(edit title) Swedish department store pulls "racist" t-shirt wow, just wow! Options

[IvanDraga]

What would be next step? Pull out all black and brown paint from biltema?
http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?...artikel=5799737

[LauraCristescu]

Wouldn't be surprised..the situation is a bit ridiculous.

[intrepidfox]

The thing is; what idiot would pay such a price?

[Hisingen]

'Cos the colours complained it was racist.

[jostein]

Perfection is something we can strive for inside ourselves. Imposing it upon others is a monstrosity.

[passport-stamps]

'Cos the colours complained it was racist.

They still call people "colours?" Let me check my calendar. Goodness gracious me, all this time, I thought I was in the modern world of 2014.

[xtenzion2]

Swedish mass media are quite possibly the most repressive, censored and totalitarian of any Western country.

This have lead to an extreme situation of political correctness that is limitless.

The worst is the Marxist aftonbladet and expressen, they write honorable articles about communism, Karl Marx etc. It's the extreme left wing fashion that want us to believe that all the problems is because Swedish people are racists. These problems didn't appear before we got this massive amount of immigrants from the middle east.

It's a shame that my old country would go down this path.

[Gamla Hälsingebock]

Yesterday I read an article in the Wall Street Journal...of all papers, you would not expect an article about Sweden...but there it was...it seems that Sweden is tired of taking in refugees in numbers not shared by other western countries...so maybe the voice of the Swedish people has been heard...someone else has to share the burden of the worlds displaced peoples...enough is enough!!!

[Kn33grow]

Discussions about immigration and the concerns of the native swedish population can be done without resorting to nasty cheap racist tactics. The t-shirt is highly offensive and you will have to be on the receiving end to notice that.

What would you say about this articles Gamla?

What art history reveals about

[LauraCristescu]

Yes because fox news is NEVER biased, also, caricature means exaggerating the prominent features of an individual, and Zuckerberg DOES have a hooked nose..so no, the fact that someone decided to get offended of a picture is a bit ridiculous.

The T-shirt the OP is talking about is only racist if someone walks around with a chip on their shoulder and expects to be victimized. I'm sorry but that's the truth. Do you also feel offended about the crow characters in Dumbo? Or every black character portrayed in cartoons such as Tin-Tin? Or do you suppose asians feel offended when they see the "smart asian" guy stereotype in every tv show out there? Or nordics in general for always being portrayed as blonde and with a bad accent by Hollywood.

It may have been an actual attack on race issue about 50-60 years ago, not today, and not here, in this case. Right now, a lot of things are labeled as racist when the intention wasn't even there. And that just propagates the whole racial issue further.

[Localer]

Yesterday I read an article in the Wall Street Journal...of all papers, you would not expect an article about Sweden...but there it was...it seems that Sweden is tired of taki ... (show full quote)

Yesterday I read an article in the Wall Street Journal...of all papers, you would not expect an article about Sweden...but there it was...it seems that Sweden is tired of taking in refugees in numbers not shared by other western countries...so maybe the voice of the Swedish people has been heard...someone else has to share the burden of the worlds displaced peoples...enough is enough!!! ... (hide full quote)

too late, all refugees already have their minds set, once they reached Europe, only Sweden they want to go, no others. Which refugees will go to other EU countries where in Sweden you are given permanent permit, where you can bring all your family, guarantee a life time support pack? plus a Swedish passport in 4 years ? who will not ?

[Localer]

Swedish mass media are quite possibly the most repressive, censored and totalitarian of any Western country. This have lead to an extreme situation of political correctness th ... (show full quote)

Swedish mass media are quite possibly the most repressive, censored and totalitarian of any Western country.

This have lead to an extreme situation of political correctness that is limitless.

The worst is the Marxist aftonbladet and expressen, they write honorable articles about communism, Karl Marx etc. It's the extreme left wing fashion that want us to believe that all the problems is because Swedish people are racists. These problems didn't appear before we got this massive amount of immigrants from the middle east.

It's a shame that my old country would go down this path. ... (hide full quote)

well said, i hate the media. propaganda propaganda.

[Kn33grow]

Yes because fox news is NEVER biased, also, caricature means exaggerating the prominent features of an individual, and Zuckerberg DOES have a hooked nose..so no, the fact that ... (show full quote)

Yes because fox news is NEVER biased, also, caricature means exaggerating the prominent features of an individual, and Zuckerberg DOES have a hooked nose..so no, the fact that someone decided to get offended of a picture is a bit ridiculous. ... (hide full quote)

Its not only fox news,it was reported all over but thats besides the point. I didnt find anything in those two articles offensive but why would i,im not jewish !

