Seen the latest? Just where do these people come from? A BBC Radio 5 Live presenter, one Nihal Arthanayake by name (nope, never heard of him before), has claimed that working in an "overwhelmingly white" environment is affecting his mental health. I'd venture that he clearly had issues in that department to start with if this is an example of the way he thinks. "It's really affecting me that I walk in and all I see is white people" he witters, in his best self-righteous, sense of entitlement, not to mention racist manner. Racist? Yes! Were I to say that my mental health is affected when I walk down the street (or anywhere else) and all I see is black people, I'd be accused of being a racist, so it's exactly the same thing here. He goes on... "The hardest thing is to walk into a room, look around and nobody looks like you." Presumably, he made the decision to work at the BBC, so if he resents his working environment (i.e. too many white people), then maybe he should seek a different job where the environment is more to his liking.
Don't know about you, but I'm fed up with this kind of thing. He'll have family and friends who are predominantly of the same ethnicity as himself, which should fulfil his seeming 'need' to be surrounded by his own kind - so what's the problem with working among 'whitey' for a few hours? There shouldn't be one. On the one hand, people such as him are always saying that colour shouldn't be an issue, and on the other, they're always trying to make colour an issue. It's double-standards, pure and simple. Perhaps he's just trying to increase his own promotion opportunities at the BBC by playing the race card, because given the woke culture which currently envelops society, there'll now be people falling over themselves to select only ethnic minorities for positions in various areas of employment. That's not how it should work; people should be chosen on merit, not the colour of their skin, but that's what Arthanayake is essentially calling for.
Give me strength. He should be identified as the racist he clearly is and told to give us all a break from this sort of 'anti-white' agenda that appears to be on the increase with each new passing day. Anyone brave enough to make a comment, or are you too scared in case someone calls you a racist for agreeing with me? And feel free to comment even if you disagree with me.
24 comments:
I'm a bit surprised he thinks that way as there seems to be quite a lot of ethnic-minority representation on BBC TV and radio as far as I can see.
Obviously a guy with a pet chip on his shoulder, CJ, playing the race card in an attempt to improve his own career prospects. And he's a racist, even though he won't see it that way. He shouldn't even be paying attention to the colour of his colleagues' skin.
He doesn't seem to like Manchester.
I just looked on line to read about him as I had never heard of him before. His parents were from Sri Lanka and if you wish to visit there this is the online information:
Exercise increased caution in Sri Lanka due to civil unrest, and terrorism. Country Summary: Protests over the economic and political situation in Sri Lanka could erupt at any time. In some instances, police have used water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters.
So it seems his parents chose not to raise him in a country with ethnic issues. Perhaps he should address his complaints to them?
I have lived in NYC for nearly fifty years. Multiracial as it is, London whenever I paid a return visit was even more so. Even watching BBC World News the presenters are an ethnic spread. Must be Manchester!
I think some people are so desperate to make a mark on the world (or at least on their own ethnic community), T47, that they look for things to complain about - and mild-mannered Britain seems to indulge them. A while back, Dr Ranj Singh (minor UK TV celebrity) was complaining that an awards ceremony celebrating the best curries in the country had too many white presenters hosting it. (He was a guest.) He seemed to have missed the point that the intention was to promote curries as being for everyone, not just Indians. You can't keep people like him happy, as had they had more Indian presenters, he'd probably have complained that it was indulging in racial stereotyping. I wish he and his ilk would just disappear up their own backsides and give the rest of us a break from their constant carping.
I'll try to muster a better response than the following later, but as I read the quote from this guy, all I can think of is what he'd sound like if he whispered the words a la Haley Joel Osment in SIXTH SENSE:
"I see... WHITE people..."
Tell you what, GP, I doubt very much he'd be so concerned about the sensitivities of a white person working among a predominantly black (or any other colour) workforce. (And a white person probably wouldn't have a problem with it.) Guys like him are solely about remaking society in their own image and compelling the majority of the population to defer to minorities. I could crush a grape.
I forget where I heard this, but I recall a male comics pro somewhere saying that he now occupied the same position women USED to occupy in that workplace, given that he was now outnumbered by the XX genes.
I am fed up to the brim of this white bashing from the dark skin race. I don't give a toss who is walking on the street but I sure as hell won't cross to the other side of the road to appease the black minority . Even TV and movies are being taken over by them. I was told one of the commanders of one of Napoleon's armies in the movie is a black. Nihal Arthanayake needs to pull his head out of his arse !
In my younger days I worked in places where the workforce were predominantly women and it never once occurred to me to consider myself 'outnumbered', nor did I feel 'threatened' by the fact, GP, so it's a shame that others seem to think that way. (Not referring to the male comics pro, who was likely just making an observation, not complaining about the situation.)
******
Or perhaps push it further up there, LH, so we can't hear his racist nonsense. It's almost as if being white is a crime these days and that we should all walk around feeling ashamed of ourselves simply for being white. I usually don't even think about what colour I am, I don't consider myself defined by it - until people like Singh and Arthanayake start burbling their nonsense. Anyway, how've you been lately, things looking up for you, health-wise?
