Cracker by Damian Christie

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Cracker: That's Not My Name

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  • Josh Addison,

    I didn't actually follow the Hug-a-Ginga "story" at all, but did anyone mention that it's been around for a while? I don't know if it's always been a radio promotion, but this isn't the first year it's been on - I have blog posts on it from 2007.

    I'm not sure what my point is, other than that the non-story is even more... non?

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

  • Grace Dalley,

    "In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were REAL men, women were REAL women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were REAL small furry creatures from Aplha Centauri."

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2008 • 138 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    What makes it even worse is hearing that tiresome old nostrum politically correct being dragged out yet again, to justify Haden and those radio nongs.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    My teenage (and nominally Jewish) son couldn't see anything wrong with "hug a ginga day" - until we pointed out that "hug a kike day" or "hug a coconut day" would be just as offensive

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Yeah, Hug a Ginga. After all they have to put up with...
    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xd2w3j_mia-born-free-video-official-real-a_music
    Possibly NSFW

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie,

    did anyone mention that it's been around for a while?

    Yeah on the Close Up stories it was mentioned that this was the third(?) year, and hence the issue - the 'rangas in question were tired of having randoms come up and hug them.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Lindberg,

    My teenage (and nominally Jewish) son couldn't see anything wrong with "hug a ginga day" - until we pointed out that "hug a kike day" or "hug a coconut day" would be just as offensive

    Not that I want to defend "hung a ginga day" but wouldn't " hug a blond/brown-haired person" be more equivalent? Coconut and kike being ethnic slurs. Ginga/blond not so much.

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Not that I want to defend "hung a ginga day"

    Whoops, now that was a bad typo.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Not that I want to defend "hung a ginga day" but wouldn't " hug a blond/brown-haired person" be more equivalent? Coconut and kike being ethnic slurs. Ginga/blond not so much.

    How's "hug a black person day", then? Would you find it acceptable?

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    It was quite a nice racist perfect storm wasn't it. An ex-All Black who is a World Cup Ambassador, but who went to South Africa with the Cavaliers, calls people darkies, in the process of acusing a rugby club of having a racist quota, a few short weeks after the NZRU is shamed by the South African Union into belatedly saying "oops" for their racist selection policies. And then "darkie" Bernie Fraser jumps in to support him.

    It ain't surprising that the media is all over it.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    John Key's initial instincts were right. Of course Andy Haden shouldn't be a bloody ambassador for the Rugby World Cup. As I believe it was Jim Anderton said on Backbenches last night, he shouldn't be an ambassador for anything.

    Yeah, he's a fucking dreadful role-model but shall we tote up how many drunken thugs have been quietly rehabilitated into good role-models and the acme of "professionalism"?

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Lindberg,

    How's "hug a black person day", then? Would you find it acceptable?

    I didn't say it was acceptable. Stupid for sure, but not on the same level as kike, coconut or black. I don't see much historical or current evidence of racism against white people who happen to have red hair. Different story for Africans, Pacific Islanders or Jewish people.

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie,

    @Kyle - brilliant analysis.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Nimmo,

    As an orange-haired person, I have no problem with being hugged on the basis of my hair colour. I don't have a problem with the word "ginga". I do, however, have a problem with yobbos in cars yelling out "GIIIIINGAAAAA!" as they drive past. Come on, guys!

    And well, I must have been wrong, because I thought when the Haden comments came up that he was claiming that the CRU had a quota for white players, and that he used the word "darkie" to illustrate the attitude he perceived them to have.

    Wellington • Since May 2009 • 97 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie,

    . I don't see much historical or current evidence of racism against white people who happen to have red hair

    Current? Not racism perhaps, but prejudice certainly. Teasing, harassment, bullying. Unwanted hugs. Okay, so it doesn't compare to thousands of years of oppression, genocide, slavery etc, but it's very real for those who deal with it.

    Putting it in perspective, the brilliant comic Tim Minchin:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0IVuGK7sAw

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • Cecelia,

    I had a grudging sympathy for the father of the red-haired boys. He was trying to say, I think, that we have double standards. We are horrified by "darkies" but cool about "gingas". Red-haired people he said were people with very white skin and so it's not just a hair issue but a skin colour issue. Does that make sense?

