yeah,like.... ok i'm sure we all knew someone in the 70s and 80s who got a bit of abuse over having "sallow" skin but what Lineker said about it was not exactly a massive comment. We all got a bit of singling out as kids. until to deliver the slap in the mush or become one of the people dishing it out of course. I personally got a bit of grief until one lad kicked my shoe into the school showers and a got him by the throat and slammed his head off the wall. (it was a little over reaction i'll admit) surprisingly after that i didn't get abuse after that so I'm sure the comments that the usual types in the media and that calling it cultural appropriation has really hilarious. I wasn't aware being the victim of racism was part of "culture" and could be appropriated but it's good white people can tell us this
I wasn't aware of it being called cultural appropriation. It was his "... and I'm as English as they come" comment that was completely off.
As someone who did suffer some minor racist abuse as a kid, I see little wrong in what Lineker said in that I don't doubt there would be some kids who took the mickey out of him because he had relatively dark skin. Kids can and do take the mickey out of anything and everything.
I don’t think it’s that part that’s the problem? It’s the ‘and I’m as English as they come’ part which suggests anyone not white isn’t fully English.
I'm sorry that you suffered racist abuse as a child, that's never okay even in the environment of small children who, as you say, will pick on anything to make fun of. In my opinion, Lineker should never have said "I'm as English as they come" as some sort of defence when that itself was a racist thing to say. It implies that someone of the 'race' he was mistaken for, can't be English.
It probably all adds up. as in privileged white male speaks so instantly people ignore the fact that white males can have been bullied and abused and have a hard time. White males are not allowed speak about having a hard time unless its in the context of suicide and even then the eyes roll and the toxic masculinity stuff comes out. add in the as english as can be and then any sort of point he might have had about getting jip off other kids is gone and he's a xenophobe who needs to be ridiculed. please log in to view this image This is the kind fo stuff that's really at issue. BTW I knew a lad in the 1980s who had blonde hair and sallow skin and i know what nickname he was given and put up with. so if people want to say its not racist to give a kid a nickname starting with the letter N... fair enough... looking back.... its all insensitive abuse. especially when they could just have called Lineker jug ears, whic is of course much more culturally sensitive way to give abuse to others.
I got called "paki" at school (I'm blue eyed and white) on a few occasions because of my skin tone. (A lot of eastern European in me, so I darken easily in the sun). So I know what he's saying. Not really the same thing as true racism though. It was just kids being twats. Just a minor blip compared to what people of other races, no doubt, have to face in their lives. / Obviously the expression itself is racist, but wasn't really racist towards me.
I got called a fat bastard In fact when playing five a side I regularly hear Mark the fat one and after looking around I realise it’s me But that’s okay cause at least they are still marking me…
Think United should move their training ground to Portmeirion. How very apt that Ronaldo is Number 7. Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Man Utd HQ out back exit as stance clear after showdown talks - Mirror Online please log in to view this image
The worst i heard was said about a Manc school mate and to this day my fervent hope is that the then middle aged couple died very slowly and in great pain .
when you do think back, it is rather horrific to think what young people had to go though on a daily basis in those days (and now) every day and that. we are just talking about bullies and that exerting their position in the local group of kids here on one level but on the other level it has to be said that Lineker or us comparing a "few" comments to the daily consistent abuse must be incredibly frustrating to those who suffer it. It can only be said that having a few comments gives us a small bit of empathy but it doesn't give us the understanding of that constant level of abuse day in day out, which is why we have to listen more IMO. Per donga comment above.