbane and "in the mood for imperialism and genocide for dinner".
"Are they trying to attract racist clientele?"

Others online didn't think the restaurant's name and decor were that offensive.

"Nothing wrong with being proud of the Empire. Britain did more to elevate the standard of living in more places around the world than any of the natives ever did," said one Facebook user.

The attention has appeared to have an affect on the venue.

The tagline of the restaurant originally read: "Inspired by the stylish days of the empirical push into the developing cultures of the world, with the promise of adventure and modern refinement in a safari setting".

That tagline now reads: "A refined and modern dining experience with the adventure of east meets west in a plantation style, club setting."

I leave it to the reader what he will make of this. The British Empire had much to be criticised, it also brought modern standards to areas on this planet which were not that sophisticated, but what always springs to the mind of many people is the racism and exploitation of resources and human beings for the purpose of profit by the colonialists and colonists.

I was wondering whether some posters on here came across something similar to this Story and I´d suggest that if there are such incidents, they might be posted on this thread. So far as there is an interest to do so.

My opinion on the whole story is, that some people either got it wrong, were easliy offended, or even the owner of that restaurant was a tad too insensitive when advertising with the British Empire.

There surely are some Brits who are still proud of their long gone Empire, but isn´t it striking that it all falls back on the Brits alone and barely anyone casts the light on the other colonial powers like France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany who did just the same like the British did as a colonial power in the 19th and 20th Century.

keeponhurling

Some people are indeed very sensitive.
However, if you name a restaurant over something that can be very divisive, then don't be surprised when some people are offended.

Thomas_...

keeponhurling wrote: »

Some people are indeed very sensitive.
However, if you name a restaurant over something that can be very divisive, then don't be surprised when some people are offended.

True.

R P McMurphy

Not entirely sure what you meant by your last sentence as there is plenty of discussion and criticism of the colonial projects undertaken by those countries, especially by Belgium and Spain. Colonial projects are nothing to be proud of as were built upon exploitation, oppression and racism

Thomas_...

R P McMurphy wrote: »

Not entirely sure what you meant by your last sentence as there is plenty of discussion and criticism of the colonial projects undertaken by those countries, especially by Belgium and Spain. Colonial projects are nothing to be proud of as were built upon exploitation, oppression and racism

Sorry, but I rarely came across any of these.

R P McMurphy

Thomas_... wrote: »

Sorry, but I rarely came across any of these.

You don't have to look far. Could start with Casement and the Congo Report stretching back to 1904.

Thomas_...

R P McMurphy wrote: »

You don't have to look far. Could start with Casement and the Congo Report stretching back to 1904.

Thanks, but on Irish message boards like this one, the other former colonial powers are of a lesser topic than the British Empire and I think that this is so for some particular reasons. I don´t think that I´ve to mention those reasons on here.

L1011

Thomas_... wrote: »

Thanks, but on Irish message boards like this one

Some people do read other forums. You stated you hadn't come across them as in general, not specifying here.

Similarly, there usually isn't much discussion of Australian restaurants on Irish forums.

R P McMurphy

Thomas_... wrote: »

Thanks, but on Irish message boards like this one, the other former colonial powers are of a lesser topic than the British Empire and I think that this is so for some particular reasons. I don´t think that I´ve to mention those reasons on here.

Ah ok I thought you meant in general. Yeah the reasons for criticism of the British Empire over other colonial regimes are fairly self explanatory

riffmongous

It doesn't look very authentic to be honest, why I saw what looked to be a white man carrying the plates in one of the photos, pure poppycock!

From the photos it looks pretty nice and chic, a modern take on safari decor, I'm not sure why they pushed it as having an Empire connection since there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of glorification going on inside

Thomas_...

L1011 wrote: »

Some people do read other forums. You stated you hadn't come across them as in general, not specifying here.

Similarly, there usually isn't much discussion of Australian restaurants on Irish forums.

Of course there isn´t and I simply took that article because the BE was the subject that caused that issue.

Before I posted that thread, I was searching the history forum in order to find some thread where this story might fit in. I was going four pages backwards and didn´t find any. So, it ended up on this forum because apart from the historical link (BE), the article is also and probably more about political correctness.

I´ve also read and posted on other messsage boards, the topic with other colonial powers was - as I´ve observed it - very rare to even hardly existing. Some Republicans are always riding their hobby horse which is pure Brit bashing and the BE is always here and there.

The question of the article, or better to say the article implies is of whether the owners might attract some imperialist nostalgists by their advertising and whether there was even any intention, which has been denied by the owners.

I wouldn´t be surprised if there are still some of that kind, given that some British nationalists have no problems whatsoever with their country´s past as a colonial power and if they dare, they even express their pride in it.

Thomas_...

riffmongous wrote: »

It doesn't look very authentic to be honest, why I saw what looked to be a white man carrying the plates in one of the photos, pure poppycock!

From the photos it looks pretty nice and chic, a modern take on safari decor, I'm not sure why they pushed it as having an Empire connection since there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of glorification going on inside

Sometimes the wording is enough for having others react in an either sensitive or oversensitive way.

