Racists and racistists, your thoughts please

[CHNOPS]

A member of the Greek Olympic team was removed for making racist comments on her Twitter feed. (Story here.)

Here is what she said:

“With so many Africans in Greece … at least the West Nile mosquitos will eat homemade food!!!”

I can't find the racism here. The Africans she's referring to are actual Africans—recent immigrants from Africa to Greece. The Nile is in Africa. It's a joke that uses the word "Africans," but does that alone make it racist?

I'd be interested in your thought on this. Does it strike you as racist? If so, I'd love to hear why.

Love,
Sonny

P.S. Also: rape and abortion.

 

[Wings]

I am against rape except in the case of a medical emergency.

 

[blobfish]

It seems fine to me. Some people might be offended because the Greek made a joke about the West Nile virus, which kills people. It's definitely not racist, though.

 

[Wings]

What if the Africans laughed about how the mosquitos biting the Greeks must enjoy the taste of feta?

 

[blobfish]

What if the Africans laughed about how the mosquitos biting the Greeks must enjoy the taste of feta?

That would be dumb.

 

[pete]

i thought it was a stupid thing to say, but then i saw she was kinda hawt so obviously she gets a pass.

next case.

 

[kbate]

I would answer, but I feel as if it is important for me to wait for Rory to provide guidance as to the degree of outrage I should feel toward either the Africans, the Greek athlete or to the Greek Olympic committee.

Plus I do not know if that joke is divisible by 5 if told in Greek, It is in English and it is not in Swahili.

 

[Recidiva]

I would think the mosquitos should be offended, but they're in the pocket of Big Malaria and of course the lobbying is insane.

 

[rosco rathbone]

It would be nice if we could all take this kind of thing at face value without digging for the underlying contempt. There's not really anything "racist" about it per se, any more than there is in calling New York "Jew York". (After all, there are more Jews in NYC than anywhere except Florida, according to my CIA Factbook.)

 

[blobfish]

It would be nice if we could all take this kind of thing at face value without digging for the underlying contempt. There's not really anything "racist" about it per se, any more than there is in calling New York "Jew York". (After all, there are more Jews in NYC than anywhere except Florida, according to my CIA Factbook.)

No shit! The place is fucking Hymietown. You can't throw a brick without hitting a Goldberg or Rothstein. It's funny how there are so many hot dog carts.

 

[CHNOPS]

Hmmm "Jew York" seems like a slightly different story, since it feels qualitative. But something along the lines of "I went fishing in the East River and caught a gefilte fish" doesn't. It's just quantitative: there are a lot of Jews in New York.

I perceive the Greek joke the same way. She said nothing good or bad, she just made a joke based on the NUMBER of recent African immigrants.

I'm missing the slight--but don't want to, if there's one there.

Agreed on the pass for hotness, btw.

 

[lovetoread]

I am offended by all of the words in this thread.

 

[richard_daily]

A member of the Greek Olympic team was removed for making racist comments on her Twitter feed. (Story here.)

Here is what she said:

“With so many Africans in Greece … at least the West Nile mosquitos will eat homemade food!!!”

I can't find the racism here. The Africans she's referring to are actual Africans—recent immigrants from Africa to Greece. The Nile is in Africa. It's a joke that uses the word "Africans," but does that alone make it racist?

I'd be interested in your thought on this. Does it strike you as racist? If so, I'd love to hear why.

Love,
Sonny

P.S. Also: rape and abortion.

That doesnt' strike me as racist, but I also don't know if anything was possibly lost in translation.

Far more racist things are said on the GB on a daily basis.

 

[badbabysitter]

it's only mildy offensive untill you take into account her past history of posting excerpts from the far-right neo-nazi Party the Golden Dawn in her other posts

 

[blobfish]

it's only mildy offensive untill you take into account her past history of posting excerpts from the far-right neo-nazi Party the Golden Dawn in her other posts

But then she should have been booted for the Nazi stuff, not this.

 

[CHNOPS]

it's only mildy offensive untill you take into account her past history of posting excerpts from the far-right neo-nazi Party the Golden Dawn in her other posts

OK, slice off the last part for a second and talk me through the offense, mild though it is.

 

[badbabysitter]

But then she should have been booted for the Nazi stuff, not this.

posting party rehtoric and then actually saying something racially offensive are two different things

 

[badbabysitter]

OK, slice off the last part for a second and talk me through the offense, mild though it is.

all Africans carry West Nile?

really?

 

[Recidiva]

it's only mildy offensive untill you take into account her past history of posting excerpts from the far-right neo-nazi Party the Golden Dawn in her other posts

Well, yeah, if true, the context tips it.

 

[Recidiva]

posting party rehtoric and then actually saying something racially offensive are two different things

When the party in question has as their stated goal the extinction of other races...it's not that different.

 

[blobfish]

posting party rehtoric and then actually saying something racially offensive are two different things

That sounds absurd. "The Jews should burn in ovens" is alright, but "Africans have West Nile" isn't?

 

[CHNOPS]

all Africans carry West Nile?

really?

That's not what she said, though. She said that the West Nile Mosquitos--mosquitos from Africa--would be eating homemade food--people from Africa.

Is there offense there?

 

[kbate]

all Africans carry West Nile?

really?

What?

 

[Wings]

That sounds absurd. "The Jews should burn in ovens" is alright, but "Africans have West Nile" isn't?

It does sound absurd but not as an example as you've provided here.


If she retweets or posts something that a neo-nazi group said with the intent of showing her beliefs match, that's much worse.

 

[badbabysitter]

That sounds absurd. "The Jews should burn in ovens" is alright, but "Africans have West Nile" isn't?

because none of her Golden Dawn posts have ever espoused their philosophies on minorities


it was only when she opened her big yap on the issue did it come to bite her in the ass