Pillock Laurence Fox dumped by his mixed-race girlfriend after his rant about racism on BBC Question earlier this year.

I'm not an expert GJ. As a white person, it would be hard for me to be an expert because I don't experience racism. I experience sexism, but that's a different story. I've been aware of having white privilege. At other times, my privilege is not visible to me because it's something I've always had.

Racism (like rape) is about power. It is about one group trying to maintain dominance over another. I've witnessed racism. As a white person in America, I've been included in conversations that the other white individuals regarded as safe because there was no one of any other colour present that were horrifically racist. They were visibly shocked when I didn't agree with them. In the UK, I've had a white, 12 year old boy refer to a Muslim student (no head scarf) as a bomber. A month ago in Switzerland a Russian Jew in one of my classes used the N word within earshot of a black South African girl, who tried to be OK about it but who clearly wasn't.

In relation to LF, I don't think he can be deeply racist, based on his choice of girlfriend. But we all have entrenched racist attitudes. It is up to us not to be threatened when they become obvious though, and to try to learn from it.

It was painful when I witnessed my South African student trying to be OK with someone else's bigotry. I hurt for her. She is a Christian though. She hasn't held it against him and I think he's learning from her.

Before I retired I worked in a environment consisting of different cultures and we had staff sessions that would help us become insightful and challenge our beliefs, discriminations etc. which helped awareness of how we treat others. We can be unaware of how our behaviour affects others. As we went round the circle, two of our colleagues, one West Indian and one whose mother was white British and father was black American. Whilst writing this I am worrying how I put this as there is usually someone who will jump on the comment as being racist or offensive. These two delightful colleagues said they had never come across racism. Some will say they were lucky, some will say they never looked for it and some will say they were blind to it. If only we could all treat everyone with respect and kindness. I would like to think most do but we are human and we have to fight our prejudices towards all and I mean all not just black. I had to produce a book which had a section that had to address a certain group in society and asked all the members from this group how they would like me to do it. Some said naming it Black ethnic was offensive and some said they agreed with it. You could say don’t label it at all and some of the group said it was offensive towards the black ethnic groups assuming they are white. GagaJo as you seem an expert on this maybe you can help solve it.

Is it racist to call someone - a white privileged man ?

I watched it after the fact Merlot.

I also read Tweets by him where he was equally (foolishly) offensive.

I can only assume it wasn't a long running, serious relationship. He wouldn't have been that daft I'm sure. There has been ongoing hoo-ha since the QT appearance. I THINK he was sacked from something (no idea what) and Equity berated him, but were forced to apologise, which then triggered the whole race relations board to resign.

I think all in all, he IS a pillock. Now a has-been pillock.

Did you watch QT, GagaJo? If I remember correctly Laurence Fox was invited by Fiona Bruce to reply to a question put by a member of the audience. He did not 'wade in'.

A lot of people (me included) agreed with his comments at the time but take most follow up debates/arguments with a pinch of salt because celebrities are desperate to be noticed and any publicity, good or bad, is grist for the mill.

Never heard of any of them best I stay in my world I think

One could say, Terribull, that it's the price they pay for thousands of years of domination.

I haven't got the energy, frankly, to engage with white male privilege. I'll leave that to the younger generation.

The dislike of Meghan Markle these days is often construed as a race thing by some. I really liked her when she first appeared on the scene, I thought she was and clearly still is beautiful and I hoped, as most of us did, that she and Harry would be happy. As time went by, my opinion of her waned, it's quite apparent she plays people and is manipulative, absolutely nothing to do with her race. Trouble is any criticism of her is all wrapped up and packaged as racism.

I know who Richard Ayoade is, I like him, I didn't know he was LF's brother in law, probably he's right to point out that LF wouldn't know what it is like to experience racism, that much is true I imagine.

Lawrence Fox didn't do himself any favours when criticising the film 1917 he made the "tokenism" allegation about the Sikh soldier who featured and he later admitted he didn't know they were a presence in the armed forces in both world wars as indeed many other Commonwealth soldiers of colour were.

Having said that, I think any white man gets slapped down these days, more than any other section of society, if they date to stick their head above the parapet and express a point of view that doesn't accord with a certain ethos. Some would make them apologise for drawing breath.

Obviously not. Just stupid. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when she watched his QT performance.

Definitely isn’t racist then !

A LOT of people commented on this when it was on Question Time.

I think it's hilarous (and light relief at the moment, frankly). WHO on earth would ever have credited that he'd have a mixed race GF after the things he said?

On Question Time Fox gave his opinion on allegations that
Meg Markle had been subjected to racism.

A woman in the audience disagreed with him and called him
A white privileged man

We actually watched the programme so actually saw what happened. Reading the media afterwards, well I thought they were talking about something else. Talk about stirring it but that’s what the media is good at.

FarNorth you're right of course but saw it was by Gaga so thought it might have merit. I was wrong sadly.

If you think news about "pillock Laurence Fox" is non-news, weren't you alerted by the thread title that you shouldn't bother reading it?

I don't know who he is, either, but he does sound like a bit of a pillock.

Wow

News of the day!

Well that's really interesting isn't it. Who would, as MawB asked, ever want to make it up?

I dare say to those who like this sort of thing the private lives of actors may be interesting or a distraction from their own possibly hum drum existence.
I have no idea who Richard or Lydia Ayoade or Madeline Grant may be.
OP asks “You couldn’t make it up?” Why ever would you want to?

(I almost prefer fake news to non news.)

Well, I am really glad you have told us all that.

Would ‘black privileged Male ‘ be acceptable?