Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Acting White: Spaniards At It Again

Controversy has caught up to the Spanish Olympic Basketball Squad. It seems they took a team picture with a gesture meant to slant their eyes in some sort of twisted deference to their Chinese hosts. Of course it comes off as racist, and for the life of them these idiots cannot understand the fuss.

Now let's not forget that these same Spaniards (roughly) thought that making fun of black Formula One driver, Lewis Hamilton, via blackface makeup, was no different than if he was fat or a woman - like this makes it OK.

So, we are left with expecting stupid gestures from the Spanish, including their favorite, the monkey chant, delivered to black soccer players. Very, very dumb.

James C. Collier

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26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Many Black artists and writers may have taken refuge in Europe during the first half of the 20th century, but those days are done. With the migration of significant numbers of Black and brown people from their former colonies, European nations can no longer feign tolerance. The proof is in the pudding, so to speak, and the pudding is a not-so-delicious mix of oppressive and marginalizing immigration laws, a high tolerance for golliwogs and other racist imagery (Haribo, the gummy bears company, is a prime offender), and systematic racial exclusion and harrassment of those who are perceived as African, Asian, or Middle Eastern.

NSangoma said...

~
epicanthic folds ... it is normal for the majority of certain people of African descent (ex. the Khoisan and the Dinka) as well as Asian descended peoples (particularly East and Southeast Asians) to express this trait.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicanthic_fold
`

Deocliciano Okssipin Vieira, aka Ochyming said...

We must remember that if wasn't for this current Spanish administration European Union would have implemented Sarkozy's immigration pact [or whatever its called].

Of course Spain did it because it serves it right now, There is a Great hypocrisy regarding China human rights, European countries and USA had to ride a LONG and dusty road to achieve the level of liberty their citizen enjoys today. So it is stupid to want China to suddenly HAVE it.

Anonymous said...

Ok we need to put Spain on our National No Fly List for Blacks. When there isn't a threat people will not change.

The Socialite said...

They should not be able to get away with this! I agree with Freeman when he says that we need to take some type of action. People will continue to do what they are aloud to do!

Deocliciano Okssipin Vieira, aka Ochyming said...

@freemanpress :

Oh, do NOT generalize, if so you'll NOT leave yr home, or say visit Europe [here [Portugal for ex.] even well educated people ARE very Stupid in socializing with non Europeans] at all!

Anonymous said...

Spain is a third world country -- social consciousness hasn't reached there yet.

Anonymous said...

The things about Spain is that they are easy targets. They do stupid things and we see it. The difference between them and most other countries? The others just hide it much better. But Spain is no worse than others. Just more blatant and open about it. We can see it so we can hate it. In other places? We can't "see" it but we can feel it.

Anonymous said...

the socialite! you guys arent going to do anything! you people are too sensative!1 and have always been! in europe we are blunt! if you dont like it...dont come here or dont look at our comments or whatever it is that you do to keep track on us! EUROPA is the greatest! spain has gone thorugh so much and its such an old country since celtiberian times our ancestors are celtic,iberian,roman and germanic peoples(suebi,vandal,visigoth and some frankish) we dont have time to put up with you medeling people!

Deocliciano Okssipin Vieira, aka Ochyming said...

@anonymous

Do not FORGET ARABS!

Anonymous said...

ochyming! you are and imbecile! the moorish invasion was not a genetic one! they were muslims but not arab! they were berbers from north africa! . but their religion dint allow them to mix with other races and our mainly roman/visigoths did not mix with berbers! the invasion was a religious one. true many converted to islam but for their lives sake! many jews converted to islam also!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous. Dude. Get off the high horse. Euopre blunt? Puh-leaze. I lived and worked there for 4 years and it takes an hour for you guys to answer a simple yes/no question. And then I still don't know what the hell you were trying to say.

And the fact that Spain is racist doesn't mean we have to shut the hell up. The Spain glory might be in sport at the moment (when the cyclists aren't doping). But you lost your economic and political power about 300 years ago. Now you are more like a pebble in my shoe. Iritating, but no harm done as long as I ignore it.

You don't even make good wine anymore. Whine. Now that is a completely different story.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
James C. Collier said...

Readers: I deleted a comment from our anonymous and assumed representative of Spain. It bears saying that his comments reflect the very ignorance being discussed. Moderation is back on.

Anonymous said...

again with censorship!! you people cannnot handle anytihng! and then you claim to be open to discussion! for a white europe!!!!

James C. Collier said...

