Calling the 'Williams sisters' the 'Williams brothers' for a laugh

Scratch that, 'enlightening' sounds like making something whiter. 

I think you might be wilfully missing the point here.

This guy is President of the Russian Tennis Federation, and a member of the IOC.

In such a position, he ought to choose his words more carefully, and this comment is clearly designed to demean the two girls, neither of whom incidentally is remotely mannish in their manner, in fact they are quite girly if anything. And even if they resembled a couple of Harlem trannies, there would still be no excuse for these comments.

Another thing you seem not to grasp - wilfully or otherwise - is that if either girl, or both, feels racially insulted by these comments then by definition they are racist comments. There can be little doubt that that was the chap's intention particularly given his audience, which would have been composed almost solely of Russians, who are not exactly known for their tolerance in these matters. He was playing up to the audience making cheap racial digs at two of the greatest sportswomen of our time, when he holds high position in two major Sporting Institutions. He deserves any censure which comes his way, and frankly to defend him is just as reprehensible.

not often i agree with the OP , but i do here. H e was having a joke , the penalty is way over the top. Williams talks about bullying?? what a fcking hypocrite , anyone remember the match where she bullied the umpire and talked to her like ****...horrible family.

in fact they are quite girly if anything

One may be, if you like girls to be stick thin and over 6 feet tall with a neck like a giraffe, and lope along like one. 

The other one definitely isn't girly.

Another thing you seem not to grasp - wilfully or otherwise - is that if either girl, or both, feels racially insulted by these comments then by definition they are racist comments.

How is anybody racially insulted by being called a member of the opposite sex?

Do black women feel that black men are so ugly that to call them 'men' is racist?

If somebody called me a girl, the first thing he needs is an appointment at SPECSAVERS.

I recall in my younger days my dad saying 'You look like your sister standing outside the front door.'

Our front door was georgian wire glass, and I had long hair.

Funny? - Yes.
Insulting? Not to me.


If the man in no. 28 had said it (he was Jamaican)
Funny? - Yes.
Insulting? Not to me.
Racist? How ffs?

pandora1963    20 Oct 14 13:31 
not often i agree with the OP , but i do here. H e was having a joke , the penalty is way over the top. Williams talks about bullying?? what a fcking hypocrite , anyone remember the match where she bullied the umpire and talked to her like ****...horrible family.

Best not bring that up.

The Guardian readers don't know about that.

It wouldn't have appeared in the Guardian's view of the world.

Williams was stupid to say it was racist. Black people (and other minorities, and overly PC types) who accuse others of racism at every opportunity need to realise that crying wolf is ultimately counter-productive.

However, it was also a highly inappropriate comment for the president of the Russian Tennis Federation to make. Don't know how whether the punishment was appropriate, though.

in fact they are quite girly if anything LaughLaughLaugh agree Taxi

you are joking

We need more humour and sense of proportion in this world

The Williams sisters should have laughed it off

what a sad PC world we live in now

and how much are they worth?????

Rich, a celebrity and black...one dare not crack a joke at their expense FFS!

I agree that Serena should have stopped at saying the comments were sexist.

The fact that it was a Russian saying it to a Russian audience probably prompted the over the top response from Serena because lets face it, they're not the most enlightened nation in the world.

As for "bullying" that word is far too over-used these days. Everybody is or has been bullied nowadays it's a wonder there are enough bullies to go round.

Amazing how quickly the race card is played, it was a clear dig at their physique, also, Serena once threatened to shove a ball down a line judge's mouth and was also accused of threatening to kill another whilst telling an umpire she was ugly inside, I don't think she's very girly somehow

Venus on the other hand is far more womanly and less confrontational.

Facts, who we know is the Guardian reader on here, has already read this.

His comments should be enlightening.

I think it is her, you will be done now Taxi

If they worked in a call centre and you spoke to them you would come away thinking they were definitely girly.

Competitive beasts they are on the court, physically intimidating to the members of the WTA. Power packed even Venus.

But to joke that they are brothers is below the belt, it`s like a kick in the stones.

If they worked in a call centre and you spoke to them you would come away thinking they were definitely girly.

Competitive beasts they are on the court, physically intimidating to the members of the WTA. Power packed even Venus.

