Racism question • Non-Gaming • General Non-gaming • Eurogamer.net

chopsen 6 Mar 2008 19:10:58 21,958 posts
Seen 11 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago

Is it racist to use to term "Chinese Whispers"?

Deleted user 6 March 2008 19:12:49

Post deleted

Deleted user 6 March 2008 19:13:26

Chopsen wrote:
Is it racist to use to term "Chinese Whispers"?

Yes - like 'Indian Summer'. It's totally uncalled for.

nickthegun 6 Mar 2008 19:14:45 87,711 posts
Seen 10 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago

How about chinese burn?

See also: Indian Burn

StarchildHypocrethes 6 Mar 2008 19:15:14 33,974 posts
Seen 1 day ago
Registered 17 years ago

Not at all. You know what they're like...

Deleted user 6 March 2008 19:16:22

No I don't think it is.

Telepathic.Geometry 6 Mar 2008 19:17:25 12,422 posts
Seen 4 years ago
Registered 15 years ago

Nothing's racist if you don't carry the offense in your heart!

Saladin 6 Mar 2008 19:20:56 669 posts
Seen 9 years ago
Registered 16 years ago

Wikipedia doesn't mention it, so it must be alright.

Deleted user 6 March 2008 19:26:21

You know 'Chinese whispers' is what the chinks say about us behind our backs.

Deleted user 6 March 2008 19:29:03

Those Gooks have to whisper anyway incase their leaders hear them saying anything thats not approved.

have I just inadvertently stated the obvious?

chopsen 6 Mar 2008 19:30:50 21,958 posts
Seen 11 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago

Saladin wrote:
Wikipedia doesn't mention it, so it must be alright.

"It is little-used in the United States and may be considered offensive"

3rd paragraph. Do you read what you link?

Deleted user 6 March 2008 19:31:37

Chopsen wrote:
Is it racist to use to term "Chinese Whispers"?

What does Wikipedia say?

"The name "Chinese whispers" reflects the former stereotype in Europe of the Chinese language as being incomprehensible. It is little-used in the United States and may be considered offensive. However, it remains the common name in the United Kingdom and many British-influenced countries, where it is not generally considered politically incorrect."

Source

So technically, yes, probably, it's racist in origin at least, but I doubt you'd find many people who really give a shit.

Edit: apparently everyone else is a quicker Wikipediar than I.

MrWorf 6 Mar 2008 19:34:32 64,187 posts
Seen 8 hours ago
Registered 20 years ago

It's not literally racist. But some might find it offensive so I would try not ot use it.

chopsen 6 Mar 2008 19:34:33 21,958 posts
Seen 11 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago

Yeah, but reading wikipedia is bit like saying "well a bloke down the pub said...." More interested in opinion here than anything. I was about to use it on another forum to describe crap managment structures and decided against it. Now I'm not sure if my PC radar has been totally fucked by posting on the internet for 10+ years....

Telepathic.Geometry 6 Mar 2008 19:40:32 12,422 posts
Seen 4 years ago
Registered 15 years ago

paul_haine wrote: "The name "Chinese whispers" reflects the former stereotype in Europe of the Chinese language as being incomprehensible. It is little-used in the United States and may be considered offensive. However, it remains the common name in the United Kingdom and many British-influenced countries, where it is not generally considered politically incorrect."

Source

So technically, yes, probably, it's racist in origin at least, but I doubt you'd find many people who really give a shit.

Heh? Why is it racist? From a native English speaking point of view, the Chinese language is incomprehensible for the overwhelming majority of people.

WrongShui 6 Mar 2008 19:47:42 6,858 posts
Seen 15 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago

Halo_3-Liverpool_0 wrote:
Wikipedia does actually warn about using the term, as it may offend the Chinese.

Or whisperers.

Deleted user 6 March 2008 19:47:58

What if they dont understand English though?

Salaman 6 Mar 2008 19:54:12 24,162 posts
Seen 6 days ago
Registered 17 years ago

Are we still allowed to say "it's all Greek to me"?

Deleted user 6 March 2008 19:55:49

Telepathic.Geometry wrote:

paul_haine wrote: "The name "Chinese whispers" reflects the former stereotype in Europe of the Chinese language as being incomprehensible. It is little-used in the United States and may be considered offensive. However, it remains the common name in the United Kingdom and many British-influenced countries, where it is not generally considered politically incorrect."

Source

So technically, yes, probably, it's racist in origin at least, but I doubt you'd find many people who really give a shit.
Heh? Why is it racist? From a native English speaking point of view, the Chinese language is incomprehensible for the overwhelming majority of people.

Shrug. I'm just thinking about when this phrase could have been coined, and I'd guess around the same time as other phrases such as "the yellow peril" and references to "the Chinaman" (like "the Negro" and "the Jew"), which is why my suspicion is that the term could have had racist origins. If it's entirely innocuous, then why is Chinese used instead of, say, French, Arabic or Greek? Particularly when we also have the notion of something incomprehensible being "all Greek to me".

All just guesswork and assumptions, though.

Saladin 6 Mar 2008 19:56:58 669 posts
Seen 9 years ago
Registered 16 years ago

Chopsen wrote:

Saladin wrote:
Wikipedia doesn't mention it, so it must be alright.

"It is little-used in the United States and may be considered offensive"

3rd paragraph. Do you read what you link?

Not thoroughly enough, obviously

WrongShui 6 Mar 2008 20:02:14 6,858 posts
Seen 15 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago

Halo_3-Liverpool_0 wrote:

Saladin wrote:

Chopsen wrote:

Saladin wrote:
Wikipedia doesn't mention it, so it must be alright.

"It is little-used in the United States and may be considered offensive"

3rd paragraph. Do you read what you link?

Not thoroughly enough, obviously

AND

"What ever you do, do not used the term in front of the chinese, they now have nuclear capabilities and are easily offended. As was found out when Wham! played the very first western concert in China. The Chinese took offence to Wake me up before you go go and thus turned George Michaels gay."

Hello 84.67.170.53.

Deleted user 6 March 2008 20:41:39

blizeH wrote:
I know I'm alone in this, but I honestly think it's entirely related to the context and intent when saying the particular word. A good example of this is when someone said they were going to the 'chinky' (not a word I use myself, but anyway) and a guy went absolutely mad saying what a terrible word it was - maybe some people find it offensive, I'm not sure, but it definitely wasn't meant in that way. Might of actually been on this forum actually, but I'm not sure.

So what if this person had said they were going to the 'nigger'? Would that also be ok as long as it wasn't meant in a nasty way?

chopsen 6 Mar 2008 20:47:55 21,958 posts
Seen 11 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago

paul_haine wrote:
So what if this person had said they were going to the 'nigger'?

That doesn't work. You can't just substitute a racial slur against one race with another and act as if they're equal. There history and context to the terms which are specific to those terms - that's why they're offensive.

Khanivor 6 Mar 2008 20:48:00 44,800 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years ago

Seems to me the global sand in the vagina situation is reaching overload status.

JammyB 6 Mar 2008 21:16:32 756 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 19 years ago

paul_haine wrote:
So what if this person had said they were going to the 'nigger'? Would that also be ok as long as it wasn't meant in a nasty way?

That wouldn't be ok, but going for a 'nigga' would be.

Edge_san 6 Mar 2008 21:37:10 88 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 17 years ago

Personally I don't find the term 'Chinese whispers' offensive at all but do find terms like 'Chink' and 'Gook' highly offensive.

/is Chinese

jiveguy 6 Mar 2008 21:43:05 917 posts
Seen 3 days ago
Registered 19 years ago

I predict that this thread will be derailed by someone throwing a paddy over racial slurs.