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The Art of Not Knowing
Raptors Guard José Calderon is in something of a bad spot. He and fellow members of the Spanish Olympic Men's Basketball team posed for a full-page ad that ran in Marca, Spain's largest newspaper, for courier company Seur. In that ad (pictured above), every team member pulls their eyes into slits. (The women's team has an identical ad.) Get it? Cause the Olympics—sorry, Orympics—are in China!
Amazingly, none of the grown white men thought that making slanty Chinamen eyes in an Olympic ad might have been a bad idea. On an entry to his blog, caught today by Gawker, Calderon explained that the whole thing was totally okay and everyone should just chill:
I would like to share a story with you about something that happened with the Spanish National Team that someone interpreted incorrectly. It happened in the photo session where the Spanish National Team was introduced; one of our sponsors asked us to pose with a “wink” to our participation in Beijing, we made an oriental expression with our eyes. We thought it was something appropriate and that it would always be interpreted as somewhat loving. Never the less some of the European media did not see it this way.A representative for the Chinese clothing company Li Ning, one of the team's other sponsors, tempered the criticism directed against the men by telling the Associated Press that "the gesture shows that the Spanish team is so humorous, relaxing and cute." Seur, meanwhile, "has no immediate plans to withdraw the ad, which is scheduled to run on selected days until the end of the games." And according to El Pais (via the Times), the Chinese embassy in Spain found the ad "ni racista ni ofensivo." So everyone's happy! Except for Chinese spectators, who booed the Spanish basketball team relentlessly at Tuesday's Spain–China game. Can't win 'em all, though, right?From here I would like to declare that we have a huge respect for the East and their people, some of my best friends in Toronto are from China and one of our Spanish National Team sponsors is the Chinese brand Li Ning. Anyone who would like to interpret this differently is absolutely confused.
Public domain image of the Marca ad via DigitalJournal.
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"Some of my best friends in Toronto are from China."
That's the best he could come up with?
There's a big chance that the reason they were booed was because they were playing against China, the spectators very probably don't know about the ad.
Spain has "form" in racist behaviour towards other ethnic groups, notably in soccer matches and the Formula 1 finish involving Lewis Hamilton.
Jose - your behaviour wasn't "foolish" - it was just foolish and wrong, and you should ask that the ad be withdrawn.
The Spanish media reacts:
(Google Translate output)
The selection of Spanish basketball, accused of racism by the British press
Players posed for an advertisement with eyes torn pretending to be Chinese, considered a gesture of "contempt" towards the hosts of JJ OO
The British press has returned today to resurrect the old accusations of racism directed at the Spanish team, although this time has shifted its focus from soccer to basketball. The daily 'The Guardian' players accused of racism and discrimination to pose for an advertisement with eyes torn pretending to be Chinese. The controversy has also been reproduced photograph by the U.S. newspaper 'The New York Times'.
It so happens that these new accusations of racism coincide with the thrilling victory of Spain to China. The photo, in which 15 players posed in this way for an advertising campaign Seur, a sponsor of the national team, has been seen by the newspaper as a gesture of contempt towards hosting the Olympic Games. Since the Olympic combined, clarifies that it is a "wink" friendly and sympathetic to their participation in the Games in Beijing and at no time had intended to offend the country's inhabitants in the Far East.
To make matters worse, 'The Guardian' rescues trunk of memories of other incidents such as Luis Aragones's comments about Thierry Henry. He also recalled the insults to Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton in Montmeló circuit last year when the championship disputa with his partner, Fernando Alonso. As can be seen, the British press look very closely every gesture of members of the Spanish selections.
In many countries, doing this isn't considered a racist thing.
Back when the Olympics were in Nagano, a Montreal Journalist did the same thing with his eyes in his newspaper column photo and everybody outside Quebec freaked out, while nobody in Quebec did.
http://www.eagle.ca/caj/mediamag/spring98/media98-8.html
That's not to say this photo or the journalist weren't wrong, but where they're from, it simply isn't considered racist, just silly.
If Asians (yes, all of them) aren't offended by it, is it still racist because we're offended on their behalf? Is this the other side of the N-word coin?
@5: I'm not sure why people keep pointing this out. As long as the ones being made fun of (Asians) think it's racist, that's all that really matters.
