At least one person on Spain's basketball team has learned that it's not exactly appropriate to mock the facial features of an entire race of people for laughs, even if he isn't exactly apologizing for it. Team Spain player (and LA Laker) Pau Gasol said, "Some of us didn't feel comfortable doing it. To me it was little clownish for our part to be doing that. The sponsor insisted and insisted. They pushed because they're the people that pay the money. It was just a bad idea to do that. It was never intended to be offensive or racist against anybody." The team's coach refuses to apologize, saying that it was just a joke. Nevertheless, the International Olympic Committee thinks that the matter has been resolved — just like the issue of those allegedly underage Chinese gymnasts. [People]
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The sponsor insisted and insisted. They pushed because they're the people that pay the money.
Peer pressure is a mutha, huh, Pau? Geez, how weak is that. How old is he, and he still can't stand up for himself. That's why I tell my 4 year old all the time "You don't have to do what everyone else is doing." I'm trying to ingrain that message.
(BTW, it's Pau, not Paul.)
Did you catch this Lauren? ESPN is reporting that one of the Chinese gymnasts (He Kim) is really 14.
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/.....NHeadlines
You don't have to be over 18 to compete in the Olympics, though it's encouraged. It depends on the sport.
whoops, just did some research.
They do encourage the athletes to be 18+, but they have to be at least 16.
Except the punchline of that "joke" is "CHINESE PEOPLE ARE UGLY." Not funny. (And not true.)
Thats messed up that the spanish team did that. But, I heard something much worse on espn's weds night fights last weds. I think espn should use the same standard that they want foreign players to use. Here's a transcript of what was said from the August 6 wed's night fights.
Joe Tessitore: Teddy Atlas goes to China and I end up with you, Jackie!
Jackie Mason: You don't know how lucky you are. Whats he going to do in China? All he's going to see is Chinese people. You can see them in the neighbor hood.
(Tessitore Laughing real hard)
Everytime you go to the laundry, there's another "Chinaman". You don't have to go a hundred thousand miles to meet a Chinese person.
Are these people still over there? Again, ppppplease let me have been the Chinese official overseeing Olympic visas. To come up in *my* house? And put your fingers in your eyes while standing on *my* dragon?
::pulls out some very ancient yet deadly Chinese martial arts move::
Ah, Spain. I don't care if Lori Tharps made peace with that country (read Kinky Gazpacho). I'm not married to a Spaniard and don't have to deal with that crap so when it comes to spending that vacay money, Spain will never be on my list of options. I don't care if they're not being hateful about it. It's insulting and idiotic to mock and harass every person who doesn't look like them. The homogeneity is not to blame. Many countries are far more homogeneous and see far fewer people of other races, yet these people don't get harassed. It wasn't Tharps' intention but reading about her experiences affirmed my belief that Spain is not for me.
@Nichelle: That's not surprising. It's pretty obvious
I've been to Spain… Madrid and Barcelona — and the people were cool to me. I didn't have any problem. I don't want people to not go somewhere because some of the citizens are remedial. Lord KNOWS we got a couple hundred million remedial people up in this joint. SMH
I lived in Baraclona, LOVED it but Spanish people are the most ignorant and racist argumentative people-EVAH. Look how they left the South American continent? If latino's aren't the most racist against Blacks…I dunno what.
Self hatred is a bitch.