The succulent churnalism of the Daily Radar usually leaves me indifferent.
Occasionally my derision at their venal sycophancy towards all things Ibrox tips over into hilarity.
However, today anger was my main emotion.
I did a double take when reading a piece of “journalism” today about the latest signing target for the Gerrard regime.
The kid, Umar Sadiq, is from Africa and the term “Dark Continent” was used in the Daily Radar article.
I immediately tweeted a screen grab of the offending item. Once I had brought attention to this bit of award-winning racism my notifications piled up.
There were not any dissenting voices from my basement of this award-winning shite.
It took two hours from my tweet until the offending article was amended.
“Dark Continent” was replaced simply with “continent”.
Now, was that so difficult?
Recently the term was referenced by the BBC when President Trump had referred to “shithole countries”.
Here it is within that report:
We have longstanding and differential associations between the colours white and black. For much of our recent history, white has always represented all that is pure, clean, and desirable. These associations are found in the language of our dictionaries, the one-time definition of Africa as the “dark continent”, and the way we demarcated slaves from non-slaves throughout the slave trade. These associations define our beauty standards, animated through film and television’s past and present. And, these colour associations still dominate our perceptions of leadership, images of success and attributions of worth and value
It is clear from the foregoing that the term “Dark Continent” is archaic and racist.
It is the geographical equivalent of the “N” word and it harks back to a time of European imperialism.
That period in history is known as “the scramble for Africa”.
From Cape to Cairo the Brits were major offenders in this carnival of genocidal plunder.
When they came to blows with Dutch settlers, the “Boers”, the British invented a new idea called the “Concentration Camp” in 1900.
The Germans picked up the idea from there.
Lest we forget…
When it comes to the Daily Radar I’ve come to terms with the fact that they will never deliver anything other venal mediocrity.
However, I cannot let racism go unchallenged.
Craig Whyte to mount legal challenge re. ownership of Ipox etc.
This was an area which was never satisfactorily examined or contested…until now.
Hope he opens up another big can of worms…it keeps getting better by the day.
As for McGlennan’s resignation…
Who saw that coming ?
I just see it really as ill advised and misguided use of an archaic and outdated term…. Not so much lazy journalism as – no journalism – but what are you to expect from the staff at that ailing red-top brand. They are sinking as fast as the club they support and promote.
Better for all if us not to look at their output in ANY form… They should hopefully vanish all the quicker.
More important emerging story…..
Compliance officer at SFA resigns – hands up who thinks we will get an honest explanation!
Anyone?
Anyone?
You were right. I wonder if we will get ‘Johnny Foreigner’ tomorrow.
I also noticed this piece in the record yesterday regarding Nikola Katic.
The Record are reporting that the fee would be £2m which would represent a club record for the Ibrox club.
Does that mean that the Daily Record is finally admitting that this is indeed a new club and all fees paid prior to extinction don’t count.
Dear blog.
Something got lost here, the kid, what about the kid? Is he any good? What are the loan deals? Is this how the scouser plans his “revolution” ? All loan and no money?.
Btw, the term that knickers are getting twisted in? It was a reference to the fact that nothing was known about the continent interior hence the advent of that great scottish explorer Dr Livingston, I presume you know whom I refer to?.
I call racism out when I see it, thiss is not one of those times although god help me I would love to strike a match to the radar any day of the week, hard to do so in Aussie , it will be my first task upon arriving back for a wee break.
Discuss
Regards DTY’s comment about ‘scot-free’… It should, I think, be small ‘s’ and is perhaps a shortening of ‘scotch’, as used in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, when Enobarbus says, after being whipped, ‘I have yet room for six scotches more’, referring to the marks on his back (that criss-cross pattern so prominent in Tarantino’s Django Unchained). In short, it isn’t racist and I can clearly remember a friend who used it often when on the batter. Best test for racism as for sectarianism is who is saying something and why. When it is the powerless speaking to power, it is rarely racism. When it is the powerful to the powerless, well, that’s the fascist mindset and almost always indefensible IMHO. This might help clear up use of apparently difficult terms in urban subculture. Think who, and why, and I guess you can’t go wrong.
HH
not sure if mc murcia was the first to say that the record were lazy but if so i apologise for suggesting it had been deleted.
where to start. I read the blog when there were only 4 comments and nearly choked at the coment (now deleted) that “the record, for a change” was lazy. ffs the live by “copy and paste” is there a better definition of lazy journalism, has the poster never read your blog before?
