[Closed] Greek Athlete sent home after racist twitter remark. HUGELY disappointing.

"With so many Africans in Greece, at least the mosquitoes of West Nile will eat [s]homemade food[/s] McDonalds and a refreshing Coke!"

Sorted.

/satire.

She should just have got John Terry to have a word. Job Done.

For the life of me, I fail to see how her comment was racist. I'd go further to suggest that anyone complaining couldn't explain it either.

This is why the PC brigade should be taken out and shot (in front of their families etc.).

Thing is, I'm not sure I get the point she was making 😕

Jamie, McDonalds and Coke are American foods...RACIST!

She wasn't making a point, she made a joke. Her country is suffering a plague of mosquitoes from Africa. She joked that now, with many people from Africa in her country, the mosquitos can feed on people from their own country.

Thing is, I'm not sure I get the point she was making

Also, having Greeks in the family, I have noticed things are often lost in translation depending on their level of English skills.

Personally, I do not think it's the cleverest thing to have said, but to be kicked out of the Olympics seems extraordinarily harsh.

As a wooly liberal I have to agree with this:

For the life of me, I fail to see how her comment was racist. I'd go further to suggest that anyone complaining couldn't explain it either.

Might just about be construed as xenophobic if you screw up your eyes and squint at it, but really, no worse than acceptable banter.

Seems to me that the medium adds huge significance to the comment.

Ah, I wasn't aware of the mosquitoes thing going on. Well, well...a plague on her house I say.

I think she could be pulled up for talking nonsensical gibberish, but Racism?

Maybe it was a clumsy attempt at an enigmatic and mysterious, Cantona-esque "When the seagulls follow the trawler....." remark

For the life of me, I fail to see how her comment was racist. I'd go further to suggest that anyone complaining couldn't explain it either.

She's whinging about Africans, and joking about them being eaten by mosquitoes, its not that difficult to see unless you choose to ignore it.

I'm not sure I get the point she was making

The point appears to be that according to her there are : [i]"so many Africans in Greece"[/i]

Bit of an over-reaction I think. The only possible racist connotation I can see would be if she was objecting to the presence of Africans in Greece which I don't see that she was.

She's better lookin' than Cantona though.

Agree with Jimmers, sometimes you just have to display a bit of common sense and consider the reaction to something you think might be harmless. I was looking forward to seeing her competing.

*strikes wimminz triple decker from list of things to watch*

Ill-judged comment, yes. Racist, no.

According to the BBC yesterday, its just the final straw in a list of similar activities and views expressed by her.

So what, shes an athlete not a polititian.

The point appears to be that according to her there are : "so many Africans in Greece"

Yes we get that (the quotes sort of give it away" but what is your point?

Not racist an attempt to be funny.

I'd go further to suggest that anyone complaining couldn't explain it either.

Yup.

She's whinging about Africans

She just says there as "so many Africans in Greece" - she doesn't say that is a bad thing.

Likewise I might say there are [i]so many Polish people round me[/i] - which is great cos they are polite, hard-working and the shops have all kinds of food I've never tried before. 😀

joking about them being eaten by mosquitoes

Likewise she didn't say she was [i]glad[/i] they were being eaten by mosquitoes. Or that they deserved it based on their race.

I'm sure most folk comment about midges in Scotland - that doesn't mean they are racists!

its not that difficult to see unless you choose to ignore it.

And it's not that difficult to construe offence from something that isn't offensive.

Shite joke. Send her home, I say (I say, I say)

Ill-judged comment, yes. Racist, no.

+1

I've noticed a sudden and dramatic up-turn in the comeliness of the female competitors in recent years - not like years ago when some had faces like blind cobblers thumbs.

Why did she bother apologising? They've sent her home, she's not going to fulfil her dream of competing in the Olympics, so she should've said "It was just a friggin joke you bunch of bastards" (or the Greek equivalent.)

I've noticed a sudden and dramatic up-turn in the comeliness of the female competitors in recent years - not like years ago when some had faces like blind cobblers thumbs.

