Racism in Italy - even anti-racism is filled with racism

norm87cro

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At some point you just got to feel that they are taking a piss on an institutional level as well. Hilarious bordering with tragedy.
 

UncleBob

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How fecking stupid are they :lol: how on earth did something like this get approved

the level of stupidity is mental
 

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if anyone has to defend something by starting with "it's not racist because..." and then following it with something really long-winded.... it's probably racist.
 

Ikon

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Shakes head in disbelief......I'm just lost for words..!!
 

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So Italian FA way of fighting racism is adding more fuel to the fire by making even more racist stuff.
Brilliant.
Makes sense... maybe if you just flood the place with racism, people will get so bored of being racist they'll stop altogether... it's Science.
 

RoyH1

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Is this for real? It cannot be. No one is that incredibly stupid or obtuse. Don't they do April 1st in December in some catholic countries?
 

Lynty

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People need to lose their jobs for this. Getting paid handsomely to tackle this issue and this is what the come up with? Forget about the strong possibility that the whole Italian FA is racist, they have proved to be grossly incompetent at making informed decisions, which highlights why serie A was a mess for years and doesn't bode well for the future of the league. FIFA/UEFA need to force a restructure.

Regardless, Gabrielle Gravina and the whole board of directors need to be branded racist, or at least condoning racism. They haven't done enough and now made it worse.

I could not take my eyes of that picture. It is 2019, did that really happen? Has that really been approved? I can understand (although 100% wrong) there is local racism from a huge lack of education but this is big and national led. It is embedded in the culture of the country. I have been to Italy a few times and suffered racism myself on each occasion (Turin, Milan, Rome and Naples). It really is distgusting and FIFA need to take serious action against leagues, teams, players, fans. Fines of a few thousand Euros does nothing. Personally I think Italy should be removed from the Euros and all European competitions. I know not everyone is racist there but the punishment should be severe for people to actually know it is wrong. That fan at City will be banned for life, but it not enough. Although the club is not racist and it is hard to control, they should take the punishment too. Dock points, issue huge fines in relativity of earnings like 15% of annual income (offender and club), enforce community service. All parties need to feel the implications of the severity of racism. It is 2019, this should not be happening and people need to grow up. The stop racism campaigns do nothing to stop it. Severe punishment for all parties, name & shame the offender plus education to all that need it should be the absolute minimum. If a fan of United did that and we got docked 10 points because of it, you create a culture that it is wrong. I would be pissed that we have lost 10 points but happy to see something of more substance is being done to embed governance. Clubs need to take more ownership of this education to there fans. It is like dealing with a child who has been naughty at school.
Bad idea. To be honest, I'd pay for people to go and sit on the front row at Anfield in Liverpool shirts and do monkey chants every week if it could points docked.
 

UweBein

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This could have been taken straight out of a Monty Python movie - it would be an instant classic
 

Gringo

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This is one of the best comedy sketches I've ever seen.
 

Dargonk

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Wait an anti racism campaign lead by monkey images. :houllier::houllier: Who ever thought that up, clearly is an idiot or racist and taking the piss
 

Pagh Wraith

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Is it a translation issue that the artist refers to what are clearly chimpanzees as "monkeys"? Has to be, right?
This distinction does not exist in many languages. In German for example everything from chimp to gorilla is called Affe ("ape"). Not sure about Italian, though.
 

Inigo Montoya

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Has anyone seen the new anti racism advert approved by the Italian FA currently trending on twitter ?

It's a picture of three monkeys for some reason ???
It’s received widespread coverage in the press and been condemned by the Serie A clubs.
The artist motive in producing the work may have been sincere if it was in a private viewing but to use it in a media campaign was more than a little inappropriate
 

HTG

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This distinction does not exist in many languages. In German for example everything from chimp to gorilla is called Affe ("ape"). Not sure about Italian, though.
We have the distinction „Menschenaffe“, which I believe is basically like ape. It means as much as human-monkey.
 

crossy1686

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So apparently the artist has been using monkeys in his work for years and the three monkey's depicted, or more accurately, Chimps, are Western, African and Asian. This is apparently his attempt in saying "We're all ape's deep down, we're a brotherhood of Ape's".

I can't help but feel someone is an absolute fecking moron over there at the Italian FA, or probably more accurately, they're a bunch of fecking morons for thinking this would in any way shape or form show some sort of solidarity.
 

Alabaster Codify7

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I think it just highlights how differently the Italians, for example, are wired in terms of racism in general. "I'm trying to highlight that we are all monkeys, really". It's like something from fecking Brasseye. The guy clearly isn't trying to be racist or provocative, he's simply oblivious to the real basis of the issue. Football fans aren't ignorant to the fact that all human beings have evolved from apes, that is completely missing the point in question.

It's like the entire thing has gone over his head, not becase he's stupid, because his perception of racism is just completely 'off'.

"Oh, we should remind them that they too, are evolved from apes."

Yes, pal. I think they know that. What they believe though, is that black people never evolved in the first place and are still essentially apes - so your message is completely irrelevant.
 

NewGlory

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Something along the lines of "We're not racists just because we yell racist things. We only do it because we want others to get sad so they don't perform or feel comfortable playing against our team". It's how I read their view.
Yeah, this is such typical BS all across Europe: "we are not racist, we just... [substitute that week's excuse]". I am sure the same people also say at dinner table "we are not racist, we just want our country back", to explain why they yelled at some innocent person who didn't look or sound like them, at a grocery store. Same crap everywhere.

At the end of the day, it won't fix itself. Like hooliganism, this shite needs to be dealt with head-on.

Call me naive, but I like to think of a game as where parents take their children on a weekend, to cheer for a favorite team and bond. Curva Nord and all kinds of radical ultras don't add anything to the positive experience, they usually just ruin it.

