Racist or Not?

[MJsGhost]

if you want to relate it racism, your just as bad as the supposed racist journalist.

Really?

Seeing how something can be construed as racist (or sexist or homophobic?) makes one as racist (or sexist or homophobic?) as the person responsible for it?

He isn't making Balotelli out to look like an ape.

So depicting Balotelli as an overgrown film ape, isn't making him look like an ape?

Even if the overall aim was to depict victory over the English, or keeping them at bay (still not getting the King Kong reference), or whatever the excuse was, he still depicted Balotelli as an ape!

Why not a William Wallace mock-up, or the battle of Hastings? I can see the conversation now.... "Oh no, Braveheart / 1066 don't fit because Balotelli doesn't look Scottish, or Norman... but hey, he is a bit like an ape isn't he! Let's run with King Kong!"

Surely even the most naive can see that given the abhorrent connection racists make between apes/monkeys and black people, it's a very bad idea to depict a black player as an ape because it reinforces the whole disgusting idea in the first place.

The artist not realising this just shows how far behind Italy is when it comes to race relations, tolerance and acceptance.

I'm not sure if you really believe what you're saying, or you've just dug yourself into a hole, but your views really do make no sense at all to me.

 

[daveinprague]

Of course its racist ffs... to even consider defending it as anything else is a bit naive.

 

[NickBHAFC18]

Really?

Seeing how something can be construed as racist (or sexist or homophobic?) makes one as racist (or sexist or homophobic?) as the person responsible for it?



So depicting Balotelli as an overgrown film ape, isn't making him look like an ape?

Even if the overall aim was to depict victory over the English, or keeping them at bay (still not getting the King Kong reference), or whatever the excuse was, he still depicted Balotelli as an ape!

Why not a William Wallace mock-up, or the battle of Hastings? I can see the conversation now.... "Oh no, Braveheart / 1066 don't fit because Balotelli doesn't look Scottish, or Norman... but hey, he is a bit like an ape isn't he! Let's run with King Kong!"

Surely even the most naive can see that given the abhorrent connection racists make between apes/monkeys and black people, it's a very bad idea to depict a black player as an ape because it reinforces the whole disgusting idea in the first place.

The artist not realising this just shows how far behind Italy is when it comes to race relations, tolerance and acceptance.

I'm not sure if you really believe what you're saying, or you've just dug yourself into a whole, but your views really do make no sense at all to me.

Obviously I am not getting my point across clear enough for you to understand, but I can no longer be bothered to debate this, and I'm not the only one who shares my view.

But with regards to the William Wallace/Battle of Hastings reference, try drawing a simple cartoon to demonstrate that. And outside of the UK, those 2 events are basically unknown, readers wouldn't have a clue what the cartoon would be about. Hence the reason the imagine of King Kong is used, as its a famous, worldwide image for everyone to understand.

 

[daveinprague]

How a cartoon, depicting Balotelli as a gorilla is not intentionally being racist is completely beyond me.
Show the cartoon to a black people and ask them if they think its racist. I can guarantee that you will meet
people who really dont share your view.
In fact, its hard to think of anything ive seen in recent years that is more blatently racist.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Racist or not, that is one shit drawing.

The chap on the left is excellent though, photorealistic I think they call it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Racist or not, it is definitely grade f***ing A stupid and incensitive given Ballotelli's experiences with racism. Given this I can only assume there is an agenda at play.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

And why would an established cartoonist for a leading Italian newspaper intentionally publish a racist picture internationally, knowing he could loose everything and will cause up roar

The rules are a little different in Italy my friend. You could ask how could a corrupt and sexist politician increase his popularity by demonstrating even more corruption and sexism. I do not know the answer to this but it happened.

 

[MJsGhost]

Obviously I am not getting my point across clear enough for you to understand, but I can no longer be bothered to debate this, and I'm not the only one who shares my view.

But with regards to the William Wallace/Battle of Hastings reference, try drawing a simple cartoon to demonstrate that. And outside of the UK, those 2 events are basically unknown, readers wouldn't have a clue what the cartoon would be about. Hence the reason the imagine of King Kong is used, as its a famous, worldwide image for everyone to understand.

OK, so the Italians won't necessarily know about 1066, but I think Braveheart did quite well at the cinema (globally?). Anyway, given that it's an Italian paper, it could be argued that a more fitting image would be the Roman conquest of England/Britain, so I wonder why they didn't depict him in full centurian garb? Would that not sit well with the right-leaning amongst their readership?

It's not really a case of your point not being clear, it's that it makes no sense.

the imagine of King Kong is used, as its a famous, worldwide image for everyone to understand.

To understand that they think Balotelli is basically an ape?

 

[W.C.]

And why would an established cartoonist for a leading Italian newspaper intentionally publish a racist picture

why would an established cartoonist for a leading Italian newspaper intentionally publish such a SHITE cartoon?

Why aren't there Spitfires firing at him? Why only a few feeble footballs?

Unbelievably stupid cartoon.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

If a white school teacher calls a black child a 'cheeky monkey' would that be racist? Not necessarily. Similarly, comparing Balotelli to King Kong is not necessarily racist.

At best, it would be spectacularly ill-judged and naive to be reprising previously used themes of racial stereotyping on someone of a different race (and for which, someone should be held to account for their actions). However, it still might not be backed by a view that one race is inherently superior or inferior to another.