I used to work in a call centre in a small Scottish town on the West Coast
Minimum wage job mixed with small town mentality meant I had loads of 'interesting' colleagues to keep me amused.

Many instances stick in the mind, but one in particular beggars belief. It involves L, one of those ditzy blonde kind of girls who always look slightly puzzled at everything, like a labrador being taught how to read.

Anyway, one day a few of us were out in the smoking shelter, whiling away the blessed minutes spent off the phone by committing slow suicide, when the discussion turned to the weird shit you can buy online. Someone mentioned that Christina Aguilera's bath water had been sold over ebay, and we were discussing how easy it would have been for the seller to rip someone off (I mean, it's not like you can test for this kind of thing) when L pipes up with, "Yeah, they probably just sent them some black guy's bath water"

Hands pause in the middle of lifting cigarettes to lips, and all eyes turn to L as we try to digest this.

"Uh...why a black guy, L?" I ask.

"Well, she wears a lot of fake tan, right? So, it would be better if it was a black guy..."

"Fake tan...L, you do know black people don't dissolve in water, right?"

L's look of slight puzzlement turns into outright confusion. "But fake tan comes off in water, so I just thought so would the blackness..."

The poor girl had went through life thinking that every time a black person takes a bath, they slowly dissolve.

Bless
(Godwin's Lawyer is more evil than Hitler, Tue 8 Mar 2011, 22:42, 18 replies)

Gross misconduct and racism are so adorable.

( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Tue 8 Mar 2011, 22:54, closed)

I was going to defend her here
By pointing out that it's not so much proper racism, as just racism through stupidity.

Then I realised that all racism is through stupidity. So let me just say there was no harm in her - she certainly wasn't the type of person to hate anyone else. She just didn't understand.

It was the kind of small town with all-white faces, so it's kind of understandable, if not excusable. Not everyone has a Londoner's exposure to multiculture society
(Godwin's Lawyer is more evil than Hitler, Tue 8 Mar 2011, 23:27, closed)

Is it racism
if it's through ignorance, which as we know is not the same as stupidity
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Tue 8 Mar 2011, 23:29, closed)

I think it depends on the context
Just like every other issue that's painted as black and white (excuse the unintended pun).

It's certainly racist to assume everyone of Middle-Eastern origin is Muslim, and therefore a terrorist, which is an opinion borne of both ignorance and stupidity (and, sadly, rather widespread). It's often hard to seperate the two. But in the case above, I'd argue that it's pure ignorance, with no hate or malice, and therefore if it is racism, it's of the incredibly mild kind
(Godwin's Lawyer is more evil than Hitler, Tue 8 Mar 2011, 23:32, closed)

I wouldn't even say mild
I imagine that once she was put right on the matter, she probably ditched the idea as quite awful.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Tue 8 Mar 2011, 23:46, closed)

Still should have been fired though, even if she was blonde and female.
I was born and raised in a nearly all-white small town, but folk there were generally judged on how they acted rather than how they looked.

Also, London is an overcrowded grey crime against humanity that stinks of piss and brutality.
( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Tue 8 Mar 2011, 23:47, closed)

Hahaha
You should work for the London tourist board. That's a beautiful picture you painted right there

And I'm sure most of the management were more racist than her - never saw one face that wasn't white in the whole time I worked there. Fucking glad I left, tbh
(Godwin's Lawyer is more evil than Hitler, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 3:18, closed)

Maybe, but they're the management, it doesn't count as racism with them becuase they're inherently superior to the rank and file.

( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 23:23, closed)

London funds the entire country.
You're welcome.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 9:06, closed)

City of London. Financial capital of England.
You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
( argyleblanket The man on the roof works for me, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 9:24, closed)

Except Liverpool

(Falco, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 10:20, closed)

Yes dear, of course it does.

( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 22:56, closed)

I don't think it's racism at all.
Surely, racism is thinking someone is inferior or doesn't have the same rights because of their race. What she did is in the same category as thinking dogs lay eggs.
( The Awful Puppy Bakery is still bored, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 9:09, closed)

Don't be so dogist.
( Happy Phantom has been to Hastings, Brighton, and Eastbourne too, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 9:26, closed)

But dogs DO lay eggs...
...but they can't look up - Big Al says so.
( snee held his breath since, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 9:32, closed)

It would partly explain what
happened to Michael Jackson.
(bROKEN aRROW PUA HVI Master, Wed 9 Mar 2011, 9:39, closed)

I'm not deciding if this is racist or not until I have proof regarding the solubility of black people.

( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Wed 9 Mar 2011, 14:21, closed)

Well in Hartlepool ...
they executed a monkey for being a Frenchman and therefore a spy.
(Que?, Thu 10 Mar 2011, 2:32, closed)