Opposing Views: NEWS:ESPN Suspends Bob Griese for "Taco" Remark-PC Run Amok?
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ESPN college football commentator Bob Griese was suspended for one week for a racially insensitive comment he made during a broadcast. It raises the question -- is the punishment fair, or have the political correctness police gone wild?
Griese was working the Minnesota-Ohio State game last Saturday when a NASCAR promo came up, with a graphic listing points by the top five drivers. When broadcasting partner Chris Spielman noticed driver Juan Pablo Montoya was missing from the list, Spielman asked where he was. Griese joked he was "out having a taco." Griese apologized on-air after the game. Watch it here:
In a second apology at halftime of another ESPN game later that night, the former Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback said in a statement:
“Earlier today on our game I made an offensive comment regarding Juan Pablo Montoya as part of a NASCAR promo. It was regrettable and I should not have said it. I really enjoy NASCAR and I follow it closely and would like to take this opportunity to apologize to Juan, NASCAR and everyone else who heard my comment.”
For his part, Montoya said he's never even heard of Griese, and that he really doesn't care what he said.
In suspending Griese, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said, "We've spoken to him and he understands why his comment was inappropriate."
Yes, the comment was certainly inappropriate, and Griese did apologize. But it's apparent from listening to the clip that Griese was joking, and had no malicious intent. Does a joke-gone-bad really rise to the level of suspension? Are we all being just a little too sensitive? Or is it wrong to make any type of racial remark that could be perceived as offensive?
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NEWS:ESPN Suspends Bob Griese for "Taco" Remark-PC Run Amok?
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This is excessive for several reasons. It was clearly an off-the-cuff remark that was poorly thought out, but it was obviously a joke and not intended in any malicious sense. I think most of us would be lying if we said we have never told a racial joke of some kind. "Out for a taco", as far as racial jokes or comments go, is incredibly benign. He apologized twice, one of them only minute afterwards. And the person who the comment was directed at didn't even care. I don't know what the big controversy is about, it's clearly just a joke and it's harmless.
IMO, many of the innocent comments that seem to get media attention fall into the "too sensitive" category. I don't think this instance is of that variety. Joking about a Mexican taking a taco break can't be viewed as anything other than racist . A simple acid test is to ask if this is something you would say to a person face to face on meeting them for the first time. In polite conversation, I don't see this as a joke many Mexicans would find funny coming from a white person.
Germans and saurkraut French and garlic English and kidney pie ...and on and on....
The problem rests entirely on the perspective of the recipient. IOW, should you perceive yourself as a victim, then you are free to use all the status indicators you can find to reinforce your negative self-image.
OTOH, should one see themselves NOT as a victim of others 'more powerful' / of higher status, it may well be perceived as a compliment--albeit crudely and stereotypically delivered.
the reference had been to a black man being on a watermellon break? The bottom line is it isn't something you would say to a person's face in polite conversation. While perhaps not as exteme as some racial slurs, those kind of comments are intended to be demeaning - as you put it, "crudely and stereotypically delivered".
Basically, it was a rude comment, which the speaker himself recognized as rude the second it slipped out of his mouth.
pitching for the National Watermelon Growers association, then every major MSM outlet would be reporting it as racism in breaking news releases, Jesse Jackson would be flying in with his demonstrators to do the racist blackmail thing he does so well, and the Black Congressional Caucus would be expecting even bigger contributions to overlook instigating a 'congressional investigation .'
OTOH, had the perjorative 'redneck' been offered up about a NASCAR driver advertising for the National Beef Council by voraciously digging into a steak at a picnic, then no one would think twice.
We all stereotype. Some stereotypes have achieved high status with the promoters of victimology--i.e., the Democrat Party, Coastal Elites (the management in question in the topic), NYTimes subscribers, et.al.--and therefore are used for one-upmanship.
Apologies were due, yes. A suspension--don't be silly.
I doubt the announcer is going to miss any meals as a result of a one week suspension, and on the other hand, is likely just enough to prevent future occurances, while making a minor example out of him to similarly situated others.
I don't see it as being at all comparable to the kind of fruitloop stuff Jesse Jackson pulls. The guy committed a major faux pas, apologized appropriately, received minor punishment to make sure it doesn't happen again, and the matter is over and done with. Far from being an inappropriate response, it seems to me the situation was handled rather well.
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NEWS:ESPN Suspends Bob Griese for "Taco" Remark-PC Run Amok?
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Excessive
This is excessive for several reasons. It was clearly an off-the-cuff remark that was poorly thought out, but it was obviously a joke and not intended in any malicious sense. I think most of us would be lying if we said we have never told a racial joke of some kind. "Out for a taco", as far as racial jokes or comments go, is incredibly benign. He apologized twice, one of them only minute afterwards. And the person who the comment was directed at didn't even care. I don't know what the big controversy is about, it's clearly just a joke and it's harmless.
The apology was more than enough.
- caelum
October 27, 2009 2:27PM
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Crossing the line
IMO, many of the innocent comments that seem to get media attention fall into the "too sensitive" category. I don't think this instance is of that variety. Joking about a Mexican taking a taco break can't be viewed as anything other than racist . A simple acid test is to ask if this is something you would say to a person face to face on meeting them for the first time. In polite conversation, I don't see this as a joke many Mexicans would find funny coming from a white person.
- Don Earl
October 27, 2009 2:43PM
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racist? don't be silly.
Cultural satire--yes. Let's see now:
Germans and saurkraut
French and garlic
English and kidney pie
...and on and on....
The problem rests entirely on the perspective of the recipient. IOW, should you perceive yourself as a victim, then you are free to use all the status indicators you can find to reinforce your negative self-image.
OTOH, should one see themselves NOT as a victim of others 'more powerful' / of higher status, it may well be perceived as a compliment--albeit crudely and stereotypically delivered.
- jfh
October 28, 2009 5:51AM
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What if....
the reference had been to a black man being on a watermellon break? The bottom line is it isn't something you would say to a person's face in polite conversation. While perhaps not as exteme as some racial slurs, those kind of comments are intended to be demeaning - as you put it, "crudely and stereotypically delivered".
Basically, it was a rude comment, which the speaker himself recognized as rude the second it slipped out of his mouth.
- Don Earl
October 28, 2009 2:17PM
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if the example had been a black man on a watermelon break,
pitching for the National Watermelon Growers association, then every major MSM outlet would be reporting it as racism in breaking news releases, Jesse Jackson would be flying in with his demonstrators to do the racist blackmail thing he does so well, and the Black Congressional Caucus would be expecting even bigger contributions to overlook instigating a 'congressional investigation .'
OTOH, had the perjorative 'redneck' been offered up about a NASCAR driver advertising for the National Beef Council by voraciously digging into a steak at a picnic, then no one would think twice.
We all stereotype. Some stereotypes have achieved high status with the promoters of victimology--i.e., the Democrat Party, Coastal Elites (the management in question in the topic), NYTimes subscribers, et.al.--and therefore are used for one-upmanship.
Apologies were due, yes. A suspension--don't be silly.
- jfh
October 28, 2009 3:07PM
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The suspension was a slap on the wrist.
I doubt the announcer is going to miss any meals as a result of a one week suspension, and on the other hand, is likely just enough to prevent future occurances, while making a minor example out of him to similarly situated others.
I don't see it as being at all comparable to the kind of fruitloop stuff Jesse Jackson pulls. The guy committed a major faux pas, apologized appropriately, received minor punishment to make sure it doesn't happen again, and the matter is over and done with. Far from being an inappropriate response, it seems to me the situation was handled rather well.
- Don Earl
October 28, 2009 6:03PM
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