Shaq--A Racist?
 

Shaq merely misguided, not a racist
By STEPHEN C. SMITH Jr.
January 14, 2003


Here in Wichita Falls, Texas, if you should happen to take I-44 heading out of town, you'll see a gigantic billboard featuring Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal off to your right.

"Because life is more than a game," the billboard says.

Ironically, O'Neal thought he was just playing games last week when the subject of Houston Rockets rookie center Yao Ming came up.

When asked about their upcoming game on Friday night, O'Neal quipped, "Tell Yao Ming, 'ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh.' "

Now, the first thought that springs to mind immediately is whether Shaq's patently racist remark makes him a racist.

In this case - no.

I don't say this because of the highly dubious and plain old incorrect thought process that claims that blacks can't be racist. I say this because in my view O'Neal is obviously immature, misguided and a tad ignorant, but probably not racist.

That's the thing about racism.

Most of us view it as being something ignorant - something we should have all outgrown by now - when actually there's a fine line between racism and ignorance, and it's pretty obvious what side O'Neal has put himself on.

"I mean, if I was the first one to do it, and the only one to do it, I could see what they're talking about," O'Neal said.

What we're talking about, Shaq, is how this incident damages your image, which was pretty clean up to this point, and how you've placed yourself in the company of those who most of us refer to as bigots.

You know, people like former Los Angeles Dodgers executive Al Campanis, former Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott, and former Braves and Rangers pitcher John Rocker - all of whom probably had something else in mind when they made their career-altering statements, but like O'Neal, just kept talking anyway.

You see, a person's intent when they say something never excuses the impact of the statement they make.

So what impact will Shaq's ludicrous comment carry?

It will most certainly further hype ESPN's broadcast of the game featuring the first O'Neal-Yao Ming match up, but not the way you think. Yao has so far taken the high road and doesn't appear to be angry about the situation.

"I believe Shaquille O'Neal was joking," Yao said, "but I think that a lot of Asian people don't understand that kind of joke."

True, but not too many people of any race, color, national origin, religion or gender understand those kinds of jokes - especially when they're aimed squarely at them.

This is no mere incident of trash-talk between athletes and cannot be dismissed as such. It's a lot more than that because this comment comes from someone who should know better.

A comment like this from a world-famous celebrity who has dressed up in Asian-style clothing and referred to himself as "Shaq-Fu" for fun and profit tells you a lot about the person who made it.

"At times I try to be a comedian," O'Neal said. "Sometimes I make a good joke and sometimes it's a bad joke."

Maybe O'Neal had better stick to playing basketball and try to get the Lakers above the .500 mark while leaving the jokes to people who at least have a clue as to what they're saying, because life is more than just being stupid.



(Contact Stephen C. Smith Jr. of the Wichita Falls Times Record)

* What do you all think about this? In my eyes, I believe this was a racist remark and should not go unnoticed, nor be ignored. The media has chosen to turn the other way and not report about this. The only reason anyone knows about this is because Fox Sports Radio's Tony Bruno Morning Extravaganza played a recording of the taunt several times to its nationwide audience on Dec. 16 and 17. Bruno commented that Shaq's comment was "not racist," and then asked listeners to call in jokes making racist fun of Chinese.

I've read a few columns about this issue, and some people chalked Shaq's comment to the fact that he doesn't know any better. Doesn't know any better? He doesn't know that when you say a racist remark, there are going to be repercussions and people will be angry. As someone who is a public figure and has Asian American fans, he of all people, should definitely know that what he did was wrong. What's your take on this?

Shaq's not exactly the brain trust. I remember reading an interview with him after his first pro season, just after a team trip to Europe. The interviewer asked him if he got to visit the Parthenon, and Shaq replied, "I don't remember the names of the clubs we went to." :eek: A lot of the people who are dismissing him know that he's not all that up there, but it doesn't make it any better.

It was a damned ignorant comment, and he should apologize. But because athletes at any level are often given chances that the general population isn't, don't hold your breath. It's kinda like that Fuzzy Zoeller comment after Tiger won the Masters.

