True that. I watched open all hours the other night, when an Asian shop owner came in, and said "I'm gupta" and arkwright replied "I'm sorry to hear that".



I dunno, I think it's hard to know where the line is sometimes.



You watch a film like blazing saddles and it appears incredibly racist upon first glance, when actually it's mocking the ignorance and backwardness of Midwestern Americans.



I think a lot of the time it's not the words you use, it's the context that they're said in. You know when someone is using it as a way of degrading someone. Which FOR ME is where the line is. But I'd never risk offending someone in that way, of course.

Excuse the pun but life tends not to be black and white.



What the outraged of Britain often forget is that there are always great areas of life that you just can't legislate for - if you tried you may as well kiss freedom of speech goodbye.



There is out and out racism that should be obvious to all and immediately slapped down.



Then there is the Ronnie Barker gag, which I suspect would only upset one in a thousand asian people if that. Whether you laugh at that particular gag is up to you and no one else - not one of his best but hardly what I'd call offensive,

You actually get edited versions of Tom & Jerry Cartoons DVDs now unless you specifically order the original unedited versions.

Just googled xxxxTom &Jerry, I've never seen this version before.

Yes it's called re-writing history I believe the Nazi's were spot on at it. Sometimes I find the similarities between the Liberal PC brigade and the Brown Shirts a touch concerning.



It's only cartoons for now, but where does it stop - they used to laugh at that absurd little Austrian corporal at first.



For me history is sacred and must never be messed with - to do so is the ultimate betrayal of the truth.

And later than that - I had a touch of frost binge a few years ago and there were episodes from the mid nineties where he constantly referred to his black colleague as a "Black Berkshire"

Ignoring Vasty's attempt to invoke Godwin's Law on this thread - I have no problem with editing a cartoon that was much loved and is still fun - to remove some of the less socially or culturally enlightened content; there are plenty of things that were acceptable in bygone days that no longer are, due to the progressive nature of social attitudes.



I have a real problem with the anti PC brigade - who will often cite things like this, followed by the tired old cliché - "it's political correctness - gone maaaad!" then roll their eyes. Granted there are always examples that outraged Daily Mail headline writers can use to lament the loss of free speech - but I think those few cases where people get it wrong with good intentions, are a small price to pay to put an end to the everyday, institutionalised racism and discrimination that was the norm as recently as the 70's - which I remember - because I was there.



PC is actually an attempt to be nicer - and that seems alright to me.

Exactly Bren.

Being nicer is not the same as censorship.

Certainly in the spirit of what they are doing.



I guess the problem is where you draw the line.

It is important to remember history the way it was.

I'm comfortable with the line being drawn quite a long way away from taking sambo out of a few episodes of Tom and Jerry.

So should I hide the original versions of Tom & Jerry DVDs and Noddy Books from todays youngsters?

We buy bevel gearboxes in from India to convert our valves for the petro chemical industries and the trade name cast on the gearbox is "SAMBO".

It's really impossible to find a summary that everyone can agree with really isn't it. You look at comedians, such as Chris Rock, or Chris Tucker.... About 95% of their material is based on black culture and history.



I find that, personally, I get along with people much better who are so comfortable with modern day society and their own culture to the extent that they can allude to a lighter side of it.



It is just a shame (or, maybe it isn't....) that we live in a world where different communities are so wildly differemt in their development. Ignorance will unfortunately always be a variable.



As for racism at rugby league matches, I really had thought we'd outgrown it all.



What staggers me is how much hatred is spewed for fans of other teams. Not only that, just how deep set and unrelenting it is. It's only a very small minority, at every club, but it really does stagger me.



As a cas fan I don't hold any hatred for anything Wakefield related. I enjoy the rivalry and the banter and rugby for me wouldn't be the same without it. Racism or otherwise, spewing abuse at each other just isn't necessary between any sets of fans IMO