Russian skater lights Olympic flame, tweeted doctored photo Obama staring at banana

[Darrell KSR]

In September, she tweeted this photo, which apparently (I am reading) is a regular taunt to black people in their country.

https://twitter.com/TerryMoran/status/431870114258878464/photo/1

Here's a good story on it.

Racism is rife in Russia, and black football players often face racial abuse involving bananas. In 2011, the Brazilian Roberto Carlos, playing for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala, left the pitch in anger after a banana was thrown at him from the stands. In a separate incident, the club Zenit St Petersburg was fined the equivalent of about £6,300 when a fan offered Carlos a banana before a match.

.....

She implied on Twitter that the criticism was a campaign ordered by opposition politician Alexei Navalny. "Are there still some of you who haven't had their say on Daddy Navalny's orders?"

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/16/russia-obama-banana-racism-debate

Interesting.

Is this a battle you fight? Freedom of speech, and all that jazz? Is a hand waving a banana in front of a black man in a country where bananas are used to deride black people a racist event?

[Doc]

Them commies can be too. Olympic torch lighter tweeted racist picture of Obama

http://deadspin.com/lady-who-just-lit-olympic-torch-tweeted-a-racist-pictur-1518385560

However in my sick mind, take out the banana and the picture is funny as heck for another reason


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[Doc]

Didn't see this thread when I posted mine. Might want to merge them

I'll add the picture is worse without the banana. Reminds me of the infamous one of Gottlieb talking at halftime of a game with a kid in the background making obscene gestures. I won't link but one can google


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[CitizenBBN]

Russians are VERY racist. Ethnic tension in that region is as old as the dirt under their feet, and they haven't gotten over it. They're still at the "No Irish Need Apply" stage, and don't seem likely to move past it any time soon. At that stage you look down on people who just sound different but look the same, I have no idea how far down different skin colors and sexual preferences must be to those who cling to such views there. I'd guess it's like stepping into the mid 1800s in that regard, certainly turn of the century.

[dan_bgblue]

Extremely insular populace in Russia and it extends to the leaders. They never attempted to integrate the Soviet bloc states that were under their thumb, they just used and abused those states as much as possible. I am not sure they have the necessary desire to ever change those attitudes.

[dethbylt]

I don't agree with many of the Russian political and social ideals, but I just don't see the racism in the photo. I see how it can be inferred, but a million innocent things a day posted on social media can be made to look racist or hateful.

Buuuuut, I may just have a way too optimistic view of the world.

[dethbylt]

Ok, I don't live in Russia and didn't realize that the banana was a common insult in Russia. Still, damn...people are so damn sensitive.

[ram]

Why can't we make fun of one another? My buddies (black and white) do it all the time. There's a black lady in our church who volunteers to cook/coordinate the food prep whenever we have a church meal. I always ask her what we'll be having...she always smiles and says either fried chicken or ribs.... I don't mind when she makes a "white" jab at me.

People need to toughen up and realize the whole world doesn't revolve around them. The things that make us different are the very things that make life interesting....and enjoyable.

[Darrell KSR]

Why can't we make fun of one another? My buddies (black and white) do it all the time. There's a black lady in our church who volunteers to cook/coordinate the food prep whenever we have a church meal. I always ask her what we'll be having...she always smiles and says either fried chicken or ribs.... I don't mind when she makes a "white" jab at me.

People need to toughen up and realize the whole world doesn't revolve around them. The things that make us different are the very things that make life interesting....and enjoyable.

ram, it's just different in the real world when you're not dealing with friends. Just the way life is. And frankly, who wants to live in a world so uncivilized that we can say or do anything to anybody we want, put them down, ridicule them, etc.?

With my friends? Sure. With somebody I don't know? Of course not. I have better taste and manners than that, and would hope everyone would.

[ram]

ram, it's just different in the real world when you're not dealing with friends. Just the way life is. And frankly, who wants to live in a world so uncivilized that we can say or do anything to anybody we want, put them down, ridicule them, etc.?

With my friends? Sure. With somebody I don't know? Of course not. I have better taste and manners than that, and would hope everyone would.

I understand....Maybe the main problem is we don't have enough self confidence to laugh at ourselves. When we do, it matters a lot less what others say.

[Darrell KSR]

I really think it is more than that, but that's part of it too. In our case, our intent when we cut up with our buds is inoffensive. In other cases, people are mean-spirited and intend to hurt others with their ridicule.

You're right, there's still too much sensitivity and political correctness (if I'm using the right term here.) that's a valid point, too.

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[PedroDaGr8]

I really think it is more than that, but that's part of it too. In our case, our intent when we cut up with our buds is inoffensive. In other cases, people are mean-spirited and intend to hurt others with their ridicule.

You're right, there's still too much sensitivity and political correctness (if I'm using the right term here.) that's a valid point, too.

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Sorry but I have to entirely agree with D here. This is NOT cutting up with your buddies, this is not political correctness gone wrong either. This is an intentional mean-spirited blatantly racist photo. It is common in Mediterranean/Russian countries (and even here to some degree) to equate blacks with monkey or apes. Implying they are less than human, less civilized, less intelligent etc. The banana is an implicit manifestation of that. If you wouldn't be OK saying blacks are monkeys, then you shouldn't be OK with this either. Quite frankly, I am very much disgusted by it but then again considering Russia's track-record on civil rights I'm not surprised.

[ram]

Sorry but I have to entirely agree with D here. This is NOT cutting up with your buddies, this is not political correctness gone wrong either. This is an intentional mean-spirited blatantly racist photo. It is common in Mediterranean/Russian countries (and even here to some degree) to equate blacks with monkey or apes. Implying they are less than human, less civilized, less intelligent etc. The banana is an implicit manifestation of that. If you wouldn't be OK saying blacks are monkeys, then you shouldn't be OK with this either. Quite frankly, I am very much disgusted by it but then again considering Russia's track-record on civil rights I'm not surprised.

People that have racist attitudes are idiots and need to be ignored. I'm short, fat, bald and wear glasses. In my business, with the people I work with, I'm subjected to lots of comments....(1) they don't bother me because what others think about me doesn't impact me one way or the other (2) when such comments are made, I just consider the people to be ignorant or stupid. It's their problem, not mine.

As for making fun of obama, there are enough legitimate ways to do it without injecting racial stuff.

[KeithKSR]

All the media coverage makes it more likely this stuff continues.