I doubt if Yao is pissed about it. He is too humble to get bent about such garbage. He is too smart to get caught up in a dung throwing contest. I hope he doesn't lower himself to that level by responding in any way to it. Instead, I hope that intelligent people that can recognize what racism is, and who are willing to take a stand on it, will speak out against it and raise a big enough ruckus that something has to be done about it. Be Consistent!!!!!!!
No, Mr. Sharpton. We are assuming he is racist because of his COMMENTS. Just like we are assuming Fuzzy is racist because of his COMMENTS. QUIT TWISTING THE MESSAGE!
For the record, Jimmy the Greek made the comments about selective breeding, and what he said is verifiably true. Al Campanis made the comments about blacks not being as buoyant as whites therefore whites were better swimmers. That was racist because it is not true. There is no facts to verify such a statement.
Puh-leez... Lighten up! I have not bothered to read most of this thread, beyond the first few posts, being disgusted at the excessive amount of PC-think. The politically correct fundamentalist routinely confuses humor for racism and in his or her attempt to protect his or her hypersensitive feelings, he or she has no problem in censuring free speech or limit the ability to make fun of a person, and practices reverse racism by implying those words are painfully true. The false face of liberalism- in order to save the world, the liberal actually wants to run it. Stereotypes are but a shortcut for ignorant people who are inexperienced about the finer points of different cultures. When we are not allowed to make fun or poke at a certain person or group of people, we heighten racial tensions and transform our society to a divisive one where cheap words are now given weight and importance. Mere words become weapons, thanks to the short-sightedness of the politically correct fundamentalist, and now have the means to control emotions. Words are now given objective meanings, and a causal mechanism that sends a person of a certain culture into predictable behavior not of his own responsibility. Come on! Laugh it off, shrug it off, and let it slide! Once we take stereotypes to be nothing more than mere humor, then they are exposed as harmless, and begin to sink into the mass consciousness as cliches. But when these cardboard cutouts are taken seriously, then the epithets or stereotypical profiles are taken seriously, then we have nobody to blame but our inventions of causal behavior ... ~Radical Subjectivity~
I doubt it. I would say that viewership would have increased out of curiosity. And this just goes to show how the truth loses out to $$$$$$$$. CBS should have done research and let their investigative journalists reveal the TRUTH. That's the problem with this society. Too many people don't want the truth. In my opinion, racism did indeed get Jimmy fired. Racist people who did not want to accept the truth but will use any opportunity possible to further their cause. Here's a measuring stick to consider. If your feelings about your race override the truth, you are racist.
Then let's bring back Dan Issel to coach the Nuggets. After all, it was the heat of the moment, just a little trash talk. GET REAL MAN!
Racism is not black and white. It's difficult to define. Here are some of the twists: (1) NBA is an entertainment! Like any business, it needs marketing. The fact that people are talking about what Shaq said is indicating that their "marketing strategy" is working. Some people will be happy to see Compaq Center full when Shaq arrives on 1/17/03. (2) Racism is also relative and it changes over time. In comparison with the rest of the world, the US is probably one of the most race-friendly countries! Use China as an example where I came from, most minorities are living in deserted, poor, and mountainuous areas due to thousands of years of depression. I also notice that most of us would prefer living here as a "minority" than living somewhere else as a "majority." (3) Racism in the form of "words" is the least kind to worry about. Remember the native Americans? They once were all over this land; but they are almost disapearing as a race. (4) The best way to shut the big mouth is by Yao Ming/Rocket's actions on the court! Losing another one to below .5 team does not help !
I can accept the fortune cookie thing being ignorance. Even so, there should be consequences. Reason being that ignorance is not an excuse when dealing with white on black. And besides that, ignorance is a judgment call. Anyone can claim ignorance. But Shaq's comments were not ignorance. It was a flouting of the inconsistent measuring stick that we currently use for racism. Straighten out the measuring stick and bring him to task. Maybe then, he will become more "SENSITIVE" to such things as Fuzzy, Issel, Campanis, and Jimmy the Greek now are.
You would do that man a favor by bringing that to his attention. If you see it as stereotyping, then someone else could see it as racism. You should make him aware of it. One small point. You need to make sure that he doesn't call his closes associates by that monicker. If indeed he doesn't, then that is truly a stereotype and would be considered by many people as racism. If he calls all his closest associates that, then it is not a stereotype. Point it out to him so he can change it. If he's your good friend, he will listen. If he is a racist bigot, he will not.
I gaurantee you if some radio dude was making fun of black people, Jesse Jackson would lead a million man march to Washington about it.
No doubt about it. Asians seem to be lumped in with whites. You can make fun of them; they're the same.
Ya think??? As I see it this has nothing to do with basketball and everything to do with class and respect for another human being. If those comment were directed at an African-American NO ONE would have thougt they were funny and there would be hell to pay for such an act. "Jimmy the Greek" lost his job and eventually his life because of a racist comment that was far less than anything Shaq has said and done. You should have just stopped at Shaq is ignorant. His being a better basketball player does not give him the right to make racist comments. And the worst thing is that after all the racist crap that African-Americans have had to put up with he goes out and perpetuates the act. I don't think anyone at any time should have to listen to that trash. I know if it were me I would not like it one bit, would you?