I don't think he's a racist. I think he is an idiot for saying those things, but I don't think he meant any harm. Shaq is very good at getting into people's heads by saying things through the media. While in most recent cases he was trying to get his teammates to play better basketball, I think in this case he was just trying to get inside Ming's head and intimidate him.

Dictionary time...
 

I don't usually step into these types of issues on Greekchat, but...

I looked up, in Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, the definition of "Racism": a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. 2: racial prejudice or discrimination.

Prejudice: injury or damage resulting from some judgement or action of another in disregard of one's rights (esp. legal rights). 2: preconceived judgment or opinion 2a)an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge.

Discrimination: (I've selected the most relevant defs): To mark or perceive the distinguishing or peculiar features of. 2: to make a difference in treatment or favor on a basis other than individual merit

Ignorant: Destitute of knowledge or education; lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified. Ignorant may imply a general condition or it may apply to a lack of knowledge or awareness of a particular thing.

I don't know Shaq personally. I don't know his motivation when he made the "comment," so anything I say at this point is total conjecture. I just don't think that Shaq's statement fits the classic definition of "racism." I would more likely say that Shaq is ignorant (he may have assumed that Yeo and the general public would think that his comment was funny or inoffensive, when it was neither) or that maybe he is prejudiced (although my question is whether HE thought his comment formed an "adverse opinion," although most folks would say for certain his comment was both offensive and formed an adverse opinion).

Do I think it should be swept under the rug: NO. Just because I'm not seeing a case for racism doesn't mean that either ignorance or prejudice is acceptable. He should apologize publicly, and plan on educating himself about the Chinese culture (some courses at UCLA or Cal State LA, community service and a donation to a Chinese community group would certainly be a good start).

Last note on racism: I think that some folks (and yes, I also mean some of our civil rights groups) have sounded the alarm on the word "racism" so much that it has lessened its significance. To call someone a "racist" or to allege racism is a very serious charge, and one that should not be levied lightly, which I fear, has happened far too much in our society. I have been guilty of this charge--and one I hope to be more careful about in the future.

Racism doesn't exist anymore, duh.

Racist? H*ll no. Ignorant? Perhaps.

Finding humor in cultural differences is NOT racist!!! But, we are in an age that such "practices" are considered as taboo and non-pc.

You are so smart dinosis.

-Rudey

Racist? No. I hear enough of that word slung around here (Ala-freakin-bama). If he had said something like "C*inks can't play ball" or something, hell yeah I'd be pissed too. Granted he was completely stupid for saying something like that, but not racist, at least not by that remark. I thought comments like that were funny in kindergarten. Maybe. I think that Yeo is being the "better man" by trying to cover Shaq's butt. Props to him. If the situation were reversed, how many people think Shaq would be so gracious? I'm holding my breath...

If Yao uttered the equivalent to Shaq, there would be little doubt in my mind that there would be a huge public outcry to have him deported.

:eek: Shaq thought the Pathenon was a club? *lol* He ain't least could have faked it and just said that he was too busy to do any sightseeing......

Anyway, Shaq is an idiot and should, if anything apologies for what he said. Ughhhh.

Huh?!? Someone enlighten me...
 

'ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh.' Completely made up or is it really a racist phrase in Chinese?

What exactly is the equivalent of saying "ching-chong-yang-wah-ah-soh" to a black person? Talking in "black" dialect or ebonics? Because clearly, Yao imitating any of the various African languages wouldn't have had the same effect.

This made me laugh because it exemplifies just how elementary and childish Shaq's comment is. That phrase means nothing in Chinese (I'm almost positive). That was Shaq's poor attempt to make fun of the Chinese language.

Re: Huh?!? Someone enlighten me...
 

no, it is a meaningless comment used by people of low IQ's to demean asian people. i'm filipino, our native language sounds nothing like it, but i've had it said to me before. clearly it shows how ignorant and how prejudiced this moron is. the excuse of having "chinese friends" is the equivaltent of a white person saying "i'm not racist, my best friend is black."