I think it just highlights how differently the Italians, for example, are wired in terms of racism in general.
Nah, it's not "Italians". You will hear the same bullshit narrative everywhere where racism has decided to veil itself. Basically, where people are racist but don't like to admit it, anymore - you will hear this kind of nonsense, and it could be Hungary, Bulgaria, Russia, Poland, Norway, or Birmingham :) - whatever. I know Birmingham isn't a country, but the point is - it's the same everywhere. It is racism, simple and pure, just thinly veiled.
 
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stevoc

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Everyone involved in the decision making process from concept to design to approval that lead to paintings of fecking chimpanzees being used in an anti racism campaign is a moron or a racist and in some cases probably both. fecking disgraceful.

Im not excusing the artist either after reading his explanation he’s either a stupid cnut too or it’s horseshit. Claims to always paint monkeys. Well news flash Chimps aren’t monkeys and humans didn’t evolve from monkeys either. Clown.
 

Lynty

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I’m not finding it very funny.
Yeah it's not funny in the slightest. You might want to grow up a bit there, mate.
Don't be pedantic. It's inappropriately funny - like someone dropping a coffin at a funeral. You laugh because the situation is bizarre/surreal.

It needs addressing, enough is enough, but the whole affair was played out like a perfect piece of satire. Italian FA and journalists have only reaffirmed and exposed their own cultural bias. Which is hilarious. Cast Ricky Gervais as chief of the PR team and it would be a Netflix hit.
 

Fingeredmouse

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This distinction does not exist in many languages. In German for example everything from chimp to gorilla is called Affe ("ape"). Not sure about Italian, though.
Chimps and Gorillas are actual apes, although I do get your point.
Scientifically there must be a distinction between apes and monkeys. It'd be like calling zebras horses otherwise.
Although, given the serious nature if this thread, this may not be the place for cladistic and linguistic digressions.
 

Zhagzi

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Everyone seems to be agreeing about how racist, stupid and incredibly unintelligent this is without actually saying why. I'm the curious kind. Why is this so bad? and specifically - why is this racist to you?
 

The Cat

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Everyone seems to be agreeing about how racist, stupid and incredibly unintelligent this is without actually saying why. I'm the curious kind. Why is this so bad? and specifically - why is this racist to you?
Really? Wow.
 

Zhagzi

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Really? Wow.
Why the "Really? Wow"? I'm just guessing here, not stating; But I think your reply is written in the belief that my initial post gives you the impression that I don't find the images racist. Which, if true, is pretty irrational as it would imply you are concluding something about my opinion which has not been said. But I can only think that it why you've replied in such a way - so please do tell me why. Cause it's not a reply to my question.
 

::sonny::

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Italy don’t have an anti racism culture, so they often talks about the colour of the skin, and they do not understand these things because for them it’s normal

Still in these days, there are banters at people from south Italy, the whole political debate is based on immigrants, because their are hosted in 5 star hotel, and most of the crimes are committed by immigrants

Berlusconi said that Obama is a nice tanned man
 

Jippy

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Why the "Really? Wow"? I'm just guessing here, not stating; But I think your reply is written in the belief that my initial post gives you the impression that I don't find the images racist. Which, if true, is pretty irrational as it would imply you are concluding something about my opinion which has not been said. But I can only think that it why you've replied in such a way - so please do tell me why. Cause it's not a reply to my question.
Think about the imagery chosen.
 

Mike Smalling

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Unbelievable really :lol: how on earth did that get from idea to execution without anyone thinking "maybe not the greatest idea"?

Reminded me of this classic PR disaster:

 

Classical Mechanic

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Why the "Really? Wow"? I'm just guessing here, not stating; But I think your reply is written in the belief that my initial post gives you the impression that I don't find the images racist. Which, if true, is pretty irrational as it would imply you are concluding something about my opinion which has not been said. But I can only think that it why you've replied in such a way - so please do tell me why. Cause it's not a reply to my question.
Because it just looks like a picture of three monkeys (chimps really) and that's it. 'Monkey' is one of the most common racial slurs against black people there is so it seems utterly bizarre to have an anti-racism campaign featuring a picture of three monkeys and no other discernible context.
 

JPRouve

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Everyone seems to be agreeing about how racist, stupid and incredibly unintelligent this is without actually saying why. I'm the curious kind. Why is this so bad? and specifically - why is this racist to you?
Historically africans have been likened to apes. So using the image of these primates in an anti racist campaign is at the very least clumsy.
 

redshaw

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We're descended from monkeys if you go back to the simian line.
 
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Gringo

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Don't be pedantic. It's inappropriately funny - like someone dropping a coffin at a funeral. You laugh because the situation is bizarre/surreal.

It needs addressing, enough is enough, but the whole affair was played out like a perfect piece of satire. Italian FA and journalists have only reaffirmed and exposed their own cultural bias. Which is hilarious. Cast Ricky Gervais as chief of the PR team and it would be a Netflix hit.
Thank you Lynty. It's balls up after balls up after balls up. It's rather tiresome to always be outraged and offended.
 

Lynty

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Everyone seems to be agreeing about how racist, stupid and incredibly unintelligent this is without actually saying why. I'm the curious kind. Why is this so bad? and specifically - why is this racist to you?
Monkey chants and throwing bananas are tactics used by racist individuals to antagonize black footballers. Using the image of a Chimp/monkey for an anti-racist campaign reinforces their views (subliminally implying that they are in fact monkeys/chimps) and displays that the italian FA have no real grasp of the situation.

Berlusconi said that Obama is a nice tanned man
Sounds like my nan.

"He's colored, but he's nice"

..regarding my dad.
 

SalfordRed18

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Someone in the Italian FA is having a right little chuckle to themselves over all this.