'Pom' whinge taken to UN
Discussion
You've got to be kidding ain't ya???
AFTER finally winning a round against Tooheys at Australia's advertising watchdog, Dave Thomason is off to the UN to have the use of the word "Pom" ruled as racial discrimination.
More than four years and hundreds of letters of complaint later, Mr Thomason and his group - British People Against Racial Discrimination - had a win this week against the use of a word they find derogatory and offensive - Pom.
The Advertising Standards Bureau upheld BPARD's latest complaint against the Tooheys New Supercold advertisements - specifically the radio ad that featured British men singing Land of Hope and Glory with revised lyrics such as, "whinge whine bang-on gripe grumble".
Emboldened by their success, Mr Thomason and his 14 West Australian members and 12 Victorian members are putting together a petition to the UN.
"The decision showed racial terminology should not be used to advertise products," Mr Thomason told The Weekend Australian.
"We are not looking to ban the use of the word 'Pom'. We just object to the fact that the media won't use nicknames for other nationalities - the Italians, the French, the New Zealanders, the Americans - but they use Pom all the time."
Mr Thomason, who arrived in Australia 37 years ago and was naturalised on Australia Day 27 years ago, said recent media monitoring by his group found the word "Pom" used at least five times a week, whereas the word "wog" was used just once in a 12 month period.
"How would most Australians feel if they were called prisoners in the paper all the time," he said.
He said his group believed all racial nicknames should be used or none at all.
"We are in the process of submitting a petition to the UN calling for an investigation of Australia's racial discrimination laws because they are deficient," he said.
BPARD came about after a discussion at a backyard barbecue in late 2002.
"We were sitting around and talking about the use of the word 'Pom' and how it was 'Pom here, Pom there, Pom everywhere'," the former gas fitter said.
"We said, 'It seems to be getting worse', we need to do something about it'."
In recent months, BPARD have also submitted complaints against the billboard, print and public transport ads for Tooheys New Supercold - all dismissed by the ASB - and against Sanitarium Health Food's Weetbix television ad featuring cricketers Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee and Mike Hussey - also dismissed.
"Contrary to the belief of many Australians the word 'Pom' was, has, and still is being used as a racist slur. It is not and never will be a term of endearment. British People Against Racial Discrimination members state the racial terminology Pom is offensive to us personally and to a significant number of English people generally," one complaint said.
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has considered the whether "Pom" is derogatory twice and dismissed the complaints both times.
Two of Australia's leading language experts have dismissed claims 'Pom' is an acronym for "Prisoner of Mother England".
AFTER finally winning a round against Tooheys at Australia's advertising watchdog, Dave Thomason is off to the UN to have the use of the word "Pom" ruled as racial discrimination.
More than four years and hundreds of letters of complaint later, Mr Thomason and his group - British People Against Racial Discrimination - had a win this week against the use of a word they find derogatory and offensive - Pom.
The Advertising Standards Bureau upheld BPARD's latest complaint against the Tooheys New Supercold advertisements - specifically the radio ad that featured British men singing Land of Hope and Glory with revised lyrics such as, "whinge whine bang-on gripe grumble".
Emboldened by their success, Mr Thomason and his 14 West Australian members and 12 Victorian members are putting together a petition to the UN.
"The decision showed racial terminology should not be used to advertise products," Mr Thomason told The Weekend Australian.
"We are not looking to ban the use of the word 'Pom'. We just object to the fact that the media won't use nicknames for other nationalities - the Italians, the French, the New Zealanders, the Americans - but they use Pom all the time."
Mr Thomason, who arrived in Australia 37 years ago and was naturalised on Australia Day 27 years ago, said recent media monitoring by his group found the word "Pom" used at least five times a week, whereas the word "wog" was used just once in a 12 month period.
"How would most Australians feel if they were called prisoners in the paper all the time," he said.
He said his group believed all racial nicknames should be used or none at all.