Re: Dictionary time...
 

She,

Thanks for the definitions.

The accusation of being "racist" either to an individual or group has a chilling effect, whether it's true or not. The word itself casts an immediate shadow over any conversation or debate.

It has almost become a new propaganda technique to itself.

I think we should all be a little more cautious about understanding the implications before making the accusation.

In the case of Shaq and his alleged remarks...who cares? This is sports.

When he runs for Senate Majority Leader, I'll worry about it.

The same thing can be said about you guys referring to Shaq-a black basketball player (double stereotype here) as a dumbass.

Re: Re: Dictionary time...
 

Yeah, it's sports.

I don't think athletes should be role models, but to many, they are. What are the implications of something said so carelessly, if there are people--children--who might look up to this person? Besides, public figures shouldn't spout off stupid--not necessarily racist--but stupid things.

THANK YOU.

The fact that Shaq is black does not excuse him from making comments that are so politically incorrect, they border on racist. Furthermore, I've been reading with dismay other posts on here which seem to excuse Shaq for his comment due to the fact that he's obviously not the brightest crayon in the box.

Making fun of another person's language is ridiculous, ignorant, and downright racist. Maybe Shaq needs to take a look at the fact that this man is leaving his native country, his family, his friends, to a whole new land in which he's made fun of by his other basketball players. He's not even able to keep 100% of his income from basketball.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by DeltAlum

In the case of Shaq and his alleged remarks...who cares? This is sports.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, DeltAlum... so if another basketball player were to stand up in public, in the media spotlight and call Shaq a n*gger, is that okay? Because you know, its "just sports."

No, its not okay. What also is NOT okay is the double-standard. Nobody can say anything negative about African-American culture (and WOW, does Shaq represent his race well!) but its okay to poke fun at other cultures?

I'm amazed at people's insensitivity, and in DeltAlum's case, downright condonement of racism. You make me so proud to be an American, DeltAlum.

XOXO,
Annie.

THANK YOU.

The fact that Shaq is black does not excuse him from making comments that are so politically incorrect, they border on racist. Furthermore, I've been reading with dismay other posts on here which seem to excuse Shaq for his comment due to the fact that he's obviously not the brightest crayon in the box.

Making fun of another person's language is ridiculous, ignorant, and downright racist. Maybe Shaq needs to take a look at the fact that this man is leaving his native country, his family, his friends, to a whole new land in which he's made fun of by his other basketball players. He's not even able to keep 100% of his income from basketball.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by DeltAlum

In the case of Shaq and his alleged remarks...who cares? This is sports.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, DeltAlum... so if another basketball player were to stand up in public, in the media spotlight and call Shaq a n*gger, is that okay? Because you know, its "just sports."

No, its not okay. What also is NOT okay is the double-standard. Nobody can say anything negative about African-American culture (and WOW, does Shaq represent his race well!) but its okay to poke fun at other cultures?

I'm amazed at people's insensitivity, and in DeltAlum's case, downright condonement of racism. You make me so proud to be an American, DeltAlum.

XOXO,
Annie.

noo, I haven't heard anyone say he's dumb cause he's black, just that he's a dumbass. Dumbassness knows no race, creed or sexual preference...anyone can be one.

Shark -

I don't think anyone here is trying to excuse Shaq or to say he made an intelligent, open-minded comment. What they are saying is that there's a difference between a comment made in ignorance and one made in hate - and between dumb comments and actual action. I don't think anyone here thinks it's great that Shaq isn't "the sharpest crayon in the box"; most people have suggested he rethink his idea of a good joke. It's just that all bad things aren't equal. What he did calls for an apology and perhaps some sensitivity training, but not for an international trial a la Milosevic or the Nazis.

If we throw the book at someone for minor offenses, we're left with no way to punish the major offenses.

I'm going to apologize for my, rather, umm... rash comments. I don't regret them, but I do apologize if I offend anyone!

