Sort-of memes that are cracking you up at the moment

I do like them and they do have the benefit of toaster cooking. But potato smileys are my preferred potato snack.

It is a jab in the ribs about the potato famine.

But the famine is a slur on murderous grasping English landlords. The Irish get sympathy from it, not ridicule. What's funny about people dying of hunger? I've never heard of an English person making light of it.

https://youtu.be/QiqqC_fbP1c

I by no means believe or portray a black and white interpretation of events leading up to the famine but I think the dependence on potatoes predates the so-called famine itself.

I realise that I have bias in me too. I have spend most of life in England; London to be more precise. As I have a mostly English accent I have been exposed to all sorts of slurs and racism (while not directed aimed at me because of my accent) towards Irish people. And my experience has lead me to see the etymology in slurs.

I doubt that.

Touché

Unfortunately I have.

It maybe harder for a non Irish person to see / hear these comments.

Zzzz.

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While I don't doubt that reference is often made to potatoes in the context of Irish people with racist/prejudiced intentions, the comment on here that seemed to kick everything off was someone saying "potatoe, potahto" or something.

It seemed very innoculous?

you must be new here

🤮

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How can those not have cheese on them? Cheesy Feetza mmmmmm

I’ve never known who in the world is supposed to be saying “po-tah-to” anyway? Isn’t it because it rhymes with tomayto/tamahto?

Maybe, but I’d actually like to understand what was so offensive about potato pohtahto as it’s a phrase I use quite regularly in reference to a difference of opinion or way of doing something.

Let's call the whole thing off

Nobody is going to be offended by "potayto/potahto". Where it becomes offensive is when it becomes glaringly obvious that an English person makes light of the famine or the connection between the Irish and the potato. Often by quoting Neil Francis' "potayto!" in that voice, or something similar. The inference is that they are making light of the situation, seeing it as funny or odd that the Irish would be so dependent on a potato. Totally missing the point that it wasn't just a crop gone bad but the systematic oppression of an entire culture by the English, again. It benefits the English to make light of it and talk down to anyone who "can't take a joke" to assuage their guilt.

The population of Ireland is still less than it was before the famine, such was the level of death and emigration due to the English still insisting that whatever food was viable was theirs or exported. I was even taught (in a Protestant school), that the cause was an unfortunate blight and nothing else, such is the Loyalists' want for the Crown to see them as Daddy's Special Girl.

If anyone ever needs a partys vibe killed they should give the people on this thread a call.

You must not be

This thread makes me want to

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucCwl6C2GnQ

This is what life was like before internet forums.

when it becomes glaringly obvious that an English person makes light of the famine

When did that happen?

Not here, in general

This is the one. Proper earworm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wBifkGjrx4

The life in the UK book i had to read to pass my uk citizenship test is pretty much this: oh well, Ireland was poor and there was this potato blight.

Who exactly ruled it???? FFS. The bit on the troubles sucks too. And that's a government approved book.

The Choktaw tribe helped with donations which is just heartwarming and lovely.

government approved

Well there's your problem