On Friday night, I got an e-mail from my (excellent) Yahoo! golf editor asking if I had heard what Frank Nobilo said that caused him to apologize. Because I have a strict "mute when watching "The Golf Channel" rule in my house," I admitted no and was forced to try and find exactly what he was talking about.
That was when myself and Ryan Ballengee of Waggle Room went on a hunt to find the moment. It came during a highlight of Steve Stricker, when Nobilo said, about a 230-yard distance Stricker had, that it was "Chinese dentist time." Nobilo quickly apologized for saying such an offensive thing. What was offensive about it? well, "230" is a reference to "tooth-hurty," some sort of racist joke at the expense of Chinese pronunciation. Oh, and it's ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous, to be exact.
Honestly, being racist or saying racist things makes you dumb as it is, but to say something that is racist and absolutely un-funny makes you come of as dumb and a jackass.
I really find it interesting how many times these reporters and newscasters slip up on the air. Either they have done it so long they forget that the cameras are rolling or they are that oblivious to what is going on in their world. A racist joke during a golf highlight? Sigh.
7 comments:
I wonder if he will be suspended like Kelly Tilghman was after her Tiger "lynching" comment.
Is there any way "The Golf Channel" can just suspend "The Golf Channel"? I'd sure love it.
In a couple years, when your nephew Sammy tells you the 'tooth-hurty' joke, you'll laugh until you cry. Unfortunately, after he tells that joke, you'll have to listen a few of his knock-knock jokes. But, you'll laugh at them also.
Nobilo is funny. Tooth-hurty is funny. Stretching out the PC blanket to cover anything even one person finds offensive is killing America...
And let this be the moment that all Aussie and New Zealand accent jokes are put to bed. Hurtful.
The problem isn't GC or the head that's talking, it's the system. When I watch Euro Tour on GC, the commentators set the scene (player, hole, yardage, club) then shut up for awhile. The assumption seems to be that if you're watching you must know something about golf.
In the US, it doesn't matter which outlet you're watching, GC, NBC, CBS, the commentators are expected to talk continuously. Even intelligent, well-controlled people will say stupid stuff when their employers pay them to speak without allowing them time to think about what they're about to say.
The world would be a sadder place without Aussie & Kiwi accent jokes.
Oh & S. African & Brit. ones too.
WHY can't we laugh at each other's pronunciation for heaven's sake?
I'm trying to remember which golf journalist/player took a taxi in Oz and the driver asked him if he had to Australia to die. No, no, I've come to play golf. But did you come to die? After a few exchanges like this, the player asked to be dropped off. It was only the next day that he realised he was being asked if he had arrived TODAY. He was mortified at how rude he must have appeared, but it gave me a rueful smile. I can't tell you how many times in the US I've been asked to repeat what I have just said - for onlookers amusement at my accent - I'm still standing.
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