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Do you agree ...or not?

(106 Posts)
Newatthis Thu 24-Jun-21 12:04:01

'Anne Robinson has revealed she was corrected by a contestant on Countdown for not using so-called ‘woke’ language – and she’s getting ‘fed up’ with the whole thing.The TV presenter, who became known for her spiky interactions with contestants on BBC game show The Weakest Link, is concerned that the English language will be ‘mangled’ over a fear of offending people' metro.co.uk/2021/06/22/anne-robinsons-countdown-run-in-over-woke-language-im-fed-up-14812126/.

I remember when I taught at a further education college and at our Monday morning meeting we were told that we could no longer say 'blackboard' but chalkboard instead and we couldn't say 'black' coffee but coffee with milk. All of us though this a bit crazy even the teachers and students who were from the ethnic minorities who taught and attended the college.

ayse Thu 24-Jun-21 12:15:42

Political Correctness gone mad!

Galaxy Thu 24-Jun-21 12:16:51

She doesnt really seem to be saying anything.

Peasblossom Thu 24-Jun-21 12:23:04

I’d like to know what she was corrected for.

She’s well know for being deliberately controversial, and sometimes unnecessarily rude.

I knew someone who went on The Weakest Link. She was a feisty lady called Peggy. She had been caught in a bomb blast as a child and had lost a leg. Nevertheless she had led an active and adventurous life.

Anne Robinson said, “I suppose that’s why you’re called Peggy. Because of your wooden leg.”

You could say that wasn’t woke. Or you could say it was I’ll-mannered and cruel.

Take your pick.

FarNorth Thu 24-Jun-21 12:32:37

From the article :
The TV stalwart added: ‘In fact, a contestant this week on Countdown said he taught English to non-English speaking people, and I said, “You mean you teach English to foreigners?”
'And he said, “We never say that”. Is that woke? Does anyone know?

I disagree with her in this instance. She was just being rude.

FannyCornforth Thu 24-Jun-21 12:33:34

I think that Robinson will say anything to promote her latest venture, whether she believes it or not. She is one of the original Glenda Slaggs (Private Eye).
I read her autobiography, and I don't think that she is a very pleasant person.

FannyCornforth Thu 24-Jun-21 12:34:16

She doesn't sound especially bright, either

FarNorth Thu 24-Jun-21 12:34:59

I hope Peggy gave her a good retort back!
I'm glad I never watched the Weakest Link if that's the kind of thing AR came out with.

Since she's in favour of saying what we think, though, what on earth is she wearing in those pics?
I think a bin bag would be more becoming.

Lucca Thu 24-Jun-21 12:36:30

I’m sorry but I simply don’t believe anyone was told not to say blackboard or black coffee. Urban myth.

FarNorth Thu 24-Jun-21 12:38:28

In case you don't want to click the link.

Talullah Thu 24-Jun-21 12:38:50

I met her once in M&S. She was with her daughter. The pair of them were lovely. Lots of people had scurried over to get autographs or whatever.
She was being discussed on some TV show about the taking over of Countdown. She won't be remotely like her 15 - 1 character. And that's what it was. It was an act. Anyone opting to go on that show would have been well aware of what they'd let themselves in for.

FannyCornforth Thu 24-Jun-21 12:40:43

Lucca

I’m sorry but I simply don’t believe anyone was told not to say blackboard or black coffee. Urban myth.

Yes. I agree. The Sun under Kelvin Mackenzie made up many a lie in order to fan the flames of racial discord. One headline was that black bin liners were to be banned
Complete rubbish (ho ho).

FannyCornforth Thu 24-Jun-21 12:42:31

Tallulah she wasn't on 15 to 1 (probably my favourite quiz show).
She did the Weakest Link

Newatthis Thu 24-Jun-21 12:42:33

Lucca I don't tell lies, i was there at the meeting, but you can believe what you want!

Hellogirl1 Thu 24-Jun-21 12:44:20

I had a post taken off GN once because I used the word "foreigners", I didn`t realise it wasn`t a word to use anymore. I was accused of being racist.

Talullah Thu 24-Jun-21 12:45:50

FannyCornforth

Tallulah she wasn't on 15 to 1 (probably my favourite quiz show).
She did the Weakest Link

You're quite right, FannyCornforth! My memory is abysmal.

FannyCornforth Thu 24-Jun-21 12:46:27

Mine too!

FannyCornforth Thu 24-Jun-21 12:48:18

Did they explain why black coffee wasn't appropriate Newatthis?
Were you allowed to use the word 'black' at all?

JaneJudge Thu 24-Jun-21 12:49:19

I was a bit surprised she was on countdown tbh, it was bound to cause controversy.

Doodledog Thu 24-Jun-21 12:50:37

FannyCornforth

Lucca

I’m sorry but I simply don’t believe anyone was told not to say blackboard or black coffee. Urban myth.

Yes. I agree. The Sun under Kelvin Mackenzie made up many a lie in order to fan the flames of racial discord. One headline was that black bin liners were to be banned
Complete rubbish (ho ho).

I agree too. I do think, however, that some people believed the hype, and started to conform to the notion that you 'couldn't say' things like black coffee etc. It served the purpose it was meant to - to make considerate speech look ridiculous and get people so angry* about it that they threw the baby out with the bathwater and refused to think about language use at all.

* I also think that it tapped into the notion that a so-called 'educated elite' was telling people what to do, which ended up with the 'who needs experts?' nonsense from Michael Gove, (which he's conveniently forgotten about now that we all know that we owe our lives to the expert virologists and people producing the Covid vaccines). That anti-expert message helped to Get Brexit Done, too.

grandtanteJE65 Thu 24-Jun-21 12:54:24

It probably depended on the area you were in, but many of us were told not to use words like blackboard, never to describe anyone as black and to take care with words such as brown or dark when applied to people.

Not being able to talk about black coffee, does it apply to black bun as well? seems a little over the top. Makes me wonder why Black Friday is acceptable.

Actually, the thought of Anne Robinsen complaining about anyone's language had me in fits of giggles. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! To my mind she was frequently so rude on The Weakest Link that she just was not funny.

I remember with glee the young man who answered her back, saying, "I used to like redheads, but I've gone off them since coming on this show."

Grannybags Thu 24-Jun-21 13:02:50

My granddaughter came home from Nursery singing Baa baa spotty sheep...?

Doodledog Thu 24-Jun-21 13:09:08

I'm not denying that some people were told not to say things, but my point is that those doing the telling had been persuaded by the Sun etc that doing so was unacceptable, and because the whole idea was nonsense, nobody could follow the (non-existent) logic, so things went from bad to worse. This made people write of the whole idea of considerate language as 'political correctness gone mad' which suited the agenda of the Sun.

Doodledog Thu 24-Jun-21 13:09:41

write off!

Galaxy Thu 24-Jun-21 13:12:34

Is that not just normal early years singing though, I know a number of versions of baa baa black sheep, there are numerous versions of incey wincey too, it's nothing to do with woke it's to relieve the tedium grin