On January 21st, Benedict Cumberbatch appeared on PBS’s Tavis Smiley show. While talking about diversity, he said, “I think as far as colored actors go it gets really difficult in the UK, and a lot of my friends have had more opportunities here (in the US) than in the UK and that’s something that needs to change.”

Cumberbatch’s intentions obviously were good. But the word “colored” (or “coloured,” if you favour the British spelling) is not. At best, the term is “outdated and antiquated,” according to Carla Sims, former communications director of the NAACP (which has kept the word “colored” in its name for historical reasons, but mostly goes by its initials). Sims defended Lindsay Lohan in 2008, after Lohan called President Obama colored. “Sometimes you have to look at the intent,” Sims said. “But the word ‘colored’ isn’t derogatory. Clearly she’s an Obama supporter…In her excitement, she was acknowledging that color was not a barrier in the populace choosing Obama.”

Uhhh, OK! But Lohan is a self-destructive, undereducated felon, and Cumberbatch is not. Most people would disagree with Sims; the word “colored” feels worse than merely outdated and antiquated; it’s now actively offensive. A basic rule of etiquette is that you call people what they prefer to be called. I am Ms. Ingall. Shirley Temple was Miss Temple. If someone wants you to refer to him or her as him or her, you do so, regardless of the genitalia he or she currently has or he or she was born with, which is not any of your business. This is not rocket science.

What is rocket science, apparently, is casting a black person, EVEN HERE IN AMERICA, THE LAND OF CUMBERBATCHIAN GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COLORED, as a scientist. Despite Cumberbatch’s claim to the contrary, if Hollywood is indeed better than London for Black actors, I think that’s due to statistics rather than enlightenment. We Yanks make more movies. We Yanks make bigger movies. On stage, I’d argue that Black actors are much, much better off in London, which in my admittedly anecdotal experience employs infinitely more race-blind casting than the United States does. And though we may by the law of averages provide more employment for Black actors, we don’t do so without weirdness and ambivalence. Witness the media’s baffled reaction to the casting of Chiwetel Ejiofor as a brilliant scientist.

(GOODNESS! WHY would you cast a Black man as a genius scientist!? More relevant question: Why would an Oscar-nominated, classically trained British actor who was made an OBE by the Queen of Freaking England lower himself to pulpy genre movie with Captain Kirk and an unknown babe? ENQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW. Except we don’t have any.)

The comments on Angie “WHY WOULD YOU CAST ONE OF THE BEST ACTORS OF HIS GENERATION IN A MOVIE? CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS HEADSCRATCHER?!??” Manfredi’s twitter are pretty funny.

But let’s move on to Cumberbatch’s apology:

I’m devastated to have caused offence by using this outmoded terminology. I offer my sincere apologies. I make no excuse for my being an idiot and know the damage is done.

I can only hope this incident will highlight the need for correct usage of terminology that is accurate and inoffensive.

The most shaming aspect of this for me is that I was talking about racial inequality in the performing arts in the UK and the need for rapid improvements in our industry when I used the term.

I feel the complete fool I am and while I am sorry to have offended people and to learn from my mistakes in such a public manner please be assured I have.

I apologise again to anyone who I offended for this thoughtless use of inappropriate language about an issue which affects friends of mine and which I care about deeply.”

This is good. Owns it. No excuses.

So we needn’t pull away the big blue mattress.

I do have a criticism, which won’t be new to SorryWatch regulars: Don’t apologize to “anyone who I offended.” Apologize period. Apologize to everyone. The people who were NOT offended are the ones most in need of education about why what you said was offensive. They’re the same people who grumble about “political correctness” and “everybody’s so damn sensitive.” Hush now, idiots.

If Cumberbatch were a politician or a Lohan, I’d say he should pledge to educate himself and donate a big chunk of change to a cause that champions tolerance and understanding. But he is not a politician or a Lohan; he is a non-showboating, educated, classic-model British person when he is not leaping about in front of cameras and footlights. I suspect he knew that the word “colored” was a mistake as soon as it was out of his mouth. And I further suspect he’d find the American LOOK AT MY DONATION ISN’T IT BIG schtick unseemly. I do hope he will privately support progressive anti-racist charities if he doesn’t already. And I hope he will use his influence to help actors of color (like his LAMDA compatriots Chiwetel Ejiofor and David Oyelowo) get cast in big stupid movies (KAAAAHHHN!) as well as fancy little movies, and do his part to create a culture where no one questions the notion of a Black scientist.

And if he really thinks America is doing well on the employing-of-minority-actors front, well, that’s where he could do a little teensy tiny bit of self-educating.