Considering Jade thought Cambridge was in London, 'East Angular' was abroad, and she didn't know who George Bush or Tony Blair are, it's not a hard stretch to realise that she's not going to have a clue about Asian culture.

Did Shilpa ask them about their culture? Well, I don't know. Unless you were there whenever any of them were talking, 24 hours a day, of course - you couldn't know either.

I'm not a particular fan of Shilpa. But I do think she handled herself with grace and dignity. I doubt that Jade could even spell grace or dignity. If that makes me prejudiced, so be it.

Is Germaine the mighty oracle then? Does something have to be true, because she said it?

Did she? I don't remember that.

Believe me, there are people living in apalling conditions in this country. And there are people in this country who have servants too. Are they all morally reprehensible? Am I morally reprehensible because I enjoy pastimes that cost money, while other people have no money whatsoever?

No, it wasn't overblown. She didn't get angry or pick a fight or anything. It was pretty obvious that she did not wish to discuss her virginity or her sex life. That was her perogative, regardless of her culture or background. She tried to answer the question while not touching on the subject of her sexual history. But Jade wouldn't let it lie. It's certainly possible that Jade didn't have the intelligence to see that Shilpa was uncomfortable discussing it, because Jade is not the exactly the cleverest housemate ever is she? But I think it more likely that she just wanted to make Shilpa say it, because it was obvious that Shilpa was not happy talking about it. If Shilpa had left the room or not commented, people would have been criticising her for that as well!

It's not at all, James. It's the complete opposite, in fact. But the same could be said about your admittance that you judge people on their past actions, and don't care to give them a clean slate. I don't know you from Adam, or anything in the main about your beliefs and values either, for that matter. In my way of looking at things, everyone deserves a little respect and basic human dignity, until they do something to warrant that privilege being withdrawn. I don't like having people scurrying around at my beck and call. It's belittling, and nobody deserves to be treated in that manner nor has the right to treat others in that way, either. There would be an ever-so-slightly enormous difference in their salaries though, don't you think? It would be good to see a clip of that moment. I can remember several different professions, and wasn't it three chauffeurs? Completely necessary and not suggestive of a rather spoilt individual at all, I'm sure.

This you assume, rather than know as a fact. It would seem that lens you observed events through is somewhat stained with newsprint.

She lives in a house, rather than a penthouse. And 'around the world' doesn't cut it - shifting the goalposts doesn't, either. Shilpa made her fortune from her own people, and she should feel duty bound to redress the balance. Jade made her money in the UK, where absolute poverty does not exist. She's not supporting and endorsing a state which allows people to suffer while she sits back and counts her cash. Using words such as 'sanctimoniusness' is a little rich (no pun intended) when you seemingly consider poverty so very amusing. Some people's consciences run a little deeper than drawing the curtains and telling themselves everything's alright in the world, as long as they're happy.

No, she isn't. She just has a tendency to expect to be treated like a princess. Trying to play the snide racist card is very poor form. The 'we're all members of the human race' scenario is nothing more than a soundbite. You know quite well that there's very little any external government, coalition or charity, etc. could do about the situation, as it's enshrined in the country's caste system. I'm surprised that you've time to type a reply, though. Don't you need to pack and fly out to fight for the salvation of the forgotten in some far distant land, or something? Excuse the sarcasm, but it's catching after encountering it at every line in your post, at the expense of actually addressing the point.

But you're assuming that they're paid wages that would allow that to be the case. It's just a shame that it's so expensive to go to the cinema in India that most can't afford it.

I really don't care, James. I have my moral values, and you no doubt have your own. I can sleep soundly at night. It's not my business to know whether anyone else who reads this thread can do the same or not.

Gosh, is it International Sarcasm Day today and I've somehow missed it, Ruth? I won't reply in kind, as I've more respect for you than that.

Do you not have any friends or associates who perhaps aren't blessed with a great deal of intelligence, Ruth? If so, I'd bet you don't view them with such disdain. It's not Jade's fault that she's not exactly rocket scientist material, is it?

I think she did too, for the most part. Although with her tongue pressed firmly into her cheek.

If you look at the article I quoted Ruth, it suggests that she supported the racism allegations, when in fact she denounced them.


Yes, she did. It was one of the lines that was twisted afterwards, when Jade mentioned 'slums'.

Nobody is living in abject poverty here, unless they've removed themselves from society for whatever reason. Yes, there are some in that situation. But they're not beyond help - and I'm not expanding on that any further and being drawn into a sideways argument. Suffice to say that there are support systems in place for those in need. And I've yet to see entire villages of people living on rubbish dumps in this country. That reads as though I have a problem with those people, when I don't. It's their government which allows it to happen in the first place that I have a problem with. And yeah, people who 'employ' servants are morally reprehensible. As for you personally, I don't know. Do you earn your living from a vast number of people who admire and look up to you?

It was overblown, because she could've removed herself from the conversation or even the room whenever she wanted to. She stayed willingly, ergo she didn't actually have quite as much of a problem with it as she suggested. It was a fuss about nothing. A fuss for the sake of a fuss.

I didn't criticise Jade for being stupid. I was just stating that she is stupid. Did I say it was a bad thing?

No, it's not International Sarcasm Day today. I don't think what I wrote was any more sarcastic than most of your posts tbh! But I'm not trying to have an argument.

I have plenty of friends, but none of them are remotely like Jade.

Well you mention it a heck of a lot, and it's really not anything that anyone is going to doubt or doesn't already know. So yes, if it's mentioned in a dismissive post then it comes across as though it's meant as 'a bad thing'.

I wouldn't say that I've been at all sarcastic towards you today.

Fair enough, you're not obliged to answer questions, of course. But that wasn't really what I asked, was it? What is Jade like, including all of the bits that happened outside of the argument with Shilpa, and her conversations with Danielle and Jo?

I mentioned it in relation to the fact that you said that she may have asked Shilpa about her culture, but we didn't see it. Yes, it's possible, but the point I was trying to make was that it was unlikely, given Jade's level of intelligence. I wasn't saying that it was a bad thing that she was stupid - I mentioned it only because I was illustrating that I thought it was unlikely that she had asked Shilpa any in depth conversations about her culture. Do I mention it a heck of a lot? I wasn't aware of that. I would only ever intend to mention it if it was relevant to the thread I was posting in.

Any disdain I show towards Jade is not anything to do with what I think of her IQ - just what I think of her attitude.

Sorry, I'm not meaning to avoid answering any questions.:puzzled: