Politically Correct Pygmies

[nietzsche]

I seem to recall while watching a TV programme (possibly Tribe on BBC Two with Bruce Parry) that the presenter said that it was no longer politically correct to refer to Pygmies. Does anyone know the so-called politically correct term.

[andy hughes]

There are individual tribe names for such people, and you should probably use those.

It fits in with a news piece about a school which is staging Snow White And The Seven Elves in case it gives offence.

Isn't it rather over-doing to presume that offence will be taken, and act to avoid it, rather than waiting to see when, or indeed if, offence is taken, and deal with each case on its merits?

The Snow White story has ben part of childhood and folklore for hundreds of years - and no-one seems deparately upset by the notion - there are other more important issues of predjudice and discrimination in the world, without looking for them in advance. 

[ineedahobby]

oh smeg..you mean Red Dwarf will now have to be red elf?

Hope the elves dont get offended.

[Grunty]

I once heard political correctness defined as "The art of being offended about something that doesn't concern you, on behalf of someone who isn't offended".

[Octavius]

The word comes from the Greek pygmaios, "fist sized", a kind of dwarf in Greek mythology.

Ideally they should be identified by what they call themselves.  Mbuti, is probably the most well known.  Among the other African groups are the Aka, BaBenzl, Baka, Binga, Ef�, Twa, and Wochua. In the Central African Republic, at least, the term Bayaka is preferred to Pygmy, as it refers to the people and not only to their stature.

Another suggested name is Homo floresiensis ("Man of Flores") a species in the genus Homo, remarkable for its small body and small brain.  But this is quite offensive in itslef and I can't see it catching on.

[rojash]

I believe the new PC term is "Shortarse"

[brachiopod]

Vertically challenged indigenous persons?

[brachiopod]

Snow White & The Seven Elves, andy? I did glimpse something about that in the paper this morning. But the guy on the train turned the page over before I could read it.

I bet those elves don't spend all day underground as sub-terranean high-value mineral extraction operatives.