Kings scrap T-Shirt giveaway after deemed insensitive

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fansinceday1

fansinceday1

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#2
#2
I'm a boogie fan but I'm not surprised that something this stupid would hurt poor Demarcus's wittle feewings.
I just have no tolerance (oh great, now I'm screwed) for political correct b*** s***.

This **** shouldn't surprise me in this day in age of college students feeling threatened when their college has taco Tuesday. Those damn tacos and merging it with Tuesday really make me feel bad and threatened when people discount my heritage like that, me being Mexican and all.
 
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kingmarlow

kingmarlow

Prospect
#4
#4
Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
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#6
#6
John Galt said:
DeMarcus does. The 1.3 billion Chinese don't.
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Before people go completely off the deep end with this notion that Cousins was making some sort of unilateral decision, I feel like it deserves additional mention that the ESPN article does indicate that Cousins sought out additional opinions, just to make sure that he wasn't all on an island with how he felt about it.
 
Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#7
#7
John Galt said:
Much as I love to argue - I don't mind they pulled the t-shirts. Just so darn unlucky it happened to be year of the monkey I feel bad for the well meaning hard working people who put on the promo in the first place.
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I feel bad for those people in the sense that their hard work went to waste, but not otherwise.

Last thing I would ever think of is that a monkey is a racist symbol but ....
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Wow, really? That's... interesting. I mean, I won't presume to speak for any person of color other than myself but, while 'monkey' isn't the very first racist icon that I would think of, it's in the Top Five. As intimated by Michael Smith, maybe it would have blown up into a huge problem, and maybe it wouldn't, but if Cousins noticed it, there was roughly a zero percent chance that he would have been the only person to say something about it.
 
S

SCKingsfan

Bench
#9
#9
Mr. S£im Citrus said:
I feel bad for those people in the sense that their hard work went to waste, but not otherwise.

Wow, really? That's... interesting. I mean, I won't presume to speak for any person of color other than myself but, while 'monkey' isn't the very first racist icon that I would think of, it's in the Top Five. As intimated by Michael Smith, maybe it would have blown up into a huge problem, and maybe it wouldn't, but if Cousins noticed it, there was roughly a zero percent chance that he would have been the only person to say something about it.
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No reason they can't still release the T-shirt. Just a bad date/coincidence for the initial giveaway.

As an aside: I'm with DeMarcus on this one. Not to get into politics, but I think most would realize we have still have a big problem in this country that we need to be "sensitive" to.
 
P

pshn80

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#10
#10
Mr. S£im Citrus said:
Before people go completely off the deep end with this notion that Cousins was making some sort of unilateral decision, I feel like it deserves additional mention that the ESPN article does indicate that Cousins sought out additional opinions, just to make sure that he wasn't all on an island with how he felt about it.
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Thank god for hat.
 
macadocious

macadocious

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#13
#13
Intent here does not matter. What matter is perception. Slim is correct that it is still a representation of a racist thought process. Put it this way, had they not pulled them there we would be reading numerous articles about how dumb and insensitive the Kings organization is.
 
macadocious

macadocious

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#15
#15
Of course it was not a racist thought process in the shirts, but that is irrelevant to how people would perceive the shirts. The Kings as an organization can do anything they want. They could have told Cuz to F off and they were keeping them out there, or they could do what they did. I think from a PR perspective it was a smart move.
 
PurpleHaze

PurpleHaze

All-Star
#16
#16
Pathetic political correctness continuing to run amok everywhere! What the hell is this about? The monkey is but one of twelve ANIMAL not HUMAN Chinese New Year symbols from 4,500 year old ancient calendar. How utterly disgraceful that 25 year old DeMarcus Cousins decides he's "possibly" offended (see link below) and immediately cowardly Kings organization folds to the "pressure." I'm OFFENDED and hereby boycott attending anymore Kings games this season. This is about playing or actually misplaying some kind of victim card, injecting race into a false situation where there should be absolutely no controversy whatsoever. One of the most unbelievably stupid things ever heard of in all my long adult years. Where the hell are the adults? Cousins certainly showing again he's not one, that squeaky wimp Granger proves he's not one - with Vivek looking like nervous shaking little skinny kid in charge of it all.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sport...usins-kings-black-history-20160202-story.html
 
Glenn

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#17
#17
The only people who have an invested right in educating the rest of us what seems racist are the people impacted. I'm an old, lily white male of European descent who used all kinds of racist terms as a grade schooler (1950s), As time progressed, I learned and I didn't just learn to keep my trap shut because it was PC but I tried to learn why certain terms strike people in certain ways. We as a country have a long way to go. There are very few countries with such a diversity of cultures, races, etc. and because of that, I think we need to be extra cognizant of what might bother those who are not like us. It's the "price" we pay for diversity.
 