    (If Mark Sainsbury had been doing his job better he might have introduced the idea that "ginga" does not have the racist connotations of other ethnic epithets and gone from there.)

    I am bemused by the rise of the "ginga" stuff. It certainly wasn't there when I started teaching but in the last decade or so it has become chronic. There was a delightful episode on South Park a year or two ago and Summer Heights High dealt with it well too. But in schools it can be seen as a bullying issue.

    Steve Braunias wrote an amusing column in the SST where Sarah Ferguson is enveloped in the arms of a large NZer.

    Hibiscus Coast • Since Apr 2008 • 559 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    I do see kids continually using "ginga" as a put down - it's based on their genetic make up, how is that different from skin colour? sure it's 'all in fun', if you're not the one continually being made fun of - I think we probably currently have a generation of bullied and tormented red haired kids - and no one, no matter what the colour of their skin or their hair, deserves that, especially as a kid.

    OTOH I do think the MIA video is useful - not because they're red haired kids but because they look like us (well us pakeha) - we've had a century of holocausts, Armenia, Germany, Cambodia, Rwanda, .... this is what it looks like when they come for us ....

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Not that I want to defend "hung a ginga day" but wouldn't " hug a blond/brown-haired person" be more equivalent? Coconut and kike being ethnic slurs. Ginga/blond not so much.

    No, that would be "hug a red-head day". Ginga's not the same as kike, no, but it's not the same as blond, either.

    Also, as I've mentioned here before but now can't remember where I read it, 'ginga-baiting' has its roots in actual discrimination against the Irish.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • AllanM,

    If Andy Haden had said that to me at, say, a BBQ at a mate's place, I probably would have rolled my eyes, maybe said something like "You are talking rubbish." and found someone else to talk to. It was just a boorish comment. That he said it publicly just underscores what how amateurish he is, and why he should not be any sort of ambassador.

    Was he a redhead?

    Auck • Since Nov 2009 • 10 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    the quite bizarre father of the two redhead children

    is also quite the most inspirational teacher my kids have ever had.
    Just to add a little balance :)

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    The thing about Haden - and all those pricks from his generation - is every time they open their boorish mouths they remind half the country of why they so hate the boff-head culture of his era.

    Haden is divisive and a reminder of a time in our history New Zealand rugby would do well to try to NEVER remember.

    Heaps of New Zealanders are sick and tired of the negativity guys like Haden bring to rugby, and that rubs off onto attitudes to the game in general.

    When Willie Lose, Murray Deaker, and all the rest of Haden's mates went into bat for their guy they missed the bigger point. Rugby can no longer get away with expecting the public to just put up with divisive, negative and arrogant attitudes of some it's highest profile people. There are alternatives now. Look at the All Whites - what would you rather follow, the debate about Andy Haden or the fairy tale of our World Cup team? That is something for the NZRFU, RWC, and Mordor McCully to ponder.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    Also, as I've mentioned here before but now can't remember where I read it, 'ginga-baiting' has its roots in actual discrimination against the Irish.

    That makes a lot of sense.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • chris,

    I don't see much historical or current evidence of racism against white people who happen to have red hair

    I do. Kyle did you just call Bernie Fraser a "darkie"? wtf man?

    Mawkland • Since Jan 2010 • 1302 posts Report Reply

  • andin,

    Jim Anderton said on Backbenches last night

    He was good on a few things last night. But he seemed to be a wee bit frail. I hope he's OK, and its just age that is wearying him.

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Kyle did you just call Bernie Fraser a "darkie"? wtf man?

    Actually, Fraser called himself a "coconut". And proceeded to say that Polynesian players need things explained to them in really simple phrases (unlike, say, Christian Cullen, who could hold his own in conversation with Wittgenstein) and that if he were a coach he would enforce this supposed quota, but then he wouldn't include in it somebody like Victor Vito, on the grounds that Vito is very sharp. So I guess it's actually a quota on Polynesian players who are also stupid.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

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