Don’t know if it proves i don’t have a pc bone in my body, but i’ve never been upset by the famine song, know your history – 1912 and all that – for the unknowing h&w came to Glasgow, the start of the religious antipathy between Celtic and rangers also the start of the no “kaffliks” at ayebrokes. or the billy boys
But
TT. why don’t jock tamson (or his bairns) call Spain “the dark country”, i mean they know fuck all about the “interior”
Mc Murcia: Is it not more likely that the prevalent use of “dark” in itaian and spanish is just everyday/institutionalised/casual racism
the beekeeper: Seriously, really ? you need to leave the house and talk to people more. and i mean people not “the peepul” oh and read a book or two
And before you all reach for the pc “words don’t mean anthing arguement” would you use the word “nigger” about a fellow human being anywhere or more relevant in a black community in the usa?
sorry if this sounds like a rant but there just too many apologist post to ignore
vh C
cfh6700… have you ever used the term “Orange bst’rd”? Ever heard of throwing stones in a greenhouse? How apt. Case closed.
Racism of ANY type is deplorable,you stated;’the scramble for Africa’ meaning the b.empire was raping,pillaging etc etc.French,Belgian and Dutch amongst others were also involved in the pilagin of EVERYTHING including ALL natural resources.Disgraceful behaviour from All concerned.That made me recall…
On YouYaTUBE(Scottish Version) there was a short no commentary video of a guy with two eggs,one brown,one white,He is standing by a frying pan on a cooker,he then cracks the white egg,then the brown one;and to no-ones surprise;they were just two eggs in a pan.
Very simple way to show in the very simplest of terms,that,YES WE ARE ALL THE SAME INSIDE,no matter the colour of the shell/skin.
You set a fine example Phil,not only with the true investigative journalism re.iboaks,whilst shaming 99.9% of Scottish sports journalists,you highlight these racists that think nothing of using these antiquated derogatory racist terms with impunity.
Well done Phil,keep at them,thankfully,although miniscule,Society IS getting very slowly better.
ps.Although I still don’t think I will live long enough to see a free and democratically elected football governing body ruling football fairly in Scotland.
I think that too is a type of racism,but that’s a whole other story.
Thanks Phil,appreciate your time,molto grazie???????✅??☮️???
The term “dark continent” was originally used by explorers to indicate an area which had not yet been mapped out. It did indeed come to be commonly associated with the african interior, this being the last great uncharted terrestrial expanse, with in general only coastal areas being known to the mapmakers up till the late 19th century.
However the term was also used I believe to refer to south america – the “darkness” referring to its unchartedness, and having no necessary connection with the skin colour or racial origin of the people living there.
The use of the term is certainly anachronistic, but it has no *necessarily* racist connotation. And either way, it is surely far from being “the geographical equivalent of the N word”.
My point is that seems unfair to baldly describe its use as “racism”, without any supporting proof of racist intent by the writer. And in view of the fact that nothing else in the article indicates any disrespect for African people or African football – and indeed the article is broadly sympathetic – wouldn’t it be a likelier and more generous assumption that the writer was simply looking for a less obvious term to replace the word “Africa” – which had already been used earlier in the sentence?
We should all strive to dig these cavemen out whenever we come across this sort of casual racism especially when it comes from the pages of the National Press.
More power to yer elbow Phil ??
Hate to say it, Scotland many nations one kulture…
Phil,
I recall the splendid Winifred Churchill expressing his “irritation that the Kaffirs should be allowed to fire on white men”
How jolly spiffing. Should have invented something like er, um, a concentration camp. It’s just like Winnie to play with a straight bat don’t you know. I say.
The use of such language still being used today by ‘journalists’ is mind blowingly disgusting and epitomises how inept and ignorant they are. Vomit inducing lazy bstards. HH
I think the second sentence let you down somewhat!
Spot on, Phil. The comments here, indicating a lazy translation, should not serve to excuse anyone who chooses to talk of modern Africa in such terms. Historically, use of the term ‘Dark Continent’ is a bit more difficult to pin down, reflecting the imperial mindset where all previous accounts of African civilization were ignored or mythologised, and indicating – as a quick Google search and Thought.com article suggest – that its use permitted both imperial expansion into the African ‘interior’ and missionary efforts aimed at ‘civilizing’ various African peoples. The racism is implicit, when you remember Egypt is part of Africa, as is Benin, etc etc… ancient and advanced civilizations (relative to these British Isles). Ultimately, another own goal by the Daily Radar.
This talk reminds me of the famous Mahatma Gandhi quote, when asked by a London journalist on arriving by plane in the UK for the first time. The journalist asked: Mr Gandhi, what do you think of western civilization? To which Gandhi replied: I think it’s a good idea!
HH
Quality retort from Gandhi he had a wicked sense of humour as well as a mind way ahead of its time.
My favourite quote: “God has no religion”
Well done for getting that sorted Phil.
Strangely enough, an article in today’s Metro regarding Grenfell spoke of people ‘getting off Scot-free’. This seems to be one racial slur which is happily allowed, even in these strictly PC times.
