NASCAR Suspends Cup Series Driver Kyle Larson for Racist Language During Virtual Race Stream

[Tornado]

I could almost guarantee that if every team radio transmission from the last 3 years got leaked NASCAR would go bust because there'd be no drivers left.

If every single team was employing a driver that responded to things by throwing racial slurs over the team radio, your proposed end result doesn't sound like too bad of an outcome.

 

[CaptainRisky21]

If every single team was employing a driver that responded to things by throwing racial slurs over the team radio, your proposed end result doesn't sound like too bad of an outcome.

Again, never said racial slurs.

 

[Tornado]

Then you never said anything relevant to this thread, "On Kyle's side" or not.

 

[GranTurNismo]

Again, never said racial slurs.

So what you are referring to then? I find it highly unlikely that "if every team radio transmission from the last 3 years got leaked NASCAR would go bust because there'd be no drivers left" because most people, you know, can control themselves.

 

[Sage Ages]

I'm sure there's plenty of things that you wouldn't want to say in front of a sponsor outside of racial slurs.

Either way, that's a pretty weak justification if I'm being honest.

 

[CaptainRisky21]

So what you are referring to then? I find it highly unlikely that "if every team radio transmission from the last 3 years got leaked NASCAR would go bust because there'd be no drivers left" because most people, you know, can control themselves.

Offensive language in general, racist or not. I see where my point differs from the general topic at hand here, which was my bad, i should've made myself clearer

 

[Blitz24]

Offensive language in general, racist or not. I see where my point differs from the general topic at hand here, which was my bad, i should've made myself clearer

There is a difference between swearing (which, while not pleasant, is frowned upon on recorded media for the most part) and using racial slurs (acceptable in NO location).

 

[TB]

Seriously, everyone?

Locking this thread until everything is sorted.

 

[TB]

I was going to go through and see what was salvageable from everyone's posts and edit things out but quickly decided against that. If your post(s) are deleted, there was a reason for it, either because it contained something that should not have been posted or you quoted/responded to something that should have not been posted.

This is NOT an invitation to post it again.

Do NOT take the discussion to PMs, either. The AUP applies there, too.

I shouldn't have to say this because of the nature of the thread but apparently I do. You're treading the line very closely. This is the one and only warning for everyone. Watch yourselves lest the hammer start swinging.

 

[tunaphis]

Sensitivity training in Australia consists of left,right and uppercut.

 

[RACECAR]

Starting to feel like that "Suspension" from CGR is gradually becoming a termination. No way he'll be able to be in that car with all the primary sponsors dropping like this.

Sensitivity training in Australia consists of left,right and uppercut.

Any dive kicks just for good measure?

 

[dlshearon]

It has always been reinforced, for better or for worse. The entire pathos, and the entire brand of NASCAR operates under an idealized South that had no place to exist anyway. We're still less then a hundred years removed from MLK being assassinated, black people not having the ability to vote or interact in spaces that were occupied by whites, and where government institutions throughout the South consistently flaunted the ethos and flags of the Confederate forces. In markets like Birmingham, Charlotte and Atlanta, markets that are bedrocks of NASCAR since the very beginning, these dark legacies are still present, and reinforce NASCAR's history.

Same with Democrats

 

[Sage Ages]

Same with Democrats

Did anyone ask?

 

[dlshearon]

Nah, figured I’d add to the stereo-typing since we’re labeling everyone.

 

[ScottPuss20]

Although I may be impartial to the word, I understand the amount of trouble it can cause. You do not make racist slurs in an open live-stream that can be viewed by thousands of people. It is socially unacceptable no matter who you are. Sponsors do not want to be associated with individuals who are selfish and ill-mannered, so they pull the plug. Saying that Larson has been hard done by is a load of baloney - the simple fact of the matter is that he said something inappropriate, and got punished for it.

 

[TenEightyOne]

Ok way to take my words out of proportion. I never said other drivers said racist comments but if the shoe fits. He deserves punishment sure, but not to lose his livelihood

He has free speech, he can speak like that if he wishes. McDonalds can, of course, choose whether or not he speaks for them. That's not about what he "deserves", it's about the lack of freedom from consequences of speech.

 

[WJHMH]

Maybe he meant to say "Digger."

 

[Fall Guy]

Has anyone noticed his apology he posted was exactly 0.42 min long?

 

[iName]

People seem to be mad because of how one word destroyed the whole guy’s career. I was watching the stream when it happened my expression was the same as Newgarden’s, I knew it was the end. He was trending within ten minutes, that’s how fast it was.

Reality is, stupidity gets rewarded like this. I don’t know what he’ll do from now on, and I don’t know what his life is gonna be like from now on. There are some things you just don’t say. That word is as clear cut as it gets, too.

Some lose their job, but this guy has sponsors and everything, of course they’d dump him and of course it looks like all hell broke loose, he had a lot of companies behind him.

 

[Sage Ages]

It's really not that complicated. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

 

[nickf1gr]

If you are a nervous guy try to play other games like GTA or Tekken type.... lol Not racing games...

 

[GlamFM]

From the outside it’s mind boggling to see how often American celebrities go down exactly like this.

The only reason I see for this word slipping out is if you use it casually every day.

Not sorry for the guy whatsoever. If he’s racist **** him - if he’s not he’s just too dumb to be in such an elevated position and should be taken down.

Being a well paid driver is a privilege - even in NASCAR.

Don’t be racist and don’t use racial slurs are rules I live by and so far things have gone smoothly for me.

