Anyone remember the film, " The Dambusters " I do. Brought up on it. Guy Gibson, the chief RAF man who was to lead the attack on the Dam in question, using Barnes Wallace's purpose designed " Bouncing Bomb " had a Black Labrador, in real life. He called it " Nigger " and so I grew up knowing the Dog to be called. " Hullo, Nigger, old boy! " is probably the one line from that film that's always stuck with me.
Of course, that was the mid fifties. Now they've been talking of doing a mega millions remake of the film. Good luck to them. Only, it seems that No Way are they calling the Dog that outrageous name. They stopped using it some years ago, actually.
"Dam Busters was made in the early 1950s and you can imagine it was probably perfectly normal in the 1950s, but no one would dream of calling a dog by that name now. What we are sensitive to is viewers being offended by it,"
Quite so, of course. Wouldn't do. 'People' might be offended. Can't use That name.
No. Call Gypsys " Dirty Stinking Gypo's " and " Thieving Fucking Pikies " ? Fair play to ye. But allow a Dog, from nearly a century ago to retain his name on film? Outrage! " No one would dream of calling a Dog by that name now. "
Fuck 'em! Here's my new Dog:
" NIGGER "
Went and got him from a Dog Pound, yesterday. He'd been picked up as a 'Stray'. No history. No name. No one came foreward to claim him. (He'd been, as it's known here, " Dropped Off ". Taken for a ride in a motor. Let out the door. Sped away from)
No one seems to criticise that sort of thing here. Sure as hell, no one raises an eyebrow when I tell them what I've called him.
" No one would dream ..... " ? Hadn't fucking figured for 'Ditch Shitter', had they?! LOL! Fuck 'em!
Excellent! I am so happy for you. All worked well then? He is stunning. I love that black lean body of his. Very nice. You got to tell me what his personality is like.
ReplyDeleteActually I was thinking of calling any black dog I got "nigger", sure thats what we used to call them. My mother had a dog "nigger".
Think of it this way, no one could care less at someone calling their lurcher "Gyp"!
Its all given in good jest, right? So theres no problem.
SAM
Fuck me, you were fast! LOL!
ReplyDeleteExactly though, Sam; I had an Uncle " Nig ". That was short for " Nigger ". They called him that because he was eternally riding his push bike with no shirt on. Got sun tanned virtually black.
Anyway, to the best of my understanding, the word stems from the Latin for Black. That's how black skinned people became known as it. Just as our sort are called 'Whites'.
Actually, I suspect his former, given name was probably " Blacky ". Some pale skinned whiner could probably take offence at that too! Call him " Dog of Colour " ? Now That I Would consider a slur on black skinned people!
Dog's black. Nigger means 'Black'. Period.
Gorgeous natured Dog, by the way. I'll tell more about him and his story later ;-)
He is,.er,.beautiful....
ReplyDeleteHe's another, pretty much useless, mouth to feed and producer of shit to pick up, mate. But I just fancied one.
ReplyDeleteRemember Brian P ? Opposite the BeeHive? He had one of what they called, " Whally's Collies ". Dog called Ben. I always had a soft spot for Ben. That's why I got this one ;-)
Yet another case of people trying to re write history, in the case of that remake of the dam busters. I hate it when people try to apply the morals of today to things of the past.
ReplyDeleteWe used to have a black cat called Nigger when I was a kid, BTW.
Don't know if you're a Pink Floyd fan, Ditch (I doubt it?!) but I've always wondered which film the dog called "Nigger" was in when I watch the video.
ReplyDeleteIt's at 2 minutes 5 seconds in....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIwSqnSJvVU
I'll get myself a copy of Dambusters - it's one the few films I've not seen.
Did Nigger get on with the other dogs straight away? I'd expect so....
Cheers,
Mark (Nottingham,UK).
Me, a 'Floyd fan, Mark? LMFAO! I have " Wish You Were Here " playing right now ~ as I've had, 24 / 7 for about six months now! :D
ReplyDeleteI'd forgotten they use that clip too! " The Wall ". Pink's sat in his hotel room (or is it the 'on set' place?) watching the telly. That'll be why I've never been able to shake that " Hullo, Nigger, old boy! " out of my mind! :D
Yeppers. That's a clip from " The Dambusters " ;-)