Italian Serie A has started a new campaign to combat racism which is pretty visible in Italy. That's about time, you may say. Unfortunately, their campaign poster has pictures of...Monkeys
When the artist who did the poster was asked for his reason for choosing monkeys, his reply was "I decided to portray monkeys to talk about racism because they are the metaphor for human beings"
As he continued to link the metaphor to man-ape, he said "I made the western monkey with blue and white eyes, the Asian monkey with almond-shaped eyes and the black monkey positioned in the centre, where everything comes from"
Is this really a case of a genuine desire to fight the evil of racism but getting it wrong, in other words total ignorance of racism and the undertones of racism, or is Italian football putting two fingers up the rest of the football world and will just carry on with how things are?
Multi-board, please admin.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/dec/16/serie-a-receives-condemnation-anti-racism-artwork-monkeys
Is this ignorance?
posted on 16/12/19
Just had a glance at Galton's Wikipedia page, and you wouldn't think he did anything wrong if that's all you read. Careful what you read. Here's some context for those who don't know:
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/column-the-false-racist-theory-of-eugenics-once-ruled-science-lets-never-let-that-happen-again
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/mar/01/racism-science-human-genomes-darwin
posted on 17/12/19
Sky reported that the artist only paints Monkeys....
posted on 17/12/19
Serie A, Italy's top football division, commissioned Simone Fugazzotto, who is known for painting monkeys, to create artworks to tackle prejudice in the game.
https://news.sky.com/story/serie-a-anti-racism-campaign-sparks-criticism-over-images-of-monkeys-11888499
posted on 17/12/19
"Ignorance"?
Call it that if you like.
It's more likely "idiocy", "Illiteracy", and many other things combined, probably among the younger generation of footfall goers.
How they even have the money to pay for a ticket at today's prices is amazing.
And the clubs let them in!!
Says a lot about the clubs, doesn't it?
posted on 17/12/19
He could have just used Gareth Bale.
posted on 17/12/19
Balism at its worst right there.
posted on 17/12/19
comment by Hooplar (U15824)
posted 10 hours, 30 minutes ago
Totally delusional.
No one "came from" monkeys and Francis Galton was a disgrace. We're all humans, not animals.
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We're also all animals though...
In essence there's nothing wrong with using a monkey as an image to represent our common ancestry.
Problem is, only a complete idiot would not understand the racist connotations of reference a monkey in this sort of 'conversation'. So it's either insanely misjudged or intentionally offensive. I'm unsure which.
posted on 17/12/19
comment by Edward Elizabeth Hitler. (U14393)
posted 11 hours, 8 minutes ago
Complete joke and a sly racist shot by the artist.
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If, as someone above said, he only paints or specialises in painting monkeys, then its not a racist shot by the artist but those who commissioned him, knowing full well that it they would get a monkey painting for their campaign.
posted on 17/12/19
It is entirely wrong at every level. If an ad needs endless explanation, it has obviously failed. The eye colour completely lost on most people.
The sad part is neither the artist or those that commissioned this can see why.
posted on 18/12/19
Phil - I believe humans are distinct from animals, aside from whatever biological or scientific definitions we currently have. I don't believe we are animals - in the same way that you could describe people as "behaving like animals" to mean they're not behaving like people should.