# Forum Other Languages English for Russians - Изучаем английский язык Practice your English  Political Correctness outside US?

## rockzmom

I thought about posting this under Politics or Culture, but those were just for Russia, and I would really like to know views from anywhere outside U.S. So please forgive me for posting this under General.... 
This link is to an online newspaper article in Delaware,The News Journal (Delaware is only about an hour and a half drive from me).  http://www.delawareonline.com/articl...NTPAGECAROUSEL 
The article talks about how a grocery store (Acme Markets) recently ran an advertisement circular that contained many specials for Black History Month.  These specials are for foods traditionally associated with African American people such as corn bread, collard greens and grape soda. This monthly ad has been running for seven years without any problem. 
Here is a copy of that circular:   
This year, things were different and people complained about the ad saying: "It's racist, it's insensitive, it's not culturally correct” and "What's offensive about this is how that store interprets how I or anyone else celebrate Black History Month." 
There were others who thought positive of the ad stating: “I eat those foods, so it's fine if someone markets those foods to me,"   ::  My question to the forum is this… The hypersensitivity of being politically correct that America has become, has this spread to other countries? If there was an ad targeted to a specific group or ethnic race in your area would it cause such uproar? 
Thanks...Rockzmom

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## ski-ops

I admit there are instances where political correctness "goes mad", but do you think the given example is really hypersensitive? The ad just seems like it's reinforcing stereotypes.

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## rockzmom

> I admit there are instances where political correctness "goes mad", but do you think the given example is really hypersensitive? The ad just seems like it's reinforcing stereotypes.

 I think it might be a little of both.  
I noticed in the ad that Coke was offering free Limited Edition Art by R&B artists, yet there were no complaints about that. Is not that stereotypical as well? Implying that only black people would like this type of art?  
Should I as a white person take offense at this because the tag line states "Celebrating Black History Month - The Coca-Cola Company"

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## delog

> The hypersensitivity of being politically correct that America has become, has this spread to other countries?

 I hope no. American political correctness are absolutely ridiculous. Why the White House still not renamed in Black House, I wonder? In Russia, at least, African-Americans are called _негр_ (negro) and this word is normal for Russian as well as African-American for Americans.

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## it-ogo

Well... the goal was respectable - to make a society less abusive. But I am afraid that implementation actually made the environment more abusive. (It's my impression from far outside. IMHO.) It was an attempt to formalize what should be a matter of personal conscience and tact. To make public and official what should be private. And now even more of the abusion comes from the publicity of the privacy (if you understand what I mean  ::  ). More brutal pressure of the society on the personality. 
The final result of this way (making public from private) one can find in Orwell's "1984". A great book and very universal warning. I have a feeling that now USA much closer to "1984" then any other country. Those mad issues of politcorrectness in USA provide me with a strong deja vue feeling. They are much like mad issues of official ideology in USSR.  
Again it is no more then preliminary IMHO: I have never been in USA.

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