Although all racial and ethnic slurs are bad to some extent, the historical and present context make some slurs more odious than others. This is something that I understand but many others do not. Because of slavery and discrimination against blacks and because blacks have been in a subservient position in society, the "n----" word when heard by a black person spoken by a white person has more power than words like "honkies" and "crackers" or whatever is the worse possible slur against whites. I am not trying to say that slurs against whites is good but the power of such slurs is certainly much less than slurs against minorities because of the minorities weaker position in society and because of past history.
I respect Yao so much because he doesn't yap back. He's a smart one. The bottom line is, Shaq sounds a lot more stupid when the person he is directing his verbal attacks to doesn't fight back. It always works. A very famous book describes what you are supposed to do when one slaps you on the cheek - offer him the other one. The fact that Yao is not retorting is one of the most noble things I've ever seen in my life. Shaq is what, 10 years older than Yao? Let me tell you one thing, Yao is sounding a helluva lot more mature than Shaq.
Fuzzy Zoeller was trying to make a joke, but he got chastised for it and lost lots of money. Shaq does the same thing and nothing happens. Same action, different consequence. It's not news that there is a double standard to racist comments, depending on what color mouth they emanate from. That doesn't make it right though.
See most of people in this country have taken minority study 101. This kind of stuff is just too sensitive here. I bet you dont understad it.
Sensitive or not. You don't villify someone for making a joke. Funny or not. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone.
"Svpernaut. I don't know what world you live in. Racial jokes happen all the time and nobody gets fired. " I had never ever heard a racial joke at work in 20 plus some years. But I do work for NASA, so it might be considered out of this world. Sorry for the interruption, but just can't resist.
Whether or not Shaq was trying to make a joke or not and whether or not he had malicious intent, what matters is whether or not what Shaq said is offensive. If you agree that what he said was offensive then I see nothing wrong to point out to him and others that it was an offensive remark.
That's a load of crap. A joke about how a certain race talks funny -- actually about how a race talks nonsense -- is not just a harmless little joke. If someone is asked about Shaq and responds that he's dumb, that's just a joke. If someone's asked about Shaq and responds that black people are dumb, that's racist. That's the difference. Shaq's comment boiled down to Chinese people talk funny. It's an ignorant point of view and, whether or not malice was intended, that point of view needs to go out of style. Now. That won't happen as long as people insist on excusing it as a harmless joke. I don't think Shaq's racist at all and I don't think he needs to be disciplined in any way. But what he said was wrong. I don't care if it was a joke or not. If it was, it was a racist joke. I'd like it if he apologized, but he doesn't need to. What really makes me sick is all the people who want to say it was no big deal. If it was no big deal to you, that's just because you're not Chinese. If you'd grown up being mocked for the way you talk, or had relatives or friends who had, you wouldn't be saying it was just a harmless joke. Again, I don't think there was any malicious intent -- that doesn't change the fact that malice was committed. A sin committed of ignorance is slight though compared to the sin committed by those who excuse it.
poly, in lots of ways I agree with you, I just don't want to villify him for something that was not malicious.
So if I start talking in an English accent that's racist? No. It's not. It's funny. I guess Seinfield is a racist. No. I don't think so. It's funny. I'm sure some English were pissed at Seinfeld. But you know what. He's a comedian. Almost every joke is isensitive to someone or some group. Be it skiers, doctors, women, or whatever. And it's ok for them to speak up about it. But don't villify someone for just trying make us laugh.
Ahhhhh, Trent Lott was just making a joke? No, he was justly criticized and justly punished. In fairness to the current rules of political correctness, Shaq should be justly criticized and justly PUNISHED.
I'd say it's borderline and there is definitely a double standard. However, I would have to agree more with PhiSlammaJamma on this one.
I understand this idea that it's a double standard. I can see that. I agree that it is. But I'm not going to punish Shaq for something that was done to another race. My position is that a white person should not be villified for a joke about black people either. Unfortunately that is not the case.
Well, you're wrong. Thankfully the vast majority of civilized society does not agree with you. I don't have any beef with you -- only with your position. You have obviously never been the victim of racism. And you probably don't know anyone who's been stung by it. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that someone else did in the mar1juana thread. And like that person said there, I'll just assume you're naive. From reading your posts, I know you're a nice person. I think Shaq is, too. But you are both very wrong on this.
Does this kid, (looks like a Chinese-American), care Shaq's comments about Ming and Chinese? I don't know.
I find it ironic that shaq was making fun of the chinese language using probably the most nonsensical, inane, utterly craptacular language in the world, english.
