Bananas, racist?

[Lusty]

Edit: Double post

 

[Stevepinto3]

I remember bringing this up with a particularly bad university prof I had. She could not come up with a good answer to my argument that the first person to bring "race" into an argument is a racist themselves, and pretty much just ended the discussion with (paraphrasing) "If you can't see it, that's not my problem."

The problem with that attitude is that it basically ignores societal context and punishes those trying to call out bigoted behavior, while giving the bigots a pass. Extreme example; if someone burns a cross on a black man's lawn it's pretty obvious what the implication is there without anybody having to actually say it. It's clearly a racist gesture if you know anything about the KKK and racial history in North America.

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

Yeah, the World Cup is less than 2 months away, and I can't wait to throw..... what can I throw at European players?

...Crackers? Might work for the white Europeans at least

I remember bringing this up with a particularly bad university prof I had. She could not come up with a good answer to my argument that the first person to bring "race" into an argument is a racist themselves, and pretty much just ended the discussion with (paraphrasing) "If you can't see it, that's not my problem."

Smart teacher, you probably should have paid more attention to what she said.

OT: I've never heard about this being a thing before. I'm surprised that this is actually a thing that's acceptable to do. Where exactly is this common in Europe?

 

[V4Viewtiful]

Any of your american players got it like that? I tell you now in England that sort of thing likes to happen every now and then.
There's an anti-Semitic chant for one of our teams too.

 

[CriticalMiss]

Maybe the thrower was a nutritionist and had concerns that the player may have a potassium deficiency?

 

[Lilikins]

Well, assuming that it was a race issue of calling him a monkey...in a way. Nevertheless though, I do know in Germany there is a racist term known as a 'Bananen Bieger' aka, person who bends bananas. Tis an older term and the younger generation doesnt know it really, but it also implies that africans are the ones who 'bend' the bananas. Though nowadays that term isnt in the 'racism' area anymore. Its more of an equivelant along the lines of 'your so stupid, the only job you'll ever get is to bend bananas' etc etc.

 

[UltraPic]

Any of your american players got it like that? I tell you now in England that sort of thing likes to happen every now and then.
There's an anti-Semitic chant for one of our teams too.

More like once in a blue moon, for a good 25 years that stuff gets you banned from all local grounds for life, having to hand in your passport and regularly check in with the police during international tournaments.

 

[Phasmal]

Football fans kind of suck quite a lot of times.
Hopefully it wasn't mean that way but to be honest knowing the kind of stuff that happens it probably was.

In other news, I'm allergic to racism.

 

[JoJo]

OT: I've never heard about this being a thing before. I'm surprised that this is actually a thing that's acceptable to do. Where exactly is this common in Europe?

It's not acceptable outside a small minority of racists, unfortunately they are present and drag themselves out of their caves every now and again to watch football. In very broad strokes, this sort of behaviour becomes more common as you head either south or east across the continent though it can happen anywhere. The football leagues and teams have largely tried hard to kick it out, but well racists be racist.

 

[Rblade]

In the history of european football banana's and jungle noises have been used for ages by racist to indicate someone is "a monkey" It's the historical load that makes this particular gesture extremely racist.

 

[Godlikebuthumble]

In the history of european football banana's and jungle noises have been used for ages by racist to indicate someone is "a monkey" It's the historical load that makes this particular gesture extremely racist.

^This.

For our friends across the pond (NAmerica in particular):
- Imagine a sport where black players haven't been a massive influence since basically forever. So... ice hockey.
- Now, I'd like you to imagine one team has a black player.
- The moment he skates onto the ice, some jackass throws a bag of cotton balls onto the ice. A couple others in the bleachers make whipcrack noises and gestures.
- Imagine this has been happening on and off for the last 50 years. Really, no way in hell is that just a random act of ashattery.

 

[Total LOLige]

Jesus, everybody got this wrong. They're not attacking him for his race, they're attacking him for being from South America. It's very common in Spain to be condescending towards "bananero" countries, i.e. countries that are stereotypically said to live off banana exportations. The implication being they're culturally backwards countries. "Bananero" is their go-to insult when attacking us. It has nothing to do with race.

It's strange, when a banana was thrown at Neymar during a Brazil vs Scotland match sports media actually made the "Bananero" connection. This time though it's only being reported as an act that was motivated by race.

 

[lacktheknack]

One of the more famous chants fans have over here in Holland is 'Hamas, Hamas, gass the Jews'.

O__O

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OT: Yeah, it's some twat calling him a monkey because he's black. Eating it was a pretty good way of dealing with it. I mean, who doesn't like bananas (other than me)?

EDIT: NVM, apparently it's an attack on South America as a banana republic. Equally douchey, equally good response.

 

[mysecondlife]

Maybe all Los Angeles Clippers players should wear banana suits to court before the game starts.

 

[Wraith]

Yeah, the World Cup is less than 2 months away, and I can't wait to throw..... what can I throw at European players?

Gourmet cheese and red wine? Maybe even a beret hat and baguettes?

 

[cthulhuspawn82]

So this happened in Spain? I thought attaching racist connotations to everything was a purely American habit, one that the rest of the world laughs at us for. Like that KFC commercial that nobody thought was bad until it reached the U.S. and the persecution culture screamed racism.

Anyway, I cant imagine tossing a banana at someone, even a black person, has the same effect in other parts of the world as it does here (U.S.) were everyone is so thinned skinned and thinks everything is sexist/racist. In stories like this, I always wonder how much outrage is coming from Americans as opposed to the people who live were the event actually took place.

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

Going back to the thread title, it doesn't HAVE to be racist. As I understand the way things are in Spain, there's a 99% chance it was. But you can look at someone who is extremely hairy, someone who happens to be a white guy, and throw a banana at him implying he looks like a monkey. Would that be any more acceptable? It sure as hell wouldn't get reported in the papers. And yet hair can be a racial trait, like skin color, so technically it could be said to be racist, even though it wouldn't be.

 

[lacktheknack]

Maybe the thrower was a nutritionist and had concerns that the player may have a potassium deficiency?

I like you.

They should have chucked broccoli at him too and watched the headlines reel.

 

[Rebel_Raven]

Sometimes I forget that we don't all live in the more racist areas of the south of the United States... and that not everyone's seen Uncle Ruckus via the Boondocks who's not all that extreme, sadly, for people where I've lived for several decades. Seriously, watch a lot of him, and you'll see a lot of racist slang. Mostly against black people, but sometimes against other races, I.E. the kickball episode.

Calling a black guy a monkey is pretty offensive, and that's basically what a thrown banana does. Yes, it's an act of racism. If it wasn't you'd be forgiven for thinking it was, what with the strong symbolism.

I'd imagine it's more offensive to black people than others. I mean, I'm half Asian, and had someone utter "monkey" at me as they walked by me. I was pretty offended. Glared daggers at the guy.

 

[Platypus540]

The banana was thrown as an implication that he is a monkey-- a common racist insult is to call black people monkeys. So yes, it is very offensive.