I doubt he's losing sleep over what a handful of old white geezers think of what the right wing press claim he said.
'Old white geezers'? So you're ageist and racist, eh? And what he said was recorded, I believe, so his actual words were reported, not a distortion of them. Not got the b@lls to identify yourself I see.
Old?? I'm 57 which is the new 20.
Kid, I thought you deleted anonymous comments?
Did you watch Dr Who by the way? I didn't but apparently Davros has been re-invented as a normal, able-bodied human because Russell T Davies decided the old Davros was offensive to the disabled. It had never even occurred to me that Davros was meant to be disabled!
I did once operate a policy of not publishing anonymous comments because, a few words in, they mostly tended to be offensive and abusive, CJ, but I've relaxed that a bit because I never seem to get really vile comments nowadays. This current Anon seems to be taking a mild dig, though it's always possible that he's merely speculating what Arthanayake's reaction would be if he read this post (unlikely as that is) for the purpose of humorous expression.
However, at 57, your memory is clearly going, as you asked me this before and said you'd noticed that I now sometimes published anonymous comments, so I'm concerned that you're well on your way to decrepitude. See your doctor before it's too late.
Talking of Doctors, I never saw last week's episode (forgot), but I watched the latest one and thought it was all right. (Though Davies now seems to have made this version of Tennant's Doctor gay. Did you notice?) The Davros thing is nonsense, because the Daleks themselves are all disfigured and disabled (they were once humanoid too), which is why they encase themselves in 'life-support' systems. Mere PC p*sh and virtue signalling on Davies' part.
That's a good point, Kid - if Davros is disabled then the daleks are even more disabled.
Apparently the viewing figures for Dr Who have been getting worse over the last few years so bringing back David Tennant and Catherine Tate is obviously a sign of desperation. But the first ethnic-minority Doctor is about to take over (on Christmas Day I think) so if those viewing figures don't improve it could end up with Dr Who being cancelled for a second time.
The trouble with the show is that it's been written FOR Dr. Who geeks BY Dr. Who geeks, CJ. They should make it more accessible (story-wise) to a wider audience who aren't necessarily SF fanatics. The original Star Trek series got it right on several occasions (though not always), but that's something our Doc has never quite managed to do.
Just catching up on your posts, Kid. I did see this story at the time and like most stories of this nature, I quickly moved on. Ignoring is the easiest although probably not the best thing to do. When I was growing up, there were black and Asian people in entertainment. Derek Griffiths, Floella Benjamin, Lenny Henry, the girl from The Tomorrow People, the guy from Pipkins, Gary Wilmot, Rusty Lee, Ali and Ranjeet from Mind Your Language, Gupte from Only When I Laugh. Many music stars, The Drifters, Billy Ocean, Errol Brown, Eddy Grant. I could go on. And I liked them. I liked them all. And the reason I liked them was because I made the choice to like them. Fast forward 40 or 50 years and I am told on a daily basis that I MUST like people of a diverse background otherwise I am a racist, homophobe, sexist, misogynist or whatever other 'ist' they care to throw in my direction. Well I'm afraid this has the opposite effect on me and I suspect most people and I am more likely to dislike people like Arthanayake due to their constant whinging and playing the race and mental health card. Similarly, Lenny Henry who I used to love on TISWAS, who built a career on taking the p*ss out of black people, now spends most of his time complaining about the very same thing. "There aren't many people on TV who look like me". Well I don't know which channels he watches but in my area, the majority of newsreaders and weather people are of an ethnic background. Switch on the adverts and ALL families are now multi-racial. Christmas adverts are the best with black, Asian and East Asian people all around the dinner table. Well it's not like that in my house, Lenny. I have a suspicion as to where all this agenda-driven clap-trap will end but hopefully I won't be around to see it.
Oooh I forgot to say, I don't think Davros was ever unable to walk. He even has working eyes but uses the electronic one. I think that chair of his is a life-support chair. I don't watch Doctor Who anymore, far too preachy and ruined by the PC Brigade. I stopped watching at the end of Capaldi but to be honest, I didn't like Matt Smith and didn't care for a lot of Capaldi's stories. I don't think he did either.
Not much I can add to that, M, 'cos you got it spot on. And Lenny Henry 'whited-up' for one of his movies, yet he now decries The Black & White Minstrel Show - even though he was part of it. Among my favourite singers are Nat 'King' Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, The Mills Brothers, The Ink Spots, etc., and there are probably others that escape me for the moment because I don't categorise my favourite performers according to their colour. People like Arthanayake are 'professional victims' whose own racism against whites gives him a sense of purpose, as well as something to complain about and 'virtue-signal' while doing it. I suppose some people just have a need to feel part of a crusade against us 'whiteys'. Sad, eh?
