"It's all White here" slogan angers West Indies

[Precambrian]

From Cricinfo

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/newzealand/content/current/story/379171.html

Otago Cricket's slogan to promote Test cricket, "It's all white here!", has been strongly condemned by the West Indies Players' Association ahead of the Dunedin Test between New Zealand and West Indies next month.

The idea mirrors another promotion a few years ago in which New Zealand fans were encouraged to "black out" in support of their team, colloquially known as the Black Caps. However, the concept has angered people in New Zealand and abroad, forcing an apology from Otago Cricket's chief executive.

"We just wanted a catchy phrase to help sell the game," said Ross Dykes yesterday. "It was all based around the association of the colour with cricket."

The former commentator, Billy Ibadulla, said the idea was ill-concevied. "The connection between the phrase and white clothing is stupid at best, and grievous at worst."

Despite the apologies, WIPA has vehemently condemned the phrase.

"This slogan which, in our view, may be reasonably perceived to be loaded with racial innuendoes has quite naturally raised eyebrows in many places, including New Zealand itself," said WIPA in a statement. "It comes at a time when the spectre of racial intolerance is insidiously and, at times, openly appearing in major sporting events.

"We at WIPA and its members wish to disassociate ourselves from any perceived contributing factor. Whatever may be the reasons advanced by the bodies in New Zealand for this promotional approach, innocently as some may claim, it appears to be totally insensitive and myopic as to the ramifications.

"We request that the West Indies Cricket Board take up this issue as a matter of urgency with New Zealand Cricket, conveying our deep concern about participating in an event with such a 'perceived' racial slogan."

Not all observers were so strongly against the idea, however. New Zealand's former batsman, Glenn Turner, Glenn Turner said people could be "too politically correct".

"It's about the tone. I don't think anyone had negative intention here," Turner said. "But whether it's a bit loose or sloppy is open to comment."

 

[Langeveldt]

Jesus.. A sad world, one where you can't mention the colour of some clothing

 

[Neil Pickup]

South Park Flag anyone?

 

[G.I.Joe]

I'll be highly interested in seeing what colours the West Indies test team turn up in next.

 

[silentstriker]

Pretty loaded phrase though.

 

[Precambrian]

Pretty loaded phrase though.

If not, incredible stupid. If yes, incredibly moronic. Lose-lose situation imho.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Pretty loaded phrase though.

Not as much as the glaring significance of the black bats used in the Stanford shindig. Don't you get it? Black bats in the West Indies!!!!

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

I'm surprised there is no uproar about our Rugby team being called the "All Blacks", and our Football team, the "All Whites" for that matter.

A sad world, we live in.

 

[Richard]

You'd have thought Otago would've learnt to be more careful about their slogans if they've had this sort of thing before.

 

[wpdavid]

Context counts for something here. Obv that sort of slogan would be idiotic in parts of SA. And Aus, given the relatively recent "white Aus" policy and the ongoing issues with aboriginals. Dunno enough about NZ, tbh. How would the local Maoris feel about it?

 

[Langeveldt]

Context counts for something here. Obv that sort of slogan would be idiotic in parts of SA. And Aus, given the relatively recent "white Aus" policy and the ongoing issues with aboriginals. Dunno enough about NZ, tbh. How would the local Maoris feel about it?

Well we have All Gold Jam.. I wonder how our tiny chinese community feels about that?

 

[wpdavid]

Well we have All Gold Jam.. I wonder how our tiny chinese community feels about that?

Obv identical to the situation described in Otago .....

 

[BoyBrumby]

Clearly something of the storm in a teacup about this, but the phrase "It's all white here" does bring to mind the catchphrase of family entertainer/owner of swimming pool where ***ually injured corpses are discovered Michael Barrymore, so should be banned forthwith.

 

[wpdavid]

Clearly something of the storm in a teacup about this, but the phrase "It's all white here" does bring to mind the catchphrase of family entertainer/owner of swimming pool where ***ually injured corpses are discovered Michael Barrymore, so should be banned forthwith.

Can't argue with that.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

How would the local Maoris feel about it?

There's not a vast amount of Maori in the South Island in general. However, I was speaking to a Maori last night and he said that whatever way he looked at it, the slogan could easily be construed as racist.

Shrug.

 

[nightprowler10]

South Park Flag anyone?

Haha, thought of that myself.

It may seem annoying to some people on here but you can't deny what SS said.

 

[silentstriker]

Jesus.. A sad world, one where you can't mention the colour of some clothing

If they had said it's 'All white clothing here'', there wouldn't be an issue. I'm sure they didn't mean anything, but you can't ignore what that statement implied historically. You'd be mad to think it wouldn't be a big deal. Frankly, it is.

And I know this is an unpopular view, but you can't say something free from the weight of [very recent] history. Just twenty years ago, that phrase would have meant something quite radically different in some parts of the world.

 

[Uppercut]

If they had said it's 'All white clothing here'', there wouldn't be an issue. I'm sure they didn't mean anything, but you can't ignore what that statement implied historically. You'd be mad to think it wouldn't be a big deal. Frankly, it is.

And I know this is an unpopular view, but you can't say something free from the weight of [very recent] history. Just twenty years ago, that phrase would have meant something quite radically different in some parts of the world.

You're completely missing what's so offensive about it. It's a pun so bad even CW would cringe at it.

 

[BoyBrumby]

If they had said it's 'All white clothing here'', there wouldn't be an issue.

Doesn't really work as a pun then tho, tbf.

As Kiwininja said the NZ football team has been unproblematically called the "All Whites" for some time.

 

[silentstriker]

Doesn't really work as a pun then tho, tbf.

As Kiwininja said the NZ football team has been unproblematically called the "All Whites" for some time.

That doesn't mean its necessarily appropriate.