"We are in the process of submitting a petition to the UN calling for an investigation of Australia's racial discrimination laws because they are deficient," he said.
BPARD came about after a discussion at a backyard barbecue in late 2002.
"We were sitting around and talking about the use of the word 'Pom' and how it was 'Pom here, Pom there, Pom everywhere'," the former gas fitter said.
"We said, 'It seems to be getting worse', we need to do something about it'."
In recent months, BPARD have also submitted complaints against the billboard, print and public transport ads for Tooheys New Supercold - all dismissed by the ASB - and against Sanitarium Health Food's Weetbix television ad featuring cricketers Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee and Mike Hussey - also dismissed.
"Contrary to the belief of many Australians the word 'Pom' was, has, and still is being used as a racist slur. It is not and never will be a term of endearment. British People Against Racial Discrimination members state the racial terminology Pom is offensive to us personally and to a significant number of English people generally," one complaint said.
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has considered the whether "Pom" is derogatory twice and dismissed the complaints both times.
Two of Australia's leading language experts have dismissed claims 'Pom' is an acronym for "Prisoner of Mother England".
to be fair he's got a point though, however you look at it the word is used as a racial slur as its usually accompanied by other derogatory remarks - whinging for example. I don't see it being any less of a slur than for example the word "Paki" which although its just an abbreviation of the word Pakinstani is classed as racist. In this politically correct mad world we all live in these days the word Pom probably should be outlawed if you want the law to be consistent.
Just a Jocks point of view
Just a Jocks point of view
I talk to many Aussie mates my age and they call me a "pom" I don't feel the urge to slit my wrist and fall off a building! This is getting ridiculous
"We are not looking to ban the use of the word 'Pom'. We just object to the fact that the media won't use nicknames for other nationalities - the Italians, the French, the New Zealanders, the Americans - but they use Pom all the time."
Italians are Wogs, NZs=Kiwis and the Americans are Yanks, or so I've been told! This guy gives us a bad name. I remember they banned an ad for travelling to Oz because it had "where the bloody hell are ya?" in it. Geez
Fact is, if they "ban" the use of pom they will come up with something else, possibly worse!! Welldone political correctness, another victory
"We are not looking to ban the use of the word 'Pom'. We just object to the fact that the media won't use nicknames for other nationalities - the Italians, the French, the New Zealanders, the Americans - but they use Pom all the time."
Italians are Wogs, NZs=Kiwis and the Americans are Yanks, or so I've been told! This guy gives us a bad name. I remember they banned an ad for travelling to Oz because it had "where the bloody hell are ya?" in it. Geez
Fact is, if they "ban" the use of pom they will come up with something else, possibly worse!! Welldone political correctness, another victory
well_fans said:
Anyway I thought it was wop for Italians?
Maybe poms use wop, but in Australia the term of endearment for people of ethnic background (Italian, Greek, Lebanese etc.) is wog.
Thankfully (unlike some other immigrant groups, eg:
10 pound poms ) they have become true Australians since arriving here and learned to laugh with us, at us, and at themselves. They have their own satirical online magazine www.wog.com.au/forum/default.asp and there was also a very popular stage show called 'Wogs Out Of Work' performed by wogs, and the same group went on to do some excellent TV shows like Acropolis Now and Fat Pizza, and also a movie called Wog Boy.
To this (minority) group of poms? Get_A_Life!
Another socialist move towards total control of my life by the state, yes what a good idea. "Daddy that boy is calling me names, I cant handle it".
Ban name calling, ban sport, ban competition, ban life. Come and live in england where the state will wipe you bottom and our expats will take you to court for calling them names.
Shocking indictment of a socialist nation! Time for a tory government me thinks.
Ban name calling, ban sport, ban competition, ban life. Come and live in england where the state will wipe you bottom and our expats will take you to court for calling them names.
Shocking indictment of a socialist nation! Time for a tory government me thinks.
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