I love many things about the British: their accents, their humour, the Aston Martin, those sexy-eyed women… They’re a different lot they are. OK, you get the picture; I’m an Anglophile. But it’s nice to see that for all our differences, we have some things in common.
For instance, both our countries walk a tightrope between entertaining the masses and satisfying the overly sensitive PC Brigade. I have to admit a bit of confusion when I saw this item about an apology offered by the world renown BBC. The apology centered around a discussion on a gardening show about a flower. The flower, know to some as the “black man’s willy” elicited some suggestive but humorous (my opinion) banter. Perhaps it was the comment about them shriveling up in the cold that tripped the race trigger. (Must keep up appearances at all costs, heh?) The Beeb apparently received enough negative press to offer the apology, but many listeners were incensed at what they considered a typical and increasingly common “walking on eggshells” response.
To put my confusion into perspective, you’d have to understand that British television broadcasts shows containing both nudity and language that would quickly bankrupt an American network under the FCC’s current religio-Fascist regime. I understand that others may find things I like offensive, or perhaps inappropriate, but then I never believed in letting the telly raise your kids. The strange flower’s name brought an old and vivid memory to mind.
When I was a child my siblings and I sometimes referred to Brazil nuts as “nigger toes”. I believe we learned the term from my grandmother, someone who experienced the hatred behind the word in ways that I never will. Her contentment in using the pejorative term and my mother’s wisdom and teaching removed any power the word may have had. So yes, I am a bit perplexed about why this flowery episode is so upsetting to some.
Anyway, my ramblings won’t change anything, just thought I’d share. Oh… for a viewpoint alternative to the Daily Mail visit the Telegraph.