Uncomfortable topics: Let's talk about race

[Don Coyote]

That's possibly part of it.  For some people.

Then again, I'm reminded of the likes of David Icke....when he said giant, shapeshifting reptilian aliens were response, he really meant it.  If their objections seem especially hung up on "but they're primitive" aspects, regardless of proof otherwise, then it's certainly a possibility that cannot be ruled out.

You sometimes see this kind of thing when it comes to 9/11 as well.  Especially from "white nationalist" types.  "A bunch of idiot ragheads humbled the USA?  Hah, hardly. Jews and their globalist allies though..."

DAMNIT I can't quite get out what I want to say with regards to that. But it does seem to be a similar effect.

[Triple Zero]

I can see both sides, really. On one hand, it's hard to argue that the box of cookies is actually denigrating to Samoans, because it seems like such an innocuous thing. I mean, calling a type of cookies "Jews" would be pretty odd, but what if they were called "Israels" because of a coincidence of ingredients with something traditionally associated with Israel?

We had those. Called "Jew cookies" (sorta). They're delicious.

We also had a sort of cream filled chocolate .. thing (I don't like em much) called "nigger kisses". Yes, really. Now the equivalent word in Dutch is not nearly as sensitive as it is in the USA (to my initial confusion many years ago when I just got here).

But then some sort of PC campaign took off, with a big media stink, and the manufacturer changed the name.

Later on, some evidence surfaced that it might have been a sort of weird viral marketing campaign to create brand awareness (while additionally getting rid of the awkward name).

I'm not actually sure if the Jew cookies are still called that, though.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Bump for the hell of it.

[Doktor Howl]

Bump for the hell of it.

"Functionally White" still gives me the jimjams, same as "legally Black".

[Faust]

There are a lot of people interested in the next doctor from BBC's Doctor who being black (or a woman (or a black woman)).

Personally, I don't care if they get a black guy as long as they get as much of a weirdo as all of the preceding actors.

The look of doctors regenerations have never been fully explained, but tend to be a reflection of his personality.

Of course his race wouldn't be changing even if he was black, because his race would still be Time Lord.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Bump for the hell of it.

"Functionally White" still gives me the jimjams, same as "legally Black".

They're both weird concepts that can only really exist in a culture with deeply entrenched racism.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

There are a lot of people interested in the next doctor from BBC's Doctor who being black (or a woman (or a black woman)).

Personally, I don't care if they get a black guy as long as they get as much of a weirdo as all of the preceding actors.

The look of doctors regenerations have never been fully explained, but tend to be a reflection of his personality.

Of course his race wouldn't be changing even if he was black, because his race would still be Time Lord.

If the next Doctor is Black, I hope they have an enormous afro. I am so in love with afros right now.

[Faust]

There are a lot of people interested in the next doctor from BBC's Doctor who being black (or a woman (or a black woman)).

Personally, I don't care if they get a black guy as long as they get as much of a weirdo as all of the preceding actors.

The look of doctors regenerations have never been fully explained, but tend to be a reflection of his personality.

Of course his race wouldn't be changing even if he was black, because his race would still be Time Lord.

If the next Doctor is Black, I hope they have an enormous afro. I am so in love with afros right now.

The Doctor has always been the epitome of being British, so it might be a good opportunity for the UK to represent its black population on TV.

Are afro's a black thing in general or are they American? if the latter then he shouldn't have one.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Its possible for a Time Lord to switch genders, I believe there was a comment made during the Fourth Doctors travels with Romana. Also, one Time Lord mentioned by the Tenth or Eleventh Doctor had been a Lord/Lady (don't remember the name). Color is also obviously an option, Romana made a comment about maybe being blue in one regeneration.

I think we'd more likely see a black Doctor, rather than a female one... though a female Doctor with a lovestruck male companion would be an awesome change! However, my guess is the next Doctor will probably be a white guy.

[Faust]

Its possible for a Time Lord to switch genders, I believe there was a comment made during the Fourth Doctors travels with Romana. Also, one Time Lord mentioned by the Tenth or Eleventh Doctor had been a Lord/Lady (don't remember the name). Color is also obviously an option, Romana made a comment about maybe being blue in one regeneration.

I think we'd more likely see a black Doctor, rather than a female one... though a female Doctor with a lovestruck male companion would be an awesome change! However, my guess is the next Doctor will probably be a white guy.

A woman could work really well if she could get the supercilious tone... Judy Dench? Too formal. Joanna Lumly would be perfect.

[Bebek Sincap Ratatosk]

Its possible for a Time Lord to switch genders, I believe there was a comment made during the Fourth Doctors travels with Romana. Also, one Time Lord mentioned by the Tenth or Eleventh Doctor had been a Lord/Lady (don't remember the name). Color is also obviously an option, Romana made a comment about maybe being blue in one regeneration.

I think we'd more likely see a black Doctor, rather than a female one... though a female Doctor with a lovestruck male companion would be an awesome change! However, my guess is the next Doctor will probably be a white guy.

A woman could work really well if she could get the supercilious tone... Judy Dench? Too formal. Joanna Lumly would be perfect.

The only downside is that they're both a bit older and the Doctor (generally) seems to be getting younger as he regenerates. What about the actress that played Gretel in the recent movie?

[LMNO]

Not that I'm a Whosian, but Emily Blunt could probably do a good job as a female doctor.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

There are a lot of people interested in the next doctor from BBC's Doctor who being black (or a woman (or a black woman)).

Personally, I don't care if they get a black guy as long as they get as much of a weirdo as all of the preceding actors.

The look of doctors regenerations have never been fully explained, but tend to be a reflection of his personality.

Of course his race wouldn't be changing even if he was black, because his race would still be Time Lord.

If the next Doctor is Black, I hope they have an enormous afro. I am so in love with afros right now.

The Doctor has always been the epitome of being British, so it might be a good opportunity for the UK to represent its black population on TV.

Are afro's a black thing in general or are they American? if the latter then he shouldn't have one.

It's a Black thing, you may have heard it referred to as a "natural". The whole natural African hair thing has a lot of political/colonial issues tied up in it, as well as beauty image and health issues.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-textured_hair

If you google "hair politics" you will find a wealth of articles.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Ooooh this blog post is awesome! It's relevant to race AND privilege:

http://www.curlynikki.com/2013/03/afro-puffs-politics-and-privilege.html

  "So what? You wear your hair natural. Now, add darker skin to that. Add a different physique. How much harder do you think things would be for you? You've been acting like there is an equal playing field even among people who occupy the same category of oppression. The fact is that you're a skinny, light skinned Black girl with curly hair and that buys you lots of passes in your everyday life."

I felt like he had slapped me. My friend wasn't done yet. He continued, "What you've been doing is speaking on behalf of a group that you don't belong to. You don't know the experiences of darker skinned, heavier Black women because you are shielded by the politics of beauty."

Resistant to my friend's claim, I pushed. I explained that as a Black female, my looks don't conform to standard notions of beauty. I further stated that being Black in America didn't buy much in the way of social or political access. My friend responded by telling me that I was literally looking at this issue as if it were just Black and/or white and that I was ignoring the "degrees" of acceptance based on skin tone and physical appearance. Essentially, he was telling me that I was blinded by my own privilege.

[EK WAFFLR]

Vas Blackwood would make a great Doctor.