Should China Be Angry About the Slit-Eyed Olympic Photos?

TeachAbroadChina.com ^ | 8/19/2008 | Robert Vance

[robertvance]

"I’m not offended," a Chinese friend told me today when I asked her about the controversial photos of Spanish and Argentinian Olympic teams making 'slit-eyed' gestures. "They can do what they want." she said laughingly as she used her fingers to try to make her eyes look more "Western."

[robertvance]

I think China should be angry about this one but no one seems to care...

[krb]

I seriously don’t care what they think.

[kbennkc]

Who cares what the ignorant uncivilized foreign devils do ? The Europeans and Americans will bow before the Chinese Empire . When the Capitalists sell us the rope we use to hang them it will be crappy cheap rope made in China .

[P8triot1]

I think the whole thing is funny. The rest of the world should GET OVER IT. Such a fuss ‘bout ‘nuttin!!!!!

[TommyJoe]

NO because they are not slant eyed, chinese have round eyes.

[lesser_satan]

I doubt the Chinese really do care. It's the politically-correct western media that's making a big deal of it. The Chinese probably stretch their eyes vertically and say "LOOK! I'm stupid roundeye. Get me big mac and coke!". I've been ribbed pretty mercilessly about being a "roundeye" by some of our Japanese vendors and I always got a laugh out of it.

As far as the "international incident", I say: Who the hell cares. They're teenagers (who are under tremendous pressure to perform) letting loose and having fun. Leave them alone.

[Gondring]

Who cares what the ignorant uncivilized foreign devils do ? The Europeans and Americans will bow before the Chinese Empire . When the Capitalists sell us the rope we use to hang them it will be crappy cheap rope made in China

Isn't it funny to hear everyone whining about "Drill Here, Drill Now" after handing all the very rich mineral resources (including petroleum) of Africa to the Chinese?

[CondorFlight]

I think the “normal” response would be to life.

But we have been so politically indoctrinated that we have to assume that the Chinese will (must!) be offended.

To our surprise, they seem to understand it’s just a joke.

(Jokes have become taboo in our PC culture; there’s no sense of humor about diversity!)

[AmericanInTokyo]

I find these bread and circus stories for the masses, if anything, to be a distraction and a big waste of time.

I guess this discourse and argument appeals to a certain level - tabloid.

People start thinking about the need to analyze and address China--they can feel the threat in their bones--maybe the Olympics brought it to the forefront for most Americans who don't yet know a world map--but cannot do it in an intelligent manner such as corporate buyouts, or missile throw weights, or cyber espionage, but instead have to focus on the juvenile and crass.

Maybe it is exactly what Beijing wants us to focus on at this puerile, Fox-TV level, rather than the real issues (them eventually replacing the United States in world, if not Asian, leadership in the next 20 years.) You know, that other minor issue.

[palomonte]

no angrier than we should be about the murdered U.S. citizen - so STFU about this meaningless crap.

[beezdotcom]

So, this is somehow worse than the thousands of comedians who make fun of Chinese accents by using phrases like "shlimp flied lice" and "me so ronery"?

Please.

[PGR88]

We are projecting our own uptight, political correctness on the Chinese, who don’t swall the same nonsense. They know they have small eyes and yellow skin - and they are quite proud of it. They think Europeans have big noses and Africans big lips - so what of it?

[Berlin_Freeper]

They have the right to shame themselves with childish antics and unsportsman like conduct.

[TheBattman]

Who cares? The cheaters have no room to complain about anything.

[Tainan]

From what I've observed it's the PC westerners who are getting upset about this. Most Chinese could care less. They look at these antics as funny stuff from amateurs.

Chinese racism seems to be genetic.

[LowOiL]

Umm take a chill pill buddy..

[Jeff Chandler]

as she used her fingers to try to make her eyes look more "Western."

I like that.

[BJungNan]

Considering they are way ahead in gold metals, it would seem the last laugh is on the athletes making fun of the Chinese eyes.

[ThermoNuclearWarrior]

The Chinese citizens should care about the human rights abuses and communist dictatorship in their country instead of something like this and the Chinese government can go to hell because nobody gives a damn about what they think(Or at least people shouldn't care what they think although for some reason many do).

[Caipirabob]

I think China should be angry about this one but no one seems to care...

They should be angry...right after they returned the Gold cheated from legal Olympic competitors but taken by their "infant athletes".