howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#1
Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#2
On the subject of 'token' ethnic minorities, did anyone else see the TV version of Howard's End last night (written 1910).
As the Guardian says:-
One new element that has been added is the presence of characters of colour. The doctor called to examine Mrs Wilcox is Indian. The Schlegels’ maid, Annie, is black (and evidently not fully accepted by their other servants) and Bast greets a black man, dressed as he is, in the street as a social equal.
FWIW Bast also went home to a coloured wife/girlfriend!
I don't remember any of this in the original E M Forster book - but perhaps it was so normal he didn't even think it worth commenting?
Almost as good as the World Service for Black History Month celebrating the many inventions that non-Europeans had made. Apparently an African invented the traffic light! I Googled it and it turned out to be an African-American.
http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/garrett-morgan-inventor-one-first-traffic-lights
Invented 'traffic' i.e. the motor car? Now would be something.
Invented 'light' i.e. the incandescent bulb? Now that also would be something.
Invent traffic light? Nah.
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#3
Only a couple of years back a football pundit got into trouble for describing a player as coloured.
Most people I know have used the term without any ill intent but now the trendies are insisting that all non white people are referred to as "a person of colour"!!
I have often wondered why mixed race people always come under the heading of black even though they are only slightly brown. Take Rio Ferdinand for example, I go darker than him after a few days in the sun.
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#4
In all seriousness here's a list of 10 African Inventions That Changed the World from Rising Africa (telling the African success story)
http://www.risingafrica.org/success-stories/education/10-african-inventions-that-changed-the-world/
The Guardian scrapes the barrel even further with 10 things Africa has given the world
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/08/10-things-africa-given-world including
Penis Transplants and Mobile Phones (in as much as mobile phones contain cobalt which is mined in the D(sic)RC when they are not busy slaughtering each other on tribal lines).
It's almost as funny as the rewriting of history about the wonders of science from Mohammedan countries. 923 Nobel Laureates to date number only 12 Muslims amongst them (and 7 of those were for 'Peace'!) You couldn't make it up.
Guest 1713 and John Buckley like this
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Weird Granny Slater
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 7 Jun 2017
- Posts: 3,095
#5
Yes Forster's been badly served indeed: Alec Guinness as Godbole anyone? But I doubt there were any Indian actors available back in the 80s. (But AG's experience playing Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia would have been a help I suppose.) Olivier as Othello? (Or any other white actor: I saw Ben Kingsley on stage as the Moor back in the 80s, but at least he's half-Gujarati). Russell Crowe as Noah? Certainly looks the part. And as regards the Bible, what about Charlton Heston as Moses? Mirror-image I'd say...
'Pass the cow dung, my dropsy's killing me' - Heraclitus
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#6
That Holy Family tend to look as though they don't hail from sunny climes too!
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
John Buckley
- Registered: 6 Oct 2013
- Posts: 615
#7
Have you never heard of "airbrushing" Capt.?
Guest 1881- Registered: 16 Oct 2016
- Posts: 1,071
#8
Weird Granny Slater wrote:Yes Forster's been badly served indeed: Alec Guinness as Godbole anyone? But I doubt there were any Indian actors available back in the 80s. (But AG's experience playing Faisal in Lawrence of Arabia would have been a help I suppose.) Olivier as Othello? (Or any other white actor: I saw Ben Kingsley on stage as the Moor back in the 80s, but at least he's half-Gujarati). Russell Crowe as Noah? Certainly looks the part. And as regards the Bible, what about Charlton Heston as Moses? Mirror-image I'd say...
John Wayne as Genghis Khan. YES THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED!
Incidentally, Oh Captain, my Captain, don't forget that Henry Ford would only produce the Ford Model T in black. Not sure that qualifies for Black History Month but a notable contrast to the predominately white livery of the U.S. Space programme. (Was Ford a capitalist subversive?!)
Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean that politics won't take an interest in you. PERICLES.
Guest 1881- Registered: 16 Oct 2016
- Posts: 1,071
#9
Just corroborating #6. The evidence is now conclusive.
Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean that politics won't take an interest in you. PERICLES.
Weird Granny Slater- Location: Dover
- Registered: 7 Jun 2017
- Posts: 3,095
#10
The Bishop wrote:Just corroborating #6. The evidence is now conclusive.
I don't think so: that planed timber looks straight out of Hutchings in Deal.
'Pass the cow dung, my dropsy's killing me' - Heraclitus
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#11
I believe they are trying to assemble 'Sven', the new flat-pack manger from the IKEA in Damascus.
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,397
#12
"The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it".
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Guest 1881- Registered: 16 Oct 2016
- Posts: 1,071
#13
The Greggs advent calendar was definitely in bad taste (pun intended). The very replacement of one third of the holy trinity, our saviour, with a savoury product (AND a pork based one at that) replacing the son of Jewish 'parents'. Unbelievably stupid.
Jan Higgins likes this
Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean that politics won't take an interest in you. PERICLES.
