OMG Italian Serie A!! Why are you so stupid???

[SKKY]

[link:https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/50820915|

AC Milan say they "strongly disagree" with and were not consulted about the use of monkeys in artwork for a Serie A anti-racism campaign.

The 'No To Racism' posters show three monkeys with painted faces.

It comes less than three weeks after clubs pledged to combat Italian football's "serious problem".

"Art can be powerful, but we strongly disagree with the use of monkeys as images in the fight against racism," said an AC Milan statement.

The club added they were "surprised by the total lack of consultation" over the artwork, which will be displayed at Serie A headquarters in Milan.

AS Roma also expressed their "surprise", adding: "We understand the league wants to tackle racism but we don't believe this is the right way to do it."

[jberryhill]

1. Artists....

At a news conference on Monday, artist Simone Fugazzotto, who always uses monkeys in his work, said: "For an artist, there is nothing more important than trying to change the perception of things through his own work.

"I decided to portray monkeys to talk about racism because they are the metaphor for human beings. Last year, I was at the stadium to see Inter v Napoli (a match in which Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly was racially abused) and I felt humiliated. Everyone was shouting 'monkey' at Koulibaly, a player I respect.

"I've always been painting monkeys for five to six years, so I thought I'd make this work to teach that we're all apes. I made the western monkey with blue and white eyes, the Asian monkey with almond-shaped eyes and the black monkey positioned in the centre, where everything comes from.

"The monkey becomes the spark to teach everyone that there is no difference, there is no man or monkey, we are all alike. If anything, we are all monkeys."

[Thyla]

2. Why any player would wish to play in Italy is beyond me

OK there is the money but a crap standard of football and deeply ingrained racism throughout.

Serie A has been on form this year too.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/sep/04/inter-fans-tell-romelu-lukaku-monkey-chants-in-italy-are-not-racist

Then there was this...



All within weeks of each other.
Hope Smalling comes home.

It's a big issue in Eastern Europe too, Russia and the former Soviet states.

It's disgusting.

[Hav]

3. Like with any ad campaign,

if you have to explain the imagery and intentions behind it, you are doing it wrong.
You are dealing with racists, malice and idiots. But even those who support the anti-racism campaign might not understand the point while the opposing side is unwilling to understand it.

[SKKY]

4. It's like a Lieutenant I once worked for used to say...

..."If you're explaining, you're losing the argument."

[brush]

5. The images used look like chimps (apes), not monkeys...

but racists are not known for their smarts.