I'm back with yet another edition of my new regular series entitled "That's Kinda Racist" where I use Norbit as a gauge to determine how racist I think something in recent popular culture is or happens to be (as opposed to if it is or not because 'cism is in the eyes of the beholder). There are three different levels of perceived 'cism in my opinion. Here they are below:
I'm not so sure about that © NorbitThis can be construed as racist via a knee jerk reaction or quick glance/once over but you'd be reaching like Reed Richards to call it flat out racist (no Fox News).
That's kinda racist © NorbitIt isn't beyond the realm of possibility that this is either borderline racist or a product of ignorance leading to the perception of 'cism. Whether or not if you get the benefit of the doubt is up to the individual to interpret but now you've made "the list", asshat(s).
That's racist! © Lil' Black KidNo doubt about it, folks! This is some good ol' down home authentic 'cism you're seeing here. Just like great great great great great grandma used to make! Mmmm! Damn, that's ignorant!
It turns out that the Spanish basketball team wasn't the only group of Europeans at the Olympics that made the mistake of taking some racially offensive pictures previous to arriving in Beijing. Just look at this picture that the Argentinian women's soccer team took...of course they ended up losing every contest that had in China (good for them).
I thought this was an isolated incident but lo and behold, it wasn't! Just before the Olympics and their Federation Cup matches with China the Spanish (not them again!) Tennis teams took this picture at the Spanish Tennis Federation. Just look at those smiles! They make being ignorant look like so much fun, don't they? Since these cases are so rampant in Europe I'm gonna have to go with:
Not too long ago, an interesting story came out regarding Robin Thicke in an interview with Billboard. He was talking to some folks at Vibe and he told them that he loved their magazine and asked what did he have to do to get on the cover. The response he got was disheartening to say the least as he was told that he couldn't be on the cover because he's White.
This is odd because Eminem has been on the cover of Vibe in the past. To flat out tell Robin Thicke that he can NEVER be on the cover on Vibe is beyond stupid to me. You're not likely to see a brown face on the cover of most mainstream magazines but I'll be damned if they don't end up there occasionally. Shit, even on magazine covers of publications made for specific segments of the population you'll find people that don't fit the original purpose of the magazine on the cover!
Let me get this straight...Justin Timberlake can NEVER be on the cover of Vibe? Better yet, he HASN'T been on the cover of Vibe yet? Not even with Timbaland and Danjahands? You can argue this topic any way you want but I'm sorry Mr. Jones, you of all people should know that's insanely stupid for the publication you own to have that narrow minded view in this day and age:
Danny Glover has been trying to create and fund a biopic about Haitian general and Black hero Toussaint L'Overture since 2006 to no avail. He had a script completed, the film has been cast and recast and he even received half of the proposed $36 million dollar budget at one point in time. When he tried to get funding from individual investors here and abroad they often asked him "Where are the White heroes?" in regards to the film. Forget that this is a film about how this remarkable man was able to gain independence for his people and home country at a time when that was completely unheard of, the question was essentially "Why would anyone else but Black people care about this story?"
It's sad to think that people all over the world are convinced that no one would care to see a biopic about a man that was born a slave, became educated and helped to engineer a slave rebellion that also freed slaves in nearby lands, gave them all citizenship and organized his people into a crack fighting force that expelled the French and defeated the British Empire and Spain until Haiti earned it's independence. Considering how many books have been written about this point in world history and this man in particular do you REALLY think that NO ONE outside of Black Americans would care to see this film after completion (I mean, unless Tyler Perry writes and directs it)?
Back in 1933, there had never been a film made in Hollywood for wide release (all audiences) with a Black man as the lead character. That all changed when the controversial Eugene O'Neill play "The Emperor Jones" was made into a full length picture. The film itself was mired in problems and several scenes from the original director's version were cut from the film and many fear that they are lost forever. Paul Robeson starred in the title role and an American convict that escaped to a small island and became the ruler after overthrowing it's original tyrant only to become a tyrant himself, leading to him being the victim of a coup.
Are you telling me that we haven't advanced enough in the almost 75 years since "The Emperor Jones" first opened and Hollywood feared that a film about with a Black man wouldn't be well received by a cross section of viewers? Is this why we haven't been able to have any progress with Danny Glover's "Toussaint" or the "Hannibal The Conqueror" and the much maligned Nat Turner projects that stay in constant limbo along with several other biopics about other Black heroes (unless we can sneak Madea in it somehow)? I have to say that this is an open and shut case, people:Khristine De Leon ("I'm With Rolling Stone", Mass Appeal, The Source, Door Knockers and Guerilla Busfare) wrote this interesting blog about the new Jamie Chung vehicle "Samurai Girl" that's airing on ABC Family Channel soon. Will this type of shit ever cease? I just saw a link to this racist ass Wal Mart sponsored blog that claims that "Nigger Obama Eats Babies" so I guess not, huh? SMH.See ya next time for another head scratching, jaw dropping, forehead smacking, stomach churning and projectile vomit inducing edition of "That's Kinda Racist". Bye, kids!
