Macworld Australia

MAGAZINE

Advertise with us

Macworld Forums: S***ks And Specks. Really? - Macworld Forums

Jump to content

Search
Search section:

This topic

This forum

Forums
Members
Help

Calendar
Advanced

Page 1 of 1

You cannot start a new topic
You cannot reply to this topic

S***ks And Specks. Really? Identifying racism in cultural context

#1 gracer

Assistant Editor

Group: Members
Posts: 333
Joined: 18-January 11
Gender:Female
Location:Melbourne
Interests:Cinema, soapboxing, writing, reading, coffee.

Posted 14 September 2011 - 03:51 PM

Come on Apple, let's not get ridiculous.

I'm referring here to iTunes deeming the Spicks and Specks app as too racist to show its title in full. Go on the app store and see for yourself. It reads: S****\ks and Specks.

Why?

In the US, the word 'spick' is a derogatory term for Latin Americans.

I'm all for stamping out racial slurs, but if we're looking at language and its connotations within a regional or cultural context, one rule should not apply to all.

There's not an ounce of racism in the word 'spick' here in Australia. More so, the ABC program and its app don't come anywhere close to discrimination, racial or otherwise.

Seems a bit far-fetched of Apple then to go ahead and slap a censored label all over it.

If I didn't know the reasoning behind the amended title, I would have no idea what offensive word was blotted out with a whole bunch of stars to inexplicably read 'S***ks'.

Thoughts?

G

#2 Stubzee

Man of Leisure

Group: Members
Posts: 392
Joined: 19-August 09
Gender:Male
Location:brisbane
Interests:Photography, traveling, Tai Chi, Bonsai, gardening and cooking

Posted 14 September 2011 - 04:26 PM

Grace, just another case of political correctness going crazy. I stand corrected but wasn't a similar word used in the musical "West Side Story" when describing the war between two gangs.
Gordon

#3 Dave Bullard

Guru

Group: Members
Posts: 1,144
Joined: 15-June 09
Gender:Male
Location:South Melbourne

Posted 14 September 2011 - 04:53 PM

The Wog Boy kept its title in the US ...

Cheers
Dave

#4 klytia

Uncle Spam

Group: Administrators
Posts: 2,439
Joined: 29-September 10
Gender:Male
Location:Airlie Beach QLD
Interests:Racing yachts, boating in general, riding my horse, 1969 Boss 302 Mustang which i hope to own in the near future, my new iMac

Posted 14 September 2011 - 05:07 PM

Just wait until "Swift & Sh*t" couriers hits the Apple store, oh sorry that was Swift & Shift couriers, they just had a wardrobe malfunction........That show brings tears to my eyes....

"Reality distortion field" mine is still distorted....

#5 Islandhead

Man with the big zucchini

Group: Members
Posts: 732
Joined: 05-June 10
Gender:Male
Location:North East Victoria
Interests:IT, Mountain Biking, Gardening, Reading

Posted 14 September 2011 - 05:31 PM

Dave Bullard, on 14 September 2011 - 05:53 PM, said:

The Wog Boy kept its title in the US ...

Cheers
Dave

Tough one to sort out due to the global nature of the Internet but I don't see why they can't change it for the Aussie app store.

Wog is more a UK bad word Dave. I know it means something completely different over here, but if you used that word on the streets of London you're looking to get stabbed

While we're on the subject... Coon cheese... Really?! Hahahahaha

~ Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. ~ Winston Churchill

#6 Ken Gracey

Super Poster

Group: Administrators
Posts: 15,750
Joined: 20-February 11
Gender:Male
Location:Victoria
Interests:Computers & cars

Posted 14 September 2011 - 07:10 PM

Apple playing big brother again, the have a problem with spicks, but they allow every body with half a brain, to release a fart app... Sheesh

Come on 20K

Ken

#7 Greumach

Mentor

Group: Members
Posts: 388
Joined: 23-April 10
Gender:Male
Location:Tasmania
Interests:All things mac, Celtic music and culture, Bible study, Bicycle Riding and the great outdoors.

Posted 16 September 2011 - 05:52 PM

Who cares anyway? The show is too stupid to watch on TV let alone having it on my phone.

Graham in Tassie

#8 TattooedMac

Mr Encryption

Group: Members
Posts: 606
Joined: 05-November 11
Gender:Male
Location:West Australia
Interests:Aussie
Mac Aficionado
Beta Tester #iOSDeveloper
Photographer ~ #CogFrogStudios
Aperture & NIK Plugins
#Kickstarter Backer
#HTML & #CSS

Posted 06 November 2011 - 04:47 PM

Looks like times have changed.

Posted Image

Great show btw.

A leader is a man that can adapt principles to circumstances. . . . . General George S. Patton

Arguing with a zealot is only slightly easier than tunneling through a mountain with your forehead!!!!!
2012 13" MBP i7 - 10.10.2 Yosemite…..iPhone5 - 8.0.2…….iPad Min i - 8.0.2…….ATV2 - 6.2…….3TB TimeCapsule…….3x Airport Express…….PPC G3 Blue & White 450 MHz

#9 Ken Gracey

Super Poster

Group: Administrators
Posts: 15,750
Joined: 20-February 11
Gender:Male
Location:Victoria
Interests:Computers & cars

Posted 06 November 2011 - 05:35 PM

Now that's funny, they actually backed down... That's got to be a first for apple.

Come on 20K

Ken

#10 Dave Bullard

Guru

Group: Members
Posts: 1,144
Joined: 15-June 09
Gender:Male
Location:South Melbourne

Posted 07 November 2011 - 06:29 PM

Thanks for the update, TattoedMac.

At a recent conference I learnt that the first Apple approval is done by bots, but the appeals process is handled by humans (or very highly trained apes if it's lunchtime).

A funny story: Our mates at Macworld US had their app rejected by Apple for copyright infringement, but Apple was forced to back down after IDG produced the original agreement to use the name between their founder and Steve Jobs. As far as I know, it's the only time Steve let anyone use one of his trademarks ...

Cheers
Dave