# "Year of the Monkey" NBA promo t-shirts: racist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 2, 2016, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960 "2016-02-02T15:56:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/81 "2016-02-04T17:34:09Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > So the Chinese have to deal with the fact that their multi thousand year old tradition has to take a back seat to Black History Month due to an unfortunate symbolism clash every 12 years? Or, you know, just give the shirt out next week, when Chinese New Year actually starts. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/82 "2016-02-04T18:02:46Z")
Cousins doesn’t play for the Sharks and probably wouldn’t care. I think post 44 sums up my feelings pretty well; I disagree with Cousins, but I understand why he doesn’t care for the promotion. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/83 "2016-02-04T18:22:52Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Colorblind ideology is a form of racism— [Colorblind Ideology Is a Form of Racism | Psychology Today](https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/culturally-speaking/201112/colorblind-ideology-is-form-racism) My goodness, that was a stupid article. “It’s no fair that you are treating me the same as everyone else! That’s racism!” :rolleyes: Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/84 "2016-02-04T18:34:31Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Colorblind ideology is a form of racism— [Colorblind Ideology Is a Form of Racism | Psychology Today](https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/culturally-speaking/201112/colorblind-ideology-is-form-racism) Of course it is… ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/85 "2016-02-04T18:42:02Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Or, you know, just give the shirt out next week, when Chinese New Year actually starts. That’s what I don’t understand. Why didn’t they wait for the actual new year to start in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/86 "2016-02-04T18:59:09Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > That’s what I don’t understand. Why didn’t they wait for the actual new year to start in the first place? CPT? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/87 "2016-02-04T18:59:58Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Or, you know, just give the shirt out next week, when Chinese New Year actually starts. But how does that change anything? I thought some were bothered by the mere existence of monkey shirts. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/88 "2016-02-04T19:02:27Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > That’s what I don’t understand. Why didn’t they wait for the actual new year to start in the first place? They start a road trip next week, but they could have picked another date. Either way, I am just perplexed by the backlash against a private company deciding to listen to one of their more valuable employees’ concerns. Even leaving aside race and pr, it makes perfect sense that the Kings would listen to Cousins. Why that enrages people is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/89 "2016-02-04T19:04:22Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > But how does that change anything? I thought some were bothered by the mere existence of monkey shirts. Did you read the article? That wasn’t Cousins’ stance. I suppose some people might be bothered by the mere existence of monkey shirts, but none of them have commented on this issue afaict. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/90 "2016-02-04T19:18:00Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > CPT? > > Regards, > Shodan What is CPT? > [@brickbacon](#): > > They start a road trip next week, but they could have picked another date. I just looked up their schedule and their next home game is on the 19th. That’s just a bit under two weeks from the start of the new year. Could have done it then during the actual new year. I don’t think the fans really would have cared to have to have waited until then. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/91 "2016-02-04T19:25:44Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > That’s what I don’t understand. Why didn’t they wait for the actual new year to start in the first place? It could be related to the home game schedule, but for Chinese New Year, there are a lot of pre-new year celebration and traditions that occur. Things happening before the actual new year day are not uncommon. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/92 "2016-02-04T19:31:42Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > Why that enrages people is beyond me. You seem to be the most enraged person in the thread so you tell us. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/93 "2016-02-04T19:34:16Z")
> [@treis](#): > > You seem to be the most enraged person in the thread so you tell us. 😕 What on earth in **brickbacon** ’s posts leads you to _that_ conclusion? ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/94 "2016-02-04T19:42:52Z")
> [@andros](#): > > 😕 > > What on earth in **brickbacon** ’s posts leads you to _that_ conclusion? He’s got the most and longest posts in the thread, and is the only one that I’ve seen refer to another post as “complete bullshit”. The “not racist” side of the argument seems to be mostly mocking with the occasional serious point. Certainly little evidence of anyone being “enraged”, excepting Anaamika’s one and done post. ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/95 "2016-02-04T19:47:46Z")
> [@treis](#): > > He’s got the most and longest posts in the thread, and is the only one that I’ve seen refer to another post as “complete bullshit”. The “not racist” side of the argument seems to be mostly mocking with the occasional serious point. Certainly little evidence of anyone being “enraged”, excepting Anaamika’s one and done post. Calling out bullshit means I’m enraged? ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/96 "2016-02-04T19:51:07Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > Calling out bullshit means I’m enraged? It is you that said that this is enraging people. I simply said that you are the most enraged one in this thread. I don’t think anyone is particularly enraged here, but yes, out of the people posting you seem to be the angriest. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/97 "2016-02-04T20:04:58Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > What is CPT? [CPT](http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/11/23/365706319/running-late-nah-just-on-cpt). Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/98 "2016-02-04T21:09:10Z")
OK, let’s review: - Other NBA teams found ways to celebrate the Chinese New Year without Monkeys, apparently with no problems. Say so right in the OP reference. - Does anybody doubt that the ‘monkey’ meme for black people does not exist? If you think it is extinct, I refer you to more than a few European soccer leagues and the intergration of American sport. - A highly valued employee of an organization voiced a concern and management listened, thought about it, and concluded he was right. That’s American values in action, in my world. YMMV. - The shirts were going to be distributed on 1 February, ONE WEEK BEFORE the start of Chinese New Year and the FIRST DAY of Black History Month. Attributing all the best intentions to the Kings front office, the juxtaposition was not well thought out, IMHO. - As far as I can see, there were no threats, no big protest movements, no Twitter #NoMonkeys trending, in fact there is more discussion here than in regular news sources AFAICS. - And again; NO ONE, much less Mr. Cousins, has said that celebrating Chinese New Year (Year of the Monkey) is racism; I would be most interested if any of our more fulminating posters could come up with a reference like that. But there are ways to do it (as other NBA teams have demonstrated) that take factors like the ‘monkey’ reference into account. - I am not black; but I did live for 4 years in the Middle East, where I was most certainly a minority. And know what? You notice things there, unless you are completely enconsced in your little minority community. And that is why (1) I think Mr. Cousins and his employers were right and (2) Why some people want to make a mountain out of this molehill. IMHO as always. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/99 "2016-02-04T23:01:29Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > - Does anybody doubt that the ‘monkey’ meme for black people does not exist? If you think it is extinct, I refer you to more than a few European soccer leagues and the intergration of American sport. Could you explain this, please? I don’t know anything about European soccer leagues or what they have to do with this. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960/100 "2016-02-04T23:59:16Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Could you explain this, please? I don’t know anything about European soccer leagues or what they have to do with this. [Here’s one example.](http://thinkprogress.org/sports/2015/07/18/3682113/russia-racism-frimpong-red-card-monkey-chants/) That’s technically Russia, not Europe, but there’s lots of similar stories from other countries. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-of-the-monkey-nba-promo-t-shirts-racist/744960.md?page=6)