 

[Auditore]

Well this doesnt help NASCARs image at all,but the nice thing about livestreaming is that you cant hide racism.
What an idiot.

 

[Scaff]

Eh, all us muricans talk like this. Blacks say it, whites say it. But oh its bad if we use it, im sure company leaders say its. Its a widely used word in america. Wasnt being said dissrespectfully anyway, theres a difference there too

I know plenty of Americans who don't, so I'm fairly certain you're not speaking for an entire nation.

There is something about competitive gaming in general that gets out the inner primate in all of us, especially considering we generally treat it as a private experience but I guess this is what happens when your permenently mic'd up in a sceniaro like this, slips happen but damn choose any other word.

It would need to be a word you use so much that it's part of your ingrained subconscious for that to happen, I can say with 100% accuracy that in my 50 years on earth that word has never 'slipped' out. The reasons quite simple, I never use it.

 

[DivitLad]

That word I hear on Songs often

 

[Northstar]

I could almost guarantee that if every team radio transmission from the last 3 years got leaked NASCAR would go bust because there'd be no drivers left. Kyle essentially got his team radio leaked (which was entirely on him for not knowing his voice was being shared to everyone) and he is paying the price.

How can something accessible to everyone be leaked?

 

[Scaff]

That word I hear on Songs often

Does this really need to be explained to you?

Seriously?

Read this, all of it.
https://www.theroot.com/why-its-ok-for-black-people-but-not-white-people-to-u-1826255011

 

[matrix_gt1]

There is something about competitive gaming in general that gets out the inner primate in all of us, especially considering we generally treat it as a private experience but I guess this is what happens when your permenently mic'd up in a sceniaro like this, slips happen but damn choose any other word.

I don’t get people slipping with that word. I’m not saying people who have said it shouldn’t ever be forgiven but like, why say that word?

I’m not either trying to say I’m a golden boy. I’ve said and done my fair share of wrong. I just don’t get why that word is still casually used in ‘private’ conversations

 

[Famine]

I don’t get people slipping with that word. I’m not saying people who have said it shouldn’t ever be forgiven but like, why say that word?

I’m not either trying to say I’m a golden boy. I’ve said and done my fair share of wrong. I just don’t get why that word is still casually used in ‘private’ conversations

Over history we've seen people oppressed by a word choose to try to "take it back". Young black people will refer to each other by the word simply because it's a shared heritage - "my person whose ancestors were also kept as slaves and referred to in such a manner".

In mixed social groups, people who don't share that heritage can become close enough friends to be considered brethren, and use of the word is extended to them to reflect that.

Say something often enough, and it becomes almost muscle memory - we all have phrases we use a lot, because we simply fall back on them, and it's really tough to teach yourself not to say it, like each time I almost tell my 8-year old to shut the **** up.

Thus it slips out when it shouldn't.

That word I hear on Songs often

It's an interesting, but moot point. For the avoidance of doubt, here's how using offensive terms works:

Rule 0:
(a): Anyone can take offence at anything, at any time, and for any reason.
(b): If a term has a long history of being used to abuse a group of people, particularly when it comes to oppression, it's considered offensive - rather than something to which offence can be taken (see 0a)

Rule 1:
(a): Only you can decide what is offensive to you.
(b): Other people don't get to decide what is offensive to you.
(c): Only other people can decide what is offensive to them.
(d): You don't get to decide what is offensive to other people.

Rule 2:
(a): If a group decides that a term is offensive to that group (as per 0b), it is offensive to that group.
(b): Not all members of a group (2a) have to agree with that classification (per 1a,b) at all times.
(c): If you don't belong to the group (2a) affected by the term (0b), whether you agree with the classification or not is not relevant (per 1a,b,c,d) because the term does not affect you.

Rule 3:
(a): If you do belong to the group affected by the term (0b,2a), your use of the term in public is subject to Rule 1.
(b): If you don't belong to that group (2a), your use of the term (0b) in public is subject to 1c, 1d.
(c): In a private conversation, use of the term (0b) is subject to any communicated arrangement between parties of Rule 1.

Rule 4:
Private organisations may have their own rules on the term, to which employees and members are subject.


A black rapper using this word in a song is 3a. A non-black actor using the word in a film is 3b. In both cases, people of any racial grouping can choose to take offence or not to take offence, but no group gets to say that other groups can or can't enjoy the song/film, because 1b. This is why rappers can use it, Mike Colter can use it in Luke Cage, Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker can use it in Rush Hour, Samuel L Jackson and Leonardo di Caprio can use it in Django Unchained, Trey Parker can use it in South Park, and Chris Rock can use it in that famous (and excellent) stand-up skit - and why we can all give our money to these people for doing so, or choose not to.

Kyle Larson's issue is he thought he was 3c (having a private conversation with pre-agreed use of the term), but he was actually 3b and broadcasting it to a few hundred thousand people, falling foul of Rule 4.

Of course you don't have to agree with NASCAR's response, or CGR, or McDonald's, or any of his other sponsors who may have dropped him. Their Rule 4 policy likely hinges on employees avoiding these terms because it's bad for business to allow terms of offence against groups of would-be customers. But it doesn't matter whether you agree or not if you aren't black, because of 2c - it's not your word to be offended by or not.

And I'm not black.

 

[matrix_gt1]

Good thing y'all don't get to decide what people can or can't say. These things take care of themselves and here it has. There's a time and place for everything, but this wasn't it.

What time and place would be good?