Was Mongaloid not the old name given to people suffering Downs Syndrome. I think the offensive part was when people used the word Mong which I think you will find no-one has used on this site.

Oh and in reference to the original forum posting, apparantley the registration for Glastonbury is way down on last years figures. Say no more.

Mong is just a shortened version of Mongaloid. No more no less. Shortening the word does not make it less offensive. As with most things it was not supposed to be an insult but people turned it into one.

Ricky Gervais is funny not because of the comments he makes but because of the pathetic loser he portrays when he makes them. I guess people who are the joke wouldn't get the joke.

I'm leaving the playground now children try to play nicely. I'de like to teach the world to sing but we are what we are and i've seen the x factor and that ain't gonna happen.

As for the original forum posting I'm going to Rockness where I am hoping to find some humanity.

Yeah headlined by Razorlight isnt it. My God a year of shit headliners.

thought Fatboy Slim was headlining this one this year

Chillout Tinystar, you're to uptight. We all like a laugh around here, we go out and have good times while you knit for Oxfam.

Not finding Gervais funny?! What is wrong with you! He's the funniest man alive.

If you read my post properly you will see that I said I did find him funny. On that we agree at least.

My apologies, I don't read your posts properly cos most of it is a waste of time.

"Mong is just a shortened version of Mongaloid."

The word was Mongoloid, actually. The term in the context of Down's syndrome was coined by John Langdon Down himself because he wrongly believed that epicanthic folds (what Prince Philip would call "slitty eyes") was a symptom of evolutionary degeneration when present in Caucasians. His book on the subject was called "Observations on the Ethnic Classification of Idiots" (published 1866), which is possibly the funniest book title I've seen in years.

But what's the world coming to when you can't call a spaz a spaz anyway? :-/

I can see where Tiny is coming from.

I also don't think anyone meant any harm or meant offense when the word mongaloid was tossed about. Things said out of innocent naivety is more like it but what's done is done and people here aren't the mean and nasty type.

So anyway... just to add back on topic, you folks over yonder are freakin lucky and have a plethora of fests to choose from, many of which cater to all types of music and all walks of life. About Glasto - aside from the headliner gripes, is anyone actually planning on going (if they can get tickets?)

I have a mongaloid in my family.

He's a very happy man.

I'm dead serious :|

From now on i'll call people "spaz" instead ;-)

I was going to go to Glastonbury this year. But last year it was full of middle class white people. What I loved about the festival was the diversity and individuality of people there. It was a fantastic spirit where people did not judge each other and embraced each others differences. It was a place you could be whatever you are without fear of being ridiculed because you don't measure up to to a socially created norm. Sadly I don't feel the same way about it now.

Hey Tiny, I was there too last year, and I understand what you mean.. (I am a middle class white person) hehe..

However compared to other festivals (at least in Australia anyway), Glastonbury is still far and away much more diverse culturally and musically..

That's why i'll hopefully going back there again this year!

Fuck me Tiny, first its people who dare to use offensive terminology now its your angst against possibly 40-50% of the British population. You talk about the fantastically spirited people who did not judge each other unless they are middle class and white. Who is next in line for your gripes?.....scumbag council estate wallers, the elderly, kids, coloured people, the ethnic minorities. Jesus sort yourself out.

Fatboy Slim is headlining the other day at Rockness.

HA! You are unbelievable Tinystar! GTFO

Tinystar is probably called Rupert, has a sister called Jemima, Daddy is an accountant who sent Rupert to a top public school, where he spoke in a posh RP accent that you could cut glass with, before he became a trustafarian and started speaking mockney.

Yes apparantley it took him a long time to perfect the correct pronunciation of the word "innit" . He also now greets people by touching fists instead of saying "how do yo you do". He is as his crew say fly and down with it.

So Noel Gallagher is making himself sound like a cunt once again.......

LONDON (AP) — Organizers of one of Britain's best-known music festivals on Tuesday defended their decision to book Jay-Z as their headline act after Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher blamed the rapper for disappointing ticket sales.

The outdoor Glastonbury fest is a cornerstone of Britain's music calendar. But it has yet to sell out this year, in contrast to past years when tickets were snapped up within hours.

Gallagher, whose band headlined the festival in 1995 and 2004, said rap was to blame.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Gallagher said in an interview, an audio of which was posted to the British Broadcasting Corp.'s Web site Monday. "If you break it, people ain't gonna go. I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? ... No chance."

He explained that the inclusion of a hip-hop act went against the festival's tradition of guitar music, adding: "I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. No way. No. It's wrong."

Glastonbury Festival co-organizer Emily Eavis said the 38-year-old festival had a long history of attracting rap acts, including Cypress Hill and the Roots.

She said the media stir over Gallagher's comments revealed an "innate conservatism" in some parts of British society.

"There is also an interesting undercurrent in the suggestion that a black, U.S. hip-hop artist shouldn't be playing in front of what many perceive to be a white, middle-class audience. I'm not sure what to call it, at least not in public, but this is something that causes me some disquiet," she said in an article published Tuesday in The Independent newspaper.

Eavis said she thought Jay-Z was "absolutely the right act" for the festival.

———

On the Net:

www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

And by no means do I like the 'Jigga man', but shut your fuckin pie hole Noel

I read about this a couple of days ago. After all these years he's still opinionated, still outspoken... but it's old hat and all this has taken a toll as Noel really is coming off a bit of a cry-baby. I mean, on one hand I can see what he's saying about Glasto keeping in line with it's history of being a celebration of guitar music - but on the other hand, Glasto has a history of celebrating all types of music (eh Chebbers?) That said, I'd like to read the full context of Noel's comments. You know how the media twists words just to get a story and a rise out of people.

Going by what little bit has been said in this article, I am tending to side with Eavis on this one. It's their festival and Ms. Eavis can do as she damn well pleases. There will be plenty of music to go around at Glasto as there always has been. And even though her quiet, private assertions about this how hip hop is perceived could give way to head scratching and possible heated discourse - I can't help but think that statement was carefully crafted in such a way that can be perceived as a somewhat passive agressive way of underhandedly dealing the ol' race card.

?? I could be way off.

Anyway, what's the stats on other festivals and are they also suffering from lagging ticket sales? I read that Coachella lost a little steam this year but I haven't read enough to determine whether it was due to a lineup that didn't interest people, a downturn in the economy, or both.