Micheal Martin Chinese Gaffe

Debthree · 14-02-2011 08:03PM

CoalBucket · 14-02-2011 08:16PM

If a british politician mimiced the Irish accent we'd be ragin.

Where as I don't think the Chinese give a fryin f*ck

flash1080 · 14-02-2011 08:50PM

What a bunch of drama queens.

stuckin · 14-02-2011 08:54PM

Cranky Mc Funhouse wrote: »

If you really want your children to learn from an early age, you need to read to them and supply the buggers with as much human-on-human interaction as possible, not park their adorable little butts in front of the ****ing television. TV programs and Infant Education videos use a series of rapidly changing scenes and constantly bombard your kids with new words. With time, their itsy bitsy minds start to filter out most of the information just to help manage the constant barrage, and voila! The kids develop shorter attention spans, and eventually the food service industry claims another life.

Insightful, but how does that fit in with the Michael Martin bit?

mconigol · 14-02-2011 08:54PM

He's got a gaff in China now?!....bloody fianna fail....developers...houses....chicken balls...rabble rabble...

UglyBolloxFace · 14-02-2011 09:05PM

Cranky Mc Funhouse wrote: »

If you really want your children to learn from an early age, you need to read to them and supply the buggers with as much human-on-human interaction as possible, not park their adorable little butts in front of the ****ing television. TV programs and Infant Education videos use a series of rapidly changing scenes and constantly bombard your kids with new words. With time, their itsy bitsy minds start to filter out most of the information just to help manage the constant barrage, and voila! The kids develop shorter attention spans, and eventually the food service industry claims another life.

Hmm...are you gonna just post this in eeeevery thread?

Mod to aisle 2, mod to aisle 2.

blackdog2 · 14-02-2011 09:17PM

Its not great behaviour or an example being set by someone vying for the leadership of this country.

If Ireland is to be helped we are certainly making it hard for ourselves!

phantom_lord · 14-02-2011 09:23PM

Really disappointed by this, after all the attention I was expecting something substantial

Captain Havoc · 14-02-2011 09:28PM

Racist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gif, let run for a few seconds

admiralofthefleet · 14-02-2011 09:32PM

its not the chinese, its the greeks he's after

LizT · 14-02-2011 09:36PM

Load of fuss over nothing. If he had put on an american or english accent, no one would have said anything. Can't believe people are getting worked up over this.

Son Of A Vidic · 14-02-2011 09:48PM

TheZohan wrote: »

Non-story really, and I've no time for Enda Kenny.

Agreed, can someone please tell me what the issue is here? I've no time for Fianna Fail, but for fcuks sake this is ridiculous.

The Volt · 14-02-2011 09:54PM

Anyone else think that this thread was about him buying property in Shanghai?

clare1 · 14-02-2011 09:57PM

How embarassing was that today!! Fianna Fail are un-real, what must we look like to the rest of the world when our previous Minister for Foreign Affairs insults China :eek:

14-02-2011 09:57PM

Well Micheal, your slideshow was a big pile of crap! But the free drink. much appreciated!

Debthree · 14-02-2011 10:01PM

Einhard wrote: »

Unless you think there's something horrendously inappropriate about the Chinese accent itself, I fail to see what the fuss is about.

Are you serious? So from your comment I take it you feel Micheal Martin did a perfect Chinese accent then yeah? Jesus. The point is it was immature and downright inappropriate for him to do the accent *at all* and to use bad grammar whilst depicting a Chinese person ("you Irish very good at software"). He could have just told his damn story instead of doing an appalling imitation of a Chinese person.

CoalBucket · 14-02-2011 10:02PM

He should try putting on a cork accent he might get a few votes

onlyrocknroll · 14-02-2011 10:14PM

What are people thinking, of course it's a gaffe. Not exactly the most racist thing I've ever heard, but certainly stupid and insensitive.
Imagine if during the peace process Tony Blair said

"I think we've made great progress in Northern Ireland, I was talking to Mr Ahern this morning and he said
'Aye Soir, top o the moirnin to ya, sure its a ghreat daiy to be makin peas n Northern Oirlind'"

Imagine the uproar in the UK and in Ireland.
How could this not be a gaffe?

take everything · 14-02-2011 10:38PM

Thousands struggling with mortgages here and Martin's got a gaff in China?
Sickening.

milehip1 · 14-02-2011 11:47PM

Even though I can't stand the mong or his party, it's an non issue.

blackdog2 · 14-02-2011 11:55PM

Debthree wrote: »

The point is it was immature and downright inappropriate for him to do the accent *at all* and to use bad grammar whilst depicting a Chinese person ("you Irish very good at software"). He could have just told his damn story instead of doing an appalling imitation of a Chinese person.

Nail and head have firmly been hit here. It shows his lack of maturity and judgement, regardless of whether it actually offended anyone.

metalfest · 15-02-2011 03:19AM

i don't understand why this sort of racism is being allowed ???

for anyone else this would stir up a hell of a lot more trouble...

Brenireland · 15-02-2011 11:26AM

So here we go,another having to apologise over an extremely harmless comment which has now been twisted into being a racist comment!

What is wrong with Irish Society?,have our people,and our media lost all remaining sense of humour they may have once had?.

If this is what modern Ireland is going to be like I am not sure to many will want to be part of it,why must our people have to answer for having a sense of humour?,it is a good job some people don't go to comedy gigs/stand ups,half of our best comedians would be done for racism.

I agree that Yes we should respect every race of people,I absolutely agree with that,however us Irish have been joked about in all 4 corners of the globe & yet we are used to it and most of the time we don't blink an eye to it!,however if we hear an Irish person make a tiny,harmless remark it is then twisted into to been a racist comment!?

I believe that if you go to a country to work that you should not only know how to speak their language,but also know what to expect culture wise & learn how to have a laugh,the same goes for us Irish!;):p

Michael Martin has done nothing wrong and need not apologise,I am however sorry for the people complaining.

What do you guy's think,should he have to apologise?

Another thing is Chinese should be a Leaving cert subject,China has one of the worlds fastest growing economies and having their language could be of benefit.

DonkeyStyle \o/ · 15-02-2011 11:29AM

Brenireland wrote: »

What do you guy's think,should he have to apologise?

Should have said "Aaah, me so solly" ^_^

Brenireland · 15-02-2011 11:30AM

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote: »

Should have said "Aaah, me so solly" ^_^

careful now

:D

Minstrel27 · 15-02-2011 11:32AM

Brenireland wrote: »

What do you guy's think,should he have to apologise?

I don't think he should but an election is looming and he needs votes.

Duggy747 · 15-02-2011 11:34AM

I shared a house with an asian couple once (Chinese guy / Japanese girl). The Chinese guy was an utter dickhead while the Japanese girl was extremely polite.............and hot!

Chinese guy's name was Thomas until when he moved out and he told me his Chinese name................Ping Pong............probably not how you spell it but I laughed when he told me, he even told me to think of "Ping Pong game" to remember his name :pac:

mike65 · 15-02-2011 11:34AM

Just as well he did, is anyone watching The Chinese Are Coming on BBC2? They are the future and we don't want to get on their bad side.

Brenireland · 15-02-2011 11:37AM

Minstrel27 wrote: »

I don't think he should but an election is looming and he needs votes.

Yeah that's true,although some years ago he wouldn't have needed an apology to win over some votes,& that his effort in trying out a new language would have been very much appreciated..:p

BaZmO* · 15-02-2011 11:38AM

If it was an American accent would there have been such a big deal?

There's a million and one reasons to criticise FF, this is the least of them.

Micheal Martin Chinese Gaffe

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