Sick of everyone calling Australia racist.
Jan 21st 2010, 1:41 pm
#292
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Hervey Bay
Posts: 181
Re: Sick of everyone calling Australia racist.
It all boils down to personal perception of words. To me a gollywog is nothing but a toy doll or a little paper doll in a jar of jam, that's the way I was brought up. I may have grown up in the 50's in the UK but NEVER did I think of it as anything else. Maybe it's different in America, I imagine it is, but I'm not an american so wouldn't really know.
It also depends on the way words are used and the context in which they are spoken. If I have a cold or I'm feeling under the weather I have a wog but if I refer to a person as a wog in a derogatory way then that's not fine.
Not so long ago my 25 year old granddaughter refered to herself an an abo and I nearly fell off my chair with shock. She said look here grandma that's what I am and I'm proud of it. That's just her perception of the word, abo means aborinal end of.
It also depends on the way words are used and the context in which they are spoken. If I have a cold or I'm feeling under the weather I have a wog but if I refer to a person as a wog in a derogatory way then that's not fine.
Not so long ago my 25 year old granddaughter refered to herself an an abo and I nearly fell off my chair with shock. She said look here grandma that's what I am and I'm proud of it. That's just her perception of the word, abo means aborinal end of.
Jan 21st 2010, 1:48 pm
#293
Account Closed
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,195
Re: Sick of everyone calling Australia racist.
It all boils down to personal perception of words. To me a gollywog is nothing but a toy doll or a little paper doll in a jar of jam, that's the way I was brought up. I may have grown up in the 50's in the UK but NEVER did I think of it as anything else. Maybe it's different in America, I imagine it is, but I'm not an american so wouldn't really know.
It also depends on the way words are used and the context in which they are spoken. If I have a cold or I'm feeling under the weather I have a wog but if I refer to a person as a wog in a derogatory way then that's not fine.
Not so long ago my 25 year old granddaughter refered to herself an an abo and I nearly fell off my chair with shock. She said look here grandma that's what I am and I'm proud of it. That's just her perception of the word, abo means aborinal end of.
It also depends on the way words are used and the context in which they are spoken. If I have a cold or I'm feeling under the weather I have a wog but if I refer to a person as a wog in a derogatory way then that's not fine.
Not so long ago my 25 year old granddaughter refered to herself an an abo and I nearly fell off my chair with shock. She said look here grandma that's what I am and I'm proud of it. That's just her perception of the word, abo means aborinal end of.
Jan 21st 2010, 1:50 pm
#294
Banned
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,733
Re: Sick of everyone calling Australia racist.
Is your daugher an Aboriginal Australia though?
Jan 21st 2010, 1:54 pm
#295
Mostly Harmless
Joined: Dec 2009
Location: Semi-rural wonderworld, Brisbane
Posts: 15,109
Re: Sick of everyone calling Australia racist.
My nephew has an ASBO, is this close enough?
Jan 21st 2010, 2:00 pm
#296
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Hervey Bay
Posts: 181
Re: Sick of everyone calling Australia racist.
No my daughter is an australian with an english mum and dad (that's me and my lad). My granddaughter has an australian aboriginal father.
Last edited by BayWhale; Jan 21st 2010 at 2:02 pm.
Jan 21st 2010, 2:10 pm
#297
Account Closed
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 10,784
Re: Sick of everyone calling Australia racist.
American blacks often refer to each other as N***ERS. I'm pretty sure it won't go down well used by white people though.
Jan 21st 2010, 2:18 pm
#298
Account Closed
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 10,784
Re: Sick of everyone calling Australia racist.
It would seem that wog isn't as unoffensive here as some claim.....
As an ethnic reference in Australian English
Wog is also an ethnic slur in Australian English to denote immigrants of predominately southern European, eastern European and over later decades, Middle Eastern origin.
