[jaxie]

Originally Posted by James

Is the Facebook post definitely genuine then? It looks like it has been deleted but the person that was replied to in the comments is still on it, and does live in Warwickshire.

I only bring it up because after the Joshua-Klitschko fight someone on the Internet was able to fool thousands on social media - with a doctored photograph - into believing Jay-Z sat next to one of the Chuckle Brothers. An example of confirmation bias - if people want to believe something is true, they are more likely to do so.

I suppose it is feasible that this person doesn't even post their own Facebook messages. It has been known for people in the public eye to have some other person running their social media but under those circumstances it would be more to the point to apologise and explain than just take the post down. Whatever the intent offense was taken and so an apology should be given.

Now I'll have a ch ch chuckle vision theme ear worm all day!

I can see both sides of the discussion on this particular tweet and the image of the scarecrow but I do wonder if there was genuinely racist intent in the scarecrow or the remark. I don't know if people really consider intent before they get up in their grille about things like this. I say this because how could you make a scarecrow look another way that isn't a bit odd and home made scarecrow looking and does this mean that there can't be a black scarecrow in the competition at all in case it fulfils perception of offence? Isn't avoiding and excluding representation of any ethnicity that isn't white as bad? Was the Olympian mentioned in a derogatory way or because she is someone known and admired. Are you making an amateur effigy of someone you admire or mocking her. Was it made by kids who think of her as a hero? Would a white scarecrow look better in some way or be less offensive with the same features and dress. Would it still be offensive if Jessica Ennis was mentioned? Intent can be a complicated question but shouldn't be discounted.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by jaxie

I suppose it is feasible that this person doesn't even post their own Facebook messages. It has been known for people in the public eye to have some other person running their social media but under those circumstances it would be more to the point to apologise and explain than just take the post down. Whatever the intent offense was taken and so an apology should be given.

Now I'll have a ch ch chuckle vision theme ear worm all day!

I can see both sides of the discussion on this particular tweet and the image of the scarecrow but I do wonder if there was genuinely racist intent in the scarecrow or the remark. I don't know if people really consider intent before they get up in their grille about things like this. I say this because how could you make a scarecrow look another way that isn't a bit odd and home made scarecrow looking and does this mean that there can't be a black scarecrow in the competition at all in case it fulfils perception of offence? Isn't avoiding and excluding representation of any ethnicity that isn't white as bad? Was the Olympian mentioned in a derogatory way or because she is someone known and admired. Are you making an amateur effigy of someone you admire or mocking her. Was it made by kids who think of her as a hero? Would a white scarecrow look better in some way or be less offensive with the same features and dress. Would it still be offensive if Jessica Ennis was mentioned? Intent can be a complicated question but shouldn't be discounted.

And this is my point.
To avoid making a celebrity scarecrow of a black person would be treating black People differently and racist in itself.I thought we were all striving to treat everyone equally?

Now what is more likely?
A judge and councillor in the public eye deliberately made a golliwog and posted it on his own Twitter

Or

He made a **** scarecrow for a competition and after his xenophobic Eurovision Tweet someone went through his old Tweets and thought 'ooh that looks like it could be racist' and used it as a stick to beat an evil Tory?

There is the question.
It could've been deliberate but I'm reluctant to just shout racism at everything without knowing the context.I think you need to look at things on a case by case basis.