Reality Check...

I have avoided it but there has been another reality programme called Hell's Kitchen on British tv where so called celebrities(minor)and some whose careers have been quiet for sometime come back and try to reserect their careers as, it does appear to work.

Of course the tv companies pick some contestants they know will be loved by the public, some that are a little controversial and then a couple that are diamatically opposed and light the blue touch paper, step back and watch the reaction of those taking part and the audience.

Its not nice and it can be argued that anyone who oversteps a mark(whatever that happens to be)the difficulty is that each case is different. Some are really crucified and others are tolerated.

They are seen doing or saying something in front of millions of people, it can be edited and replayed over and over again, reported upon by the press and read by people who never saw the event but believe the incident as written in the papers.

In this case a comedian made some observations about another contestant and used a term that is considered offensive. Some terms go over my head even though I consider myself reasonably worldy wise.

A term was used by the celebrity chef in charge of the kitchen a few days ago and complaints went in from viewers(not many)and suspecting it may offend, a kind of apology was made. I know now that term is not acceptable but I did not even know of it's existance. Being ignorant of the term is that any excuse? I cannot sit there with a dictionery checking out all the words and there meanings change. The word was Pikey. It has some connection to Gypsies or Travelling folk and is seen as a derogatory term. I should say by some in the travelling community as I heard a few days later some say that there are worst words used within that part of society for those who give the whole of them a bad name.

If I had said it before now, would it be right to have a go at me(not that I have ever said the word)If we were to take offence at everything possible where would it stop? What if every complaint was upheld, it's not workable.

People are offensive often without realising(and I suspect even the most caring and politically correct amongst us)make mistakes. But when do we go too far or when have those offended been over sensitive?

Recently I saw someone who had a disfigurement. Possibly a burns victim. Two people sat down on a seat next to me.

They were not teenagers, they were in uniform(possibly security)they were probably aged 40+ actually, I'd say younger than me and yet what was said wasn't nice. Should I have said something? Maybe. If I had, would it change anything? The person being discussed was not aware. I might've been physically or verbally abused. What was said was not aimed at me or said for me to hear, in effect I was eavesdropping. Between them, it was acceptable so they know how they each feel and how far to go.

What it says to me is that there are people who could find themselves in trouble by expressing an opinion or view especially in a public arena such as on a tv programme(perhaps they deserve to be attacked in some cases)but today it's an onslaught that never seems to give up and then there are probably many more opinions expressed in private and no matter how many laws are passed, the Human race will always be predjuiced. And they because it's said privately will get away with it. How far do we go to stamp out what is probably a part of what makes us who we are?

What about genuine people who said something without realising the effect or trouble what they say will cause. Here to some extent you have time to think about what is going down on paper but in a live situation you are thinking on your feet.

I often go over what I write to try and think of all the different way my words may be analyzed or interpreted so I am fair and try to see another view or opinion to my own. But in the end it has to be my own or I may pose a question that I have no answer for just to make myself think and hopefully anyone reading this.

The important thing is tolerance I guess and in some cases if you feel different, that has to be respected too, you live your life to your own rules. Sometimes, official rules made to protect rights can actually infringe on the rights of those who perhaps feel differently. I'm not sure that I can point to a particular event or incident but the feeling of many I think would be that we have gone too far and now by trying to protect everyone we've created larger problems.

In many cases what may be seen as outdated views and opinions die out naturally as new generations take over. People born in one generation will probably hold different views to those born in another but every generation will have some that hold different opinions to the majority(or as the majority is believed to be)and in time things do change. The Human race progresses and changes just as our language continues to change and grow. Not always for the better.