What I described earlier as offence being in the eye of the beholder, but it doesn't quite work that way all the time. Situations and jokes, yes, but offence is indeed in the intention when we're talking about words, as Molly also points out, with many changing from perfectly innocent and inoffensive meaning into something entirely else, like indeed "wog", or even "nigger".

Also, I wonder if ignorance could really be called up as an excuse for racism...

The term "eye-tie" I always found quite funny, what it tells you in the first place is that people using it can't even pronounce "Italian" properly, the joke's on them... and yet, I guess the vast majority of them could pronounce "Italian" if they wanted, but where would be the "fun", then? They know what they're doing alright, they DO mean offence, or at least mild disrespect, in this case

Now, we're talking about situations when discussing "racist" sitcoms, because that's what we see and are interested in, the "message" if you want, but what most people object to about these shows, now and then, is indeed the "rude" words used throughout, in the end they object to racist characters being portrayed realistically, which they seem to consider racist in itself... but what on earth could you do with Alf Garnett if he wasn't... well, Alf Garnett, for Pete's sake? That's missing the point so completely and utterly, imho...

Here's a funny anecdote... you might find it difficult to believe, but the Walt Disney Company has a blacklist of Mickey Mouse comics stories which cannot be reprinted in the USA because of their politically incorrect contents...

Years ago, a local publisher managed to circumvent the problem reprinting an old story, where Mickey had to deal with a tribe of cannibals, by painting the cannibals GREEN, so one wouldn't notice they were meant to be black folks, originally... if that doesn't take the biscuit for well-meaning silliness...


P.S. This weekend's going to be a treat... "New Tricks" has started in earnest and, much to my surprised delight, wasn't expecting it so soon, "Q.I." is back, too...

Well, slightly off-topic indeed, but that's a subject dear to my heart, too

There's a distinct line to be drawn between old and modern Disney stuff, especially when comics are considered on their own, rather than together with the animated cartoons.

In the early days, throughout the '30s and '40s, the age of the daily strip, before the actual comic-book format even existed or had become popular, Disney stuff was "family" entertainment in the best sense of the word, meaning it had different "levels" of appreciation, where toddlers would get some fun out of it as well as teenagers and grans, but they were basically written by adults for adults, with an eye on the kids, of course, but not too much of a patronising one...

Nowadays, what "family" seems to mean for Disney is a not-too-bright 8-year old, and that's it, no more room for elder siblings, parents and whatnots, the PC Brigade is out to get us, let's do what our lawyers suggest, which is brain-numbing pap...

Oh, you would have liked old Mickey, the bright country lad always out for adventure but never so bright as to actually succeed, without a bit of sheer luck and a dose of incurable optimism... that's Roosevelt's New Deal in a nutshell, and we're still wondering who killed Bambi, while we never noticed they killed Mickey, too...

And yet, he was a hero just like Chaplin's Tramp, same ilk, and rather inspired by him... when he was allowed to be himself, that is...

Censorship in cartoons is nothing new.  Remember when they edited all the Tom and jerry's because they were too violent and Tom would smoke??

Interestingly, the current season of 'The Simpsons' on Channel 4 is a new one for them (yes, they are actually showing episodes they haven't shown before!!) and I have been surprised at some of the things they've let through for 6 o'clock.

Personally I don't mind - every television comes with a censorship button to remove anything you don't like - it's called the off button... (go read a book if TV offends you, nobody HAS to watch tv) but I am just shocked that no busy body has complained!!