Found this on having to return an item to Rapha. My initial reaction was WTF, but am I being “professionally offended”? Is it simply a colour? Thoughts? (After balking at the price of Rapha gear)

El gato negro. 😛

My opinion is that you’re being offended, but there’s no harm in that. The worst thing is that you’ll feel offended for a bit. Just a Spanish word for dark / plain isn’t it? I’m probably wrong though.

Rapha probably use it because it makes them sound like pretentious cockwombles, which is the company image isn’t it?

Ferrari stopped using Negro and started using Nero instead years ago. I don’t think anyone cared, about either.

Seems a bit of a silly direction to take, it is language that in the English speaking world is associated with slavery and segregation in the southern US. It isn’t indicative of cycling tradition and the myths and legends of the past, which is the direction rapha seem to try and aim their marketing at.

ps, can’t actually see the picture in the op.

OP should avoid Penhydd / Blue Scar at Afan.

They’ve got a section called Jim Crow of all things.

We live in Cataluña and hear this every day, even red wine is vino negro not tinto. My very pc wife does however struggle when talking to her friend Paqui.

Given that a fairly important Spanish cycling race has just finished, and they’ve used the Spanish word for the colour black, I’m struggling to find any offence to take.

It’s just Spanish for black, context is relevant obviously.

OUTRAGE! FURY! Etc.

I’d be doubly outraged. I mean, what is “Rapha” if not blatant cultural appropriation from the biblical Philistines? “Giants” in the world of cycling apparel and accessories, my arse.

Professionally?

Does this mean we can’t say something is coloured now?

Depends what colour it is, and what language you are saying it in…

Absolutely Dez. Even to think it makes you a massive racist. Everything is a hue now.

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=klvCleuZ_Kg[/video]

Black isn’t even a colour anyway, it’s the absence of light.

N*gger Black was a colour shade once, don’t ya know.

Bocanegra anyone?!

N*gger Black? Not heard of that one, but my grammar school uniform was N*gger Brown 😯

There’s a cheap cheese in Australia called ‘tasty coon’ 😯

Does this mean we can’t say something is coloured now?

Can’t say anything that may offend someone on here. If I offend anyone I’m not usually bothered & if someone offends me then theyv’e done well cos I really couldn’t give a toss.
Some people are too thin skinned.

I just think th OP is feeling offended because it’s easy to do rather than take the word in any kind of context, for that would involve thinking about the what, why and context the word is being used.

Don think to hard, just get annoyed and offended it’s much easier and no doubt takes less thought.

tomhoward – Member
Given that a fairly important Spanish cycling race has just finished, and they’ve used the Spanish word for the colour black, I’m struggling to find any offence to take.

Racist

I just think th OP is feeling offended because it’s easy to do rather than take the word in any kind of context, for that would involve thinking about the what, why and context the word is being used.

Maybe, but I was simply surprised that a word I associate with colonialism is being used to refer to a black item of clothing on a cycling website. Perhaps if it was for sale in Spain, it would make more sense (other coloured items are in English). Note, there is no link or other “semiotic” connection with the Vuelta.

Clearly I’m alone in thinking this is odd, but if a bike manufacturer had the option of white, grey and ‘negro’, would this not strike you as a bit weird? Maybe not…

Where are you seeing this?

just had a scoot round the rapha site, and black jersey are labelled black? interestingly it did take me to the spanish site first…

whats your op pic of? (can’t see it)

I was returning a faulty item so clicked trough from my own orders list. Second go on the image, although the link is to this:

“You have saved £55.00” – Massive lOLZ!

Oh, sorry racism an that…

My daughter has a toy that plays- “Baa baa sheep sheep”

Makes me a little sad.

I remember when chocolate labradors all had the same name. Guy Gibson had his dog’s name dubbed to Nigel in the film Dambusters

There’s a cheap cheese in Australia called ‘tasty coon’

In field archery a dusk / night-time shoot is known as a ‘coon shoot.’

“Coon” being a contraction of the nocturnal raccoons, despite what meaning racist minds / the terminally offended might attach to it.

Spanish classic

And for balance