Mothership lets a racial slur slip in a headline on its mobile browser

Azrael · Feb 21, 2012

Poynter:

espn.go.com/blog/poynterreview/post/_/id/254/reflections-on-espns-apologies-actions#comment

PCLoadLetter · Feb 21, 2012

Azrael said:

Poynter:

espn.go.com/blog/poynterreview/post/_/id/254/reflections-on-espns-apologies-actions#comment
Click to expand...

I hate to agree with Poynter.... but I agree with Poynter. Pretty good summation of the whole thing.

Ace · Feb 21, 2012

H.L. Mencken said:

MightyMouse said:

H.L. Mencken said:

You're a moron. Chink in the armor means crack or flaw. It does not mean Asian person. He's not making a plan on words. He's using a common idiom, which not a single person would have given a second thought to had he said it about Carmelo.

Instead of focusing on gotcha stupidity, try to combat actual racism.
Click to expand...

Hmm. There is a flow to this logic. Unfortunately, that flow is coming straight out of your rear end.

You absolutely canNOT use that phrase in connection with Jeremy Lin, or anyone else of Asian descent. It's not even an arguable point.
Click to expand...

Keep fighting pointless "word" battles, folks. And keep ignoring the real problems. It's the same kind of thinking that forces us to crucify someone who used the word "niggardly" even though the word has nothing at all to do with the offensive and racist n-word. It just sounds similar, so we have to be offended. It's what allows us to ignore real problems, real ignorance, but feel like we're doing something.
Click to expand...

You know what real ignorance is? Using a cliche like "chink in the armor" as a headline for a story about an Asian-American basketball player.

Guy_Incognito · Feb 21, 2012

Ace said:

H.L. Mencken said:

MightyMouse said:

H.L. Mencken said:

You're a moron. Chink in the armor means crack or flaw. It does not mean Asian person. He's not making a plan on words. He's using a common idiom, which not a single person would have given a second thought to had he said it about Carmelo.

Instead of focusing on gotcha stupidity, try to combat actual racism.
Click to expand...

Hmm. There is a flow to this logic. Unfortunately, that flow is coming straight out of your rear end.

You absolutely canNOT use that phrase in connection with Jeremy Lin, or anyone else of Asian descent. It's not even an arguable point.
Click to expand...

Keep fighting pointless "word" battles, folks. And keep ignoring the real problems. It's the same kind of thinking that forces us to crucify someone who used the word "niggardly" even though the word has nothing at all to do with the offensive and racist n-word. It just sounds similar, so we have to be offended. It's what allows us to ignore real problems, real ignorance, but feel like we're doing something.
Click to expand...

You know what real ignorance is? Using a cliche like "chink in the armor" as a headline for a story about an Asian-American basketball player.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but no it isn't. Language pet peeve of mine: the co-opting of the word ignorant, a perfectly fine and valuable word, for racist. They mean different things.

H.L. Mencken · Feb 21, 2012

Ace said:

H.L. Mencken said:

MightyMouse said:

H.L. Mencken said:

You're a moron. Chink in the armor means crack or flaw. It does not mean Asian person. He's not making a plan on words. He's using a common idiom, which not a single person would have given a second thought to had he said it about Carmelo.

Instead of focusing on gotcha stupidity, try to combat actual racism.
Click to expand...

Hmm. There is a flow to this logic. Unfortunately, that flow is coming straight out of your rear end.

You absolutely canNOT use that phrase in connection with Jeremy Lin, or anyone else of Asian descent. It's not even an arguable point.
Click to expand...

Keep fighting pointless "word" battles, folks. And keep ignoring the real problems. It's the same kind of thinking that forces us to crucify someone who used the word "niggardly" even though the word has nothing at all to do with the offensive and racist n-word. It just sounds similar, so we have to be offended. It's what allows us to ignore real problems, real ignorance, but feel like we're doing something.
Click to expand...

You know what real ignorance is? Using a cliche like "chink in the armor" as a headline for a story about an Asian-American basketball player.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, which is why we're not talking about the headline. We're talking about the cliche the ESPN News anchor used. If you'd like to eliminate the use of cliches in broadcasting, of boring cultural idioms spoken off the top of the top of the head, good luck filling 24 hours of programing. Because those cliches represent about 70 percent of the talking.

