Yes a mistake that should be punished so that he, and the wider audience, understand why it isn't alright to make such jokes. Stop trying to make this a conspiracy. He didn't 'accidentally' do anything, he wilfully made a racially insensitive comparison between his friend and a picture that is reminiscent of the sorts of cartoons that were historically made to demean black people. He is probably ignorant to the cultural significance of such a cartoon, and so will be reprimanded and hopefully educated on such matters. So no he is probably not a racist in the classic sense of the word, but it was a racist, or at the very least, racially insensitive 'joke'. Don't make him out to be a victim just because he plays for City. If you have the leading anti-discrimination body in football (Kick It Out) condemning the tweet, maybe just listen to them?
What is up with Bernardo Silva?
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Yes and like anyone else who makes big mistakes he will be punished. If someone does similar at my work place they will be fired so he will get a punishment as well.
Already been answered several times in the thread just read back a page.
No. The Milky Bar Kid at least looks like a human. A chocolate "minstrel character" that is obviously based on racial stereotypes (Dumb/Big lips etc.) is not comparable.
Racist banter between mates is still racist and if you put it out there then you are going to offend people. Not a massive fan of how people get offended on others behalf over the slightest thing, but pretty obvious that this one could be offensive.
Idiotic to put it on twitter.
Idiotic to put it on twitter.
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It's such a silly hypothetical.
Not surprised by you being a chelsea fan that this is the first thing that pops to your mind, but why even compare, is the racial connotations and history similar? Because all that does matter here..
Cheers, I skim read the thread.
Thanks, was just curious.
Nice to see you assume people to be racists based on the team they support. You must be a lovely person.
Go on..I'm intrigued as to why you would think that
I've always thought we dedicate too much time to racism and not enough to eradicating the persecution of Manchester City footballers.
Kick It Out? Mandatory education? Jesus the world is going mad. What’s next? Prison? This is getting ridiculous now.
Education on racial issues is one step before prison ???
Some of you guys really want to keep your racist jokes eh?
He's going to be educated. I'm not sure if the FA will be the ones to do it (I really don't think organizations such as this should try to dictate the behaviour of people when they're out of the pitch). But someone from City will. Or his agent, PR consultant if he's got one, etc.
I'm pretty sure Cristiano Ronaldo went through this process by professional hands. The guy managed to antagonize nearly every non-Sporting portuguese football fan in the first few years of his career, and was widely hated, this problem growing nearly every time he opened his mouth. Been over a decade since I heard him say something really dumb, people forgot about it, even a bitter guy like me grew to admire him as a whole after that.
Bernardo will only benefit from that.
It fails to observe historical context and the fact that the cartoon Silva referenced was already controversial for obvious reasons.
And my point wasn't at you. It was at the post your replied to.
What will probably be his punishment?
Match ban?
Match ban?
How is Kick It Out ridiculous? And what's wrong with mandatory education? How are either of those things indicative of a world going mad?
I think he was definitely offensive and should apologize to people he offended, that's all.
It's very subjective though so if you feel he should be match banned then I am not going to disagree with you.
Doubt it. I think someone should just educate him.
I probably shouldn't be surprised to see people in 2019 still so quick to jump to the "if it was about a white person" line of reasoning but fecking hell it's depressing.
I got promoted almost ten years ago (after being a newbie for about a year posting every day) with a post about that. God, this place was tough to get into.
Please explain to me your issue with people affected by racism wanting to see less racial insensitivity in the world. What is actually wrong with that? Or do you really want to be able to continue to have the ability to make racist joke (deemed racist by those affected by racism)? Is your world going to crumble if you can't?
It's as simple as this. Bernardo made a 'joke'. It's deemed racially insensitive by Kick It Out, an organisation that wants to Kick racism out of football and is led by many that have experienced racism. And you think the world has gone crazy.
I already sent you an essay on why this is an issue and either you haven't read it (understandable because it's far too long), or you're choosing not to engage with it.
Sorry but since when if I make a public mistake I have to receive mandatory education by anyone? Really, this is borderline levels of arrogance. Or do you presume he is stupid enough to need mandatory education? Where do we stop next? Stop with the crap everybody that doesn’t think or behave like me is racism, that’s just insane arrogance, or are you the only person here mandated to educate someone else on racism?
Ffs, I was migrant on other country some years ago, not going to say where, I had some bad experiences regarding xenophobia towards the fact I am from Portugal and because I had that experience I will say that every citizen from that country is xenophobic?
Really, if someone makes a mistake he needs to correct this, not receiving mandatory education lessons.
I have a problem with a organisation using authoritarian language like mandatory education yes.
Ahh OK..Thanks for clarifying!!
I'm really sorry, you are wrong. Didn't you read the other posters telling that portuguese can't suffer from racism because of reason X or Y.
Come on Arruda, what has Ronaldo to do with this. Don’t I have the right on a free society to be sufficiently grown up to correct my mistakes instead being lectured with being punished with mandatory education? What kind of world is this? You post stupid things, yes offensive towards black people, but you need to look into the particular context, that’s all.
