TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Two entirely unrelated mentions of FC in The Guardian today. P9 and 39.

Go on, then...give us a clue!

Mention in the obituary of Andy Kerr: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/13/andrew-kerr
and David Cameron excited about meeting Chris Leslie: http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/oct/13/david-cameron-risks-row-posing-blacked-up-morris-dancers

I think you've misread that. The morris man was excited about meeting Chris Leslie. More so than meeting Cameron was his point.

I agree, although it's open to (mis)interpretation (like the blacked up faces, clearly!).

I read it that the morris dancer was more pleased to have seen Chris Leslie. Cameron can't stay away from local festivals it seems. He's a regular at the nearby Cornbury festival (with his mate Clarkson) - in the VIP area obviously.

A good obituary for Andrew. There have been some lovely tributes to him in the local press and online communities here in Glastonbury by those that knew him. I had the pleasure of having a long chat reminiscing with him about the 1971 Glastonbury festival at the 2011 one. He was so delighted at finding someone who had been there at the beginning. A lovely man who will be missed around here. I think some other TAWers knew him also.

I did indeed misread things, sorry about that.

I don't think we'll see him at Cropredy. He'd have to mix with common people there.

But surely we're all in it together.......................

I've met him - twice - and they don't come more common than me!  ;D

Phil Widdows of FolkCast published a link on FB today to a very interesting blog about 'blacked-up' morris: http://jamesbellcentral.net/2014/10/15/chapter-69-morris-dancing-borderline-racist/

"Being rude to strangers"???

Damn good write up of all things Morris, and then that?.....Sorry, I laughed.

I guess - loike in many other things - the question is ...

If a thing is not intended as being racist BUT may be interpreted as being so is it?

And if people are upset about "blacking" up why not pink up, red up or blue with yellow dots up instead?

DW

or even why not accept it isn't racist? Easy.

Or do this:
http://tjackskylark-amatiiii.blogspot.co.uk/

There are morris sides using blue/purple face make up and masks instead of blacking up, so these have already been thought of. However, I'm with Chris - blacking up is not meant to be racist so why regard it so. Should I have regarded my father, who was a coal miner and came home every work day with a black face as being racist? I think not. Context and intention does count.

If someone does or says something like "all Belgians are smelly and horrible", and a few Belgians complain, but the reply came "but I don't mean it to be racist", then does that mean it's OK? And if some people black their faces and others complain saying it's racist, and they say "but we don't mean to be racist" - is that OK? If a well-known entertainer uses the stage to give a diatribe about people coming to this country and diluting the culture, but then later says in his defence "I'm just a bloke" - is that OK?
Bottom line: offence is taken, not given; and racism is a perception, not an action. But those who are accused of it have (IMHO) a responsibility to act on the accusation to avoid hurting the sensibilities of those offended.

And I don't read the Daily Mail...

Racism is an action, sorry.

Well said I might need to borrow that!

Racism is an offence (hate crime), and thus must be able to be proved in court, thus it must be an action, not a perception.

OK, I'll agree to that - racism can be an action as well as a perception. But you can only take offence

No one has the right not to be offended, though.

Quite agree - there  has to be a reasonableness about it.

I had another think about this:

"Racism is an offence (hate crime), and thus must be able to be proved in court, thus it must be an action, not a perception."

Well yes, it's an offence [action] because society, via the democratic legal process, has perceived it to be offensive enough to warrant it being criminalised.

But has anyone ever actually been offended by blacked up morris dancers? I've certainly never heard of a case, only the PC brigade trying to stop it because it might be offensive...

Also, what has this got to do with Fairport?  ::)

Here's the view from (2 of) today's Telegraph readers:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/11162018/Dont-read-racism-into-folk-dance-costumes.html

Many years ago, me and a friend were standing behind Rod Skeaping at Haddenham ceilidhs enjoying a Morris side.

My friend and I had already eaten, but a wonderful food smell kept wafting past us.

'Where's that coming from?' she asked.

'It's Moorish,' said Rod, over his shoulder.

How we all laughed...

Strewth! What an ignorant Nadia...what 'social historians' might that be?

Well quite. Sources please Nadia. And their arguments, while you're at it.

The other letter, however, nails it. I'm actually a fully paid-up member of the PC brigade, and regard that as a badge of honour, but even I don't regard this as a racist practice.

As one of those 'witticisms' that come up on facebook said,' just because you're offended doesn't mean you're right!'