But to joke that they are brothers is below the belt, it`s like a kick in the stones.

scandanavian_haven

I don't think she's very girly somehow.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwrP1zHC5Eo

v good Angel

It was a clumsy joke, but surely an apology should have been enough

The comment was insulting but can't see how it could be construed as anything else.
Such a comment should not come from the president of a national tennis federation though as it brings that organisation into disrepute.

I miss boris yeltsin, that guy was real value

What is overlooked is the fact that the williams sort has inadvertently been the racist here not the russian guy.
Since the very point in saying its to do with race when he never mentioned race implies she is saying all black women look like men.

This could be political another excuse to have a dig at Russia

Compared to the Russian entrants to Women`s athletics in the 70/80`s Serena and Venus look like the Cheeky Girls.

We will all be in the news tomorrow accused of trolling of course

seaview    20 Oct 14 14:27 
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwrP1zHC5Eo

Great video

The luvvies will be SEETHING that comments are disabled for it.

Not very girly here.

.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcUIj5JdYZs


or here

.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eon8oO8Q9vQ

WTA

the 'official' website stats.

.
http://www.wtatennis.com/players/player/9044/title/serena-williams#stats

The shorter one, at 5-9, is two inches taller than my youngest daughter.

My youngest daughter is not as chunky as the short one, and she weighs 11 stones 3 pounds.

There is no way on this planet the short one weighs 11 stones 1 pound.

If she does, I must weigh about 14 stones 

I don't weigh 14 stones.

"brothers" is a term used for black men

i doubt the russian bloke intended any racism though

cant see anything here, time to move along

I've been calling them that for years, and thought I was a trend setter!

I best not repeat what i've been calling Serena for years..

Actually, in case anyone's watching, I just made that up, and wouldn't dream of saying that!

Another thing you seem not to grasp - wilfully or otherwise - is that if either girl, or both, feels racially insulted by these comments then by definition they are racist comments.

I just remembered a tale from my mostly mis-spent youth. It's been told on here before.

In my first job out of school there were a few Jamaicans working there, hardly any africans in Newham at the time.

Pretty hard to guess ages when you're 15, as everybody over 35 looks ancient, but Earl, who was about 5-7 and pretty stocky, I'd guess to be in his late 40s.

After tea break one morning he said to me 'I hear you do de boxing bwa.'

I nodded.

He stood up and said 'Punch me.'

'What for?' I asked

'Just do it.' he said, and stood in a boxing stance.

I was a lot taller, with a much longer reach, but at about 9 stones, a lot lighter, and whether I thought he was 'ancient' or not is immaterial, I never give anybody a free shot.

So I 'floated like a butterfly' (like my hero - I can't float any more than 30 seconds now)   and threw out a few fast but playful left jabs (I can still sting like a bee) he blocked the first one with his fists, and the second hit him on the shoulder.

He laughed and said 'Stand still for fox see-yak'

I laughed back 'Do I look that facking stupid?'  

Our foreman Alec walked by and said to me 'I'm warning you, if he hits you, you'll be going home, so can we get on with work?'

Earl laughed and dropped his hands, so did I.

As I went to walk past he put his hands on his head and said ' Gowan, quick, hit me in de ribs dem.'

I jabbed him in the ribs.

'For fox say-eek, hit me harder,' he said. 

I said 'Really?'

'Yeh bwa, gowan, do it.' he said.

I gave him a pretty big dig in the ribs, not my hardest punch, but hard enough to hurt anybody who couldn't take one.

He laughed out loud and said 'Ya hits like a girly.'

Funny? - Yes.
Insulting? Not to me.
Racist? - No chance.

It was the next day that somebody told me that Earl had only been in England a few years. Back home in the good ole U.S. of A, he used to be a sparring partner for Rocky Marciano.

No wonder my punch never hurt him

is it about time the forum elected its own Diversity Officer?

RACIST
REPORTED

I don't get it either. Calling them the Williams brothers is not racist. Unless he called them some other things that I did not see. As for the sexist part. Well, she does look like a bloke in drag

nice story taxi

Ta.

I really enjoyed that boxing anecdote from the Taxi lad, yet I could tell about half way down that he thinks he's CARLOS MONZON...and he's NOT...he's no Monzon.