The "ethnic" character of the term "wog" came into popular use in the 1950s when Australia accepted large numbers of immigrants from Southern and Eastern European countries, in contrast to the then overwhelmingly dominant British-descended white Australian stock of the population. Although originally used pejoratively, the term is increasingly used more affectionately, especially by the individuals the term is used to describe.
Later, the term was extended to refer to new generations of immigrants from Middle eastern countries. In contemporary Australian society, it is often used to identify people of Mediterranean ancestry.
The term "wogball" refers to soccer (association football), coming from its popularity among such people. Australians of non-Mediterranean/continental European ancestry traditionally favour the games of Rugby football and Australian Rules, although this is a generalisation.
The term was often used in popular Australian comedy Kingswood Country between 1979-84 and was used in a sense that was sometimes pejorative, sometimes affectionate and sometimes neutral.
The word was prominently used in the popular early 1990s stage show Wogs Out of Work, created by Greek-Australian Nick Giannopoulos and Spanish-Australian Simon Palomares. The production was followed on television with Acropolis Now, starring Giannopoulos, Palomares, George Kapiniaris and Mary Coustas, and in film with The Wog Boy.
Nevertheless, the term remains quite offensive to many people in Australia, particularly people of Southeastern European and Eastern European origin who grew up in Australia through the 1950s to 1980s as it was still very much an ethnic slur or insult.
The derogatory nature of the term when used as an ethnic slur largely succeeded in overtaking and driving out use of the term 'wog' to describe illness or undesirable insects.
As an ethnic reference in Australian English
Wog is also an ethnic slur in Australian English to denote immigrants of predominately southern European, eastern European and over later decades, Middle Eastern origin.
The "ethnic" character of the term "wog" came into popular use in the 1950s when Australia accepted large numbers of immigrants from Southern and Eastern European countries, in contrast to the then overwhelmingly dominant British-descended white Australian stock of the population. Although originally used pejoratively, the term is increasingly used more affectionately, especially by the individuals the term is used to describe.
Later, the term was extended to refer to new generations of immigrants from Middle eastern countries. In contemporary Australian society, it is often used to identify people of Mediterranean ancestry.
The term "wogball" refers to soccer (association football), coming from its popularity among such people. Australians of non-Mediterranean/continental European ancestry traditionally favour the games of Rugby football and Australian Rules, although this is a generalisation.
The term was often used in popular Australian comedy Kingswood Country between 1979-84 and was used in a sense that was sometimes pejorative, sometimes affectionate and sometimes neutral.
The word was prominently used in the popular early 1990s stage show Wogs Out of Work, created by Greek-Australian Nick Giannopoulos and Spanish-Australian Simon Palomares. The production was followed on television with Acropolis Now, starring Giannopoulos, Palomares, George Kapiniaris and Mary Coustas, and in film with The Wog Boy.
Nevertheless, the term remains quite offensive to many people in Australia, particularly people of Southeastern European and Eastern European origin who grew up in Australia through the 1950s to 1980s as it was still very much an ethnic slur or insult.
The derogatory nature of the term when used as an ethnic slur largely succeeded in overtaking and driving out use of the term 'wog' to describe illness or undesirable insects.
Jan 21st 2010, 2:21 pm
#299
Chan eil aon chànan gu le
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: On the ning nang nong
Posts: 22,437
Re: Sick of everyone calling Australia racist.
It would seem that wog isn't as unoffensive here as some claim.....
As an ethnic reference in Australian English
Wog is also an ethnic slur in Australian English to denote immigrants of predominately southern European, eastern European and over later decades, Middle Eastern origin.
The "ethnic" character of the term "wog" came into popular use in the 1950s when Australia accepted large numbers of immigrants from Southern and Eastern European countries, in contrast to the then overwhelmingly dominant British-descended white Australian stock of the population. Although originally used pejoratively, the term is increasingly used more affectionately, especially by the individuals the term is used to describe.