The phrase is actually of Scandinavian origin and roughly translates as ‘tax’ . As in ‘tax free’
In this case it has nothing to do with Scotland. I remember reading that scot was another word for taxes. Good explanation on Oxford dictionary site.
You may be thinking that “scott-free” means something it doesn’t..
https://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/04/15/scot-free-origin/
Andy… and likewise you may be thinking “dark continent” means something it doesn’t… https:/en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Dark_Continent
That reference isn’t actually anything to do with Scotland or Scottish. It is actually on old English word for tax, debt or fine and therefore the terminology is correct providing it is not used with the capital S which would have a different,meaning altogether of course.
Well done Phil. The Squad ordered by wife as Father’s Day present, will be belated me thinks.
WOW! That was racism, thanks for pointing that out, now when I ask for a bar of d*** chocolate when shopping I WILL MAKE SURE I don’t say the word d*** for fear of upsetting someone like you Phil, maybe you should get out more, you know get away from reading rags like the daily radar in the hope that you find something like this to bore us all with, stick to exposing the servo farce and stop being a week upset liberal left wing loon who gets upset at any thing he imagines to be upseting .
Are you seriously comparing an entire race of people from the brightest continent on the planet to a piece of confectionary?
Indeed, why get upset over the use of archaic terms like wog, nigger, darkie, taig, wop, etc etc etc, when they can be used on opportune occasions to keep the ‘inferior’ (i.e non-WASPS) being in their places?
You forgot the term “hun” never hear Phil or any us complaining about that ONE!
FFS, GET OVER ALL THIS P.C. CRAP funny how it’s always never those who it is about who get upset, but the snowflake liberal we know best lefties, who squeal at every slight, real or imagined.
HAIL HAIL
I could have predicted that any reply coming from yourself would utilise the ‘snowflake’ term! Daily Mailism at its worst and most reactionary.
I’m not sure which race of people the word ‘Hun’ refers to? Might you be so kind as to enlighten us?
Would that be “sevco” and “weak”?
Mmmm…. I think you know it’s the terminology that Phil was getting at.
Would you do the same when asking for a milky bar,ie WHITE chocolate….??
Phil’s making a valid point,you are being very pedantic,imho.
Just where to start with this post.
I can only hope that you are a sevco fan who has come on here in a poor attempt to troll us. If you are a Celtic fan, can I suggest that you go out, buy a blue shirt and support the shower across the city, you will fit right in over there..
Its a very, very strange choice of words, and one I’ve never seen before.
I would cut the journo some slack as we know that most of them have a very limited vocabulary.
If someone is not jetting in to sign, or been ‘snared’ by Gerrard, or been demoted/put down( as if) or, God forgive, relegated, or been taken over by a billionaire with wealth off the radio,what hilarity would we have been deprived of over the last 6 years?
King’s all in gamble could be a spectacular success but the odds are stacked against him, Gerrard and the Scouse revolution.
It will be highly amusing as the Scottish media try to cover their tracks whilst an interested national media sort through the wreckage which will be the legacy of the former England captain’s reign.
No £5m bids for Tavernier nor Windass, no £12m offer for the petted lip, Alves can’t be shifted because a fee is required that no one wants to pay, never mind his £30k per week salary and so it goes on.
With reported home game sell outs last season there is little scope to increase revenues through the turnstiles.
Forget about transfer fees, the pressure on meeting monthly payroll is immense, especially with some of the previous contributors having had their fingers burnt and walking away.
As Phil oft repeats, everthing will be hunky dory, till the football starts.
A visit to the East End in September needing a win to close the gap, and failing, will no doubt have the fundamenalists asking why another Taig has been employed.
The crap been thrown at Murty, for instance, is beyond the pale with he and his family’s links to the Hoops being widely derided by the fan base.
Beware Stevie G, one day that could be your fate.
Does this mean Paddington doesn’t come from Darkest Peru anymore?
Peru isn’t in africa
Oh no! according to you Phil, we, (football supporters), must be politically correct and say the right things and refer to things in the politically correct terms, otherwise… shock horror… we are evil racists?. Phil, I enjoy your wit, your writing and appreciate your inside investigative journalism, but please… geez peace! Is the term “Japan, the land of the rising sun” racist? Yes or no? How about “Thailand – the land of smiles” or Israel “The Holy Land” or USA “Uncle Sam” or … you get my drift! I believe Africa was nicknamed “The Dark Continent” because the Romans, (and successive Europeans), had very little idea what was inland Africa… hence “dark continent”. Admittedly, we are not living in the times of David Livingston, but the likes of Nigeria, Kenya, Congo, Tanzania are still, in most of the Daily Record football supporter readership mindset, still countries of the “dark continent”. We are talking about your average Jock Tamson, who reads the Daily Record and holidays in the likes of Benidorm and Tenerife etc. Oh dear, did I just make a racist statement about working class Scotsmen there? Political correctness is soft censorship. It is tolerance disguised as tolerance. As George Carlin said “it is fascism pretending to be manners” So you were “offended” by the term “dark continent”. Be truthful Phil, no you weren’t. Political correctness is the Orwellian newspeak which is limiting our ability to freely think and speak. So to those who think what I have just written has made me appear racist, my reply to them is so what? Did I “offend” anyone? Oh dear! Go cry to your mummy! Don’t blame others for your insecure emotional state. Grow up please!
