Religion and Ethics Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: jeremyp on May 30, 2018, 11:48:09 AM

Title: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: jeremyp on May 30, 2018, 11:48:09 AM
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44294632

Rosanne Barr has lost her new TV series after a really stupid and racist tweet. It seems to me that Twitter is too dangerous to be allowed into the hands of humans.

People forget that, with Twitter:

- you are broadcasting your thoughts to the whole World

- there are people on Twitter just waiting for other people to Tweet stupid things and broadcast their mistakes to the whole World

- humour, irony and sarcasm don't necessarily survive the process of Tweeting.

- we all have moments of stupidity caused by tiredness, anger, intoxication or simple brain fade.

Conclusion: Twitter must go. It's too dangerous.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Rhiannon on May 30, 2018, 11:52:28 AM
Well there was nothing humorous about Barr’s tweet. Does it serve a purpose in exposing the bigoted racism of her and others?

Then we have the inflammatory story this week about Raheem Sterling’s tattoo, that was plastered all over the front of The Sun. Twitter gave him a platform to reply plus receive support. There seems to be a conscious attempt to undermine Sterling that I wouldn’t even have been aware of otherwise, not being a Sun reader.

Am I on Twitter? Am I fairy cakes.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: jeremyp on May 30, 2018, 12:00:22 PM
Well there was nothing humorous about Barr’s tweet. Does it serve a purpose in exposing the bigoted racism of her and others?
Firstly, I'm not entirely sure she is a bigoted racist so much as guilty of really bad judgement. Even if she is a bigoted racist, it wouldn't matter as long as she kept her mouth shut. By her actions, she has destroyed her career and deprived millions of people of a TV programme they presumably enjoyed.

Quote
Then we have the inflammatory story this week about Raheem Sterling’s tattoo, that was plastered all over the front of The Sun. Twitter gave him a platform to reply plus receive support. There seems to be a conscious attempt to undermine Sterling that I wouldn’t even have been aware of otherwise, not being a Sun reader.
And sometimes guns have saved people's lives. That doesn't stop us from banning them (real ones, I have no problem with pictures of guns in general). Also, the Sun might not have picked up on the tattoos without the tweets about them.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Rhiannon on May 30, 2018, 12:13:38 PM
I think your first point is pertinent - I’m not a Roseanne fan but people will be sad to see her show go. I think though that her show is so much about her that I really don’t see ABC having many options. And o don’t really see how the tweet she put out can be a mere error of judgement. Making an ape joke about a person of black heritage? Barr isn’t that stupid. Would it gave been ok if she made the joke in a bar?

As for Sterling, his original Instagram post was only about him resuming training with England. Someone at the Currant Bun spitted the tatt and decided to make a story out of it, exploiting anti gun campaigners along the way. It’s been suggested that the Sun and the Mail have a racist agenda where Sterling is concerned, but maybe he’s just seen as an easy target. I don’t read either so I don’t know.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Aruntraveller on May 30, 2018, 12:38:44 PM
Interestingly, partly as a result of the Ms Barr debacle, I tried to remove myself from Twitter this morning. However I couldn't remember my password so I settled for blocking their incessant e-mails instead.

To the wider points about Twitter it does have the unfortunate effect of raising unimportant, or stupid, or indeed racist thoughts to a higher level than they actually deserve to be.

Some celebrities have long thought that they are special in their spouting hence the self congratulatory drivel that we have over the years had to suffer on shows like Graham Norton / Parkinson etc, Twitter seems to be the logical extension of that process cutting out any middle person that may act as a brake on their inner ramblings.

I'm not sure Jeremy, why you aren't sure Barr isn't racist - had that tweet appeared on here as a post I think it more than likely would have been removed as racist.

When I hear something like that, I think to myself what state would I need to be in to make a tweet of that kind. And I wouldn't. Ever. It just would not cross my mind. Why then would Roseanne, she clearly isn't stupid. So she is either doing it to achieve an effect (not sure what) or because she is racist. As I can't think of anything that fits into the former category then I'm left with the other option.

Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 30, 2018, 04:53:03 PM
Blamed/explained in Ambien which they are happy to deny


http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/389869-ambien-maker-pushes-back-at-roseanne-barr-tweet-racism-is-not-a?amp#click=https://t.co/IfCLDomhfV
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Rhiannon on May 30, 2018, 06:59:08 PM
Twitter aside, this sums up how I feel about what’s happened. I remember the original Roseanne series as pretty groundbreaking, and apparently the new series was too in its way. I hope that there’s a way back for the rest of the cast.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/30/roseanne-barr-tweets-conservative-liberal
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: trippymonkey on May 30, 2018, 09:27:44 PM
What the proverbial are you all soooo bothered about. ?????

Has Roseanne got such influence as to 'give' people racism where it wasn't before !?!?!?

Get real & mind you OWN businesses.!!!!!
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 30, 2018, 09:32:24 PM
What the proverbial are you all soooo bothered about. ?????

Has Roseanne got such influence as to 'give' people racism where it wasn't before !?!?!?

Get real & mind you OWN businesses.!!!!!

So YOU suppooort racism? !!! ? !!!! ! ?? !!! ?!
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: trippymonkey on May 30, 2018, 09:37:39 PM
Most certainly NOT as I've had non-English friends since I was a nipper, soooo many years ago now. There was nothing like racism in the 60 & 70s when I was growing up.

My reply has sod all to do with racism & more to do with people making things appear 'brighter' than they are or deserve to be, thus highlighting them when others would never have seen them.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 30, 2018, 09:49:34 PM
Most certainly NOT as I've had non-English friends since I was a nipper, soooo many years ago now. There was nothing like racism in the 60 & 70s when I was growing up.

My reply has sod all to do with racism & more to do with people making things appear 'brighter' than they are or deserve to be, thus highlighting them when others would never have seen them.

So people discussing whether Roseanne were making THINGS appear brighter??? !!!??? ??! How did that work then? ? ! !
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Aruntraveller on May 30, 2018, 10:48:45 PM
Quote
There was nothing like racism in the 60 & 70s when I was growing up.

If I had coffee in my mouth it would be spurting now.

Where did you fucking live, Narnia?
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: trippymonkey on May 30, 2018, 10:54:19 PM
Obviously a FAR better part of the UK than YOU, eh???

Invent your own style of racism, did you ?!?!?!
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 30, 2018, 10:57:47 PM
Obviously a FAR better part of the UK than YOU, eh???

Invent your own style of racism, did you ?!?!?!
Jim fucking Davidson!?!?!? you nignog!?!?!
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Aruntraveller on May 30, 2018, 11:06:23 PM
Obviously a FAR better part of the UK than YOU, eh???

Invent your own style of racism, did you ?!?!?!

Not only in denial but a snob too?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Maeght on May 31, 2018, 03:36:36 AM
There was nothing like racism in the 60 & 70s when I was growing up.

There was no racism in the 60s and 70s?
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: trippymonkey on May 31, 2018, 09:24:55 AM
Obviously but not like it seems to be NOWADAYS ?!?!!?!?
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Gordon on May 31, 2018, 09:59:23 AM
Obviously but not like it seems to be NOWADAYS ?!?!!?!?

I well remember an alleged comedy called 'Love Thy Neighbour' from the 1970's - I doubt that it could or would be made today though as originally scripted, and I've never seen it being repeated on the likes of UK Gold - ever. ??! !!??
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Rhiannon on May 31, 2018, 10:02:46 AM
There was also Mind Your Language.

And I remember those loveable northern comics whose stock in trade was jokes about greasy Spaniards and wogs.

Yeah, things are so much worse.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Rhiannon on May 31, 2018, 10:04:52 AM
I well remember an alleged comedy called 'Love Thy Neighbour' from the 1970's - I doubt that it could or would be made today though as originally scripted, and I've never seen it being repeated on the likes of UK Gold - ever. ??! !!??