And I don't want to "throw the book" at him or anyone for racist commetns. I just want them to be idenified as racist!

XOXO,
Annie.

Blacks can't be racist, duh

I was offended, but I'll live and accept the appology for rashness with the understand that you aren't retracting the ideals or changing your mind. Does that sentence make sense?

Anyway, I do not condone racism in any way, but we probably disagree as to whether the comments and context in which they were made are racist. (See earlier posts vis-a-vis definitions, etc.) I see a pretty distinct difference between calling someone a clearly racist name, and making a poor attempt at humor using stereotyping.

I doubt that either of us will change our minds on that. So be it.

I'm a lot more concerned about a Trent Lott kind of situation than Shaq -- and that's really the crux of the matter to me.

As for the role model consideration mentioned by Champ -- it's a good point. My family doesn't consider (and never has) athletes as role models to begin with, so it didn't really occur to me at the time I was posting.

I don't think his comments prove Shaq is racist. (On the other hand, that doesn't mean he isn't, either.) Sports has a long history of trash-talking your opponents. Whether it's a high school pre-football game pep assembly, or professional athletes sniping at each other, it's a form of showmanship. Now I'm not saying it's mature or even a good idea! I'm just saying it has a whole lot of precedent.

But if you're going to put your opponent down, what are you going to use? Probably not a thoughtful analysis of strategy - athletes leave that to the sports reporters. And even if you know them well it probably won't be some detail of their life - after all, the point of trash talk is for the public to understand it, too. You're going to use whatever is blatantly and publicly distinctive about that person. If you wanted to put down Dennis Rodman, it would be some smartass comment about weird hair. If it's the Jamaican bobsled team, it's the fact that there isn't any snow in Jamaica. And in this case, since statistically Asian players are a rarity in the NBA, it's race. What else does your average basketball fan even know about the guy?

To my mind, it's a good reason to turn off the ESPN. I personally admire the athlete who succeeds without the bluster.

I just think that Shaq's comment probably falls into the column of Idiotic Macho Sports Talk rather than racism. It's more like "We're going to smack the Polytechnic Engineers with their own slide rules!" than anything. It doesn't mean you actually hate engineers; it means you want your football team to defeat theirs. (And with a lame phrase like that, you can see why I never wrote school assembly skits.)

Trent Lott said he was just kidding to.

ugh, please.:rolleyes:

every white person who dares to say anything demeaning to someone non-white is IMMEDIATELY labeled as a racist and there is a huge media write up about it and al sharpton somehow manages to get involved.

it makes me laugh how this "article" immediately plays devils advocate and says "yeah he said it but these are the reasons why he's not racist".

whatever. :rolleyes:

You know, I've been bothered by comments like Shaq's that I've heard on local radio stations here. There's this hip hop song called "React" that features a sample of what I'm pretty sure is Indian singing and then the guy says "Whatever she said then I'm that." I swear that whenever I hear that song on the radio, the DJs talk over the end and sing weird pretend Chinese stuff like "ooo ching ah oh" or "ching chang mah po" and whatever other Chinese sounding words they can think of at the time, not unlike what Shaq said. It's always bothered me, but it got me wondering why *some* people in the black community find it funny or acceptable to do that. Of course, the other thing that really gets me is that the sample isn't even Chinese!!!

I do, however, think that this type of thing qualifies as ignorant rather than racist. As far as kids looking up to people like Shaq -- I think that if kids hear Shaq (or anyone) talking like that, it gives parents a perfect opportunity to educate them about respecting other cultures and people.

Actually, as the one who started this thread, the "article" I posted was just a column about Shaq's comment. So the "article" was based on the columnist's opinion. FYI, the media has chosen to turn the other way and not make a big deal out of this because a reporter called the Los Angeles Times, Sports Illustrated, the Associated Press, and other media outlets offering them this information, and they were not interested in doing the story.