One.
10 comments:
Argentina is not in Europe, homie.
Ummm Argentina is in South America there dude.
Moroever, I'm not sure how a few retarded Spanish athletes actions makes anything 'rampant in Europe'. Not that you would be the first yank with pathetic prejudices against Europeans.
Not shit geniuses. 97% of Argentines are from a European background, mostly Spanish and Italian. Hence describing them as European.
@ liam:
You get the prize! I wasn't describing the Argentinians based on their racial makeup and not their geographic location. This is why the players in the NBA from Argentina are always referred to as "European" as opposed to "South Americans" or even "Latinos".
@ orizio:
Do you live in a bubble or are you in denial at the widespread racism in the sports world throughout European countries? It's nothing I'm making up and I didn't think it was a secret since people have been reporting/writing about it for years.
One.
Good shit...The Danny Glover piece is the most interesting to me. Hollywood doesn't wan't to make any black historic/epic films unless, they take place in this country, for obvious reasons. Not too long ago Denzel tried to get a Hannibal biopic made but nobody would fund it, for the same reasons. And this is a guy who almost always "out acts" or "outshines" all of his co-stars in most of his movies. Plus, pulls in the big bucks at the box office. I don't see what the problem is.
There isn't 'widepsread racism' in sports in Europe at present, and even if this was true you haven't proven anything other then the juvenile actions of a dozen braindead Spaniards, a poeple not exactly known for its mature sense of humour.
I could make all sorts of absurd generalisations about Americans because of the actions of Barry Bonds, or Floyd Landis etc, but I'm not becuase I'm not that ignorant.
Oh and try tell an Argentine that he is European, and see what kind of reaction you get. Blaming Europe for the actions of some Argentine's is retarded. Are you about the blame the KKK on Europe as well? How about the American invasion of Vietnam? Iraq?
@ orizio:
I don't let ANYONE of this hook..especially America, for racism and acts of racism. You typed this statement earlier:
I could make all sorts of absurd generalisations about Americans because of the actions of Barry Bonds, or Floyd Landis etc, but I'm not becuase I'm not that ignorant.
Those are two pretty bad examples of Americans and their actions. If you made assumptiond about all Americans based on George Bush's attitudes and actions how could I blame you? After all he was elected by the "majority" of American voters.
I understand where you're coming from but there isn't any proof that the majority of Spanish people are really outraged or even embarrased at these racist fans at soccer matches and the rest of your post is a fantastic reach a la Reed Richards.
One.
Timberlake was on the cover of Vibe February 2003.
So the management may have changed.
Dart,
The problem is with over the top words like 'rampant' and 'widespread'. I am not in denial, and can think of few if any racist scandals in northern/western European countries like England, France, Sweden or my own country Ireland in sports for years now. Look at the amount of players Africa and Caribbean heritage that play soccer, rugby, cricket etc in these countries, and then look at the enthusaism of the fans and their support for these players.
Southern European countries like Italy and Spain are behind their neighbours in many areas and quite different culturally, and both these countries have problems with hooliganism, doping and to a lesser extent racism. However, saying racism is 'widespread' in these countries is a gross generalisation, and likely to be disputed by anyone with a casual interest in Spanish/Italian sports. Isolated incidents, like Aragones being a scumbag, aren't enough to paint a whole continent as racist or use terms like 'widespread', 'rampant' etc. I doubt Thierry Henry argued after Aragaones' remark that the poeple of Spain were a pack of racists.
The problem is the huge ass insulting generalisation against Europe in your post(even reaching so far as to blame Europe for the actions of south Americans), which again is comparable, and just as inaccurate and fallacious, as me insinuating that America has a widespread problem with racism because of Jim Crow etc, or America has a rampant problem with doping because of Landis(and probably Armstrong as well). These are just generalisations against a whole complicated and culturally diverse country based on the actions of the ignorant few, which is unequovically wrong.
Finally, I never suggested you were easy on the US's problems, rather pointing out the silliness of blaming Europe for the actions of the Argentines.
@ The difference:
I knew that but I couldn't find the cover by the time I posted the blog and either way Vibe is both ignorant AND hypocritical if that story is true.
@ orizio:
Very true. I don't have time to make those fine distinctions in the limited amount of time that I put together these posts and since I'm not in Europe myself I am not as aware of these things as you clearly are. Thanks for posting your responses and continuing to read my blog. I appreciate it.
One.
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