bad day

[_fly_]

You can't really tell the joke if you don't use the word German.
Its only there to trigger the word Wurst (sausage).
I guess they could have said a Man driving a VW in Berlin forgets some shopping..., but it would take longer to twig.
As I said its just there to help make the connection.

Nothing there at all to classed as racist. Germans (and Dutch) eat Wurst, Aussies eat sausages.

[rwbuild]

IMHO its probably best that this tread is closed

[Yonnee]

No but putting Germans and wurst together is racist.

Peter, I have to strongly disagree with you. The German word for 'sausage' is Wurst, so putting Germans and Wurst together is something you'll find in any butcher shop in Berlin, as well as any German/English translation dictionary anywhere in the world.

I would be the first person to apologize if I make a mistake and thus upset someone.

However, notwithstanding that the Mods in this case disagree, I still feel strongly that the original post is a stereotyped racist insult. Racial insults in the guise of a so called joke, whether done inadvertently or not, are objectionably to me hence my comments.

So there will not be an apology from me for having this opinion.


Peter.

Accusing someone of being racist is implying that their words or actions were in some way infering that a particular group of people were in some way inferior or superior, neither of which seem to be the case. In fact, more people would have sympathy for the OP, and take offence that you have labelled someone as being racist.

[mic-d]

IMHO its probably best that this tread is closed

I agree. But before it is closed I would like to apologise unreservedly to Sturdee, and anyone else offended. I am most sincerely sorry that I posted something that offended you. Had you PM'ed me your grievance, I would have deleted my post immediately, had you reported it for moderation I would have asked for it to be deleted if I caught wind of the problem. Either of which measures would have short circuited the current fiasco. As it turned out you assailed my character with accusations of racism (a word without degrees mind you) and the thread was locked before I even realised what was going on. Initially I was quite alarmed at being called a racist (which I am not for the record), but I learnt a while ago (and still sometimes forget) that I alone am responsible for my emotions, you and no one else can make me angry by saying or doing certain things. So I have chosen not to be angered by your post but let it waft past and move on. I wish that you can do the same regarding my joke.


Regards
Michael

[BobL]

. . . . Accusing someone of being racist is implying that their words or actions were in some way infering that a particular group of people were in some way inferior or superior, neither of which seem to be the case. In fact, more people would have sympathy for the OP, and take offence that you have labelled someone as being racist.

The issue comes down to whether Germans eating wurst implies some form of inferiority, and more importantly what is already in the readers head and experience.
A racist who has probably never eaten a german sausage in his life - laughs to affirm an existing screwed viewpoint.
When I laugh (or grimace) I am in effect laughing at myself because if I want the very best BBQ sausages in Perth I go to Elmar's German butcher in Mt Lawley and cook them with wood cut with a german chainsaw.

My test for a joke being racist is what would an innocent child think who has no preconception of the group in question. In the case of this joke a child would see it as a simple word play and would not associate the eating of wurst as either positive or negative.
Contrast this with jokes that directly implies mental, physical or cultural inferiority and I think we then have something to object to.

[RETIRED]

As Sturdee could not post this in himself, he has asked me to do it.

It is a PM sent to Michael:

Michael,

I noticed that the thread "Bad day" has been closed again after you made your post.

I still strongly believe that the joke is a racial slur, and as such I will publicly refute it. Always have and always will. For this opinion and my actions I will not apologize as I believe I'm correct. But it appears I'm alone in this viewpoint.


However it appears that you, and others, got the impression that I considered you racist in making this post or are a racist. That is not my belief as I thought that you might have inadvertently made this post. [I] never wished or even believed that I cast a slur on your character and as such I unreservedly apologize to you for that.

I hope you will accept my apology.


Peter.

As I wish that the apology be made publicly, can you post the above pm in the thread.


Peter.[/QUOTE]