Monday, July 07, 2008

Has your child ever said "yuck" to food?

If they have, they can now be branded racist according to this report in the Daily Telegraph. Now, this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I still say yuck to things like baked beans and lettuce. Does that make me racist? Surely if someone, child or adult alike, says "yuck" to food it means that you simply don't like it, that the taste or texture does not suit your palate? I love strawberries, but don't like strawberry flavoured things (weird, I know, but strawberry flavoured things make me chuck up), so what does that say about me.

The bit in the report that really irked me was how even babies could not be ignored in the fight against prejudice, as they can "recognise different people in their lives." If this is truly enforced it must mean that we are criminally responsible from the day we are born.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bloody hell,wish i had not read that.My blood is boiling!! What absolute crap.I am 100% against racism and bigots sicken me but for Gods sake.
So if a child says yuk to chicken Biryani it's a slur on the Indian subcontinent.It means a kid does not like the food not has a racist attitude towards a nation.
Is it really possible to offend a carrot or a tortilla wrap?
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. This bloody country needs to change it's priorities.I mean just think of all those aubergines and innocent vegetables we have harmed in Iraq!

Ally said...

I just don't get it. It's all a bit ridiculous. Everyone has said, at some time or other, that they have not liked something. I mean, I don't like red peppers or any kind of beans, so naturally I will avoid food with them in. So, I will not eat chili con carne. This makes me racist against Spanish people? No, it means I just don't like the taste. What if someone, who was not originally from England, said that they didn't like roast dinners? Or Fish and chips? Does that make them racist?

Skippy said...

What about the fact that a persons taste buds change from when they're children to adults so they don't acutally like spicy foods as kids. I hated curry when I was a kid, it was gross. I love it now. It had nothing to do with race it was the taste of the spice!

No wonder this country is in a state!

Ally said...

True, Skips. After reading a post on (un)relaxeddad's blog it looks like it's only a small part of the report, but at the same time I don't think children discriminate on account of food. I don't even think children of pre-school age even discriminate, I think any remarks regarding 'race' (I'm sorry, we are all part of the HUMAN race, and discrimination against disabled people is just as harmful and hurtful - though I suppose you can't discriminate against a disabled person's cooking, maybe) is more curiosity about what they see than discrimination, and it is the parents reaction to such questions that could lead to racism. Also, surely the media and highlighting things such as food in the fight against racism and discrimination is only adding fuel to the fire? I don't know about you, but when I was that age I didn't really care where my food came from, all I cared about was whether it tasted nice or not!