Spanish Olympic basketball team racist photos

[BeautifulBurnout]

I just see this as totally dumbass rather than overtly racist. They clearly have all their brains in their basketball boots. Although as Deckard says, it leaves one wondering what they would have done if the games had been hosted by an African nation, for example. Eejits.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by BeautifulBurnout

I just see this as totally dumbass rather than overtly racist. They clearly have all their brains in their basketball boots. Although as Deckard says, it leaves one wondering what they would have done if the games had been hosted by an African nation, for example. Eejits.

I'm actually with you on this. That's why I called the photos racist, but the players dumb-asses. It seems that this was all rooted in extreme ignorance rather than intentional maliciousness, but their inability to understand the reactions they're getting make me think that 1- they're even dumber than I thought, or 2- they're now hiding their maliciousness behind a weak veil of ignorance. Given past incidents that we've seen in Spanish sports, I lean towards option 2.

[jOHN rODRIGUEZ]

Simply disgusting.

A slap in the face to the human race.

I'd tell The People of China to eat a pot of beans and then fart on their heads, but I know they're above that.

I'm not!!!!!

[Sean]

And now pictures of the Spanish Olympic women's tennis team doing the same thing have come out.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oth...d-gesture.html

Absolutely unbelievable.

[dubman]

"fuck yeah crass mistakes partyyyyyyyy..."

damn i almost love it.

[jOHN rODRIGUEZ]

I'm working on the bomb(Onions & Bacon added for an exxtra kick).

I'll do a sound recording in the next few days and post it hear!!!!!!

[Deckard]

Originally Posted by Sean

And now pictures of the Spanish Olympic women's tennis team doing the same thing have come out.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oth...d-gesture.html

Absolutely unbelievable.

Just bizarre. Be interested to know if anyone has interviewed any of these people about it. Do they really see it as harmless as, say, portraying the French with small moustaches, berets, and onions round their neck?

Originally Posted by jOHN rODRIGUEZ

I'm working on the bomb(Onions & Bacon added for an exxtra kick).

I'll do a sound recording in the next few days and post it hear!!!!!!

(as usual)

[dubman]

Originally Posted by Deckard

Just bizarre. Be interested to know if anyone has interviewed any of these people about it. Do they really see it as harmless as, say, portraying the French with small moustaches, berets, and onions round their neck?

onions?
i understood it to be the baguette and wine combo. with the berets and striped shirts.
which i, as a frenchman, always thought was a little funny.

[chuck]

I think the difference between the frenchman 'spoof' (for lack of a better term) and the slanty eyes act - is subtle and blatant.

The French one is showing things that are iconically French - whilst the Chinese gesture is aimed at specifically ethnically physical features. It's not mocking ironically - it's targetting and pointing out specific elements of a people group.

Does that makes sense - I don't mean to sound like a wanky sociologist - but I think the Chinese one is very different. It's subtly different, but if you make a gesture like that you are not laughing 'with' the Chinese or other Asian cultures - you're laughing 'at' them.

In the same vein - you wouldn't say the elements of Spanish football crowds that make monkey noises at black-skinned players are being mockingly ironic or amusingly shallow.

To my mind anyway.

I think the mitigating circumstances - as pointed out by Ian and Rog above, show a very bizarre lack of understanding/empathy about the world in general. I don't think these actions represent every Spaniard - but I find it interesting that instead of refuting or even claiming responsibility - the powers that be in this case seem mainly to be attacking the critics.

It's not like Pau Gasol is going to be making slanty eye gestures in the next game he plays against Yao Ming is he? You know - in the warm up shoot around.

[Deckard]

Originally Posted by chuck

I think the difference between the frenchman 'spoof' (for lack of a better term) and the slanty eyes act - is subtle and blatant........

Just to clarify: I get the difference, completely. I was merely wondering whether, in Spain, that difference isn't appreciated, and whether there's a different somewhat more naive lack of sensitivity.