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Padrino

Padrino

All-Star
#21
#21
PurpleHaze said:
Pathetic political correctness continuing to run amok everywhere! What the hell is this about? The monkey is but one of twelve ANIMAL not HUMAN Chinese New Year symbols from 4,500 year old ancient calendar. How utterly disgraceful that 25 year old DeMarcus Cousins decides he's "possibly" offended (see link below) and immediately cowardly Kings organization folds to the "pressure." I'm OFFENDED and hereby boycott attending anymore Kings games this season. This is about playing or actually misplaying some kind of victim card, injecting race into a false situation where there should be absolutely no controversy whatsoever. One of the most unbelievably stupid things ever heard of in all my long adult years. Where the hell are the adults? Cousins certainly showing again he's not one, that squeaky wimp Granger proves he's not one - with Vivek looking like nervous shaking little skinny kid in charge of it all.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/sport...usins-kings-black-history-20160202-story.html
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to be fair, demarcus asked questions of others regarding their feelings on the matter before petitioning to have the shirts removed, which strikes me as a thoughtful and sincere approach to a matter of considerable nuance. after all, we are not so far removed from a time when a healthy smattering of political cartoons depicted our sitting president with primate-like features, so while the intent of the sacramento kings wouldn't be construed as racist by just about anybody, it's also not exactly a stretch to believe that someone might find offense in the image of a monkey being displayed by every fan in the building during a month in which we both celebrate black history and highlight the need for racial sensitivity...

more to the point, your post hardly appears to be the measured and appropriate response of these "adults" you speak of. i always find it curious that those who cry foul over "political correctness" tend to exercise less in the way of maturity or self-awareness or critical thinking than those who may find offense in a particular gesture, "right" or "wrong" though the offended may be in striking that defensive pose in the first place...
 
Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

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#23
#23
Padrino said:
to the point, your post hardly appears to be the measured and appropriate response of these "adults" you speak of. i always find it curious that those who cry foul over "political correctness" tend to exercise less in the way of maturity or self-awareness or critical thinking than those who may find offense in a particular gesture, "right" or "wrong" though the offended may be in striking that defensive pose in the first place...
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Like I said, these topics are instructive.
 
VF21

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#24
#24
I'm speaking only for myself now, VF21 fan (not moderator). I think this is another case of overreacting. The Chinese calendar has been around FOREVER. The Year of the Monkey comes around every 12 years, just like the Year of the Rat, the Year of the Horse, the Year of the Snake, etc. To decide that one of the characters of their zodiac is being used in a racist manner because some t-shirts were going to be handed out, is ONCE AGAIN IMHO, ridiculous. I kind of like the idea that the Kings were trying to embrace another culture. I think there should be more of these celebrations and not less. The fact that it was the start of Black History Month, ONCE AGAIN IMHO, did not mean the Kings were being racist, insensitive, etc.

I have no doubt that this thread will eventually have to be closed. We're a sports forum dedicated to the Sacramento Kings and we've learned the hard way over the years that allowing discourse on "sensitive" issues invariably leads to harsh rhetoric that, while interesting or relevant to some, does nothing but create divisiveness among our members. (This part is from VF21 the moderator). Just like politics, religion and other hot button topics, racial sensitivities (for lack of a better term) can tear a board apart. We've always taken the approach that there are some things better left unsaid on a board devoted to the game of basketball.
 
fansinceday1

fansinceday1

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#25
#25
Padrino said:
more to the point, your post hardly appears to be the measured and appropriate response of these "adults" you speak of. i always find it curious that those who cry foul over "political correctness" tend to exercise less in the way of maturity or self-awareness or critical thinking than those who may find offense in a particular gesture, "right" or "wrong" though the offended may be in striking that defensive pose in the first place...
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Id like to hear you expand upon your comment. How is our response, those of us who despise these seemingly overly sensitive responses to innocuous acts, make us immature or show a lack of self awareness with our hatred of political correct speak?

Ive been the focus of racial hatred in the past and yet I despise when students, or should I say A STUDENT, is offended and a college, Clemson U, has to apologize for naming a night of the week maximum mexican night and serving mexican food.
Since I am mexican am I suppose to be offended and shrinking back in horror at having my culture belittled by students wearing sombreros and ponchos?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...ity-apologizes-to-offended-students/?page=all

Then theres Brown University that was gonna have a debate on sexual assault. Well, the language might be so damaging to certain people that a "safe room" was set up:

"The safe space, Ms. Byron explained, was intended to give people who might find comments “troubling” or “triggering,” a place to recuperate. The room was equipped with cookies, coloring books, bubbles, Play-Doh, calming music, pillows, blankets and a video of frolicking puppies, as well as students and staff members trained to deal with trauma."

