Being disrespectful

[Skeptisk]

98elise said:

Pebbles167 said:

Esceptico said:

BBC changed the name to “Old Gley Whistle Test”. I remember casual racism being a thing in the 70s but still a bit taken back, especially as the OGWT was a show for popular music.

Or maybe there is an innocent explanation. Although I’m struggling to come up with one.

Anyone with similar examples?

There's something about the Japanese language and the letter 'L'. It doesn't appear in their alphabet and so it's foreign to them, and often have issues pronouncing it. I wouldn't assume this is racism at all, in fact, I'd imagine it's the bands doing themselves.

I'm a casual fan of a modern Japanese rock band called 'One OK Rock'. I assumed the rock part was to do with the music, but actually it's to represent 'One O'Clock' in the morning, which was the time they used to practice.

"R" is pronounced "L" in Japanese. For example I know someone named Reiko (Japanese), but it's pronounced Leiko.

Edited by 98elise on Sunday 15th May 17:09

I think it is neither an R nor a L but something in between - which probably means Brits sound weird speaking Japanese

For anyone interested this song has all the sounds. At about 1 min you can hear the Ra Ri Ru Re Ro and make up your own mind whether it sounds more R or L
https://youtu.be/PAfi3D9K7lk

[Mr Whippy]

I remember being given grief for saying booook as buck, and graaaas as gras, as people from Yorkshire do.

Those southerner Englander racists! Casually giving me grief over the way I say words.

[AdeTuono]

Mr Whippy said:

I remember being given grief for saying booook as buck, and graaaas as gras, as people from Yorkshire do.

Those southerner Englander racists! Casually giving me grief over the way I say words.

Countyist.

[Whats on Second]

if being on ph for a short time has taught me anything it's that
peoples and races that have trouble pronouncing R are people too, have feelings,
and should not be made fun of.

[ I can't survive a 3rd ban so it's platitudes, prosaicisms,
banalities and vapid inanities from hence forth ]

[Glassman]

Whats on Second said:

if being on ph for a short time has taught me anything it's that
peoples and races that have trouble pronouncing R are people too, have feelings,
and should not be made fun of.

Living in London and traveling the country with my work, I've embraced languages and cultures. Whilst I'm not fluent, I can say a few words in Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swaheli and Tamil. My pub/party trick is to ask my subject what 'windscreen' is in their first language and I can usually tell where they're from.

The point is, and for example, I've learned quite a bit of Polish. I have just about learned that 'w' is pronounced like a 'v' and the letter L with a line through it is 'woo'. There are still some words I can't quite pronounce properly. After the initial pigeon/silly translation (two words which sound very similar) I struggle with the proximity of 'p' and 's' in words. It's fun learning. When I mispronounce, they smile or titter, often bursting out into laughter. Why feel offended by that? It's a great way to have a laugh and build friendships.

Similarly, when I was trying to tell a Colombian I was talking to that I had been an Arsenal fan since from about the age of three. Telling him, 'ever since I had three anuses' had him in stitches.

It can just be a light-hearted way to break barriers. I think a lot of people like to get offended on behalf of those they think might be offended when actually, they're not. The best way to learn is when you're having fun.

Edited by Glassman on Monday 16th May 09:13

[Mr Whippy]

So what you’re saying is…

Don’t worry too much? Chances are no one really cares that much except a few internet offence warriors?

[Tin Hat]

Largechris said:

Esceptico said:

For some reason an Old Grey Whistle Test session from the 1970s, with a Japanese band I had never heard of, popped up on my YouTube feed. Curious I clicked on it.

As you can see, it looks like some wit at the BBC changed the name to “Old Gley Whistle Test”. I remember casual racism being a thing in the 70s but still a bit taken back, especially as the OGWT was a show for popular music.

Or maybe there is an innocent explanation. Although I’m struggling to come up with one.

Anyone with similar examples?

Edited by Esceptico on Wednesday 11th May 06:14

Are you by any chance searching for something to be offended about?

I suspect that you are right, the biggest offence with this joke is the observation that BBC licence payers had to invest in an ‘L’ unnecessarily. Probably ended up in landfill as well, what a worry!

[sospan]

Being Welsh I laugh at some pronunciations on the Satnav.
A road named Gelli Onn. Pronounced as Jelly On is one example.
Welsh letter G is hard version as in good. Ll is not ll as in polly but a Welsh “letter” in itself.
Mind you we have fun changing place names.
Aberystwyth becomes Aberwristwatch
Dolgellau becomes Dollygalloo.
Cardigan becomes Jumper.
.