
Originally Posted by
Gandalf
We understand racism and many of us have lived as minorities and are married to people of a different race. We just think you should be able to tell a joke and in times of yore it was perfectly acceptable to do so. Now if Gascoigne had said this aggressively and added a few expletives then I could understand the joke might be problematic, but it seems to have been relatively harmless going by the report.
You can't claim understand racism if you think it's acceptable and inoffensive for a privileged and celebrated white male football hero to take to the stage in front of an audience who paid £350 per ticket and belittle a black man who is there to work his job as a security guard.
The comment and delivery were based solely on the colour of his skin and the fact that Gascoigne knows that he is a celebrity who is surrounded by rabid fans, and that there would be no recourse for his racist statement.
If Gascoigne and the security guard and the audience had been familiar with one another and had a relationship that was based on equality and mutual respect, and if the guard had been a willing and active participant, then it may be considered a joke. In this instance however it just serves to isolate, embarrass and humiliate a black man in front of a bunch of strangers, knowing he could only stand there and be forced to take it.
It's the power play that is most offensive, not the concept of the white teeth in a black face in a dark room.
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