The Radikelous Qantas PC debacle

[dave]

All this shouting about political correctness is why most of the world thinks Australia is a racist country. While the intent obviously wasn't racist in this instance, blackface is seen as a symbol of racism almost universally so Quantas (being a global corporation and all,) probably should have had a think about that before they put a picture on their Twitter.

Yep, Qantas' PR dept fucked up. But honestly, and it's been more or less covered in previous posts, "Blackface" was used in the US as a form of mockery. I imagine with those two fans mockery (and the US) was the furthest thing from their minds. And this is as it should be. If you take something that has an awful connotation and attach something positive to it you can change its definition. They were celebrating Samo. Imitation, obviously without mockery, is the sincerest form of flattery.

 

[Richo]

All this shouting about political correctness is why most of the world thinks Australia is a racist country. While the intent obviously wasn't racist in this instance, blackface is seen as a symbol of racism almost universally so Quantas (being a global corporation and all,) probably should have had a think about that before they put a picture on their Twitter.

Very well put.

 

[Clawhammer]

Did you know that 'hip, hip hooray' is adapted from the german saying 'hep, hep', which was used as a call to arms used by germans when killing jewish people in the ghettos? Should we ban celebrations with those words, because in another part of the world they have a racist connotation? Fuck that! Sadly, there is enough true racism here without us inventing new shit out of the air.

I'm pretty sure you just made that up. The 'hip hip horay' chant derives from an old English saying and it used to be 'hip hip huzah'.

 

[Blackjack]

I'm pretty sure you just made that up. The 'hip hip horay' chant derives from an old English saying and it used to be 'hip hip huzah'.

It was off a website that listed common saying that have a racist origin. Maybe they made it up. Who knows, but i'm sure you can find plenty of other examples that highlight the same point - what is offensive requires context.

Edit - just wiki'ed hip hip hooray and it confirmed my original post - read about the hep hep riots listed at the bottom. This is pretty off topic now though. Just a petty defense, proving im not "making this up"

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

over the top reaction for sure.
Samo didn't seem to have a problem with it in his picture with them!
really don't see how that is racist.

 

[todd4]

At least I know now what Digby was up to with his blonde hair, he's takin' the piss out of white guys...

 

[Sully]

I think Qantas was right to take down the photo because many of their clients are from countries that may find it offensive. But I don't find it offensive and 99% of Australians would agree. I do find Black Face comedy offencive but that is not what this is. This is a couple of guys showing respect to a rugby player. We need to move on.

On a side note there are plenty of us with Kanaka heritage who would disagree with the statement that there was no slavery in Australia.

 

[Braveheart81]

What about James O'Connor being nicknamed Bieber?

Are we insulting both Canadians and lesbians?

 

[TOCC]

when Hollywood does it, its a comedy

 

[AngrySeahorse]

What about James O'Connor being nicknamed Bieber?

Are we insulting both Canadians and lesbians?

LMAO, I'm offended now that you've made the connection.

when Hollywood does it, its a comedy

Hollywood is very hypocritical I find. Thats why I love watching South Park they are rip the shit out of Hollywood whilst at the same time they arent what you'd describe as red necks.

The thing that gets me in all this is that Samo really didnt give a stuff and all this talk about 'other peoples contexts' why cant people then look at it from OUR context that it isnt offensive (for most of us anyways).

 

[REDinCPT]

it seems like a pretty weird way to pay tribute to someone. i haven't seen too many black guys paint themselves white.

 

[Mr Doug]

My skin is white and my eyes are blue, and as a "third-generation Australian", I regard myself as an INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN! (Definition: "Originating in a particular land or country").

 

[TOCC]

My skin is white and my eyes are blue, and as a "third-generation Australian", I regard myself as an INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN! (Definition: "Originating in a particular land or country").

sigh

 

[Moses]

At least I know now what Digby was up to with his blonde hair, he's takin' the piss out of white guys...

I thought he was going for this look

 

[Newter]

It is a really tough issue, context is everything, these guys were clearly celebrating Samo, but the same dress can mean

So in the eyes of someone who don't understand or know the context, the worst is the default.

It was a dumb PR move by Qantas as a couple of wigs would have gotten them the same coverage, without the negative context.

Spot on.

 

[Newter]

Seriously, can we deport all the PC Fascists from this country?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/mo...-blackface-stunt/story-fn7x8me2-1226123983788

It took this, for a story even close to resembling Rugby, to appear in the Herald Sun's feature article on their site.

I saw these blokes on the coverage, and thought that was awesome.

There are millions of black people who would not think it was awesome.

Never a great idea to draw attention to the colour of someone's skin.

 

[darkhorse]

What a joke. They were supporting him, he wasn't offended, it wasn't malicious in any way. I can't really add anything else.

 

[Moses]

Would wigs have been offensive to people with Afro's?

 

[Gnostic]

:

This shit will go on for at least 10 pages, as it does everytime somebody brings up just how racist Australia is supposed to be.

Context and intent are important and no matter what you say somewhere in the world somebody could take offence at what you say. So the PC/appologist brigade would impose the standards of other cultures on ours. As has been said this was a light hearted imitation of Radike who this pair of "fans" rated their favourite, as many Tahs fans wore wigs all year for TPN. I don't give a toss what Americans or English or any other nation thinks, in the CONTEXT and INTENT there was nothing wrong with what this pair did.

I have had this same argument before when having a discussion on cricket and an Australian was accused of racism for talking about the Paki team. The PC brigade was so strident that the term Paki was racist everywhere because of the apparent negative usage the term gets in England/Britain. So was the usage racist, of course not, and to highlight the stupidity in the same conversation the terms Windy and Saffa were also used which highlights where and why in Australia the term Paki came from and its use.

 

[chief]

This makes me infuriated. What we have is a couple of complaints stemming from a couple of PC stooges who didn't even watch the game, yet alone a Rugby game ever criticizing a couple of blokes out there playing tribute to their favourite rugby player. I read some of the Twitter comments, and all the complaints seemed to be because of the Blackface history. Well that is African American history, and their is clear daylight between African American and Fijian people. Their culture is different, and they have had no problems with intergrating in Australia excepting one or two circumstances. In fact I know a couple of Fijian people and I asked one for his opinion and he was outraged as he thinks their is a distinction beneath the fact that he is a different colour to me, in fact he argues that despite they share a closer skin resemblance to African American's then me as a white person, that there is a significant difference between them. And he would like to be seen as Fijian or Melanesian as opposed to 'just' Black.

Their is a clear distinction, and there is no Political Incorrectness about this photo.

Also if Radike Samo wasn't offended, then no one else should.