Was This Racist Or Just A Bit Of Fun?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2665775/FIFA-probe-claims-Germany-fans-wore-black-face-makeup-Ghana-game.html

If you think it racist, please explain what particular harm was done.

[Peter Pedant]

Yes it identifies a particular trace.

and no - Racism requires harm to be Racism is AOG's first non-sequitur of today ( times at 9 am )

and Yes I am saying AOG that if you are in a room by yourself and you say 'The Jews were never killed in gas chambers ' then you are being racist even tho there may be no harm done.

[Zacs-Master]

Do you REALLY need to be told what harm was done, or are you just playing devils advocate?

[Peter Pedant]

.

teenagers say fings like - she didnt need it so I knicked it, what harm in that ?

[jim360]

By now if you think that it's socially acceptable to "black up" then even if you aren't doing it to be racist intentionally that just makes you look ignorant.

[royfromaus]

Good fun.
I along with my sons will be attending the finals of the euro's in 2016 dressed as Göring, Hitler and Himmler. If England meet Germany along the way...it should be a riot.

[Gromit]

No I do not think it is racist. For it to be would mean that there was intent to ridicule the Ghana team/fans, and that does not appear to be the motive.

It could be interpreted as disrespectful to the opposing team, but again I do not think that was the intention. If they wore bowler hats if they played England no one would have been offended or thought they were being racist, and this is the same thing.

[EcclesCake]

The guy in the red tshirt appears to be a black guy who has blacked up and donned a wig!

[royfromaus]

It was pointless and just not funny (A bit like Englands line up for the game against Costa Rica)

[Baldric]

//Germany has a tradition of blacking up, often for theatrical purposes, that despite its burgeoning ethnic minority population and the fact that it is now unthinkable in the UK and the U.S., still continues to this day.//

[Peter Pedant]

O very good Roy should be best answer....

I was thinking if the 'what harm was there ?' defence was run in Rebekah Brooks case, it certainly wouldnt have lasted 52 days !

[Svejk]

it says they're 'with' german fans. looks more like Brazilian fans to me. maybe in their multi-racial society it was a gesture of support.

[Peter Pedant]

I think it is against the law in Germany to wear Nazi uniforms ?
it certainly is to give a Nazi salute ....

[DrFilth]

if football fans can't blacken their face will it spread to the old traditional morris men dancing

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=morris+dancers+with+black+faces&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=F46qU7G2F4zA7AaT-YDYCA&;sqi=2&ved=0CDsQsAQ&biw=1138&bih=507

[woofgang]

If they had blacked up without the wigs, the "german tradition" and "what about Morris dancers" arguments might have had more (any?) weight. With the wigs, the intent is evident.

[sandyRoe]

That article talks of a topless fan stopping play. But when you look for pictures you see it was a male topless fan. Was a Mail sub editor havin a larff?

[anotheoldgit]

Zacs-Master

/// Do you REALLY need to be told what harm was done, or are you just playing devils advocate? ///

Yes please enlighten me?

Did it cause any Ghanaian fans or players any kind of physical harm?

Did it cause any kind of riot incident between the fans?

Did it cause the match to be halted or abandoned?

I wonder who these Ghanaian fans offended?

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTvc93yXOadfQTGip61P2DvqW0G0yChSTSOHjMfVzUENyz0Urha

http://en.africatopsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/hbnwudhfpxgenr467xa.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTfaOfcZpYTTSuQ9p0rFIY-NbNdKiTvEQp5uUpBDVIW1JW9OMsh

[Peter Pedant]

AOG you are making up English law again

you dont need to show harm to be racist and break the law .....


What SHOULD the law be ? Oh that is a different matter. Most of us have difficulty in keeping up with what the law IS.