# No, you ignoramuses, this \*isn't\* racist (or, "Here we go again..") **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 6, 2010, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886 "2010-01-06T11:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/61 "2010-01-06T14:57:42Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …the West Indies. So why is he wearing a geen and yellow hat? Split personality? > [@](#): > > Have you seen a game of cricket before? Yes. For about 20 minutes. In 1960. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/62 "2010-01-06T15:01:08Z")
> [@KellyCriterion](#): > > **Fear Itself** , why would KFC use people that are a mixture of different colours, some black and some white, if they want to represent typical West Indian cricket supporters? I guess they wouldn’t. But maybe it would be an ad to avoid? If you know you have to put tons of black people surrounding a black guy and fried chicken? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/63 "2010-01-06T15:01:25Z")
Every so often there’s a thread where the responses blow my tiny little mind. **Fear Itself** , you have GOT to be fucking kidding me. That is clearly an Aussie supporter finding himiself uncomfortably in the West Indies stand in the cricket ground, making friends with the opposing side via the product. It’s blatantly fucking obvious. Not. Fucking. Racist. Good God, the Young Turks are ethnocentric\* eejits as well. Rowdy due to their race? You need to see how _any_ of the cricket supporters behave at matches. African Americans? Jeez. There isn’t even a stereotype of fried chicken being preferred by people from the Caribbean. (If it were jerk chicken or goat curry, maybe someone would have a point, but even then it wouldn’t be considered offensive.) Context, people, context. Pull your heads out of your arses. \*Used in its cultural meaning here. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/64 "2010-01-06T15:08:07Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > **Fear Itself** , you have GOT to be fucking kidding me. > > That is clearly an Aussie supporter finding himiself uncomfortably in the West Indies stand in the cricket ground, making friends with the opposing side via the product. It’s blatantly fucking obvious. I don’t think it is so obvious. Some besides the white guy are wearing green and yellow. Educate me, as a non-Aussie cricket newbie. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/65 "2010-01-06T15:09:24Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > So why is he wearing a geen and yellow hat? Split personality? …I direct your attention to the official website for West Indies cricket. > **[Windies | The official website of Cricket West Indies for live scores](https://www.windiescricket.com/)** > > Follow and watch live the latest news and scores from Windies cricket on the official Cricket West Indies website Now, if you would like to look at the blatantly racist picture at the top of the screen: you will notice that the people there are wearing maroon, white, gold and green. > [@](#): > > Yes. For about 20 minutes. In 1960. So you have watched cricket before? Internationals? So why are you so confused? ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/66 "2010-01-06T15:09:58Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > So why is he wearing a geen and yellow hat? Split personality? Not necessarily, but red, gold & green are a pretty common color combination in the West Indies. Even Boy George knew that. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/67 "2010-01-06T15:11:57Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I guess they wouldn’t. But maybe it would be an ad to avoid? If you know you have to put tons of black people surrounding a black guy and fried chicken? …so is there some sort of issue with people from the West Indies and Fried chicken we should all know about? ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/68 "2010-01-06T15:13:23Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Now, if you would like to look at the blatantly racist picture at the top of the screen: you will notice that the people there are wearing maroon, white, gold and green. And they’re all black _GASP_ ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/69 "2010-01-06T15:18:03Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …I direct your attention to the official website for West Indies cricket. > > [http://www.windiescricket.com/](http://www.windiescricket.com/) > > Now, if you would like to look at the blatantly racist picture at the top of the screen: you will notice that the people there are wearing maroon, white, gold and green. So you have established that West Indies fans wear green and gold. So who is the white guy (wearing green and gold) rooting for? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/70 "2010-01-06T15:18:28Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …so is there some sort of issue with people from the West Indies and Fried chicken we should all know about? No, but when you look at the ad without a Cricket background and see a white guy pissed off at being surrounded by black people and then placating them with fried chicken, can you really pretend that it can’t possibly be seen as racist? At all? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/71 "2010-01-06T15:21:09Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > So you have established that West Indies fans wear green and gold. So who is the white guy (wearing green and gold) rooting for? Australia! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/72 "2010-01-06T15:23:06Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > So you have established that West Indies fans wear green and gold. So who is the white guy (wearing green and gold) rooting for? I’m Dutch, I’ve only ever seen one cricket match on TV and even I can answer this one. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/73 "2010-01-06T15:25:04Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > No, but when you look at the ad without a Cricket background and see a white guy pissed off at being surrounded by black people and then placating them with fried chicken, can you really pretend that it can’t possibly be seen as racist? At all? The whole “fried chicken” thing is really only percieved as racist in the US. And I only know of that stereotype because of this board. I would imagine almost nobody in Australia would make the link. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/74 "2010-01-06T15:26:15Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > No, but when you look at the ad without a Cricket background and see a white guy pissed off at being surrounded by black people and then placating them with fried chicken, can you really pretend that it can’t possibly be seen as racist? At all? No one says it cannot be seen as racist. If it was shown in the US, it would be a stupid ad to run, because it would be seen in a different light. But it isn’t run in the US, it is run in Australia, a country where there is no connection between black people and fried chicken, and about the West Indies, a group of countries where there is no connection between black people and fried chicken. [QUOTE=Fear Itself] So you have established that West Indies fans wear green and gold. So who is the white guy (wearing green and gold) rooting for? [/QUOTE] The fact that it is an Australia cricket shirt might indicate that it is Australia. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/75 "2010-01-06T15:28:50Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > No, but when you look at the ad without a Cricket background and see a white guy pissed off at being surrounded by black people and then placating them with fried chicken, can you really pretend that it can’t possibly be seen as racist? At all? When you have no cultural hangup about blacks and fried chicken you can. As far as I know the fried chicken thing is purely an American thing. So if the ad was shown in the States you may have a point. It wasn’t it was shown in a nation where the images on the screen are very understandable for the whole population and completely appropriate for airing while the Windies are playing in Oz. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/76 "2010-01-06T15:29:59Z")
> [@villa](#): > > The fact that it is an Australia cricket shirt might indicate that it is Australia. I don’t see how you can tell, since both teams wear green and gold. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/77 "2010-01-06T15:31:08Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I don’t see how you can tell, since both teams wear green and gold. It’s an ad for KFC, not a TV course in how to recognize cricket shirts. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/78 "2010-01-06T15:33:57Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I don’t see how you can tell, since both teams wear green and gold. Because I, and presumably 95% of people in the country where the ad was aimed, have seen an Australian cricket shirt before. Both Australia and the Packers wear green and gold. I am perfectly capable of telling the difference between my Reggie White jersey and some poor deluded criminal’s Shane Warne shirt. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/79 "2010-01-06T15:36:51Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > So why is he wearing a geen and yellow hat? Because the usual [colours](http://ingao.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/west-indies-cricket-playaer1.jpg) of the Windies are (deep) Red with splashes of yellow and green. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/80 "2010-01-06T15:40:36Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I don’t see how you can tell, since both teams wear green and gold. Since you can’t tell the difference between a steel drum and a cowbell, do you really think an explanation is going to help you? eta: I guess one guy is playing a cowbell, right in front of the guy playing the massive steel drum. So I guess I’d change my remark to “You can’t spot a steel drum there?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886.md?page=5)