As for Dr Who, I wasn't too keen on Smith either, and poor Capaldi was sabotaged with below par storylines and his Doctor not being respected by his companion Clara. I'm glad to say that I haven't seen even one Whittaker episode.
Nat 'King' Cole is one of my favourites as well. Christmas 1990, my boss asked me what she could get me for Christmas and I asked for Nat's Christmas Album. She couldn't believe that a 21 year old would be interested in that type of music. Basically, I like anything with a tune. I haven't heard of the Mills Brothers but will check them out. I saw your post from a while back about Jim Reeves' 'Twelve Songs of Christmas'. That album was a staple in our house and my grandparents' house. And now I continue the tradition in my own house. Unfortunately my wife says 'An Old Christmas Card' reminds her of 'The Old Rugged Cross' and funerals so I have to wait until she's out before I play that one. A superb album.
I'm surprised by your wife's reaction to An Old Christmas Card, M, as it's clearly about a guy fondly remembering the first time his missus gave him a card, and he's simply telling her so (she's not dead). The wee 'talkie' bit in the middle of it is great and makes me wish I sounded like Jim Reeves. Love Silver Bells and Blue Christmas, and I doubt that anyone sings Silent Night better than JR, though Andy Williams (Jim's favourite male singer) does a really nice version. I started buying Jim's records when I was yet 17 and I think the first one I got was the Christmas LP, followed by the Arcade Records double-album. I've now got just about everything he ever recorded.
I've always thought the whole black/white race thing is a bunch of nonsense.
White people aren't really white. Most are pink/tanned/beige skinned etc. Even the most fair skinned person is not the shade of white. The only real white people are albinos a tiny minority.
Black people aren't really Black. Most are varying shades of brown. Calling Black "people of colour" is also a contradiction, as black is a absence of colour. Black and white aren't even colours but shades etc.
Remember the word caucasian? All these modern labels are designed to divide and conquer imo.
I don't know that these 'labels' were 'designed' to divide and conquer, but that seems to be what they're being used for nowadays. However, whatever labels are being used, it's the thinking behind some of the resentment by any one group for another that's shocking. And racism is racism, whichever side it's from - and it's not just one group of people (or race, if you prefer) that indulges in it. Thanks for your comment.
re thinking behind it, that I agree on, but imo the labels only exacerbate the problem.
Nothing can have any more division than Black and white for instance. You are either Black or white, a considerable sharp contrast when in reality we are much closer than what is perceived. How many "white" people want to have darker skin, go to tanning booths or cosmetically change the pigments? How many "Black people" do the same to have lighter skin? Or use hair products giving that perception? Think Michael Jackson and Beyonce etc, it's far more common than we are led to believe.
Labels do matter is my point. The thinking behind them of course matters and the labels in a way display it more.
Yes Racism is Racism, but even that is a relatively new concept (from the 60s) It used to be Racialism, but it was changed cos Racism sounds like Fascism thus more of a useful rhetoric device.
And the problem nowadays is that the term is used for a lot more than it's original definition of hating a specific race or of racial superiority. Now you have "institutional racism" or you could be considered racist if you oppose immigration. Racial jokes, is automatically considered hateful, yet before this era it was considered just playful banter between all races and nationalities etc.
So how has that been evolved to where we are now? Because of the power structures who put these rhetoric devices and slogans in place, resulting in ourselves to be at each others throats and distract us from the agendas they pursue, amongst all other kinds of distractions like the current woke agenda obsession constantly making the headlines, while the important matters are quietly slotted in the back pages largely unnoticed.
Like this Rwanda issue, how many know even if it was green lit and ready to go, the whole initiative is for 1000 illegals to be sent there over a 5 year period? It doesn't scratch the surface of solving the issues yet both sides for and against are not being held accountable as virtually nobody is referencing this, but instead making the usual kind of faux outrage over it.
I know this sounds all conspiratorial, but then not all conspiracies are theoretical either.
Just thought I'd mention I do enjoy reading your comic related blog content too btw.
I wouldn't necessarily dispute that labels are (or can be) important, but I have reservations about them originally being 'designed' to divide & conquer, even though that's what their purpose may now have evolved into. At the start they were most likely just a convenient way of distinguishing between races, albeit in a simplistic and non-too-accurate way.
Part of the problem nowadays stems from 'white' people having been brainwashed into believing that they should be on a massive guilt-trip over the 'sins' of their ancestors, and (some) 'black' people (and other ethnicities) using that as an opportunity to extract 'payback' for all the perceived injustices against them and their ancestors. Some jump on the bandwagon because they see it as an opportunity to be a leader and make a name for themselves, and an easy way to do that is to have a cause to fight.
If you wear blue-tinted spectacles, you see everything with a bluish tint to it, and if you're brought up to believe that your people were and still are victims of 'white' oppression - racism - then that's how just about everything will appear to you. It's really well-past time that other ethnicities freed themselves from this way of thinking. And also time that we ('whitey') stopped collaborating with them on this misconception. We're our own worst enemy at times.
Glad to hear you like the comics stuff too.
Post a Comment