Monzon was a lightweight compared to me

You DREAM of Monzon!

Like...a big giant MONZON like BONAVENA...yeah, you think you're OSCAR BONAVENA, chump, and you always did!

jed.davison   20 Oct 14 13:18 
Another thing you seem not to grasp - wilfully or otherwise - is that if either girl, or both, feels racially insulted by these comments then by definition they are racist comments.

This is the most mental thing I have ever seen posted on here.

So if I feel racially insulted by someone saying hello then by definition it was a racist comment?

If you're black, yes.

Martin isn't happy...

Martina Navratilova slams ITF 'silence' over Williams sisters
Martina Navratilova has criticised the "silence" of the International Tennis Federation after comments from one of its members about the Williams sisters.
Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpischev described world number one Serena Williams and older sister Venus as "brothers".
The Women's Tennis Association banned him for a year and fined him £15,500 but Navratilova wants ITF action.
"The silence from the ITF has been pretty deafening," Navratilova said.
"They are the ones who actually have the possibility of doing something as Tarpischev is head of the Russian Tennis Federation, which falls under the ITF and is also Fed Cup captain which falls under the ITF.

"This kind of bullying comment cannot be tolerated from anyone, but particularly from a high-up official in the tennis world."

It was a tactless joke, an apology should have been accepted and we move on

The trouble with people like the Williams sisters and Navratilova, they are so stuffed with their own importance
they cannot bear anyone to criticise them whatsoever

What these people need is a touch of reality, I detest all three of them

Ironically Serena had bragged in the past that she could beat any man outside the top 200. When she was 18 and ranked 4th in the world this happened.

During the 1998 Australian Open, sisters Serena and Venus Williams boasted that they could beat any man ranked outside the world's top 200. The challenge was accepted by Karsten Braasch, a German player ranked No 203 (his highest ranking was No 38). Before the matches, Braasch played a round of golf in the morning, drank a couple of beers, smoked a few cigarettes, and then played the Williams sisters for a set each, one after the other. He defeated Serena, 6-1, and Venus, 6-2. Serena said afterwards "I didn't know it would be that hard. I hit shots that would have been winners on the women's tour and he got to them easily."

Men are naturally stronger and faster than women, so other things being equal will always beat a woman.

The Williams sisters benefit from their own physical advantages over other women players, especially on grass

as did Navratilova

I did not repeat the original joke...for fear of being banned

I don't think what he said was racist, but I feel it was worse than that and
more hurtful.

Didn`t Johnathon Ross kick start the `Williams brothers` gag. I am sure i heard it from him first on his show.

ebulGery,

It is the fact that the man is a Russian high ranking official saying it to a Russian audience why it has gained so much publicity.

As most people know, Russia is not the most enlightened nation in world.  The same comments said anywhere else would probably not have made the news.

They're about as feminine as Brian Blessed.

I suspect you are right Wesdag

I don't think what he said was racist, but I feel it was worse than that and
more hurtful.

possibly it was hurtful lfc 1971
coming from someone in Tennis

But he has already been punished....enough is enough
it need not be exaggerated and over egged I feel

lybertyne   
22 Oct 14 14:22 
They're about as feminine as Brian Blessed.

They're good tennis players, ain't they?

people have short memories, was n't that many years ago that Hingis called Mauresmo 'half a man' - raised a few eyebrows but no sanctions

Hingis continues to play doubles on the WTA Tour, she was runner up in the legends doubles at the Australian Open this year...partnered by Navratilova.

It was a very poor,unoriginal, unfunny attempt at a joke, he should not have said it, most of us have said things we should n't say at some point I would think - personally I find the poe faced,wilful,selective hypocrisy from the likes of Navratilova much more nauseating.

Funny - Not really
Insulting - Possible not if you were on the receiving end
My thoughts - Smart ass comment shouldn't have been said.

^^ Possible yes

They should be referred to as 'Ugly Williams' and 'Skinny Williams', there's no doubt in that.

The same comments said anywhere else would probably not have made the news.

true.

russians of course are not allowed to have a sense of humour particularly putin the wests new 'brutal dictator' bogeyman