DON’T OLYMPIC ATHLETES HAVE OTHER THINGS THEY NEED TO BE DOING? (UPDATE)

by gwen, Aug 20, 2008, at 10:57 am

73man sent in this image (found here, via this article in The Guardian) of the Argentine women’s Olympic football (i.e., soccer) team posing in the same manner as the Spanish men’s and women’s Olympic basketball teams (see Ang’s post about them here):

I thought this quote from the Guardian article might spark some interesting class discussion:

Let’s be clear: I thought the pictures were deeply unpleasant; and Spanish sport in particular has some pretty murky undercurrents that it needs to address. But isn’t it up to the Chinese people themselves to decide how to respond? Indeed, condemning the athletes on behalf of the Chinese and their assumed hurt feelings might be regarded as an act of cultural imperialism – exactly the sort of mindset that lies at the heart of racism itself.

Thanks, 73man!

Daniel B. found ANOTHER image of an Olympic team in this pose, this time the Spanish tennis team (image found here):

According to the article,

The photo is still visible on the official website of the Spanish Tennis Federation, where it was spotted. The original is captioned “Estamos preparados para China”, which translates as “We are prepared for China”.

Honestly. Is it possible for any team to go to Beijing without feeling the need to pose like this?

Thanks, Daniel!

NEW! Way back in February Heather L. sent in this magazine ad for a Brazilian telenovela called “Negocio da China” (found at Adventures of a Gringa):

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Heather says,

…telenovelas are notorious for neglecting to show that 40% of Brazilians are of Africa heritage to some degree…But this image goes a step further.

Comments

Rice Reyes 11:32 am on August 20, 2008 | # | Reply

I’m genuinely wondering: is adressing a disctinct physical feature “racism”? are they putting down asians? is it any different than an asian wearing, say, a sombrero to go to compete in Mexico, for example? I think there’s a wide spectrum of “wrong” and “not wrong” going on.

I dunno, to my fist question I think yes and no. Time ago in a forum I was questioning whether it’d be wrong for a chinese kid, for example, to paint himself in blackface to perform in a school play playing Martin Luther King. What would that mean? mockery? a search for “acurateness”? admiration even?

For example, black face is obviously wrong in the context of USA culture where it has an historical background of being offensive, but in other countries whether it might still be wrong or not the context is different.

As I say, I’m just asking, I haven’t still made up my own mind about these issues.
Abby 2:52 pm on August 20, 2008 | # | Reply

I think imitating a physical feature is demeaning if it is meant to point out the way in which a group of people is “funny-looking,” and therefore “racially” distinct from others. Compare it to, say, holding a banner with “Olympics 2008″ written in Chinese characters, which would be a way of saying “we’re going to the Olympics in China!!!” without making fun of the Chinese.

In my opinion, an Asian wearing a sombrero to compete in Mexico would indeed be insulting because it refers to the way in which Mexicans (supposedly) are “funny-looking” and different (even though most Mexicans do not ever wear sombreros). Like the eye-slant gesture, it basically says “you people are all alike, and I find that amusing.”
Anonymous 3:18 pm on August 20, 2008 | # | Reply

Let me add to my previous post. Not only does the eye-slant gesture (or the sombrero, in the above example) say “you people are all alike,” it also says “you people are all different from me and my people, in a way that is unattractive and/or comical.” And yeah, that’s racist.
HP 4:22 pm on August 20, 2008 | # | Reply

But isn’t it up to the Chinese people themselves to decide how to respond?

I think the Guardian article is making a mistake in assuming that I’m offended on behalf of the Chinese. I’m not. I’m offended because these displays are ignorant, parochial, and rude. I’m not so naive that I don’t know that such people exist, but the arrogance with which they flaunt their cluelessness and insensitivity is offensive to me.

It wouldn’t matter to me if the Chinese chose to laugh it off, or respond by holding their eyelids wide open and saying “Buh, buh, buh, buh, buh” (as a group of rural Japanese schoolchildren once did to a Caucasian friend of mine visiting Japan). The behavior of the Spanish and Argentinean athletes is still offensive to my values, and if the Chinese respond in kind, that would simply compound my disgust and general misanthropy.

Also, you kids get off my lawn!
I didn’t realize this was going to be a trilogy of ’slanty eyes’ « Uppity Brown Woman 6:05 pm on August 20, 2008 | # | Reply

[...] Now, there’s the Argentine women’s football team: [...]
Anonymous 1:24 am on August 21, 2008 | # | Reply

A journalist could have done a quick survey before writing the article, I suppose.
OP Minded 8:24 am on August 21, 2008 | # | Reply

Wearing a sombrero is racism? LOL!!!

So, if the there is an Olympics in Houston and the South Korean team is shown in a advertisement wearing cowboy hats saying, “We are going to Texas”, that is racism?

Wow, some of you folks have REALLY thin skins.
Abby 11:09 am on August 21, 2008 | # | Reply

In response to OP Minded:
I guess my response would depend on whether people wearing the cowboy hats were ridiculing Texans by doing so. It wouldn’t be “racism” since, as far as I know, no one claims that Texans are a distinct race or ethnicity, but it might be rude. Although my impression is that Texans view the cowboy hat as a positive symbol of their state.

I don’t think the sombrero is necessarily a negative symbol of Mexico–some Mexicans do wear them, after all–but it is often included in the “lazy, poor Mexican” stereotype, and I find it unlikely that if Mexico were to host the Olympics again they would choose the sombrero to represent who they are as a people. No, donning a sombrero in preparation to compete in Mexico is not racism as in “I hate Mexicans” but it does demonstrate ignorance of (and lack of interest in) the very diverse cultures of Mexico. And it perpetuates an image of Mexico that has been part of racist stereotypes for a very long time.
Tim 4:22 am on August 22, 2008 | # | Reply

Interesting displays of hypersensitivity and projection in these cases.

“Not only does the eye-slant gesture (or the sombrero, in the above example) say ‘you people are all alike,’ it also says ‘you people are all different from me and my people, in a way that is unattractive and/or comical.’ And yeah, that’s racist.”

Another blog went so far as to say that imitation is patently racist. If people get tattoos does that make them racist? Putting bunny ears in a picture insulting to bunnies? What the person’s intentions were determines whether the act should be considered offensive or not. Like with Rosie’s imitation of Mandarin, or Bush’s compliments to his chef, people try to find insults in places where there exist only the ones placed there by the viewer.

Some books for those unfamiliar with humor;

Sociology Through Humor by Joseph E. Faulkner

Humor and Society: Explorations in the Sociology of Humor by Marvin R. Koller
Le 11:33 am on August 23, 2008 | # | Reply

Ya know what’s funny is that in the top Argentinian picture, the third girl from the left looks Asian. There are actually lots of Chinese living in many parts of the world, including South America.
Village Idiot 8:39 pm on August 23, 2008 | # | Reply

It would’ve been funnier if the the athletes had all beaten the crap out of each other instead of this silly gesture and then, after waiting for the bruises to show and taking care not to wipe off any blood, take the team photo with everyone holding signs mentioning Darfur. I suppose if they did that they’d have to change the caption to “China is Prepared for Us!”
stacy 11:38 pm on May 26, 2009 | # | Reply

WHAT… THE.. FUCK??
i’m sorry but that is just disgusting.
no matter what anyone says to deny that these ignorant people are displaying any sort of racist behaviour…
they obviously are.

little ignorant people.