Spanish Basketball Team in hot water... An insult to the Chinese?

[Slice of Life]

Everybody please relax a bit. There is always the danger that anti-racism degenerates into a kind of parlor game with its own rules that doesn't have anything to do anymore with the real problem at hand.

A bunch of people stretched their eyes with their fingers. Which doesn't make them look any more Chinese than before. Now did they make derogatory comments about Chinese culture, intelligence, or character traits? They could as well put a pair of oranges under their shirts to give support to their women team. Should one have taken offense at that too?

I see no objective wrongdoings here just symbolism that can be interpreted one way or the other. Maybe this is deeply insulting in the US or some Asian countries (and I mean beyond the I'm-holier-than-you faction) which might or might not be the case, I don't know, but let's assume it is. That doesn't mean however that this is the case everywhere. Now given this picture I'd assume good faith (or be at least realistic) and conclude that this gesture is seen differently in Spain.

Racism on the other hand is IMHO to simply jump on the blame train and readily assume deep-rooted anti-Chinese feelings among the Spanish based on a mishmash of prejudices feed by the media or simply the belief that foreigners can't by any means have moral standards as high as your own.

And the Daily Telegraph's efforts would be less wasted if they spent more of it on investigating the worldviews of UKIP and BNP, I think.

[brocko]

Blah! China should've beaten them to a pulp during their basketball game yesterday! The game went to OT, but with Yao fouled out it all just went downhill from there...

But yea, i find that ad highly offensive and insulting. It's probably be on the same level as the Nazi Hitler salute i reckon.

[WanderingKnight]

It'd probably be on the same level as if it were the Hitler salute instead.

I love Godwin's law.

[Ermes Marana]

I don't know how big the Asian-Spanish population is in Spain. In countries where they don't have almost any people of a certain race, they may do insulting things without fully realizing it.

You can see the same thing in some anime towards Black people.

[Zoned87]

As long as there are different races of people, racism will always exist. All you can do is attempt to minimize it with laws and social pressure.

I don't consider myself racist, although I tend to not like muslims... but that is a religion not a race

[Thingle]

Big deal. Those hypocritical nappies just bring this up to cash in from it. Too bad their holier than thou attitude backfired on me.

This is just like hyping up the game. Whether you agree with it or not, things will be boring without it.

Have Western sensitivities softened so much as to be offended by such a petty (and somewhat stupid) thing?

Things like this happen all the time. Watch any UFC pre-fight talk.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by WanderingKnight

I love Godwin's law.

I love it even more as you can guess.

Originally Posted by brocko

But yea, i find that ad highly offensive and insulting. It's probably be on the same level as the Nazi Hitler salute i reckon.

*shrug* Nazi symbolism is not only considered as "highly offensive and insulting" in Germany, it's outlawed because it originated here. It's taken rather lightly in the anglophone countries proven by the fact that everything and getting served a coke without ice is immediately likened to fascism. Geez, I was greeted with a Hitler salute in the UK more than once and was seemingly the only one who considered that insulting. On the other hand, you (general you) have to understand that, e.g. painting your face black for carnival is neither meant to be nor understood as racist in countries that have no history of plantation slaves and couldn't define "Minstrel Show". You can't simply make your historically grown and thus arbitrary cultural codes absolute and declare people racist or not because *you* decided that something did or did not go other the line. You can of course go all PC and take offense at anything. That would be at least consequent. If everybody did that it would be a sad world though and I don't see any country at comes even close to that. Including those who think they do.

[yezhanquan]

I'm actually surprised that the photo can become a "big deal". I'm a Singaporean-Chinese, and I just find the photo stupid for the fact that grown men look stupid in that pose of theirs.

[Coruja]

Originally Posted by Ermes Marana

I don't know how big the Asian-Spanish population is in Spain. In countries where they don't have almost any people of a certain race, they may do insulting things without fully realizing it.

It is... moderately big. However, you see xenophobic undertones everywhere. Honestly, there is not a huge acceptance of the asian population around here, which is particularly sad.

I am not speaking in the first person, as I am from Portugal. I live 5 minutes away from Spain, though, which means that I go there really often. However, the situation here is pretty bad (when it concerns asian and black people in general) so if I am allowed to generalize I would say that the situation is pretty much the same there.

That's why I find these pics slightly offensive, but considering how they are professional athletes maybe this was just meant to be funny.

It's not a big deal, in my opinion.

[cors8]

Imagine if it were the USA team that did this. The uproar would be 100x bigger.

[Asane]

Well, you have to question their mentality. Did they not think of the consequences first?

[Nervous Venus]

I thought the reaction was quite hilarious, totally blown out of proportions. However, I think the Spanish are kind of dense. It's just one thing after another for them, and they just don't learn.

[LiberLibri]

What really matters is not whether the gesture was truly insulting or just an indecent joke, but how the prideful Chinese patriots will take it; or, rather, how the Beijing government wants them to take it. I am afraid it will become the second Xi'an riot. I suppose Beijing will suppress the nationalists' frustration this time though.

[ApostleOfGod]

Lol why are people trying to defend those Spanish ballers for that? "Oh but they meant it in good light!"....

BULLSH1*!

"Hey guys, you're playing the Chinese tonight, want to make some motivational pictures to rake up support?"

"All right. Let's pretend to look like them so our people can support us! I'm sure everyone will buy it."



No offense...


Yes offense. -_-

Dave Chappelle and other Comedians do it in different terms. But it is all racism - it shouldn't be looked on so friendly all the time.

[Tabris]

Well, racism is taken pretty lightly in Spain. They won't have meant bad by it. Even if people do find it offensive.

[Irenicus]

It took me like twenty seconds to deduce that it has something to do with them stretching out their eyes and not the dragon on the ground or whatever.

*shrugs*

Originally Posted by Zoned87

I don't consider myself racist, although I tend to not like muslims... but that is a religion not a race

Hahahahahahahahaha.

Troll.

[Wervy]

Lord people need to get some thicker skin.

Theres good reason why this isn't causing some sort of outrage, no one really cares.

How about instead of bitching about some retards making funny faces, we start focusing on somthing that matters?

[Thingle]

You know what? As long as the Chinese team gets beaten down every game I'd be happy because I don't like all that motherland stunt they're trying to cook up. I like to see the home team get crushed...brutally.

[gabbytay]

Originally Posted by Thingle

You know what? As long as the Chinese team gets beaten down every game I'd be happy because I don't like all that motherland stunt they're trying to cook up. I like to see the home team get crushed...brutally.

Them losing just look at how many gold medals they have. I'd like to see what the Philippines did the the Olympics

[KholdStare]

Not to sound apathetic, but while it's an insult, nothing should happen except the Spanish team will now look stupid in the world arena. It is still an athletic competition, so doing something that might restrict or hinder the Spanish's full potential because of a "political message" would be wrong.