The owner of the Washington Redskins football team, Dan Snyder, is suing the local City Paper for publishing an unflattering cover image of him–namely, a photo doctored to include devil horns. That imagewasaccompanied by an article about Snyder’sbusiness practices.
Rob Capriccioso of Indian Country Today points out (2/1/11) thatthe suit alleges the cover art is “the type of imagery used historically, including in Nazi Germany, to dehumanize and vilify the Jewish people.” And, well….
The claim comes as ironic to many observers since Native Americans have for over a decade been suing Snyder for his use of the Redskins name and trademark. The word redskins has historically been used derogatorily toward Indians, and is highly offensive.
Kudos to Richard Prince for reporting this in his Journal-isms column yesterday.
For more on racist mascots, see “Cheerleading for â┚¬Ã‹Å“Abusiveâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢ Mascots: Critics of Native American sports symbols are sidelined” (Extra!, 7/10).
Pretty heavy duty chutzpah, huh?
But no more so than my alma mater, which proudly proclaims its teams “The Rebels”.
Oh, but that’s going overboard, isn’t it? No one sees that as defending slavery.
I’d be interested in how the black athletes on those teams view it. I’d have to think at least some of them make the connection, wouldn’t you?
One other Old South “fun fact”:
“Ol’ Miss” was how house slaves referred to the plantation owner’s wife, as opposed to her daughter(s), who would be addressed as “Young Miss”.
Saw that in a University of Mississippi yearbook from the early ’40s.
And given the sesquicentennial observances of the Civil War, it appears old times there are still not forgotten.
They’re elaborately celebrated.
Go Rebs!
you know whats MORE offensive than photo-shoped horns on a picture of you, Dan Snyder???… YOURE WHOLE FUCKING FRANCHISE NAME, THE REDSKINS!!!! ASSHOLE!! how about the washington REDNECKS?! Washington HONKYS.. the Washington Crackers?! idiot.
Washington Mallomars!
in a country built on and made up of racists of all colors, the whole thing,and these comments are phony.
“in a country built on and made up of racists of all colors, the whole thing,and these comments are phony.”
we should celebrate our diverse racism instead of pointing it out and trying to effect a change. ah but we really should look in the mirror while we point out each other’s sins.
I demand You all lay off this man!!!Think of the horror he has had to live with in his life.The pain.The misery.The degradation…………..He had Donovan Mcnabb as his quarterback this year.
No doubt Dan Snyder’s lawyers have told him that he’ll lose this suit since it’s legal to parody public figures. He’s just trying to intimidate the paper and send a message to other advertisers that they’ll make him unhappy if they continue to spend money on the publication while it’s not bending to his will, which may mean future difficulties in doing business with his football team.
Everything comes down to money.
As for the portray of Snyder with devil’s horns, he must be so offended only because the truth hurts. Racist egomanaical football team owners and schoolyard bullies are really no different; they both hate it when you point out what creeps they are.
The Native Americans have had a terrible time after the Europeans arrived. They tried to accept some of the changes by making agreements in treaties with the US, but time and time again the US would break the treaties, in spite of the fact that the Native Americans usually got the short end of the stick anyway in these agreements. And they are called “savages?” What irony.
Raymond
Read Louis and Clark.Some native Americans were honorable.Some were warlike and as bad as they come.LIttle like the rest of us.The idea of the noble savage ,and the evil white man is so far from the complexity of the situation.. IN a sentence ,A simple agrarian society was eclipsed and absorbed by an advanced society.Every society has been blended.HIstory is the story of movement.Every human ,every culture is the product of this.
Right again, Raymond. My advice to you is to get the book “Son Of The Morning Star”, about Custer’s Last Stand. A great book, beautifully written. The author? Evan S. Connell, if memory serves. (I don’t feel like runnin’ into the living room to search for it. The title I’m sure of, though.)