Anon 10:14: Diverse ideas are welcome, racist name calling is not. You would do well to learn the difference./JC

Deocliciano Okssipin Vieira, aka Ochyming said...

@anonymous

... for a white europe!!!!

I wish Native Americans THINK like that!

James C. Collier said...

Anon 1:16: I do not moderate ideas, racist or otherwise, but your name calling crosses the line. Racist name caling is worse. This, and profanity, are not allowed. Otherwise you are free to rant, like everyone else.

Deocliciano Okssipin Vieira, aka Ochyming said...

@anonymous

Well, well!

Denying arab heritage?!
That is what historic books paint!


But that is not true.
Ok every country have their
When I used the word civilized it was to spark a discussion, you cannot denied that the technology Spain and Portugal used for the vessels and navigation are Arab!

Why you SEE a STRONG Arab influence in the popular ART if there WERE NO mix?
And you lied by saying that the invasion WAS just religious!

Anonymous said...

because the so called moors were the visigoth/roman converts led by actual moors/berbers and arab leaders! the moorish population were converts!!! get it! converts so christians,jews converted to islam and they fought against the northern visigoth/romans!. the influenced was taken by the converts. but arab heritage is just silly!

Anonymous said...

American hipocresy makes me laugh my ass off. The eye-slanting was just a funny gesture and it was not seen as racist neither by the Spaniards nor the Chinese Government. Oh, but here comes the USA, that great country, renowned for his tolerance and its open-minded culture. We didn't have any previous problems with the Chinese. The USA did, you enslaved thousands of chinese to build your railway and I wouldn't like to be a black man in the Bible Belt even nowadays. Don't go criticizing other countries when the one you live in it's probably the most racist country in the Western Hemisphere. You've a long track of racism against Irish, Poles, Italians and whatever non-WASP ethnic/cultural group. Europe (and therefore Spain) has thousand of years of history and I think that's European policy and reactions are seen quiet often as strange by north american people. Yours is a quiet young country and your narrow-minded conservative and dumb views would be seen as ludicrous in Europe. Nobody in Europe dared to say that Spain was racist for such a funny advertising. But, hey, Uncle Sam, on your way...

James C. Collier said...

Carlos, you must have missed the Olympics, where there was quite a bit of booing of the Spaniards by the Chinese, after the slant eye incident became known. The reaction of the US is not in ignorance of the past but rather an attempt to defend, our developed sensibilities, our Asian friends, and remind ourselves that we aspire to behave better. What does Spain aspire to, other than telling people (presumably) to mind their own business?

Anonymous said...

All these comments on the side of northamericans make me laugh!.The eye slanting is racist gesture? hahahaha!. You know what you problem is funny northamericans?. You know NOTHING about other countries and cultures yet you dare to tell people what they should do!. Look, you have to chanke folks and I wish Obama bring that very needed change to your country because if you continue like that you are gonna suffer the big pain!

Anonymous said...

First thing, I am signing as Anonymous but I am not the same individual as the one who´s been ranting in this thread.

With all due respect, this is my attempt to explain the eye-slanting picture.

Call me naive, if you may, but I believe there was not a trace of racism, or any other ill-intention in that gesture.

Let´s turn the tables, let´s imagine that a group of american athletes had dressed themselves as bullfighters and donned dark hairpieces in a promotional picture in the Barcelona Olympics. I can assure you that such thing wouldn´t have offended the spaniards a bit. It would certainly had been considered "silly" but not offensive and absolutely not racist.

Now I understand different people have different sensitivities but, as a bottom line, I think you can only be racist when you consciously and purposefully act racist.

The spaniards made a silly mistake, this does not make them racists and it is not fair to say "here they are at it again".

James C. Collier said...

Anon 7:12, The incessant monkey chants at black soccer players over the years is far and away the torso of evidence against the Spaniards. And let's not be influenced by the Chinese themselves who offered their polite, but clear, offense at the Olympic events involving the Spanish following the 'eye slanting' revelation. All Spanish are not racist, but their society tolerates racism out of step with the rest of the world, thereby substantiating their image as back wards.

laparanoia said...

Hi,

If you want the opinion of a Spaniard, I have to say that I don't identify myself with that bunch of idiots AT ALL.
We all share the same passport but that's about it.

All this is product of the ignorance because you see, Spaniards are mostly Neanderthals.
And Cro-Magnon.
In our blood you can also find traces from Dinaric, Visigoth, Roman, Berber, Arab, Jewish and from the casual Nordic tourist specimen who had an affair when holidaying in Spain.

More here:
Neanderthal vs. Cro-Magnon