Later, the term was extended to refer to new generations of immigrants from Middle eastern countries. In contemporary Australian society, it is often used to identify people of Mediterranean ancestry.
The term "wogball" refers to soccer (association football), coming from its popularity among such people. Australians of non-Mediterranean/continental European ancestry traditionally favour the games of Rugby football and Australian Rules, although this is a generalisation.
The term was often used in popular Australian comedy Kingswood Country between 1979-84 and was used in a sense that was sometimes pejorative, sometimes affectionate and sometimes neutral.
The word was prominently used in the popular early 1990s stage show Wogs Out of Work, created by Greek-Australian Nick Giannopoulos and Spanish-Australian Simon Palomares. The production was followed on television with Acropolis Now, starring Giannopoulos, Palomares, George Kapiniaris and Mary Coustas, and in film with The Wog Boy.
Nevertheless, the term remains quite offensive to many people in Australia, particularly people of Southeastern European and Eastern European origin who grew up in Australia through the 1950s to 1980s as it was still very much an ethnic slur or insult.
The derogatory nature of the term when used as an ethnic slur largely succeeded in overtaking and driving out use of the term 'wog' to describe illness or undesirable insects.
As an ethnic reference in Australian English
Wog is also an ethnic slur in Australian English to denote immigrants of predominately southern European, eastern European and over later decades, Middle Eastern origin.
The "ethnic" character of the term "wog" came into popular use in the 1950s when Australia accepted large numbers of immigrants from Southern and Eastern European countries, in contrast to the then overwhelmingly dominant British-descended white Australian stock of the population. Although originally used pejoratively, the term is increasingly used more affectionately, especially by the individuals the term is used to describe.
Later, the term was extended to refer to new generations of immigrants from Middle eastern countries. In contemporary Australian society, it is often used to identify people of Mediterranean ancestry.
The term "wogball" refers to soccer (association football), coming from its popularity among such people. Australians of non-Mediterranean/continental European ancestry traditionally favour the games of Rugby football and Australian Rules, although this is a generalisation.
The term was often used in popular Australian comedy Kingswood Country between 1979-84 and was used in a sense that was sometimes pejorative, sometimes affectionate and sometimes neutral.
The word was prominently used in the popular early 1990s stage show Wogs Out of Work, created by Greek-Australian Nick Giannopoulos and Spanish-Australian Simon Palomares. The production was followed on television with Acropolis Now, starring Giannopoulos, Palomares, George Kapiniaris and Mary Coustas, and in film with The Wog Boy.
Nevertheless, the term remains quite offensive to many people in Australia, particularly people of Southeastern European and Eastern European origin who grew up in Australia through the 1950s to 1980s as it was still very much an ethnic slur or insult.
The derogatory nature of the term when used as an ethnic slur largely succeeded in overtaking and driving out use of the term 'wog' to describe illness or undesirable insects.
Jan 21st 2010, 2:24 pm
#300
Account Closed
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,195
Re: Sick of everyone calling Australia racist.
I've just read through my first post 'which no-one quoted in full' and am a bit bemused as to why so many people jumped down my throat, I thought it pretty fair.
However, I bow to popular opinion, and vow that from now on I will not use racist terms such as Afro-Caribbean (I will find out which one they originate from and not lump them in together)
I will no longer use the term Aboriginal, unless preceded by the country of origin, as Aboriginal is a generic term for indigenous peoples
I will no longer use the term American Indian, as the indigenous American people were only called Indians because Columbus was lost
I call upon my far more racially aware forum colleagues to help me honour my vows
However, I bow to popular opinion, and vow that from now on I will not use racist terms such as Afro-Caribbean (I will find out which one they originate from and not lump them in together)
I will no longer use the term Aboriginal, unless preceded by the country of origin, as Aboriginal is a generic term for indigenous peoples
I will no longer use the term American Indian, as the indigenous American people were only called Indians because Columbus was lost
I call upon my far more racially aware forum colleagues to help me honour my vows
