Kelis slams UK for racism

[trouble_gum]

Because of course, the correct course of action when insulted by someone at an unspecified location, is to rant on your twitter account about how this demonstrates the entire country is like that.

"People don't fight about [racism in the UK]." No of course we don't. There have never been any incidents involving racial violence in Britain; riots in areas with particularly high concentrations of immigrant population and you certainly won't find anyone campaigning on their behalf or national organisations whose entire agendas are based on lobbying for change. Oh, and we all vote BNP, too.

The reportage may just be terrible, but this incident is terribly confused: on a plane for that long, leaving from the Isle of White and still landing at an UK airport? can't name the airport? It's not even 100% clear from this whether she was a) insulted by a red-faced, sweaty passport official or b) someone in the queue that she just barged past, convinced of her superior status.

"[she's] in London all the time." Yes, I'm sure Kelis regularly spends enough time in London and in the right parts of it to be an highly qualified spokesperson on the topic of racism and cultural divides in the United Kingdom.

 

[Lukeje]

I live in North Wales. The only "racism" here is angry welsh people vocally insulting the English.

Why is racism in inverted commas? It is racism.

Not really. There's little to no racial difference between us. Not after all this time.

Race isn't just phenotypical, it's social. As long as people associate with being Welsh (or people are associated with being Welsh) they continue to be a separate race (according to the very fuzzy definition of race commonly in use, anyway).

 

[steevee]

If that's her opinion on the UK then all I can say is she's not welcome back.

Also she's an awful musician, so there's that.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

As I've just been slandered by Kellis, I'd like to make a counter

Welcome to the 22nd Century
Who who whooo who, who who whooo who,
Welcome to the 22nd Century
Who who whooo who, who who whooo who,
Welcome to the 22nd Century
Who who whooo who, who who whooo who,
Welcome to the 22nd Century
Who who whooo who, who who whooo who,
Everybody's dancing dancing cing cing
Everybody's dancing dancing cing cing
Everybody's dancing dancing cing cing
Everybody's dancing dancing cing cing
Cause we are the stars
We're the stars
We are the stars
We're the stars
We are the stars
We're the stars
We are the stars
We're the stars
Just take me away, away
Oh baby, just take me away,
Oh baby, just take me away, away
Oh baby, just take me away, away
Oh baby,
Welcome to the 22nd Century, Welcome to the 22nd Century, Welcome to the 22nd Century, Welcome to the 22nd Century
Say, say

Dear me, we shall surely lack your lyrical prowess in our great country.

 

[IKWerewolf]

With the current climate in the UK (being a UK citizen) I'm surprised that no-one is declaring a class act against her for Deformation of character.

 

[wooty]

I can only hope that this incident forces her to boycott sending her music to the UK, we have enough home grown.shit clogging up the radio without importing any more

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Race isn't just phenotypical, it's social. As long as people associate with being Welsh (or people are associated with being Welsh) they continue to be a separate race (according to the very fuzzy definition of race commonly in use, anyway).

So you can be racist against someone purely by what race you SAY they are, rather than what race they actually are?

You do realise the shit-storm that brews up, don't you? Especially given that Kelis is American. Not Nigerian. Or can Kelis claim ancestry of Puerto Rico, China, Africa, Nigeria and America at the same time?

She is claiming racism against her race which isn't her race, while being racist to people she doesn't know the race of.

 

[El Poncho]

The line was probably thinking , hmm, well you did jump the queue.

 

[Fingers O'Toole]

Absolutely ridiculous; if anything, she needs to learn to not blow petty things out of proportion.
Yes, he was racist. Yes, he was ignorant. Yes, the guy behind the desk made things worse. But to label an entire nation racist because of one man?
Regardless, it's pretty disgusting that she has the audacity to label the UK like that when the US still contains great deals of ignorance towards non-christians and LGBT people; to put it into comparison, America's own Westboro Baptist Church isn't allowed into England because we don't treat freedom of speech as a right, but as a privilege that doesn't extend to harmful use and bigotry.

 

[The Lunatic]

I'm sorry, but, who is this exactly?

 

[sephiroth1991]

I think calling a entire country racist falls flat when the country is made up of a variety of cultures and beliefs there for she is mistaken, also who the fuck is this women, I never heard of her till now?

 

[orangeban]

Britain is actually really good on white/black racism. I've never read of it being an issue (outside the BNP of course). Yeah, we have a little trouble with everyone else/Muslim racism (though we seem to be competant at not assuming black = Muslim.)

Wanna have a go about British racism? Just ask about Eastern Europeans. That's where the real racism lies I reckon', what with all those Daily Mail readers cursing those "damn im'grants!!!"

 

[the.gill123]

Four things really:
1. You queue jumped so what did you expect,
2. You were on the Isle of White so what did you expect,
3. What possible input could she have thats usefull about the riots in London and across the country.
4. She was in a queue for immigration, so the bloke who insulted her COULDN'T have been from ANYWHERE in the European Union as they wouldn't have been in that queue, so before that stupid woman starts to complain about Britain again, she should make sure it's actually an actual British man insulting her.

 

[Kiardras]

So... it's not racism if everybody does it? That argument doesn't make sense.

No, its not racism when the peoples that make up the United Kingdom do it to each other. Its a friendly rivalry going back centuries.

 

[Nami nom noms]

Who cares about Kelis?

but on topic yeah in my experience Britain is one of the least racist places on earth.
Though of course you're always going to get some no matter where you go.

 

[orangeban]

Who the hell is Kelis?

I live in North Wales. The only "racism" here is angry welsh people vocally insulting the English.

Why is racism in inverted commas? It is racism.

No its not. The welsh do it to the english, the English to the scots, the scots to other scots, and everyone does it to the Irish. The UK has the most love-hate relationship between countries ever.

Yeah, the things it though, the Scots picking on Scots thing is actually very serious.

In Scotland you have "The Catholics" and "The Protestants" and they hate each others guts. To the point where in Glasgow they made seperate schools for each group and let them out of school at different time (to stop the kids beating each other up.)

Look up domestic violence in Scotland. It often shoots up when Rangers play Celtic. This is because Rangers is a Protestant team, while Celtic is a catholic team, and the two groups split along those lines. When Rangers lose it isn't just your team, it's your whole religion losing. So you get drunk, and then beat your wife/kids.

So yeah, the Scots vs Scots thing isn't quite love/hate, it's more just hate.

Edit: Just a note, this is really a West of Scotland thing, primarily Glasgow. In Edinburgh it's alright.

Edit: Obviouslly this is a minority that does this, and it was more prevalent in the past.

 

[teqrevisited]

What she doesn't get is that we're usually nice while other people don't annoy us. Race has nothing to do with it, it's just a perceived difference that is used to insult. What he was quoted as saying was a bit harsher than I'd have expected but some people take it further than others.

 

[Whateveralot]

I live in North Wales. The only "racism" here is sarcastic welsh people vocally insulting the English.

Fixed for truth. I mean, come on, there's no actual hate in between the Welsh and the English.

RIGHT?