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/opinion/sunday/judith-shulevitz-hiding-from-scary-ideas.html?_r=0

Is the fact that I find this stuff not only ridiculous but scary, immature on my part? I actually fear for the little helpless sheep that our colleges are churning out.
I am guilty of feeling overwhelmed because I can admit that im probably in the minority on this subject. Ive seen this right to never be offended spread from nothing to seemingly ruling over every waking minute of our lives.
 
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Glenn

Glenn

Hall of Famer
#26
#26
Padrino said:
to be fair, demarcus asked questions of others regarding their feelings on the matter before petitioning to have the shirts removed, which strikes me as a thoughtful and sincere approach to a matter of considerable nuance. after all, we are not so far removed from a time when a healthy smattering of political cartoons depicted our sitting president with primate-like features, so while the intent of the sacramento kings wouldn't be construed as racist by just about anybody, it's also not exactly a stretch to believe that someone might find offense in the image of a monkey being displayed by every fan in the building during a month in which we both celebrate black history and highlight the need for racial sensitivity...

more to the point, your post hardly appears to be the measured and appropriate response of these "adults" you speak of. i always find it curious that those who cry foul over "political correctness" tend to exercise less in the way of maturity or self-awareness or critical thinking than those who may find offense in a particular gesture, "right" or "wrong" though the offended may be in striking that defensive pose in the first place...
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I know Boogie asked around. I wonder if he showed people the design. Sorry to my black friends, but that was clearly an Asian design and the monkey wasn't as ugly as I have seen from the racists on Facebook. I am not the final judge, however.
 
whozit

whozit

Starter
#27
#27
Padrino said:
to be fair, demarcus asked questions of others regarding their feelings on the matter before petitioning to have the shirts removed, which strikes me as a thoughtful and sincere approach to a matter of considerable nuance. after all, we are not so far removed from a time when a healthy smattering of political cartoons depicted our sitting president with primate-like features, so while the intent of the sacramento kings wouldn't be construed as racist by just about anybody, it's also not exactly a stretch to believe that someone might find offense in the image of a monkey being displayed by every fan in the building during a month in which we both celebrate black history and highlight the need for racial sensitivity...

more to the point, your post hardly appears to be the measured and appropriate response of these "adults" you speak of. i always find it curious that those who cry foul over "political correctness" tend to exercise less in the way of maturity or self-awareness or critical thinking than those who may find offense in a particular gesture, "right" or "wrong" though the offended may be in striking that defensive pose in the first place...
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This was also on national TV. A no-win situation.
 
Mr. S£im Citrus

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#28
#28
fansinceday1 said:
Ive been the focus of racial hatred in the past and yet I despise when students, or should I say A STUDENT, is offended and a college, Clemson U, has to apologize for naming a night of the week maximum mexican night and serving mexican food.
Since I am mexican am I suppose to be offended and shrinking back in horror at having my culture belittled by students wearing sombreros and ponchos?
Click to expand...
The only thing that you're "supposed" to do is be aware of the fact that, just because you're not offended, doesn't mean that it's not offensive, and/or that other people shouldn't be offended.

Then theres Brown University that was gonna have a debate on sexual assault. Well, the language might be so damaging to certain people that a "safe room" was set up:

"The safe space, Ms. Byron explained, was intended to give people who might find comments “troubling” or “triggering,” a place to recuperate. The room was equipped with cookies, coloring books, bubbles, Play-Doh, calming music, pillows, blankets and a video of frolicking puppies, as well as students and staff members trained to deal with trauma."

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/22/opinion/sunday/judith-shulevitz-hiding-from-scary-ideas.html?_r=0

Is the fact that I find this stuff not only ridiculous but scary, immature on my part? I actually fear for the little helpless sheep that our colleges are churning out.
I am guilty of feeling overwhelmed because I can admit that im probably in the minority on this subject. Ive seen this right to never be offended spread from nothing to seemingly ruling over every waking minute of our lives.
Click to expand...
You are conflating "political correctness" with the so-called "nanny state." Those two things are often intertwined, but they are not identical.
 
fansinceday1

fansinceday1

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#29
#29
Mr. S£im Citrus said:
The only thing that you're "supposed" to do is be aware of the fact that, just because you're not offended, doesn't mean that it's not offensive, and/or that other people shouldn't be offended.


You are conflating "political correctness" with the so-called "nanny state." Those two things are often intertwined, but they are not identical.
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I have ALOT more to say on this subject.
This threads gonna go bye bye so I guess we'll just agree to disagree.
 
VF21

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#30
#30
Mr. S£im Citrus said:
The only thing that you're "supposed" to do is be aware of the fact that, just because you're not offended, doesn't mean that it's not offensive, and/or that other people shouldn't be offended.
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Shouldn't that say "doesn't mean it might not be considered offensive and/or that other people might be offended?"

Saying someone SHOULD be offended just doesn't sit right with me.
 
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