Spanish Team Says Photo Not Meant To Be Racist
The Spanish National Olympic Basketball team, knows how to play hoops without a doubt. They are a legitimate threat to challenge Team USA for the Gold Medal at the Beijing Olympics. They are also however at the very least ignorant, as they showed while posing for a publicity photo for one of the team’s sponsors.
The “Associated Press” reported that a Spanish courier service Seur had the Spanish team pose for a photo, while putting their fingers at the edge of their eyes. This of course made the player’s eyes look slanted, an obvious reference to the Olympic Games being held in China. Naturally there is an uproar on a global basis over this picture. But the players on the Spanish team really think that the backlash is much ado about nothing. Pau Gasol who is the center for Spain told reporters that the team meant no harm. Gasol said “It was something like supposed to be funny or something but never offensive in any way. I’m sorry if anybody thought or took it the wrong way and thought that it was offensive.”
Point guard Jose Calderon, took it even further than Gasol did. The Toronto Raptors guard said rather than trying to make fun of Asians, the gesture was meant as a tribute! Calderon wrote on his blog “We felt it was something appropriate, and that it would be interpreted as an affectionate gesture! Without a doubt, some, press didn’t see it that way. Calderon also wrote that the pose was the idea of the photographer, and they were just being cooperative.
Former ESPN Radio Reporter Jeff Sack covered the NBA, NFL, and MLB for 11 years in Cleveland - The last eight as Sports Director for Metro Networks.
August 14th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Chinese embassy in Spain was asked about the subject. They do not consider it offensive in any way.
Why does people have to take things out of proportion?
The Spanish players have said they never meant to be offensive, it was more like a “wink” to our Asian friends.
Do you know many Chinese people who got offended?
Maybe someone is overreacting…
August 14th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
I understand the point you are trying to make. Perhaps the Team’s intentions were harmless, and they truly did not think it was offensive. Maybe I along with many others are being too sensitive. But I would rather risk being too sensitive, than risk offending somebody, because their appearance, culture, or religion, makes them different. Every issue has two sides, it is not like any physical harm was done to anyone. However, I am offended by it, and I am not of Asian culture, just another fellow human being! Thank you for taking the time to respond!
Jeff Sack
Managing Editor
le basketbawl
August 14th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
I think most of people who is writing about this in newspapers, blogs and forums are doing an ethnocentric analysis.
It’s necessary to remember that it’s a national advertising for Spaniards readers (including Asian community who resides in Spain of course) so it hadn’t an international purpose. And in Spain that gesture has neither offensive nor racist connotations.
If in other cultures that gesture has racist or offensive connotations is totally unfair to apply those connotations because the advertising was not made for these cultures and also the participants hasn’t these cultures.
That gesture isn’t offensive itself. People or different cultures consider it offensive. Forgetting the circumstances around that advertising is a mistake.
An absurd example: If in my culture a hand shake means the worst insult in the world and outside my country (where a handshake means greeting) someone try to handshake with me, should I interpret it as the worst insult in the world? if he explains what does a handshake means in his culture, should he apologize to me? should I be offended? should I understand there are other cultures different to mine? how should I analyze in a rational way the situation?
August 14th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Judging by your last response, I am guessing you are not from the USA. You have to remember that the United States is a society that is made up of from former citizens of other countries. Many of us are just two or three generations removed from our ancestors home. Unlike Spain, Italy, France, Germany, there are very few native Americans. So we classify ourselves as Greek-American, Italian-American, Asian-American, and African-Americans. Because we have so many different people living close by, we see lots of racism in the USA. I know from reading, that this is now starting to happen in countries like France, where the Muslim population is facing discrimination. Those of us who are liberals in this country are bothered by discrimination and how it shuts people out of our society. Perhaps that is a perspective that is unique to the USA. Again I can only speak for myself, but I was offended by the gesture. Thanks again for responding!
Jeff Sack
Managing Editor
le basketbawl