An only slightly racist remark from Mary Carillo
Filing under: Not a Huge Deal, But Worth Noting
Wimbledon's in the quarters, which I guess means it's time for broad generalizations of players' races. This year's installment comes from Mary Carillo, who is commentating today's match between Li Na of China and Kim Clijsters of Belgium. Here's Carillo, on the success of Li and other Asian racketeers (hint: it has something to do with their little Asian statures.)
Ah yes, those little Asians with those quick little feet. They're so cute! By the way, Mary, Li Na is 5'8". Just like Clijsters and a full two inches taller than Justine Henin-Hardenne, who won the French Open this year, presumably not hitting most of her shots "around her teeth." Unless Henin-Hardenne has shorter teeth than Li, I'm not buying the "Asians are compact and low to the ground" argument any longer.
It should be noted that the last portion of the quote (after the elipsis) was Mary paraphrasing what other people say about "the Chinese revolution in tennis," but she really made it her own, especially that link to Genghis Khan at the end.
My only wish is that she would have expounded on how well-taught those smart little Asians are. And maybe a few thoughts on why Kobayashi keeps beating us at hot-dog eating... I would think their cute little mouths would be a deterrent...
Wimbledon's in the quarters, which I guess means it's time for broad generalizations of players' races. This year's installment comes from Mary Carillo, who is commentating today's match between Li Na of China and Kim Clijsters of Belgium. Here's Carillo, on the success of Li and other Asian racketeers (hint: it has something to do with their little Asian statures.)
They’ve got short takebacks. They’ve got short, compact strokes. They’re low to the ground, which works great on grass. When they have to play on clay, they have short strokes and they're hitting shots around their teeth, they can’t generate any power. But they’re quick and they're strong, they hug the baseline. They're very well-taught for fast surfaces. It rewards everything they do well, especially those compact strokes and those quick feet. … They’re fit, they're fast, they're motivated. Great fighters.
Ah yes, those little Asians with those quick little feet. They're so cute! By the way, Mary, Li Na is 5'8". Just like Clijsters and a full two inches taller than Justine Henin-Hardenne, who won the French Open this year, presumably not hitting most of her shots "around her teeth." Unless Henin-Hardenne has shorter teeth than Li, I'm not buying the "Asians are compact and low to the ground" argument any longer.
It should be noted that the last portion of the quote (after the elipsis) was Mary paraphrasing what other people say about "the Chinese revolution in tennis," but she really made it her own, especially that link to Genghis Khan at the end.
My only wish is that she would have expounded on how well-taught those smart little Asians are. And maybe a few thoughts on why Kobayashi keeps beating us at hot-dog eating... I would think their cute little mouths would be a deterrent...
posted by Trapper | 12:22 PM
10 Comments:
Hilarious.
[came over from Deadspin]
Agreed, Bo. What an absurd post.
You're right, this isn't a huge deal. But I think you're ignoring a larger issue if you don't acknowledge that too many times people (sports personalities are most interesting to me) take the easy way out and link someone's successes or failures to their race, or gender, or any easily stereotyped aspect of a person. No, what Mary said was in no way maliciously racist. Far from it. But it's ridiculous to claim that Chinese players are becoming more successful because they're "low to the ground." If what she meant was that Chinese players, who are taught in similar ways, follow the same school of thought that teaches compact and quick swings, then she should have said that. Instead she just started listing things she thinks the Chinese have in common, including "those quick feet" and being low to the ground. It's not a matter of whether her comments were complimentary, it just demeans her own intelligence to stoop to the easily obtained stereotypes to describe why Li Na made it to the quarters. I'm not labeling Mary a racist, but us fans would benefit from smarter analysis. Anyway, thanks for the interest.
Carillo doesn't understand the Chinese attitude to sport. They're very methodical; they figure out the least stressful stroke (for the body) and teach how to play it. Moreover, they also teach how to move the feet in conjunction with the hands; how much movement there should be in the body. All of that jazz. I know this because I spent a year in China and acquired a coach to improve my ping pong game.
Yeah, BCB, I must've missed the part of the quote where Carillo said Asians play low to the ground because they're shorter. Oh that's right--she said no such thing.
Again, making what I consider "only a slightly racist remark" is not the same as labeling someone a racist, just like someone making a stupid remark doesn't make them a stupid person. And again, she didn't say the Chinese are all taught in a certain way to play tennis. In that remark, she specifically says "they're low to the ground" when talking about the players. I left this part out, but she also described how, when the Russian women began to make an emergence in the sport, they were all big and powerful. Yes, you can argue that she was talking about a school of thought and a certain approach to the game (that most, and probably not all, Russians may or may not take), but it's also in line with stereotypes about Russians.
I guess what I want to point out more than anything is that I'm not the pc police; it's not about being politically correct. It's just a slight to viewers make sweeping comments about people of the same nationality/race/whatever. Tell me about this coaching mentality that says to keep a low stance and make shorter swings, if thats what she meant. But she didn't. She left us with "they're low to the ground," they've got "those quick feet" and they're "great warriors" without qualification.
Bo, the most ridiculous thing is that you think Asians all have brown hair. I have had my share of Asian interactions, and they all have black hair.
[from Deadspin]
boobs, in one breath you suggest you're not the "pc police" and in the next you tell us that Carillo should have to qualify her otherwise benign statements to avoid being understood as subscribing to racial stereotypes. The latter certainly sounds like pc policing to me.
Mary Carillo maybe don't know the sometimes is better not say anything,.Mary, go to buy viagra online to your guy, and have sex all the night, maybe this work, and you rearrange your ideas. You definitely should learn to control your comments.
I completely agree! Mary Carillo's comment's on Asian women tennis players and their similarities were meant to be complimentary, Carillo was simply saying that these women are damn competitors, and then explained some of the reasons they are successful. Mary Carillo always give detailed theories and explanations in her commentary, that's a huge part Of why she's won a sport's journalism Sports Emmy award, and been named Best tennis commentator by the Women's Tennis Association several times. Mary Carillo is not a racist, the writer of this article is apparently smokin' some seriously good stuff!
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