Is what the Spanish Team did racist?

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

wow! that was the edited version?

mikewaters may have been unnecessarily harsh with you. I read your initial response to be a lash at both sides.....that while liberals tend to be over-sensitive, conservatives tend to be insensitive and simply brush everything off as someone else's hyper-sensitivity. I think there is some merit to the sentiment, although not sure I would tie it to political party. There are plenty of conservatives who would not have made that gesture and plenty of liberals who would have.

You read my post pretty accurately.

Mike is half-Asian, so his pseudo outrage is understandable. When Mike stops being such an asshole and isn't always trying to garner some kind of reaction from people, then I might actually take him seriously. Hell...even when he says he's being serious, he can rarely to be trusted that he is.

I agree that in this age of uber-sensitivity that people should be smarter than that to make those kinds of gestures or to use certain words.

I also believe that Political Correctness has been way out of hand for a long time.

How does one reconcile the 2?

[FarrahWaters]

It's pretty simple. Here in the West, that is a well-known racial insult to Asians. As a part-"Asian" (to bother some quotation usage from A-Train), I had some personal experience with this growing up. The article states that this is not an insult familiar to the Chinese, therefore they were not offended by it.

I'm not outraged by the picture, but I'm really puzzled on how it is damn funny, or why people are surprised that there is some reaction it.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa

You read my post pretty accurately.

Mike is half-Asian, so his pseudo outrage is understandable. When Mike stops being such an asshole and isn't always trying to garner some kind of reaction from people, then I might actually take him seriously. Hell...even when he says he's being serious, he can rarely to be trusted that he is.

I agree that in this age of uber-sensitivity that people should be smarter than that to make those kinds of gestures or to use certain words.

I also believe that Political Correctness has been way out of hand for a long time.

How does one reconcile the 2?

I view it this way....regardless of one's personal feelings towards political correctness, we live in an age where such behaviors ARE stigmatized.

Ignoring that simply displays really poor judgment and a lack of awareness. Forget about the feelings of others for a second....it simply is not a smart move from a self-preservation standpoint. You (generically) are purposely engaging in behavior that is going to be received negatively.

From a PR standpoint, what a stupid decision on the part of the Spanish Olympic team. From a common sense standpoint, what a stupid decision, as well. I have never discussed it with any Asians, but I have a feeling they are not very keen on the old slant-eyed routine.

Along those lines, I have never understood the complaints about political correctness. So people don't like to be called the n word, fag, etc...then I won't call them those words. I cant think of a good reason to call someone those names. I can't think of a good reason to call a female co-worker a "chick." I can understand how all Spanish speakers do not want to be referred to generically as Mexicans.

And although I still have not really opted to start using the term "personhole" instead of "manhole," it seems that there is wisdom in using gender appropriate descriptions for occupations. If you were a guy, how would you feel if everyone were collectively referred to as policewomen? It would be kind of strange.

This post has inspired me. Labels are bad form. As such, I am no longer going to refer to Lindsey Lohan as "firecrotch." I just don't feel good about it anymore.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

I view it this way....regardless of one's personal feelings towards political correctness, we live in an age where such behaviors ARE stigmatized.

Ignoring that simply displays really poor judgment and a lack of awareness. Forget about the feelings of others for a second....it simply is not a smart move from a self-preservation standpoint. You (generically) are purposely engaging in behavior that is going to be received negatively.

From a PR standpoint, what a stupid decision on the part of the Spanish Olympic team. From a common sense standpoint, what a stupid decision, as well. I have never discussed it with any Asians, but I have a feeling they are not very keen on the old slant-eyed routine.

Along those lines, I have never understood the complaints about political correctness. So people don't like to be called the n word, fag, etc...then I won't call them those words. I cant think of a good reason to call someone those names. I can't think of a good reason to call a female co-worker a "chick." I can understand how all Spanish speakers do not want to be referred to generically as Mexicans.

And although I still have not really opted to start using the term "personhole" instead of "manhole," it seems that there is wisdom in using gender appropriate descriptions for occupations. If you were a guy, how would you feel if everyone were collectively referred to as policewomen? It would be kind of strange.

This post has inspired me. Labels are bad form. As such, I am no longer going to refer to Lindsey Lohan as "firecrotch." I just don't feel good about it anymore.

I think you're taking it way too seriously.

Just my opinion.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by RockyBalboa

I think you're taking it way too seriously.

Just my opinion.

I was talking about PC in general, not just this Spanish picture thing.

But you still may be right.

I dont get worked up about political correctness. As mikewaters posting as farrah just said....I am not outraged, but I can certainly see how others would be. And I am surprised that some would find it shocking that the response would be negative.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

wow! that was the edited version?

mikewaters may have been unnecessarily harsh with you. I read your initial response to be a lash at both sides.....that while liberals tend to be over-sensitive, conservatives tend to be insensitive and simply brush everything off as someone else's hyper-sensitivity. I think there is some merit to the sentiment, although not sure I would tie it to political party. There are plenty of conservatives who would not have made that gesture and plenty of liberals who would have.

I think Steel's point is very relevant....holy crap....hasn't everyone received the racism memo yet? How hard is it to not use certain words or make certain gestures? Is it really that difficult?

the bolded part is bullshit.

1. Rocky hates liberals.
2. He points out that all human beings think its ok (liberals are subhumans).
3. He implies that the liberal media would have ripped the USA team. Rocky despises the liberal media.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

the bolded part is bullshit.

1. Rocky hates liberals.
2. He points out that all human beings think its ok (liberals are subhumans).
3. He implies that the liberal media would have ripped the USA team. Rocky despises the liberal media.

I absolutely believe if the U.S Basketball team had done this, they would've been ripped to shreds by the international and local media much worse than the Spaniards.

[FarrahWaters]

Originally Posted by TripletDaddy

As mikewaters posting as farrah just said....I am not outraged, but I can certainly see how others would be. And I am surprised that some would find it shocking that the response would be negative.

Great, Mike and I are now becoming one entity. I don't know how I feel about that.

[SteelBlue]

Originally Posted by FarrahWaters

Great, Mike and I are now becoming one entity. I don't know how I feel about that.

To be fair, it seems Mike accidentally posts as you an awful lot.

[TripletDaddy]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

the bolded part is bullshit.

1. Rocky hates liberals.
2. He points out that all human beings think its ok (liberals are subhumans).
3. He implies that the liberal media would have ripped the USA team. Rocky despises the liberal media.

I give RB the benefit of the doubt. He may be guilty of many things (we all are), but subtlety is not one of them. If he wanted to simply slam liberals, he would have done so, likely with an f word (I meant that with love, RB).

I think he is correct. Had the USA team been caught doing this, it would have been a much bigger story....but I don't think it is because the media is liberal....it is simply because the USA team is much more famous.

Wishing Rocky to be a cockroach was not nice. Nor was it nice for Rocky to disparage your Asian heritage (and by implication, your wife and children). Truthfully, your Asian heritage is irrelevant. You don't have to be Asian to raise the fair points you have raised about the seeming indifference towards Asian slurs as compared to the relative outrage over African American slurs.