Which is exactly why they didn’t correct it, Tim.
Having read your post, I know who sounds like a “snow flake”.
There, there.
It really is shit when society moves on and you’re left behind.
No bad mate. I see your point and (shock,horror) agree…
meant to say PC is intolerance disguised as tolerance!
Has anyone here who has commeted here black? I showed my girlfriend, who happens to be black, the DR piece. She was a bit offended, a bit amused, but mainly unsurprised and really couldn’t be bothered.
Personally….I wouldn’t give this rag the oxygen of publicity…but I fully understand why you did.
Like others I don’t see it as racist…I see it as ignorant and lazy journalism.
Which is a hallmark of the Daily Rectum.
Oh and Sevco supporters think its a “Tim” paper.
Gie’s peace.
HH
“The Record has, for a change, simply been lazy”.
In case you’re wondering, it’s “for a change ” that leapt out at me.
A reference to the Record along with the word lazy. That doesn’t raise an eyebrow.
Well done Phil. Mrs Barman hails from those balmy shores and appalled and amused in equal measure. “Where’s darker than gloomy écosse ?” was her riposte. Literal and metaphorical nails struck with aplomb.
Scotland – the best small racist country in the world! It is terminology such as what the Daily Rancour used that feeds their “wearrapeepul” mentality, and was the same mentality applied when Britain was empire building. The only “dark continent” that I am aware of has a G51 postcode!
FOR A CHANGE!!! Are you for real? Is not taking press releases and passing them off as fact without checking their truthfulness or accuracy lazy? It is in the world of REAL journalism, but has been the modus operandi of the Record for as long as I remember when it comes to the team from Govan.
Well done my friend the daily Rectum has been a long standing rascit paper and if the cunts are reading this then sue me ya shower of bastards.
Hear hear.
I respectfully suggest that you think long and hard about giving the radar the benefit of the doubt , they don’t need any more apologist’s for the absolute semi literate propagandist shite that they continuously flush out, they know their audience.
With regard to the Boer war , in particular the second one, the brits adapted barbed wire to form concentration camps ,and divide the countries involved up, virtually all the inhabitants were woman and children.
Their propaganda machine labelled these camps as” areas of protection “,safe areas for non combatant woman and children to be “safe from attacks by blacks” during hostilities. A truly insidious and warped alternative to the truth of the matter which was that Kitchener knew the Boers in the field had great support from the civilian population, so they were rounded up and placed in these camps, disease ridden ,insanitary ,baking hot by day ,freezing by night. Backed up by that old brit favourite starvation and malnutrition . It is recorded that nearly 30,000 civilians died in these camps.
There were less well documented camps for the black population ,but some 20,000 people also died in these. the brits seem to favour starvation , I suppose it was very cost effective , the Boers ,the Bengalis ,and used in the far east also, and the rest of the colonies.
And while arguably they cant be outright held to be responsible for the Great Famine ,they most certainly sat off the east coast of Ireland and sat back and watched it happen. cheers John
I’m not convinced that The Record has been lazy ‘for a change’?
The Record is lazy, irresponsible and Racist – as was proved beyond any doubt in the Morelos story last year.
That it is essentially a Rangers fanzine may provide a certain novelty value to some, but with sales continuing to drop, I do wonder how much longer it can last.
Not long, I hope!
Disgusting use of language and well done Phil for pursuing it. I don’t think it is lazy journalism. Google translating an article from an Italian source would tend to be a little less fluid. Why would be be surprised at the level of integrity shown by sports “journalists” who don’t even try and hide their orange roots. No dye available?
What it really stinks of, I’d say, more than racism, is the low educational standards of those who write for these rags.
I doubt that whoever wrote that thought he’d come up with a clever way of conveying a racist idea. More likely, he probably thought he was being poetic and creative with his prose.
Racism is at its most pernicious and dangerous levels when those who indulge in it don’t even notice.
Well said Phil, I also noticed that original this morning and looked to see who penned it. Mr Online, wonder which one of the radar goons actually wrote it?!?
Its hard to find the correct answer when u put black and white together in the same place… its a bit of a grey area ?
That it slipped through as a harmless adjective speaks to the inherent, oft called casual, or institutional racism that pervades the tabloid minded! One nation many cultures?
Well said and well done!
Well said, Phil. And even better done!