Wait let me see Shaq play basketball which is dominated by African American and when an chinese individual comes to join the league he goes off about making deragatory comments about Asian people in general? No similarity? The only difference is Yao didn't have NAACP to make a big deal out of it....nor does Chinese Americans..... BTW, if you read the initial post you'll know that the racial slurs toward Yaoming is widespread across the nation from radio shows to TV programing. And as for your historic reference, so to you stereotyping or racism should be more tolerated as long as it didn't happen 100 years ago? BTW, You know Tiger is half Thai right? If Zoeller would have made fun of Tiger's Thai heritage would it even made the news? But Timing, I see your point, I agree Shaq probably didn't mean much by his comment but the outpouring of post by Asian Americans on this thread is proof that there is a lot of pent up anger toward how Asian Americans have been stereotypically depicted for 200 years. I hope you understand that a lot of us had go through middle school and high school with every other kid wanting to test out our Kunfu skill or using 'chingchong' as a way of mocking us. And it's been going on since the 1800s, how long do we have to endure the constant insults to be consider historical oppression?
just wanted to add that it's a sad commentary on society that it takes a 7'-5' 300lb allstar to-be center five whole months being the butt of jokes before the media finally accepted him. racism? nope! bias? probably. ignorance? you bet. If it took a 7'-5" 300lb nba all-star to-be player five months, how long does it take the average person to become accepted at face value? how sad it is when someone breaks the stereotype, all they can do is to try and tear it down for obvious reasons.
I agree MadMaxU. It's ignorance. But Shaq is just joking. He says Yao is the future. Shaq likes to denounce everybody. Sacramento Queens. It doesn't matter. It's entertainment. But sometimes it's offensive.
I am not saying Jack Ramsey, Bill Walton or Barkley are dumb oh no not at all, I am saying they're not knowledgeable enough when it comes to predicting who's a better team or who's a better player in the NBA. Being a Kings fan, i know even before the Kings Lakers series last year that the Kings will have as good a chance of beating the Lakers as the Lakers have as good a chance of beating the Kings. But when you have some so called NBA critics like Jack Ramsey and Barkley (and i am sure more there are more "CLOWNS" critics out there) saying Kings have no chance before the series even started, I knew right then that they were DEAD WRONG and i knew right then that I will never trust them again in whatever they said in the future. I don't care how many Championship Ramsey had, it doesn't matter. Nobody is more knowledgeable about the Kings and what they're capable than its fans and so when i see he is totally off in terms of what he said about the Kings last year, i knew i can never trust that guy again OR Barkley. Barkley said Kings have no chance because nobody in the league can stop Shaq blah blah blah. ****, if it weren't for the refs calling everything in favor of the Lakers the Kings should have won that championship already. As a Kings fan, iam more hurt that the refs screwed up some of the games than the Kings losing to the Lakers. Seriously if you ever taped any of the Kings Lakers series you can go back and watch it... and i swear the Kings got robbed of a championship because the refs made so many mistakes under crucial situtation. I am talking about game winning situtation and championship. For example, RIck FOx made a 3 pointer at the buzzer before the end of the 1st half in game #3 or #4 when time is running out and yet the refs failed to see it. That's exactly the reason why they bring back instant replay this year because of mistakes like that. So the Kings went into the half up by 13 instead of 16 which is a HUGEEE difference.
Shaq is a lot of things, but racist? I doubt it. His comments were no doubt ignorant and insensitive. But racist? No.
Originally posted by madmaxu Wait let me see Shaq play basketball which is dominated by African American and when an chinese individual comes to join the league he goes off about making deragatory comments about Asian people in general? No similarity? The only difference is Yao didn't have NAACP to make a big deal out of it....nor does Chinese Americans..... BTW, if you read the initial post you'll know that the racial slurs toward Yaoming is widespread across the nation from radio shows to TV programing. Shaq didn't slur Asian people in general, he tried to make fun of Yao by mocking the Chinese language. If Shaq did the same about a Frenchman, or a German, or an Italian, or a Mexican would that be a racial slur? Of course not. His comments were stupid however they're not the same thing as slurring a race of people. Yao Ming isn't the first "Chinese individual" to join this league and Shaq isn't the Commissioner or a team owner, he has no power to subjugate Asians in the NBA. And as for your historic reference, so to you stereotyping or racism should be more tolerated as long as it didn't happen 100 years ago? Stereotyping isn't necessarily racism. Kung Fu is Chinese and Yao speaks Chinese. You make it sound like if I went to China and someone called me Tex, spoke to me with a bad Texas twang, and asked me why I wasn't wearing a cowboy hat that I should be incredibly offended. I'm sure that even in China there are different stereotypes for people, even Americans. BTW, You know Tiger is half Thai right? If Zoeller would have made fun of Tiger's Thai heritage would it even made the news? Tiger isn't called names because he's half Thai. I'm sure he wouldn't be beat up as a kid because people thought he was half Thai either. You're ignoring reality. But Timing, I see your point, I agree Shaq probably didn't mean much by his comment but the outpouring of post by Asian Americans on this thread is proof that there is a lot of pent up anger toward how Asian Americans have been stereotypically depicted for 200 years. I hope you understand that a lot of us had go through middle school and high school with every other kid wanting to test out our Kunfu skill or using 'chingchong' as a way of mocking us. And it's been going on since the 1800s, how long do we have to endure the constant insults to be consider historical oppression? Being stereotyped doesn't equate to oppression. Fat people, tall people, short people, ugly people, etc. have endured constant insults for centuries so are you going to consider them all historically oppressed? Of course not. Asians make more money per capita than any other race in America so you're going to have to make a hell of an argument to show that Asians are oppressed in this country. If a person racially slurred Yao Ming I'd be pretty quick to condem it but it's just not here with Shaq. What Barkley said was much worse IMHO.
