Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede

True, fair point. I'm a UK citizen (and have been since May this year) but I was eligible to vote before that time.

Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede

It seems even more bizarre when we consider that voting is compulsory Down Under. :confused:

Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede

This is an unfair comparison. "Pom" has never possessed the connotations of "Paki". Nor has it been overwhelmingly rejected by the vast majority of the people to whom it has been applied.

I view "Pom" on the same level as "Skippy". I don't consider either of them offensive.

Indeed. And why complain about a friendly slang term in the first place? It simply doesn't make sense. :confused:

difference between our use of "Pom" and the use of words like "dago", etc. is that "Pom" is not intended as an insult (except by a tiny minority of idiots; and what country doesn't have those?)

The history of the word "Pom" proves that it was originally coined as a good-natured slang term. Nearly 100 years on, it is still used in the same way.

So why make a fuss about it?

Originally Posted by Fenton Beasley

Originally Posted by LouiseD

But this instance was clearly designed to take the piss out of the brits hence the fuss.

Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede

I agree that they went over the top with the fat geezer. That was unnecessary, childish, and calculated to provoke.



This is an unfair comparison. "Pom" has never possessed the connotations of "Paki". Nor has it been overwhelmingly rejected by the vast majority of the people to whom it has been applied.

I view "Pom" on the same level as "Skippy". I don't consider either of them offensive.

Since coming to the UK, I have also been called "Dingo". That's a new one in my experience, but it didn't worry me at all; I found it quite amusing. :D



Well, there's no accounting for the opinions of arrogant, xenophobic cretins. But don't forget that there will be some people who come to the UK and consider it "20 years behind" their own country.



Indeed. And why complain about a friendly slang term in the first place? It simply doesn't make sense. :confused:



Well, that's another story entirely. You're looking specifically for a negative name for Aussies. That's in no way comparable to our use of the word "Pom". So your suggestion doesn't fit the argument.

In any case, people already use plenty of anti-Australian insults; there are many names used for Aussies which are intended to cause offence. If you want some choice examples, ask the Barmy Army - or some of the Lebanese gangs in NSW.

The difference between our use of "Pom" and the use of words like "dago", etc. is that "Pom" is not intended as an insult (except by a tiny minority of idiots; and what country doesn't have those?)

The history of the word "Pom" proves that it was originally coined as a good-natured slang term. Nearly 100 years on, it is still used in the same way.

So why make a fuss about it?

Originally Posted by LouiseD

Whilst I don't personally find the word POM an insult, it does depend of the context in which it is being used. My colleagues at work call me a POM and I take it in the spirit which it's given.

In this instance, the picture of the fat git looking ridiculous which accompanies the word is clearly aimed at protraying the British as being idiots. You simply can't take it any other way. Now whether you laugh at this or take offence is a matter for the individual.

Adverts will often be controversial because the makers want to get the product talked about, but should this be at the cost of ridiculing a nation which has strong ties with the country?

I think that because we are British and because we are so aware of offending other nations in the UK, some are probably more outraged than they would have been say 10 years ago. If you took the same advert and put it on British TV but replaced the POM for a P*KI there would be uproar. But the UK isn't Australia.

As a lot of people say, Australia is 20 years behind in many things. Maybe in 20 years the word will be banned, but as IPOM said, we know the way things are here so why should we come into the country and try to change things? Don't we all complain when it's being done in the UK by other races?

As Australians like to term other nations with names, I think that the answer might be for everyone to start using a different name for Aussies - it sounds far too nice. Then we'd see how their sense of humour is.

Originally Posted by OzTennis

OK so let's just turn this around and put the shoe on the other foot.

Think of ads for Foster's and XXXX in the UK. The product is made by a British owned company (under licence from CUB or Castlemaine Perkins) and the advertisements are made by British advertising agencies for British consumers. The ads basically portray Australians as:

Men who care more about their beer than their woman(en) - the ads aren't directed at women in the UK. eg the guy who would have an affair with his best mate's wife but wouldn't dream of taking his beer; the dimwit who uses the gorgeous woman to shade his cold beer from the sun rather than .....

Oh and everyone in Australia seems to live in the outback or on the beach and wears shorts, T-shirt etc.

Need I go on - do I find this stereotypical portrayal of Australians as racist and deeply offensive? No! I find it amusing in the sense that it is in the same category as 'all Frenchmen ride a bicycle with garlic around their neck, a beret and a striped shirt'.

Do I report this to the policeman who posted earlier - because I could construe this as racist? Do I seek to have the ads removed from British screens? I think you know the answer to this and how I would be perceived if I did (Vash's term) :D

OzTennis :)

Originally Posted by iamthecreaturefromuranus

How about if everywhere you went you were called a 'Con'.. everytime your country was mention on the TV it was in the terms of lets stick one to the 'Cons' . How about if the UK was obsessed with getting one over the 'Cons' as Oz seems to be with getting the better of the Poms?

Originally Posted by OzTennis

You didn't make any comment on the portrayal of Australians in the British ads I noticed - you just seem to like to comment on the portrayal of Poms in Australian ads.

Does the expression 'the empire strikes back' mean anything? This is one reason why we like to put one over the 'old enemy' - it comes originally from the many former Brits who were transported for life and it is the inmates hitting back at the jailer, it's ingrained in the psyche from 1788.

When I was watching the cricket today I saw the Barmy Army had inflatable kangaroos with Union Jack T-shirts over them (good humoured re-colonisation?)

I would probably object to being called a Con because I've done my genealogy and know I am descended from free settlers. :D

OzTennis :)

Originally Posted by iamthecreaturefromuranus

How about if everywhere you went you were called a 'Con'.. everytime your country was mention on the TV it was in the terms of lets stick one to the 'Cons' . How about if the UK was obsessed with getting one over the 'Cons' as Oz seems to be with getting the better of the Poms?

Originally Posted by OzTennis

And England IS obsessed with putting one over us - has there been such hysteria as when the Ashes were won last year for the 8th or 9th time of asking. Team invited to No.10, honours from the Queen, Team of the Year, my paper last week had a free DVD of how the Ashes were won etc, etc.

OzTennis :)

Originally Posted by OzTennis

And England IS obsessed with putting one over us - has there been such hysteria as when the Ashes were won last year for the 8th or 9th time of asking. Team invited to No.10, honours from the Queen, Team of the Year, my paper last week had a free DVD of how the Ashes were won etc, etc.

OzTennis :)

Originally Posted by iPom

It's cos we know we'll never win them ever again, so we have to big it up a bit. ;)

Originally Posted by iamthecreaturefromuranus

Now that I can comment on 'cos I was still in England.. I think that was down to the nature of the series itself as much as putting one over the Aussies... I'm a football fan, like most of England, and cricket would normally barely rate a mention.. but that series just grabbed the nation. It was sport at its very best... and did we want to put one over the Aussies... you're damn right we did. :D

Originally Posted by iPom

It's cos we know we'll never win them ever again, so we have to big it up a bit. ;)