Olympics: Spain's eye-catching faux pas (basketball team offends Chinese people)

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 8/11/08 | Sid Lowe

[redstates4ever]

Spain's Olympic basketball teams have risked upsetting their Chinese hosts by posing for a pre-Games advert making slit-eyed gestures. The advert for a courier company, which is an official sponsor of the Spanish Basketball Federation, occupied a full page in the sports daily Marca, the country's best-selling newspaper.

The advert features two large photographs, one of the men's basketball team, above, and one of the women's team. Both squads pose in full Olympic kit on a basketball court decorated with a picture of a Chinese dragon. Every single player appears pulling back the skin on either side of their eyes. The advert carries the symbol of the sport's governing body.

No one involved in the advert appears to have considered it inappropriate nor contemplated the manner in which it could be interpreted in China and elsewhere.

[redstates4ever]

This, coming from a country that legislates the rights of primates as equal to humans.

Idiots.

[redstates4ever]

Olympics: Spain’s eye-catching faux pas (basketball team offends Chinese people) *caption ping*

[RedCobra]

How stupid. This Spanish team are a bunch of monkeys.

[bcsco]

This, coming from a country that legislates the rights of primates as equal to humans.

Well, if you can legislate equality, then why not act like primates...

[AU72]

More suprising that the Chinese basketball team lost to them in overtime instead of stomping them into the floor.

[ModelBreaker]

This, coming from a country that legislates the rights of primates as equal to humans.

Well then, the picture is not so surprising. One does not expect primates to raise to the level of humans. So the only alternative is . . .

[reagan_fanatic]

Well, that’s real mature.

[palomonte]

Who cares - no harm no foul.

[seoul62]

Bad faux pas on their part. This is an unpleasant gesture that me and my Husband-(he is American of Chinese descent), remember from our childhood./Just Asking - seoul62

[SolidWood]

I’d like the Spaniards getting some flak.

[jalisco555]

More suprising that the Chinese basketball team lost to them in overtime instead of stomping them into the floor.

Great game. But my respect for the Spanish team just evaporated.

[trisham]

Wow. How bizarre.

[OESY]

What idiots would ever think to pull a stupid stunt like that?
(I sure hope they won't be celebrated 40 years from now.)

.

[WayneS]

I do not personally know any Spanish nationals, but I am beginning to think that Spain may have a very racist society.

Last year, some of the signs displayed by “fans” in the stands, referring to Lewis Hamilton (the first ever black F1 star), were extremely racist. And they didn’t seem to notice until the press from other countries picked up on it.

And now this...

[The Lumster]

Ah yes....those ever so cultured Europeans. Barack says we should be more like them

[SolidWood]

Did you notice the Guardians ridiculous banner at the side?
Urging Bush to read the Guardian like allegedly Reagan, GHWB and BJ “did” (BJ for sure). LOL. Well Bush isn’t into commie propaganda.

[WayneS]

PS - I guess I should have noted that the incident I mentioned occurred at a race track in Spain, huh?

[longtermmemmory]

This is only offensive to american PC.

In europe stores advertise “prices so low you think we are turning japanese.”
there is even a cellphone chain called “the German”

I doubt anyone is offended except a few old media types.
Stupid gesture and the result is the sponsor will drop them, free market at work.

[SolidWood]

I am beginning to think that Spain may have a very racist society

Probably over-compensation for being also one of the most Dhimmi-minded countries in Europe. They elected a communist, gay-agenda-driven, islam-loving rat for Prime Minister.

[N. Theknow]

What would we expect from a country whose leaders were elected as an act of appeasement to an Al Qaeda bombing?

[DungeonMaster]

You can say anything you want, as long as no one is offended.

[chiller]

Tasteless but somehow refreshing someone tossed political correctness out the door

[aruanan]

Come on, what easier, quicker way of indicating that they are in China?

[aruanan]

The funny thing on this thread is to see the degree to which PC behavior has become knee-jerkingly common.

[WayneS]

Please tell your son I said thank you for choosing to serve his country.

[Vaquero]

Spains Basketball Team:

Their favorite TV actor? Hop Sing.

Their favorite cartoon charater? Charlie from Mr Magoo.

Their favorite little 2nd grade ditty? “Me Chinese, me make joke... etc etc.”

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

You should hear about how Spaniards treated the French soccer player Henry (pronounced Awn-REE), who is black. When he played for France in Spain, the Spaniards in the stands made ape noises.

[Kirkwood]

Humans ARE primates.

[DungeonMaster]

Please tell your son I said thank you for choosing to serve his country.

Thank you very much, I'll tell him.

[pnh102]

... occupied a full page in the sports daily Marca ...

Why did I read that as "Macaca?"

[redstates4ever]

Europe is rife with racism. Of course, they’ll keep on behaving that way while looking down their noses at us and projecting it onto us, calling us racists. Classic liberal behavior! Projection!

[bcsco]

You know what I meant...

[dfwgator]

So do people in China when they want to make fun of Europeans pull their eyes wide open?

[dfwgator]

You should hear about how Spaniards treated the French soccer player Henry (pronounced Awn-REE), who is black. When he played for France in Spain, the Spaniards in the stands made ape noises.

The Spaniards are rank amateurs to the Russkies in the racism department.

[VRWCmember]

Tasteless but somehow refreshing someone tossed political correctness out the door

Are you one of those who doesn't understand the difference between political correctness and common courtesy and decency? Your comment indicates about as much understanding of political correctness as Bill Maher, who thinks rudeness and hatefulness equals political incorrectness. Maher is about as politically correct as you can get, but he calls himself politically incorrect just because he is rude and has no respect for common courtesy. There is a huge difference between rudeness and being "politically incorrect".

[RexFamilia]

This Spanish team are a bunch of monkeys.

Are you aware the zapatero and his henchmen in spanish parliament granted human rights to apes.

There is no distinction in Spain between humans and monkeys

[grellis]

Gimme a break. Acceptable non-PC would be referring to Asians as “Oriental.” The Spanish gesture was non-PC in the same way that blackface is. Classless, tasteless, boorish.

[chiller]

You may be correct, but as I said first and therefore foremost :”Tasteless”. On the other hand, there’s a bit of Don Rickles in the Spaniards photo, and I appreciated whomever he eviscerated. Nothing was out of bounds. Nothing.

[aruanan]

Acceptable non-PC would be referring to Asians as “Oriental.” The Spanish gesture was non-PC in the same way that blackface is. Classless, tasteless, boorish.

See what I mean? PC has already subverted your judgment.

[JZelle]

They too may get an ESPY. You never know.

[jmc813]

Am I the only one who finds this pretty funny? If it pisses off the ChiComs, all the power to ‘em.

[ErnBatavia]

Funny that....just a few weeks ago, John Carlos (who’s a track coach in Palm Springs) was honored for some reason or other.

[CharlieOK1]

My Father in Law travels in Asia frequently for business. He said they call Westerners “round-eyes” as a derogatory term.

[grellis]

My judgement has not been subverted. I just don't have the manners of a pig, that's all. If you can't make the distinction between harmless, non-PC language and tasteless gestures, than it is your judgement that could use some examination.

[aruanan]

My judgement has not been subverted. I just don't have the manners of a pig, that's all. If you can't make the distinction between harmless, non-PC language and tasteless gestures, than it is your judgement that could use some examination.

Thanks for the demonstration.