MightyMouse · Feb 21, 2012

H.L. Mencken said:

Ace said:

H.L. Mencken said:

MightyMouse said:

H.L. Mencken said:

You're a moron. Chink in the armor means crack or flaw. It does not mean Asian person. He's not making a plan on words. He's using a common idiom, which not a single person would have given a second thought to had he said it about Carmelo.

Instead of focusing on gotcha stupidity, try to combat actual racism.
Click to expand...

Hmm. There is a flow to this logic. Unfortunately, that flow is coming straight out of your rear end.

You absolutely canNOT use that phrase in connection with Jeremy Lin, or anyone else of Asian descent. It's not even an arguable point.
Click to expand...

Keep fighting pointless "word" battles, folks. And keep ignoring the real problems. It's the same kind of thinking that forces us to crucify someone who used the word "niggardly" even though the word has nothing at all to do with the offensive and racist n-word. It just sounds similar, so we have to be offended. It's what allows us to ignore real problems, real ignorance, but feel like we're doing something.
Click to expand...

You know what real ignorance is? Using a cliche like "chink in the armor" as a headline for a story about an Asian-American basketball player.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, which is why we're not talking about the headline. We're talking about the cliche the ESPN News anchor used. If you'd like to eliminate the use of cliches in broadcasting, of boring cultural idioms spoken off the top of the top of the head, good luck filling 24 hours of programing. Because those cliches represent about 70 percent of the talking.
Click to expand...

So, you're in favor of archaisms and cliches -- racist or otherwise?

Ace · Feb 21, 2012

H.L. Mencken said:

MightyMouse said:

H.L. Mencken said:

You're a moron. Chink in the armor means crack or flaw. It does not mean Asian person. He's not making a plan on words. He's using a common idiom, which not a single person would have given a second thought to had he said it about Carmelo.

Instead of focusing on gotcha stupidity, try to combat actual racism.
Click to expand...

Hmm. There is a flow to this logic. Unfortunately, that flow is coming straight out of your rear end.

You absolutely canNOT use that phrase in connection with Jeremy Lin, or anyone else of Asian descent. It's not even an arguable point.
Click to expand...

Keep fighting pointless "word" battles, folks. And keep ignoring the real problems. It's the same kind of thinking that forces us to crucify someone who used the word "niggardly" even though the word has nothing at all to do with the offensive and racist n-word. It just sounds similar, so we have to be offended. It's what allows us to ignore real problems, real ignorance, but feel like we're doing something.
Click to expand...

Let me get this straight -- if the word "niggardly" was used more often, racism could be dispatched more quickly?

H.L. Mencken · Feb 21, 2012

MightyMouse said:

H.L. Mencken said:

Ace said:

H.L. Mencken said:

MightyMouse said:

H.L. Mencken said:

You're a moron. Chink in the armor means crack or flaw. It does not mean Asian person. He's not making a plan on words. He's using a common idiom, which not a single person would have given a second thought to had he said it about Carmelo.

Instead of focusing on gotcha stupidity, try to combat actual racism.
Click to expand...

Hmm. There is a flow to this logic. Unfortunately, that flow is coming straight out of your rear end.

You absolutely canNOT use that phrase in connection with Jeremy Lin, or anyone else of Asian descent. It's not even an arguable point.
Click to expand...

Keep fighting pointless "word" battles, folks. And keep ignoring the real problems. It's the same kind of thinking that forces us to crucify someone who used the word "niggardly" even though the word has nothing at all to do with the offensive and racist n-word. It just sounds similar, so we have to be offended. It's what allows us to ignore real problems, real ignorance, but feel like we're doing something.
Click to expand...

You know what real ignorance is? Using a cliche like "chink in the armor" as a headline for a story about an Asian-American basketball player.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, which is why we're not talking about the headline. We're talking about the cliche the ESPN News anchor used. If you'd like to eliminate the use of cliches in broadcasting, of boring cultural idioms spoken off the top of the top of the head, good luck filling 24 hours of programing. Because those cliches represent about 70 percent of the talking.
Click to expand...

