Being disrespectful

[Esceptico]

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

[Esceptico]

Lynchie999 said:

I think they don't have L sounds...

but do have "R" sounds... Ra Ri Ru Re Ro ..

Japanese R sometimes sounds more like L to me than R, depending upon the word and speaker (I’ve heard more women saying R like L).

[Esceptico]

AdeTuono said:

There is. It's called a 'sense of humour'.

Making fun of a foreign guest because of how they speak English is ignorant, boorish and childish. The irony is that most native English speakers don’t know any other languages, rather than just some difficulties with pronunciation.

[Esceptico]

AlexC1981 said:

Esceptico said:

Making fun of a foreign guest because of how they speak English is ignorant, boorish and childish. The irony is that most native English speakers don’t know any other languages, rather than just some difficulties with pronunciation.

I'm sure foreigners often take the micky out of our poor second language skills. Does that bother you as well? I'm happy to for Germans to mock my poor GCSE quality German. That's absolutely fine if done in good humour. Thoroughly deserved.

It is an English custom to take the piss out of people you like. Generally the closer you are as friends, the worse things you will say to each other.

Context is everything. What is appropriate and funny between close British friends (who understand and appreciate British humour) is very different from mocking a foreign guest you are meeting for the first time.

Even in Britain, people make jokes about the Welsh being sheep shaggers and the Scottish for being stingy but if a Welsh person, you had not met, visited your house would you make jokes behind their back to the other guests about them being a sheep shagger?

Having asked that question I get the feeling that some on here are so lacking in manners that they would.

Ironically the Japanese have the misconception that the British are very polite and fair.

[Esceptico]

AdeTuono said:

Esceptico said:

AdeTuono said:

There is. It's called a 'sense of humour'.

Making fun of a foreign guest because of how they speak English is ignorant, boorish and childish. The irony is that most native English speakers don’t know any other languages, rather than just some difficulties with pronunciation.

Ffs, lighten up, would you? Do you always get offended on behalf of others?

Strange that whenever racism, homophobia, misogyny, fat shaming etc arise the standard response from many is to ask why people are offended on behalf of others. Is that a defence for bad behaviour?

[Esceptico]

DodgyGeezer said:

Esceptico said:

Context is everything. What is appropriate and funny between close British friends (who understand and appreciate British humour) is very different from mocking a foreign guest you are meeting for the first time.

Even in Britain, people make jokes about the Welsh being sheep shaggers and the Scottish for being stingy but if a Welsh person, you had not met, visited your house would you make jokes behind their back to the other guests about them being a sheep shagger?

Having asked that question I get the feeling that some on here are so lacking in manners that they would.

Ironically the Japanese have the misconception that the British are very polite and fair.

Because, of course, other countries/peoples never poke fun at strangers/non-natives....

Of course they do but what point are you making? It is okay to be a because other s exist? That doesn’t seem a very good or strong argument.

[Esceptico]

AdeTuono said:

No, it's pure frustration at the number of over-sensitive fkers who seem to proliferate these days.

I agree that some people are being over sensitive and there seems less tolerance these days. But I don’t think that should be used as a blanket defence for all bad behaviour.

[Skeptisk]

I would like make some posting on here have to learn some Hindi. There are quite a number of sounds that are not only very hard for native English speakers to pronounce but even worse, they are very hard to tell apart eg there are four “d”s but I struggle to differentiate them whereas to my wife they are as clearly different as D and T to English speakers. People might have more humility and be less likely to make snide remarks about English pronunciation if they saw their own weaknesses.

Having said that, almost everyone will have learned some French or another European language at school and most butcher the pronunciation. Perhaps taking the piss out of foreigners is a defensive reaction to hide their own feelings of inadequacy and not being able to learn a foreign language?

[Skeptisk]

DodgyGeezer said:

why is it any different from poking fun at:

baldies
fatties
shorties
lanky bds
man-wes
gingers
blondes
stupid people
vegans
MAMILs

the list goes on...

I suppose for those of you still living in the 70s, not much difference.

Why don’t you try out those insults on some strangers and see how you get on. Will they take it “as a laff” or will they get upset and/or aggressive?

[Skeptisk]

motco said:

Having been stuck in the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo during a rainstorm one weekend some while ago I watched the television for the want of something else to do. At that time Nescafé Gold Blend was being advertised on television and the name was pronounced "Gorrdo Brrendo" which suggests that 'L' sounds pose a probrem for Japanese native speakers.

Yes. Otherwise they would say aligato and not arigato

The Japanese also use a Japanese version of Grey - pronounced ‘gure’ so the “joke” fails because it is wrong.

What they do struggle with is two consonants being together as Japanese consonants are generally followed by vowels, which is why they say “gure” with the U between the G and R

[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