That would be the return to natural levels of testosterone following improvements in drug testing.

FWIW I got the racist overtones immediately, not sure how others can't see it.

I would though.

FWIW I got the racist overtones immediately, not sure how others can't see it.

Can you explain it for the hard of thinking like me? or are the "overtones" saying more about you than her?

If the 'joke' was posted on here, what would the general reaction be supposing it was left undeleted long enough?

It's one of those comments where intent is everything. It's not outwardly or obviously racist or xenophobic, it at worst seems to be ill judged and something that she should have realised would go down like a lead balloon.

If her mindset was one of a deep seated distain for Africans or for Africans being in her country then the intent of the comment, I would argue, would have been one based on racist foundations. But I, and seemingly no one else has any idea what her mindset or opinion is on this matter so it's not particularly fair to make an assumption on the intent of her comment. A quiet word in her ear by someone and maybe an apology/explanation would have sufficed IMO.

That would be the return to natural levels of testosterone following improvements in drug testing.

FWIW I got the racist overtones immediately, not sure how others can't see it.

I would though.

....choose your ism, you're allowed one so long as it's not racism. Or was it just a joke?

It's one of those comments where intent is everything. It's not outwardly or obviously racist or xenophobic

+1.

If, as someone suggested, she has a history of making other statements that [i]were[/i] obviously racist, then that changes the context of her comment - but I don't see anything in that comment itself that is racist.

Put it this way: if London was suffering a plague of Scottish midges on the Thames and someone on here commented that there were [i]"so many Scots around London that the midges were eating homemade food"[/i] then I wouldn't be remotely offended. Would you?

I'm going to open an African restaurant in London. With so many Africans in London they'll be able to eat homemade food. Racist old me.

Indeed, hard to see this as racist unless she's a known racist anyway?

Well I'm glad we sorted that out.

Just a shame that an athlete who has no doubt made great sacrifices and trained with great dedication now misses possibly her only opportunity to compete at the highest level.
Not only that but she is branded a racist and will have that to bear.

No doubt to the self satisfaction of many.

Humourous intent, but not sure it was an obvious -ism. If I was gay I might say (in jest) "I would" about a fit male athlete.

I didn't say I was a paragon of virtue anyway, just that I could see where the offence sprang from.

Is there some way we can petition for her to be reinstated? - the world's gone mad!

Have these people ever been in a school playground? They'd be calling for all the schools to be closed overnight!

Ridiculous!

Sounds like the Greek Olympic folk saw her as a bit of a fly in the woodpile...

[img] [/img]

i think they are spoilsports.......... 😀

Just browsed the [url= http://www.****/news/article-2178836/London-2012-Olympics-Greek-athlete-Voula-Papachristou-banned-racist-joke-Twitter.html ]article talking about this on the Daily Fail website.[/url]
Never seen so many photos of an athlete published to illustrate one brief article.

I've just asked my South African friend In South Africa

. . . offended.

How do they get through the day? 🙄

How do they get through the day?

Quite nicely thanks for asking.

Well if a South African is offended we have no argument whatsoever. 🙄

Typical Greeks though eh?

😉

If her mindset was one of a deep seated distain for Africans or for Africans being in her country then the intent of the comment, I would argue, would have been one based on racist foundations. But I, and seemingly no one else has any idea what her mindset or opinion is on this matter so it's not particularly fair to make an assumption on the intent of her comment.

Well, she supports the Golden Dawn party who are a bunch of nasty racist thugs - so it's perhaps quite likely that she is a racist.

she looks racist, you can tell by the nose.

It seems like a severe reaction at first glance.

Context is everything though and no-one on here appears to know whether that comment would be considered beyond what is acceptable in Greek society. I don't know either. There has been an upsurge in popularity of far right views in Greece since the financial crisis and I 'imagine' that foreigners, particularly immigrants are feeling the brunt of it so perhaps it's related in some way to that.

If her mindset was one of a deep seated distain for Africans or for Africans being in her country then the intent of the comment, I would argue, would have been one based on racist foundations. But I, and seemingly no one else has any idea what her mindset or opinion is on this matter so it's not particularly fair to make an assumption on the intent of her comment.

