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

Haha I just thought of that! Yeah I should amend my previous comment actually -- the anchor thing makes it different just because speaking always leaves the chance for danger, especially if it's unscripted like an interview or whatever.

 

This is exactly right. If you don't know it's offensive, you shouldn't be in that position.

 

The "shine" thing has always been a difficult one for me.

It's a perfectly good word, and kind of archaic in terms of a slur.

On the other hand, if another word fits just as well and there's no reason to use it, well, I don't.

 

I've heard "shine" used as derogatory term, but it's been a long time.

And, it can be used legitimately in a story. Is anyone giggling at the headline, "Kobe Shines in Lakers victory"?

There's no way someone refers to a "chink in the armor" if the story didn't involve Lin.

 

And now that there's a comparison scorecard of who's being the most racially offensive, I still say Whitlock was the meanest and most vile of them all.

 

Maybe I was hearing things, but I could have sworn this happened a couple of days ago. ESPN was airing a radio interview with Lin (I believe it was Michael Kay), and Lin was asked what his parents and family thought about all of the attention, and he responded with something along the lines of "They think it's Lin-sane."

Cut back to the studio, and I could have sworn John Anderson said, "Wow, that was pretty good. I thought he'd have trouble pronouncing the 'L'."

Again, I'm not positive that's what was said, but I'm pretty close to positive.

 

ESPN's apology goes straight up its collect WWL ass, IMO. Apologies are shallow, but sadly, this the society we live in. Just apologize, then everybody moves on, and everything is just fine again.

Now' to address the shit-happens-on-deadline side of the fence, I've worked swing-shift deadline for 25 years myself. Combine that with the day and age in which we live, and what we supposedly have learned about race and whatnot over the years, and there is no way this ever should have happened.

 

There's a really sick, twisted part of me that wishes Doodah had an opinion about this.

 

Not really fair to dismiss the apology, as it came without reservation and accompanied by some pretty severe actions. This was not the standard "sorry if you're offended, now let's move on" pap.

 

In terms of the actual apology, I'm really not sure what else could have been said.

 

I still am curious why the headline writer was fired, but the anchor only suspended. If you're going to make an issue of it, I don't see much difference...except that one guy is the anchor, and a bigger name, while the other is...not.

Especially given that Bretos' wife is of Asian descent, I would argue that the reverse result could occur with this, too.

As we've supposedly learned more and become more knowledgeable, open, enlightened and comfortable with issues of race, then the tendency would be for said issue to become, well, less of an issue.

Therefore, people might actually think less about problems that might give offense. That happens when you are at ease with something.

Absolute awareness is often nothing more than political correctness, not genuine or honest interest or respect for something or somene different than you are.

 

Don't the anchors write their own material?