It´s just another example for how things can be exaggerated or pushed too far in social media circles and such things occure and develop very fast. Sometimes (or even many times) too quick and too fast.

I don´t like Twitter nor do I like Facebook for the very reasons I´ve shown above. For me it often looks like as if a bunch of Internet hysterics are having their fits and don´t think before they post at all. It just counts that something has to be done and something has to be said (written). Whether it makes much sense or not, doesn´t matter.

o1s1n

Hate to Godwin, but it has nothing on Hitler's Cross in Mumbai

Red_Wake

We must be running out of current injustices if we have to go back a hundred years to find some to be offended by,

riffmongous

Thomas_... wrote: »

Sometimes the wording is enough for having others react in an either sensitive or oversensitive way.

It´s just another example for how things can be exaggerated or pushed too far in social media circles and such things occure and develop very fast. Sometimes (or even many times) too quick and too fast.

I don´t like Twitter nor do I like Facebook for the very reasons I´ve shown above. For me it often looks like as if a bunch of Internet hysterics are having their fits and don´t think before they post at all. It just counts that something has to be done and something has to be said (written). Whether it makes much sense or not, doesn´t matter.

Well judging by the interior design and presentation of food, as well as the way they market the restaurant online, I'd say the kind of people they wanted to attract are exactly the kind complaining about it online on twitter and facebook. You know, the kind of people who take a photo of their meal and upload it before picking up a fork.

For Reals

#MOD NOTE#
Is this more suited to an Australian forum, a historic forum or a communications/comment on social media thread? I can't see any real Politics, let alone Irish politics connection beyond the historical.
Closed and moved to Humanities, should the MODS there choose to reopen.

Pat Mustard

Mod note:

Thread now reopened.

L1011

Thomas_... wrote: »

I´ve also read and posted on other messsage boards, the topic with other colonial powers was - as I´ve observed it - very rare to even hardly existing. Some Republicans are always riding their hobby horse which is pure Brit bashing and the BE is always here and there.

If you primarily read Irish forums, why on earth do you expect to see as much about colonial powers we weren't colonised by as you see about the one we were?

This is like complaining you don't see many people discussing the bitter cross-city rivalry of Birmingham City and Aston Villa on an Everton forum and complaining they discuss Liverpool too much.

Dardania

The restaurant could very simply acknowledge that yes, that are celebrating exploitation of their colonial past in the resturant, by providing such mod cons as running water & sanitation...

"what have the Romans ever done for us?!"

764dak

Dardania wrote: »

The restaurant could very simply acknowledge that yes, that are celebrating exploitation of their colonial past in the resturant, by providing such mod cons as running water & sanitation...

"what have the Romans ever done for us?!"

Indeed. It's also funny how people are brainwashed to believe that Roman culture is the best.

RDM_83 again

What's the food menu like cos a British empire themed place could be interesting idea aside from the politics stuff like early British Indian cuisine kedgeree and so on.
I can see how it's mildly offensive but its probably on a level with Mao or similar in dublin

droidman123

It's hard to take anything seriously about Australia.personally I have never seen it as a country, I don't actually know what it is! Their "flag" has a foreign flag on its top left corner,their head of state is a queen from 10,000 miles away. If they want to have that despicable union jack and celebrate the atrocities that go with it, well it's probably just as expected from that peculiar island

Mutant z

Is there anything these days that doesnt offend someone.

Peregrinus

Yes, there are lots of things you can say that offend nobody.

If you find everything you say offends people the problem is likely to be the things you are choosing to say.

R P McMurphy

Mutant z wrote: »

Is there anything these days that doesnt offend someone.

Do you find yourself getting annoyed when people get offended?

CINCLANTFLT

keeponhurling wrote: »

Some people are indeed very sensitive.
However, if you name a restaurant over something that can be very divisive, then don't be surprised when some people are offended.

I used go to Mao and was going to start a similar restaurant in my own area... however people seemed to object when I tried to call it Hitler... went with Stalin in the end... we break eggs and make omelettes...

Mutant z

R P McMurphy wrote: »

Do you find yourself getting annoyed when people get offended?

I do when people get offended for the sake of being offended.

Pat Mustard

Mod:

This thread is not about point scoring among posters. Please get back on topic or don't post.

Off topic posts will be deleted.

tac foley

droidman123 wrote: »

It's hard to take anything seriously about Australia.personally I have never seen it as a country, I don't actually know what it is! Their "flag" has a foreign flag on its top left corner,their head of state is a queen from 10,000 miles away. If they want to have that despicable union jack and celebrate the atrocities that go with it, well it's probably just as expected from that peculiar island

You might think that its a 'despicable' union jack [union flag, actually], but I can't help but note that you are writing your comments in English.

Back to the thread.

Many restaurants, brasseries and so on in France, Belgium - even Germany with its East African history - relate to their former colonies in decor style and menu, as do the Dutch, with their history in the East Indies.

The only country I've noted where the ancient colonies are not celebrated in eateries is Italy, but then you could hardly get ANY Italian to go to an restaurant that celebrated English cuisine, such as it is.

You'll note, I hope, that the English within England do not seem to have any Irish, Welsh or Scottish take-aways, for instance, let alone full-blown eateries of any kind.

tac