I agree with this.

Typical Greeks though eh?

😆

so this seems to be getting more coverage than the drugs cheats that have been sent home.
what's worse, making daft comments on Twitter that gets the PC brigade wetting their pants, or taking dope-masking diuretics which have the same effect?

Of course it is racist - as above ^, not overt, but in the intent... 🙄

IIRC, North Wales Police got in a bit of bother a few years ago re racism. One phrase that got a lot of attention was (again IIRC)

Being born in a stable does not make you a horse

Read literally there is no racist content - but we all know that that is not the case, don't we???

As grum said, it's the combination of her previously expressed support for the Golden Dawn party, who are Greece's equivalent of the BNP, accompanied by the comments about there being 'so many Africans in Greece, at least the mosquitoes of West Nile will eat homemade food' (the 'at least' part suggesting that the Africans don't offer any other benefit).

But I, and seemingly no one else has any idea what her mindset or opinion is on this matter so it's not particularly fair to make an assumption on the intent of her comment.

I agree with this.

Except we know that she is a supporter of a party of nasty, racist thugs, so we do know about her mindset on this matter.

As grum said, it's the combination of her previously expressed support for the Golden Dawn party, who are Greece's equivalent of the BNP

Considerably more extreme than the BNP from some of the stuff I've read.

Except we know that she is a supporter of a party of nasty, racist thugs, so we do know about her mindset on this matter.

I didn't know that. Now I do it puts the comment in a slightly different light.

My original point still stands though.

I was hoping for a heavily image-laden thread followed by confused arguments where us lefty liberals weren't sure whether to be angrier about sexism or racism. With a thread closure by page 5.

You've all let me down. 🙁

Earning loud applause at an election campaign rally in Athens, Golden Dawn MP Ilias Panagiotaros said: "If Chrysi Avgi [Golden Dawn] gets into parliament [as polls predict], [b]it will carry out raids on hospitals and kindergartens and it will throw immigrants and their children out on the street so that Greeks can take their place.[/b]"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/12/golden-dawn-hospital-immigrants-greece

See also:

http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-05-12/news/31676636_1_golden-dawn-greek-parliament-mosque

I'm sure she's a lovely girl though.

not like years ago when some had faces like blind cobblers thumbs

Well, she supports the Golden Dawn party who are a bunch of nasty racist thugs - so it's perhaps quite likely that she is a racist.

Fair enough, but if we're going to start throwing people out the Games because we disagree with their political views then there won't be very many competitors.

I agree, on that basis it is quite likely she is racist, but unless she actually [i]says[/i] something racist (which this statement isn't, to me) then I don't think we can or should throw her out.

(the 'at least' part suggesting that the Africans don't offer any other benefit).

I read it as "at least" the mosquitoes feel at home.
Likewise if it was about midges biting Scots in London as I suggested earlier.

How about midges biting Englishmen in Edinburgh?

Graham, do you really not see the "at least" as suggesting that that is the only identifiable upside of there being "so many" Africans in Greece?

I didn't know that.

Who's fault is that? The information is easily available if you bother to do even a tiny bit of research. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-18987678

My original point still stands though.

That intent is everything? Well given her political views, the intent becomes obvious.

Who's fault is that? The information is easily available if you bother to do even a tiny bit of research.

For what purpose, so I can argue with you?

That intent is everything? Well given her political views, the intent becomes obvious.

So again, my point still stands.

Fair enough, but if we're going to start throwing people out the Games because we disagree with their political views then there won't be very many competitors.

They're not - they're throwing her out because her political views (along with her expression of them in the form of a "joke") disagree with the Olympic charter.

[img] [/img]

If her mindset was one of a deep seated distain for Africans or for Africans being in her country then the intent of the comment, I would argue, would have been one based on racist foundations. But I, and seemingly no one else has any idea what her mindset or opinion is on this matter so it's not particularly fair to make an assumption on the intent of her comment. A quiet word in her ear by someone and maybe an apology/explanation would have sufficed IMO.

agree too.