Are we deciding for Mendy what he should and shouldn't find acceptable banter between friends?
Not comparing the 2 situations, only a example for the dangers of generalising every behaviour.
I used Ronaldo as an example of someone who radically changed his public behaviour from spouting idiot things every day (which were mostly harmful to only him) to becoming a pretty standard public personality, whom, asides from his tremendous and justifiable self-esteem, just says mild and professional stuff these days.
I meant to imply that I think Bernardo will change his behaviour, whether because he'll learn it's wrong, or at worst because these people are walking brands and it hurts their bottom line, and someone will reach out to him and remind him of that. Unlike you, I'm not nearly as confident he will get there on his own, judging by his reaction to the backlash.
If you work for a company/institution and are deemed to have made a mistake that will negatively impact the perception of that company you are forced to take something like ‘sensitivity training’. Pretty much every major corporation does this. Football is a job and so shouldn’t be treated any differently.
Secondly, very few if any people are calling him a racist. Just what he said is racist. That’s the main difference. Let’s use your terrible experience as an example. You received xenophobic abuse. The people doing it might not have realised that it’s xenophobic. Is it still xenophobic? Yes.
I also feel like you’re taking his actions being called out as painting everyone from Portugal as a racist. We aren’t doing that. He made a mistake and he should be told why it offends people of another race. I really don’t understand why you have an issue with this.
Mendy is allowed to decide this yes, however Bernardo did this in a public forum thereby affecting many more people than Mendy by normalising the use of an incredibly offensive (to many) stereotype as a comparison.
What Bernardo did is racist. Your euphemistic employment of the term 'public mistake' does not conceal that. It is racist and that is a fact, whether you like it or not. Facts don't care about feelings and all that. That does not make Bernardo a racist, but it does make him ignorant and uneducated on the issue. Thus, an obvious remedy would be to provide education for him. It's curious that you believe the need to educate people who have committed an act of racism precisely because they lack education in the matter is a sign of "arrogance". It's a much better approach than simply punishing him.
'Where do we stop next?' - I mean, why are you acting like educating people to prevent racist behaviour is some radical step. If I ever do something that I believe to be harmless but actually transpires to have a strong history behind it that is racist, homophobic, misogynistic etc the first thing I would like to receive is the opportunity to educate myself.
Yeah I agree he better retract himself, hopefully being able to recognise this is insulting to a lot of people over the world.
Yeh, it's a little strange for sure...the jokes are pretty childish tbh. I don't find the black clothes one particularly offensive, just a bit of a cliche shit joke!
No he should have the right to decide and think first of what he did was wrong or not, later if he reaches the conclusion what he did was wrong then take the necessary measures to correct that, not being forced into some sort of punishment because it looks good on the public eyes to receive mandatory education. My opinion on the subject, and I am entitled to have it, after all we live in free societies.
No no I am not presuming everyone from Portugal is being labelled racist. At best he and the club should take the necessary steps to correct this, I just don’t like the term mandatory education, even if the original intention towards it isn’t necessary negative, only that.
No, I hope not. That would increase Liverpool chance to win the league by 1%.
But I remember Robert Huth got suspended because of playing Nein Cock.
And Rio Ferdinand also got match ban for saying "sket"? on sosial media.
I'm a city an and whilst I obviously can't speak for any other city fan, I think it will be a good thing if he has to have some kind of education class and also good if that's made public
If nothing else, education now stops him repeating the same mistake. That means less chance of being offensive in future and being selfish, less chance of a ban in future for repeating the mistake/offence (delete according to your viewpoint)
A ban would IMO be unjustified, but I am bias in one direction just as United fans, to one degree or another, are bias in the other
If nothing else, education now stops him repeating the same mistake. That means less chance of being offensive in future and being selfish, less chance of a ban in future for repeating the mistake/offence (delete according to your viewpoint)
A ban would IMO be unjustified, but I am bias in one direction just as United fans, to one degree or another, are bias in the other
This is ridiculous, the notion of it's banter between mates or "Would there be an issue if it was KDB"
1) Player has responsibility given the public nature of his social media
2) Given the association, if is obviously offensive and not comparable to the milky bar kid
3) Ignorance is not a defence - players have a responsibility on social media, given the reach they are commodifying day in day out.
1) Player has responsibility given the public nature of his social media
2) Given the association, if is obviously offensive and not comparable to the milky bar kid
3) Ignorance is not a defence - players have a responsibility on social media, given the reach they are commodifying day in day out.
I agree. Obviously there are no racist intentions behind it and the person he aimed at it is his friend who did not take it bad at all. But they need to sit him down and explain to him why its a bad look.
this sums it up perfectly, can we close this thread now
It's not just Mendy though once it's on a public forum.
They're obviously friends and as such I guess they have each others number. He tweeted it cos he wanted the world to see it...if it was a private joke he'd text it or something. Similar to other celebrities (i.e. exchanges between Piers Morgan and alan Sugar as an example) they tweet stuff to each other for the attention it's not a private joke between 2 mates.
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