The T-shirt the OP is talking about is only racist if someone walks around with a chip on their shoulder and expects to be victimized. I'm sorry but that's the truth. ... (show full quote)

The T-shirt the OP is talking about is only racist if someone walks around with a chip on their shoulder and expects to be victimized. I'm sorry but that's the truth. Do you also feel offended about the crow characters in Dumbo? Or every black character portrayed in cartoons such as Tin-Tin? Or do you suppose asians feel offended when they see the "smart asian" guy stereotype in every tv show out there? Or nordics in general for always being portrayed as blonde and with a bad accent by Hollywood. ... (hide full quote)

Jungle love?The bananas? The black guy chasing after the blonde girl? too much stereotypes to get even under my skin. And no i dont walk around with a chip on my shoulder but i do expect from a society that calls itself civilized to show the same level of civility that it expects from me.Otherwise lets make it an open for all and everything and lets all stop complaining and let everyone do what he wants.

It may have been an actual attack on race issue about 50-60 years ago, not today, and not here, in this case. Right now, a lot of things are labeled as racist when the intenti ... (show full quote)

It may have been an actual attack on race issue about 50-60 years ago, not today, and not here, in this case. Right now, a lot of things are labeled as racist when the intention wasn't even there. And that just propagates the whole racial issue further. ... (hide full quote)

I do agree that nowadays a lot of things are labelled as racist and even wondered if that is not counter productive to eliminating racism,but that was until i saw how effective it has been for the jews to complain about the slightest attack. It makes people be conscious of what they are saying and stops much bigger hatred.

[LauraCristescu]

The point i'm trying to make is that, if everyone got offended about what other people are saying, drawing in regards to stereotype, we would all walk around with duct tapes on our mouth, hands tied behind our backs and head down.

The difference has to be made between actual racial intent and perceived insult. I can't even count the times that i've heard or read or seen stereotypes about romanians, or eastern europeans that are not that flattering, but if i took offence to each and every one of them i'd never leave the damn house. I prefer to rise above all that, kick it as a joke, and move on, and guess what...it works!

As for your last point, you are wrong. It does not stop much bigger hatred it sweeps it under the rug and lets it fester, until it explodes. If you put a fist in the mouth of everyone who says something negative about a group of people, even if they don't do it from a racial or ethnic standpoint, then you WILL create racists and xenophobes.

People need to be able to vent, to express themselves, otherwise you breed resentment. Yes racists are bad, and there are some out there, but don't point your finger at everything that you perceive as insulting, even when you KNOW that was not the intention, and pull the race card because you will end up creating more hatred and resentment, based on your false accusation.

[cherrybubble]

The point i'm trying to make is that, if everyone got offended about what other people are saying, drawing in regards to stereotype, we would all walk around with duct tap ... (show full quote)

The point i'm trying to make is that, if everyone got offended about what other people are saying, drawing in regards to stereotype, we would all walk around with duct tapes on our mouth, hands tied behind our backs and head down.

The difference has to be made between actual racial intent and perceived insult. I can't even count the times that i've heard or read or seen stereotypes about romanians, or eastern europeans that are not that flattering, but if i took offence to each and every one of them i'd never leave the damn house. I prefer to rise above all that, kick it as a joke, and move on, and guess what...it works!

As for your last point, you are wrong. It does not stop much bigger hatred it sweeps it under the rug and lets it fester, until it explodes. If you put a fist in the mouth of everyone who says something negative about a group of people, even if they don't do it from a racial or ethnic standpoint, then you WILL create racists and xenophobes.

People need to be able to vent, to express themselves, otherwise you breed resentment. Yes racists are bad, and there are some out there, but don't point your finger at everything that you perceive as insulting, even when you KNOW that was not the intention, and pull the race card because you will end up creating more hatred and resentment, based on your false accusation. ... (hide full quote)

Hey Laura, google "blackface".

I suspect one of the reasons this T-shirt was deemed so offensive is because it perpetuates the "stereotype" of the tribal black african who lives in the jungle. Its not even a very relevant stereotype because no one (or very few) people in our generation even think about africans as tribals who come from jungles and wear animal skins. But for africans, this is an old and hated stereotype.
I dunno if you ever read Enid Blyton growing up, but she used to have a character called a "gollywog" and they were very popular toys in a very similar vein and they have also come under a lot of scrutiny for perpetuating racial sterotypes.

We are lucky to be born in an age, after all the decades of struggle, in which we do not see this T shirt and assume racist motivations, but THB, black africans are still discriminated against and face a LOT of racial profiling and I don't understand their struggle, because I am not black, but this isn't a legal matter, it is a matter of sensitivity. I doubt they could legally require the shirt to not be sold, but I'm glad NK was sensitive enough to stop selling it.