It Ain’t Half Hot, Mum no longer gets repeated either because of characters in blackface.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Gordon on May 31, 2018, 10:09:52 AM
It Ain’t Half Hot, Mum no longer gets repeated either because of characters in blackface.

Of course, and the Black & White Minstrel show was also a staple of 60's and 70's TV, and you never seen re-runs of that either: TV was unquestionably racist and sexist TV back then.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Rhiannon on May 31, 2018, 10:11:59 AM
Of course, and the Black & White Minstrel show was also a staple of 60's and 70's TV, and you never seen re-runs of that either: TV was unquestionably racist and sexist TV back then.

I watched a few minutes of an old 3-2-1 open mouthed at the casual racism of the ‘comic’. It’s incredible.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Maeght on May 31, 2018, 10:30:02 AM
Obviously but not like it seems to be NOWADAYS ?!?!!?!?

Not obvious from what you wrote so no idea why you feel the need to add all the ?s and !s.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: jeremyp on May 31, 2018, 12:56:28 PM

I'm not sure Jeremy, why you aren't sure Barr isn't racist - had that tweet appeared on here as a post I think it more than likely would have been removed as racist.

Why was Barr's tweet racist but all the many posts over the last couple of years referring to Donald Trump as an orange baboon or similar not?
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Aruntraveller on May 31, 2018, 01:11:37 PM
Why was Barr's tweet racist but all the many posts over the last couple of years referring to Donald Trump as an orange baboon or similar not?

I don't know as I never made the claim they weren't. Just because only one has been picked up on thus far doesn't mean it shouldn't be called out. I had not heard the comments about Trump in this regard. Although obviously orange baboons everywhere have every right to feel affronted and are owed an apology.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 31, 2018, 01:14:29 PM
Why was Barr's tweet racist but all the many posts over the last couple of years referring to Donald Trump as an orange baboon or similar not?
Because the racial slurs of blacks are like apes is a common take,unlike any baboon  comparisons.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: jeremyp on May 31, 2018, 01:17:05 PM
I don't know as I never made the claim they weren't. Just because only one has been picked up on thus far doesn't mean it shouldn't be called out. I had not heard the comments about Trump in this regard. Although obviously orange baboons everywhere have every right to feel affronted and are owed an apology.
Rosanne Barr tweeted something like about an Obama era aide to the effect that she was a cross between planet of the apes and Islamic State.

It was certainly quite insulting to the individual but where is the racism?
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: jeremyp on May 31, 2018, 01:19:06 PM
Because the racial slurs of blacks are like apes is a common take,unlike any baboon  comparisons.
Rosanne Barr didn't say blacks are like apes.

Pedantry forces me to point out that we are all like apes mainly because we are all apes. That is irrelevant to the discussion but I can't help it.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Nearly Sane on May 31, 2018, 01:26:00 PM
Rosanne Barr didn't say blacks are like apes.

Pedantry forces me to point out that we are all like apes mainly because we are all apes. That is irrelevant to the discussion but I can't help it.
But contextually referring to a black person as an ape  then references the known slur.


And thank you for your pedantry because I wanted to mention that as well.
Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: jeremyp on May 31, 2018, 07:12:13 PM
But contextually referring to a black person as an ape  then references the known slur.

So you think it is racist to call a black person an ape but not racist to call a person of a different colour an ape. That seems somewhat racist of you. For future reference can you tell me the pantone colour at which calling somebody an ape stops being merely insulting and starts being racist, please.

Title: Re: Twitter needs to be burned to the ground
Post by: Nearly Sane on June 03, 2018, 11:57:55 AM
So you think it is racist to call a black person an ape but not racist to call a person of a different colour an ape. That seems somewhat racist of you. For future reference can you tell me the pantone colour at which calling somebody an ape stops being merely insulting and starts being racist, please.
No, it's simply a recognition of the use of dog whistle terms. The same would apply if someone described someone  Jewish as hook nosed, and someone non Jewish as having a big nose.