But there could also be a further difference between disdain for Africans, and her expressing a view that there are too many in Greece.
[u]Even if[/u] you assume (from her political affiliations) that the comment could have implied she thought this, then it could just as easily be seen as a criticism of the Greek Government's perceived weak immigration policy. And a political punishment for opposing them.

How about midges biting Englishmen in Edinburgh?

its not on, i refuse to go to skotland because of such shenannygonz.

I thought she had previous on this- supporting the neo-nazi golden dawn party, retweeing some of their stuff etc

I thought she had previous on this- supporting the neo-nazi golden dawn party, retweeing some of their stuff etc

I think that sounds a bit sententious there kimbers.

How about midges biting Englishmen in Edinburgh?

Midges are properly sexist, when t'husband and I went riding Glentress, they barely touched me, but properly nommed his legs. Misogynistic little bar stewards.

they barely touched me

Midges have no interest in foreplay whatsoever, that's why they went for Monsieur Toast.

sententious

That's a word that doesn't get used enough IMO.

That's a word that doesn't get used enough IMO.

I agree 😀

Thought of it all by myself.

Fair enough, but if we're going to start throwing people out the Games because we disagree with their political views then there won't be very many competitors.

I agree, on that basis it is quite likely she is racist, but unless she actually says something racist (which this statement isn't, to me) then I don't think we can or should throw her out.

I sort of agree, but given the context of her support for Golden Dawn, it's fairly obvious that there was racist intent - which conflicts with the Olympic values. If you take it out of the context then yes the statement itself doesn't justify being kicked out.

bumpy bumpy

Everything's racist nowadays innit. The ban's ok just for being on Twitter tho.

Graham, do you really not see the "at least" as suggesting that that is the only identifiable upside of there being "so many" Africans in Greece?

I hadn't considered that interpretation till Mrs Toast suggested it.

And as I said, if it was "so many Scots in London, at least the midges feel at home" then I wouldn't as a Scot be remotely offended.

I thought she had previous on this- supporting the neo-nazi golden dawn party, retweeing some of their stuff etc

Then if anything she should be thrown out for that - not this.

(though I do wonder whatever happened to the old [i]"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"[/i] premise sometimes).

I sort of agree, but given the context of her support for Golden Dawn, it's fairly obvious that there was racist intent - which conflicts with the Olympic values. If you take it out of the context then yes the statement itself doesn't justify being kicked out.

That just sounds chillingly like "thought crimes" to me.

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

It gets lazily wheeled out every so often by the professionally un-offended.

Even if you assume (from her political affiliations) that the comment could have implied she thought this, then it could just as easily be seen as a criticism of the Greek Government's perceived weak immigration policy. And a political punishment for opposing them

Intent is alll but , Graham S aside, I have never heard the phrase to many X race here end with a positive note.
I suppose it could happen in much the same way as one day we could have a STW thread where we dont disuss how attractive she is [ I mean this is an important angle on thie story right?].
It could happen but it is very unlikely

"thought crimes" to me.

So i can say whatever I like on here and any proisecution for my publicly expressed view would eb a thought crime?
You can think what you wish as no one can read your mind when you state it publicly it is not a thought.
Is paedophilia a thought crime if I just promote it?

Even if you assume (from her political affiliations) that the comment could have implied she thought this, then it could just as easily be seen as a criticism of the Greek Government's perceived weak immigration policy. And a political punishment for opposing them.

If you're desperately grasping for ways to deny she's a racist and was making a racist joke, yeah.

That just sounds chillingly like "thought crimes" to me.

Oh do give over - jesus christ! 🙄

Read the Olympic charter/values.

this is an important angle

Hell yeah!

It's like having Helga from Allo Allo wearing lycra and jumping into sand for our entertainment.

Oh and:

Junkyard - Member
Even if you assume...
...it is very unlikely

That sounds a bit sententious JY.

Your TV programmes of choice are just too high brow for me 😉

That should be on my family crest DD