Racism is the act of being discriminatory. Treating someone as though they are inferior in some way.
In modern society however, it appears to have been redefined into meaning any sort of action or comment that references a persons skin colour (for instance). If someone is black, they are black. It is not racist to say that they are black, it is simply a factual statement about a physical characteristic - just like calling a tall person tall, or a blonde person blonde. If you are then drawing stereotypes, or using offensive language, or treating that person in an inferior way in some sense, then that is racist.
As time goes on, it seems to be more and more the case that any comment or reference to the colour of someones skin, instantly gets you branded a racist. This is bollocks in my view.
On the original topic - it was stupid of Bernardo to post that on social media because it would inevitably cause a load of shit and get him landed in hot water. Its not racist in my view though. Making a humorous comparison of someone to a cartoon character. The acid test I always tend to put on these things is "what if the recipient was white?" - if he had compared a white teammate/player to a white cartoon character, i'm pretty sure that nobody would bat an eyelid. It is a dangerous double standard, and whilst it can be argued that it is different due to historical racism, I am never a fan of that mode of thinking; the past is the past, leave it there and move on as a progressive society.
You are so far from the point...
No one here thinks Bernardo is some KKK member burning crosses in peoples gardens. No one has even called him racist. But he has to have the cop on that said post is offensive to black people so its a racist post. It just is.
Mendy has nothing in common with that character other than skin colour. We've all heard genuine racists say shit like "they all look the same". This post by Bernardo fuels that. Its a post that while not racist in his intention, is hurtful to thousands of people who have heard comments like that, who are fighting to take that out of society (what kind of position has he put Sterling in). Its like the Griezmann blackface, just because something is done with no ill intent doesn't mean it should have no reprecussions or isn't hurtful.
Do you honestly think people would not bat an eye if he did something like this to Mahrez depicting a middle eastern character? You cant make fun of people based on racial stereotypes if someone will find it hurtful. You just cant. If he throws these types of jokes at Mendy in private and its their thing, or Mendy sends pictures of little Mexicans to him in private, knock yourselves out, its not big or classy but a bit of dark/offensive humor between those who enjoy it is harmless as long as it stays between those who enjoy it. Its a different can of worms to do it in front of millions when it is hurtful to people who take that shit for real day in day out.
Whats to stop some 12 year old from seeing that and sending it to a 12 year black kid in his class with the pictures swapped? When said black kids parents get upset and complain about the abuse their kid received and the sending kid gets in trouble where does the blame lie? You've got two kids hurt, one racially abused for nothing other than a joke and one in hot water for racially abusing someone (when he might not understand the implications of what he sent) because his hero did the same. Youve got two parents hurt their child was racially abused.
Footballers might not want to be, but they are role models and if they are going on social media, happy to enjoy the followers and fame that comes with it, they have a responsibility in how they behave, and guide those kids who follow them, they should be trying to put an end to this cancerous casual racism that plagues society, not to add fuel to the fire
regardless of their intentions.