So, you're in favor of archaisms and cliches -- racist or otherwise?
Click to expand...

I'm saying cliches in broadcasting and regular speech are unavoidable. It's a freaking waste of time to play language police when it's obvious there was no intent here. If, in the course of a lengthy interview about whether or not Carmelo Anthony was going to be traded, the anchor said "So Ric Bucher, spin the beans, where is he going to end up?" would he be making racist allusions to the fact that Carmelo is half Puerto Rican? Of course not.

The anchor's wife is Asian, for pete's sake. It's about using common sense. Fire the guy who wrote the headline? I'm totally on board. Publicly shame someone for using a common idiom to make it look like you're taking serious action is just silly. An apology would have been enough.

Meanwhile, Jason Whitlock WENT OUT OF HIS WAY to make a Asians-have-small-dicks joke, and wasn't suspended by his employer. That's what you should be bitching about. Save the outrage for obvious -- not accidental -- ignorance please.

dreunc1542 · Feb 21, 2012

Ace said:

H.L. Mencken said:

MightyMouse said:

H.L. Mencken said:

You're a moron. Chink in the armor means crack or flaw. It does not mean Asian person. He's not making a plan on words. He's using a common idiom, which not a single person would have given a second thought to had he said it about Carmelo.

Instead of focusing on gotcha stupidity, try to combat actual racism.
Click to expand...

Hmm. There is a flow to this logic. Unfortunately, that flow is coming straight out of your rear end.

You absolutely canNOT use that phrase in connection with Jeremy Lin, or anyone else of Asian descent. It's not even an arguable point.
Click to expand...

Keep fighting pointless "word" battles, folks. And keep ignoring the real problems. It's the same kind of thinking that forces us to crucify someone who used the word "niggardly" even though the word has nothing at all to do with the offensive and racist n-word. It just sounds similar, so we have to be offended. It's what allows us to ignore real problems, real ignorance, but feel like we're doing something.
Click to expand...

Let me get this straight -- if the word "niggardly" was used more often, racism could be dispatched more quickly?
Click to expand...

Precisely. If we weren't so niggardly about using niggardly, racism would end.

Ace · Feb 21, 2012

dreunc1542 said:

Ace said:

H.L. Mencken said:

MightyMouse said:

H.L. Mencken said:

You're a moron. Chink in the armor means crack or flaw. It does not mean Asian person. He's not making a plan on words. He's using a common idiom, which not a single person would have given a second thought to had he said it about Carmelo.

Instead of focusing on gotcha stupidity, try to combat actual racism.
Click to expand...

Hmm. There is a flow to this logic. Unfortunately, that flow is coming straight out of your rear end.

You absolutely canNOT use that phrase in connection with Jeremy Lin, or anyone else of Asian descent. It's not even an arguable point.
Click to expand...

Keep fighting pointless "word" battles, folks. And keep ignoring the real problems. It's the same kind of thinking that forces us to crucify someone who used the word "niggardly" even though the word has nothing at all to do with the offensive and racist n-word. It just sounds similar, so we have to be offended. It's what allows us to ignore real problems, real ignorance, but feel like we're doing something.
Click to expand...

Let me get this straight -- if the word "niggardly" was used more often, racism could be dispatched more quickly?
Click to expand...

Precisely. If we weren't so niggardly about using niggardly, racism would end.
Click to expand...

Thanks for kicking us off, Dr. Dreunc.

LongTimeListener · Feb 21, 2012

Looks like we're in a Mexican standoff.

Biscayne · Feb 21, 2012

So it's a felony to write it in a headline, but only a misdemeanor to say it on TV? I don't get that. If it's bad one way, it's just as bad the other.

Agree with the point about Whitlock. Major offense for piling on at the further expense of Asians. Does he have something against minorities?

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Mothership lets a racial slur slip in a headline on its mobile browser

Azrael Well-Known Member

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Mothership lets a racial slur slip in a headline on its mobile browser

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