Everyone is going to have his/her opinion on whether Shaq's comment was racist, but nonetheless, it shows his ignorance and downright lack of respect for Yao. Shaq is a public figure who is always in the spotlight, and yes, to many people he is definitely seen as a role model. If children saw what Shaq said, who's to say that they are not going to imitate their role model? Sports figure or not, he is in the public eye and people look up to him.

As someone had mentioned earlier, I am also disappointed at some people's views about excusing him because he may not be the brightest in the bunch. I guess until you have faced racism, like I have, you do not know how it feels and could never really understand how hurtful one comment against your ethnicity could be....no matter how big or small.

In my case it is opposite. The reason why I am not that sensitive to so-called or even real racist remarks is not because I haven't faced racism...it's because I have faced LOADS of it as a kid. I've been called every racist name and told every racist comment out of the book day in and day out. Silly comments like this is nothing compared to what i've witnessed or been told in the past. Perhaps I've just developed thick skin.

Perhaps you're just retarded.

Anyhow, I hung around with mostly black guys in high school and we called eachother every name in the book. I dropped the N-bomb, slavery, ashy, whatever else I could use to make a joke on them and they returned the favor about hispanics with picking grapes in the field, outrunning the boarder patrol and making burritos

It was all jokin and I'm sure Shaq was just joking.

Anyhow, I don't think any WHITE person should ever make a fuss about double standards or being treated unfairly because blacks are still at a disadvantage, even in this day.

Re: Re: Dictionary time...
 

who cares? why not ask an asian person before you run your mouth. i'm asian, i sure as hell was offended. i'm sure if you said the same thing to an asian person...you'd quickly find a foot in your ass. what the hell does sport have to do with ignorance. i really don't care if anyone (directed at the general public)in here faced racism when they were little kids, i've faced it too. thats not NOW. and what the hell does YOUR childhood memories and bad experiences have to do with HIS ignorance? that doesn't make it any less hurtful. i've been called chink, jap, even spic before by people who said it was just "joking." after i retaliated, they didn't think i was kidding around.

Yeah, cuz violence is the answer, huh?

:rolleyes:

Re: Re: Re: Dictionary time...
 

When you're ready to discuss OPINIONS as adults, I'll be happy to respond in kind.

By the way, don't make assumptions about who is and/or isn't a minority. You might be surprized at what you don't know.

If you want to rely on catch phrases like run your mouth and foot in other body cavities, make sure the first two are disengaged.

I agree but also disagree. I don't think ANY person should really make a fuss about double standards. There are people of all walks of life that are at a disadvantage because of so many different factors, not just race.

People sure do project too often, don't they. If someone says that something is offensive and racist, why question it??? He's telling you that HE found it offensive and racist. You are free to feel any damn way you feel, but HE felt that way.

-Rudey

*applause*

XOXO,
Annie.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Dictionary time...
 

why are you getting offended? i didn't make any assumption on what race you are. you asked who cares....i'm not the only one who blasted you on that comment. i really don't give a damn about what nationality you are, you asked who cares...i do. if someone came up to me and said stuff like that, i'm not going to take it lying down. i guess i care. and if you would actually read my post instead just of my aggressive language, maybe you'd realize what i was saying. it's not hard.

i guess some people can't really understand that, huh?

i'm not even saying all that, but i'm not about to back down from someone who doesn't respect me. hate to say it, but SOMETIMES you need to smack someone in the mouth for them to give you any sort of respect.

starang, I think you need to chill out.

Yeah so I'm Asian too, but I gotta agree with DeltAlum on this one.

Why? Because Shaq's a friggin idiot. This isn't the first time he's acted like a dumbass. Last time I checked, being a dumbass is different from being a racist.

His comments are somewhat similar to the fun we poke at the Japanese tourists here everyday. "Oh there goes that friggin' BOBURA again..." Yes, it's dumb. But should we really bitch about it? If you want to bitch just for the sake of bitching [like some of the posts in this thread], be my guest.

If Shaq one day became the Director of National Homeland Security, then I'd start giving a damn. But for now I won't be wasting my time thinking about it.