Sorry we really didn't mean to call you an ape!

Aaaah the blunders of surf journalism!

That's horrible.
Unbelievable.

I'm putting this back up because it deserves more attention (I think!)

Here's how the story broke.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/indi…

Disgraceful.

Well they did BB

Not nice...?

More sheer stupidity than malice I would like to think Welly and having been guilty of a few shockers myself I am not without some sympathy for the poor bastard who wrote it. Can't say I have much for the editor though Stu might!

Yourself and and Stu are a lot more capable of vacuous words of that meaning
Hey I say some stupid stuff :)

It's an ugly incident, isn't it? Unforgivable really, though there is a backstory that *partly* explains it away.

In its entirety the article doesn't read quite as bad. It becomes clear Myers (the author) was attempting to be ironic and pay credit to Carey's intellect, and so at best you can say it's well meaning. By using irony he's implying the greater community - us - believe that non-European's are ipso facto lesser beings. A jibe at societal racism.

But that's a dangerous line to take.

For one, who is he to say that? To denigrate the white man, and to champion the black? Does either party want to be portrayed that way? Irony is a wicked literary tool but unless everyone understands who's wielding it and why then unintended victims get struck. In this instance it also betrays (and reinforces) a form of instituational racism; the automatic expectation that non-Euro's 'aren't as equal' (to put it in Orwellian terms). 

So call it a trip on the minefield of irony.

It is very easy for words to get taken out of context and fed through the MSM grinder, and I think that's what has happened here. I wouldn't have written them myself but I also believe some of the backlash has been undeserved. Hopefully Wade (the editor) learns from this and moves on. I've no doubt this would've stung him bad.

I've also seen other people in the surf media using this issue to suit their own ends and I find that equally offensive. Whitefellas rush in with their Gubba politics, cast judgement while trying to increase website hits.

Fucking disgraceful, really.

It comes down to the impact on the victim and how they want the issue dealt with. In this case it seems clear that he was deeply offended and wanted to draw public attention to the matter. Personally I think it is an appropriate response. Awareness is raised and the act of those involved in apologising models reasonable behaviour although in this case they may need to make a more substantial effort to repair the damage they have done. It's the only way to achieve justice.

I've seen nothing in the surf media Stu bar Tracks RT'ing the original article?

"In this instance it also betrays (and reinforces) a form of instituational racism" and for a self confessed 'mixed race' editor to let this through and apologise by calling it a 'thoughtless miss-read' is tardy at best.

Full Disclosure. No love lost between Wade and I.

Agree wholeheartedly bb

Same here. I've seen nothing in the surf media about it.

But thanks for the context Stu, I'll try and track down the original article and see how it reads.

Also, the ethnic origins of the editor are completely irrelevant to the issue at hand.

Here it is. It's an article by Tracks that adds nothing to the conversation except to say "we also interviewed Otis and we were sensitive." In my eyes that's a cheap cash in. Just someone exploiting the issue for their own end.

If there had of been some analysis or commentary that furthered the dialogue then it would've been excusable, but it lacks any of that.

Nathan Myers: you need to trust your editor, good luck getting away from the blunder.

ASL is a fucken joke & has been for years. This is the only ASL worth looking at:

https://theacidsweatlodge.blogspot.com.au/search/label/booze?updated-max…

Any sympathy I had towards Myers has just been wiped out. He has no idea....

https://www.theinertia.com/business-media/my-open-letter-to-otis-carey-r…

Tracks, as Rottmouth so succinctly put it, are building brick walls on the highway in front of the blind driver..

https://www.tracksmag.com.au/editorial/otis-carey-sues-surfing-life-maga…

mugofsunshine wrote:

Any sympathy I had towards Myers has just been wiped out. He has no idea....

https://www.theinertia.com/business-media/my-open-letter-to-otis-carey-r…

What a passive aggressive piece of shit, the ending really leaves a bad taste in the mouth. If he believes it's an over reaction, he could just say something like... I don't think you will be successful.

That is a pretty arrogant and unapologetic apology letter,

If the incident wasn't enough excuse to go to the courts this letter is

unbelievably dumb from asl. not a lawyer and am not sure if "apeish" is really defamatory? any lawyers out there with opinions?(without prejudice...) certainly would get the attention of 18C(offend, insult, humiliate etc) but i dont think there is cash involved there. (as an aside "professional freesurfer" seems an oxymoron, they seem like wannabes without the skill or balls to be pros)

In the context it was used I don't think its a strong case for discrimination, the last inertia piece to me reads that some top shelf legal advice has been had by ASL and Otis has a very weak case ....and maybe that Otis may lose and bear all costs ? to late to backdown and accept the apologys you think ?

once the lawyers get their teeth in its hard to stop

If Otis was so hurt by all of this he should stand by the strength of his conviction, man up and roll the dice.

If he loses, maybe he can sell some of his art?

More power to Otis. Aboriginal Australians are rightfully tired of hundreds of years of institutionalised racism, daily denigration and jerks charging them with 'over sensitivity' (see multiple examples in response to Otis). White Australia has gotten it so wrong for 200+ years! need to get it right for the next 200+ to have it right half the time. Otis is a good start down that path.