Now Spain's in the firing line...
Well, the Spanish basketball team anyway. They've managed to offend not only the Olympic hosts, but also anyone with Chinese heritage who suffered bullying and racist taunts as a child, by posing for a publicity shot by making 'slitty eyes' gestures.
Naturally, the offending shot, which was published in Spanish newspapers, has been plastered all over the web accompanied by exclamations of outrage. Understandably so I have to admit. I don't know what it's like in Spain, but as a (half) Chinese kid growing up in a very white area, this particular gesture was used as a derogatory jibe in many an occasion.
Personally, I find it hard to believe that an entire sports team would KNOWINGLY allow themselves to be publicly displayed in a blatant racist pose if they WERE actually racist. Instead, I think this is a case of compete and utter sheer ignorance.... shocking that not one of the team, the photographer, nor publishers, stopped and thought "hold on a minute, couldn't this be slightly offensive?". Instead, they mistakenly thought that it would be rather humorous in light of the team traveling to Beijing to compete. Ok, England is the king of political correctness, the land where you bend over backwards to ensure you do not racially offend any of the ethnic minorities inhabiting our fair isle, even at the expense of the British public, but surely Spain cannot be so laid back as to not recognise this pose as a huge racial faux pas?
Makes a change from the media pointing the finger at China though... you got to laugh...
Naturally, the offending shot, which was published in Spanish newspapers, has been plastered all over the web accompanied by exclamations of outrage. Understandably so I have to admit. I don't know what it's like in Spain, but as a (half) Chinese kid growing up in a very white area, this particular gesture was used as a derogatory jibe in many an occasion.
Personally, I find it hard to believe that an entire sports team would KNOWINGLY allow themselves to be publicly displayed in a blatant racist pose if they WERE actually racist. Instead, I think this is a case of compete and utter sheer ignorance.... shocking that not one of the team, the photographer, nor publishers, stopped and thought "hold on a minute, couldn't this be slightly offensive?". Instead, they mistakenly thought that it would be rather humorous in light of the team traveling to Beijing to compete. Ok, England is the king of political correctness, the land where you bend over backwards to ensure you do not racially offend any of the ethnic minorities inhabiting our fair isle, even at the expense of the British public, but surely Spain cannot be so laid back as to not recognise this pose as a huge racial faux pas?
Makes a change from the media pointing the finger at China though... you got to laugh...
Comments