That said, it doesn't seem like the gesture was made out of malice (as you point out). The more outrageous issue is how even when told that it is considered an offensive gesture elsewhere, few of the people involved in this seem willing to concede to OTHER cultural sensitivities and simply issue an apology over this misunderstanding, rather than defending it.
Even so, I'm surprised nobody thought this could ruffle some feathers *somewhere* in the world (er, like in China), especially in an ad about an international competition. They probably did know, and so, mission accomplished.
^Then let's just round up The Asians...for a vote.
I find it very troubling that the Spanish media sees the issue as the British passing judgement on them rather than that the people representing the country on one of the grandest world stages are perpetuating racist stereotypes that have been cast on people of Asian descent for centuries.
It's blows my mind that not only the players didn't think it would be offensive, but the photographer, the publisher, editor, etc... the whole chain of people that the picture goes through, did not think that it would offend anyone. Being representatives of their country in a global event, they should be smarter that that.
Anyone seen this before? It's a segment by ESPN about racism in European soccer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwpO-nnFY9g
Personally, I find it offensive because it's reinforcing negative cultural stereotypes of people of Asian descent. In general, there needs to be much more open discussion and education on race in order to build understanding and tolerance. In the end, we're all the same - human.
I just hope Calderon makes a proper apology... or I'll just heckle him at the next Raptors game.
How is it morally consistent to denounce racist gestures from these basketball players, and then in the same breath invoke terms like "the grown white men" in a pejoritve fashion?
And since when were Spanish men = white men? Or are spanish guys only white guys when you need a shorthand bigoted way to say someone is racist?
Way to rise above.
"everybody outside Quebec freaked out, while nobody in Quebec did"
Well, that's not true. According to the article you linked, at least one group within Quebec found it offensive. Not surprisingly, they were Asian:
"Quebec's largest daily newspaper staunchly published this discriminatory photograph and Nuovo's racist comments, even after the protest of the Montreal Japanese Canadian community was first made on February 6."
Perhaps an apology was in order regardless of how they intended it? To suggest anyone who didn't get it was confused makes it further insulting (to those offended)
At least while you play here in Toronto...
This is the most hilarious news item ever--not only because it's borderline unbelievable, but also because the team can't even concede that some people might find this offensive.
"As ever-enlightened Europeans we say it's funny, so you should too Chineyman!" says Calderon.
Also, the lamest excuse for saying you're not a racist is claiming your friends/significant other is of another race.
Not every place is as concerned with political correctness as Toronto. You people should be sensitive towards the rights of other cultures to express racism as they see fit.
Imagine if the Olympics were in Kenya!
I'd say it's racist because they're making a cartoon image of racialized people. They are, knowingly or not, enacting a way of understanding the world and the people in it. In this case, it dehumanizes, removing any individuality by grouping into an easy form.
This story is so interesting in many ways. Firstly, as a member of the Canadian, read: North American culture I can't help but interperet what these guys have done as being anything other than outrageous.
However, its the height of enthrocentrism to hold another country or culture to the same standards as one own. Spain has defended thier actions as being unoffensive - surely that must be taken as face value - to think somthing like this photoop could get approval past so many people must surely indicate that culturaly at least this is to the players,photographers, admen etc, unoffensive. And to accuse all these Spaniards of being racist...well, I think there is enough generalization going around right about now...
They could've just said that they were making the international sign for 'thinking to one's self'.
... Anyway, that ad makes me feel hella awkward and uncomfortable.
it's defintely a stupid ad, and one that would obviously never pass here. The standards for what passes as racism in Spain are obviously different.
In any case, people are using their own cultural bias to pass judgement on what amounts to an un-funny joke. hmmm..Mike Meyers latest flick seemed to be pretty offensive as well, and while I didn't see it, it looked really unfunny from the clips - and yet who is doing a public flogging of him and/or the producer/screenwriter/ALL of hollywood and the viewers of soo many movies???
Vik: How is this reinforcing negative stereotypes?
Its negative that we have slanty eyes?
Gah. You thin skinned people need to get over it.
Sure its in bad taste, but so is feeding you guys cat and calling it lemon chicken for the past century.
I couldn't believe that ad. I wonder who'se going to get fired over it.
Mind you I've been waiting a long time for someone to pull those Irish Spring ads.