My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding

[Bahnhof Strasse]

i was calling the journalist in the programme presumptuous. i don't know why you are so intent on defending him. and i would have thought my calling him "racist" was quite obviously taking the piss. so it is you who has had the wrong end of the stick all this time.

Do-as-you-likey, "Paki"

Journalist says something not shown.

Do-as-you-likey, "Well what's a non-racist term for them?"

Journalist, "Er, Indians?"

No mention of any wedding. Just taking a stance against casual racism. Something about which seems to have got your goat.

 

[rutabowa]

Do-as-you-likey, "Paki"

Journalist says something not shown.

Do-as-you-likey, "Well what's a non-racist term for them?"

Journalist, "Er, Indians?"

No mention of any wedding. Just taking a stance against casual racism. Something about which seems to have got your goat.

umm they were TALKING about a WEDDING. as were YOU in your first post! and in every subsequent reply in this thread! except this last one where you somehow try to say that i'm racist. nice work you crazy.

 

[Griff]

 

[Dan U]

gwi-lo

thats the one!

 

[Dan U]

I'd love to see a new age traveler wedding!

An altar made of ketamine and smack and a ring made from purple tin

with a soundtrack by spiral tribe

i love a good generalisation me.

 

[Ground Elder]

No self respecting New Age Traveller would have a ring made from purple tin. Gold can or nothing.

 

[DotCommunist]

Does it have a literal meaning? Like 'round-eyed devil' or something?

master race ideology having never gained quite the same brand of militarism favoured by the nazis remains a problem with white south africans and the japanese. Happily a couple of nuclear weapons have discouraged the japanese from attempting military superiority outside of a narrow sphere of influence and the damn boers were already well outnumbered anyway so their fall was inevitable. And now I am treading close to the racism I am trying to mock...*flees*

 

[London_Calling]

I thought this was about Penge when I flicked through the channels.

 

[skyscraper101]

Irish Travellers not Irish Gypsies. Irish Travellers and Gypsies do share sites and marry, but they are two distinct cultures with different languages, religions, culture, history and traditions. The Gypsies I was with this morning certainly have no time for Irish Travellers. They hated the programme as they felt they would be judged by the behaviour of the Irish which they considered shameful. One girl wouldn't go to school this morning as she knew all her gorja class mates will have watched it.

What My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding depicts is not typical and mostly does not feature Gypsies. Don't go thinking you've gained a real insight into Gypsy culture through watching this programme.

So, I'm a bit confused about it all now. These 'gypsies' featured on the show aren't gypsies at all, just travellers?? I'm sure they referred to themselves on at least one occasion as gypsies. What religion do the real Irish gypsies follow then?

 

[Dan U]

No self respecting New Age Traveller would have a ring made from purple tin. Gold can or nothing.

 

[DotCommunist]

So, I'm a bit confused about it all now. These 'gypsies' featured on the show aren't gypsies at all, just travellers?? I'm sure they referred to themselves on at least one occasion as gypsies. What religion do the real Irish gypsies follow then?

.

 

[rutabowa]

So, I'm a bit confused about it all now. These 'gypsies' featured on the show aren't gypsies at all, just travellers?? I'm sure they referred to themselves on at least one occasion as gypsies. What religion do the real Irish gypsies follow then?

i believe ground elder is saying that if they are irish then they are travellers, not gypsies, not matter if they call themselves gypsies or whatever.... is that right?

 

[Ground Elder]

Gypsy refers to Romany travellers. Most of the people on the telly were Irish Travellers not Gypsies. Irish Travellers are usually Catholic.

 

[rutabowa]

Gypsy refers to Romany travellers. Most of the people on the telly were Irish Travellers not Gypsies. Irish Travellers are usually Catholic.

i dunno who decides though, i mean they did call themselves gypsies in the programme last night.

 

[ernestolynch]

The prog had a mix of Irish travellers and English gypsies.

 

[Griff]

My Big Fat Irish Traveller Wedding doesn't have the same ring about it though, does it?

 

[rutabowa]

The prog had a mix of Irish travellers and English gypsies.

who were the english ones? hang on musn't it be "english traveller"??? why are only the ones from ireland called "travellers" not "gypsies"?

 

[Ground Elder]

Gypsies decide who can be called Gypsies and get very pissed off if anyone else tries to claim the title -be they are Irish or New Traveller. You can't become a Gypsy.

 

[ernestolynch]

The two girls were English gypsies. Cheyenne and Montana. They went to the Irish traveller wedding.

 

[rutabowa]

The two girls were English gypsies. Cheyenne and Montana. They went to the Irish traveller wedding.

oh i thought they were just second generation irish so that was why they didn't have much of an accent. don't see why they are allowed to called gypsies when those from ireland aren't thouhg.

 

[Griff]

You can't become a Gypsy.

Even if you were born in the wagon of a travelling show?

And yer momma would dance for the money they'd throw?

 

[ernestolynch]

They were Romany girls.

 

[rutabowa]

They were Romany girls.

ahh right i do see now.

 

[Ground Elder]

It is very simple - Romany people arrived in this country about 500 years ago and were mistakenly thought to be from Egypt, hence the name Gypsy. Irish Travellers are a different people with their own separate history, language, traditions and so on.

 

[ernestolynch]

I loved the way Swanley's family refused to be on the show.

 

[rutabowa]

It is very simple - Romany people arrived in this country about 500 years ago and were mistakenly thought to be from Egypt, hence the name Gypsy. Irish Travellers are a different people with their own separate history, language, traditions and so on.

yes i do see now... but they do share camps, go to each others weddings etc though? so some of the lifestyle is shared... and would both groups probably mistrust outsiders (ie fixed home people) more than each other (itinerant)... would that be about true?

 

[ernestolynch]

The largest ethnic minority in Surrey is gypsy.

 

[rutabowa]

The largest ethnic minority in Surrey is gypsy.

if was asked that in a pub quiz i would probably have got the answer wrong, but it doesn't really surprise me.

 

[ernestolynch]

Joe Jones, chair of the Gypsy Council, helped make the programme. He said it was entertainment.

 

[Ground Elder]

but they do share camps, go to each others weddings etc though? so some of the lifestyle is shared... and would both groups probably mistrust outsiders (ie fixed home people) more than each other (itinerant)

Yes it is true that there is a cross-over, but generally Romany people don't get on with the Irish, tending to blame them for the negative public perception of all Gypsies and Travellers. Sharing sites is usually out of necessity rather than choice. In particular Irish Travellers do not have the strong traditions and taboos surrounding cleanliness that are central to Romany Gypsy life.