"Sexist and Racist"....

[Lord Jim]

Serena Williams slams Russian tennis chief for 'sexist and racist' remarks

(CNN) -- Serena Williams slammed Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpischev for his "insensitive, sexist and racist" remarks in describing her and sister Venus as the "Williams brothers" on a late night TV chat show.

The world number one gave her first public reaction Sunday to Tarpischev's comments as she spoke to reporters on the eve of the WTA Tour Finals in Singapore.

Tarpischev, who has been banned by the WTA for a year and fined $25,000, has also made a public apology, but that has clearly not satisfied 18-time grand slam champion Williams.

"I think the WTA did a great job of taking initiative and taking immediate action to his comments. I thought they were very insensitive and extremely sexist as well as racist at the same time," she said.

Read: Tarpischev carpeted for Williams sisters remarks

Williams, who won the U.S. Open title last month, added: "I thought they were in a way bullying.

"But the WTA and the USTA (U.S. Tennis Association) did a wonderful job of making sure that -- in this day of age, 2014 for someone with his power, it's really unacceptable to make such bullying remarks."

Tarpischev's apology, in which he suggested his remarks were a "small joke," has also cut little ice with world number two Maria Sharapova.

She has played in Russian FedCup teams captained by Tarpischev, but had little sympathy for her compatriot when asked for her reaction to the comments.

"I think they were very disrespectful and uncalled for, and I'm glad that many people have stood up, including the WTA," she said.

"It was very inappropriate, especially in his position and all the responsibilities that he has not just in sport, but being part of the Olympic committee. It was just really irresponsible on his side."

The controversy has been an unwelcome distraction ahead of the prestigious end of season finals, where Williams is bidding for a third straight title.

Okay, I "get" how this was sexist...

Obviously referring to a pair of sisters as brothers is intended to be a slam on their physical appearance; an attempt to say that they look masculine...

But how is it "racist"? I'm not getting that...

I also take strong issue with describing this as "bullying"...

Not every insult is an example of bullying, and when you apply that term to something like this, (where obviously Serena Williams is in no way in an inferior or subordinate power relationship with this Russian clown) it seems to me you cheapen and trivialize the meaning of the term.

[Sue U]

But how is it "racist"? I'm not getting that...

Presumably, because he would not have made similar remarks about the femininity of white or Asian women's tennis champions. Which is probably true.

I also take strong issue with describing this as "bullying"...

Not every insult is an example of bullying, and when you apply that term to something like this, (where obviously Serena Williams is in no way in an inferior or subordinate power relationship with this Russian clown) it seems to me you cheapen and trivialize the meaning of the term.

Whether or not the comments technically constitute "bullying" is rather beside the point, I think. Focusing on that rather than the grossly inappropriate content of the remark is a distraction.

[Guinevere]

Exactly. Serena in particular, and Venus to a lesser extent, have had more than their share of comments about their size, shape, and masculinity (Serena was one of Dave's favorite targets). Never do you hear those same comments about the other women on the tour. I don't even remember people sneering at Martina like they sneer at Serena.

And really, anything designed to make a person feel like less of a person, can be a type of bullying. If you're a women, and you're referred to as masculine, ugly, large, etc, how is that *not* bullying?

[Joe Guy]

Serena has found a way to be offended by the word 'brother' in two ways. Not only as sexist but also as sharing a racial origin. Bullying doesn't apply.

It's difficult to sympathize with people who overstate their indignation with an exaggerated accusation regarding another person's thoughtless vocalization...

[Lord Jim]

Presumably, because he would not have made similar remarks about the femininity of white or Asian women's tennis champions. Which is probably true.

I don't know anything about the guy who said this, so I don't whether that would be true in his case or not, but I know there have been plenty of derogatory comments directed at white female athletes regarding alleged masculine appearance. (Martina Navratilova comes immediately to mind for one; and East European Women's Olympic teams were regularly subjected to those kinds of unflattering comparisons.)

There's no reason to think that in general insults towards women regarding masculine appearance would not be made towards white women athletes , since there's a huge record of that having happened.

Whether or not the comments technically constitute "bullying" is rather beside the point, I think. Focusing on that rather than the grossly inappropriate content of the remark is a distraction.

A distraction created unnecessarily by Williams...

[Big RR]

Unless Serena is suggesting that the use of the word brother was for two purposes--to provide the "sexist" insult, which we all I think agree on; and then to use the term to suggest they are black males (as brother is often used in that community to refer to other black men). Is this racist? I really don't know; but it may be a racially tinged insult--two black women who look like men are "brothers".

As for bullying, I would think officials on the international tennis scene should be held to a higher standard; if any of us were to make those comments, it might just be an insult, but if someone who is an official did it could be something more. Here we have what appears to be a highly placed Russian tennis official saying this; I would think a conclusion that he used his position to bully them is not unwarranted.

[MajGenl.Meade]

'Brothers'? The man's an idiot. I don't even get that. I don't think they look at all like men. Serena's built like a brick you-know-what and I'd hate to tangle with her in any way, but the Times of SA has today an article (written by a woman who is obsessed with sex) about the fabulous return of the booty - and Serena (along with that K person and someone called Jessica Biel) is lauded as having the "most envied ends". That seems more sexist somehow, if considerably less insulting. Frightening, but not insulting

[Gob]

Meade, it's only sexist if a man says it, didn't you get the memo?

[wesw]

I was a pretty good tennis player at about the same time martina Navratilova was at her peak. I remember her being described as manly quite often, and it being assumed that she achieved her manliness thru use of certain substances. it was around the time of the east german women s Olympic dominance and their chemically assisted achievements.i saw a documentary a long time ago and the east german women were pretty much guinea pigs, and not necessarily willing ones.

the race card has become dog eared from overuse and abuse. an astute card player never misses a dog eared card....

[Scooter]

And yet, in spite of the fact that such comments about Navratilova's "mannishness" were commonplace, can you point to even one instance where someone with an official position in tennis would have made such a comment?

Rather makes Ms. Williams's point for her, doesn't it?

[BoSoxGal]

[wesw]

they should have made the comment if they didn t. PED s are cheating. by the logic you are using, every negative comment about anyone of a different race is racism. plenty of comments were made about the east german Olympic swimmers. I don t see any racism. just a Russian being an ass.

[Scooter]

by the logic you are using, every negative comment about anyone of a different race is racism

Uh, no, that is not the logic I am using at all.

Comments about the potential use of PEDs are something else entirely that bears absolutely no relationship to the present case.

[rubato]

I don't recall that there was ever any evidence that Martina used PEDs it was just a homophobic slur that she was 'masculine'.


yrs,
rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

The line between 'sexist' and 'reportage' is quite a fine one

The Telegraph May 2014

John Inverdale blames hayfever after sexist comments about Marion Bartoli at Wimbledon

Inverdale, 56, sparked a furore last summer when he said Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli was "never going to be a looker". The presenter, who has now signed up with Bartoli, 29, to commentate for ITV on the French Open, told Radio Times magazine that as well as feeling unwell, he was attempting to fill time.

"I was feeling so ill that day, I had terrible hay fever and all I could think of was that I wanted to go home to bed," he said.

[Sue U]

The line between 'sexist' and 'reportage' is quite a fine one

No, it's not. Can you recall any commentator EVER remarking that a men's tennis champion's features were in some way less than attractive? When May-Britt Moser won the Nobel Prize in medicine earlier this month, did anyone feel it necessary to "report" that she was "never going to be a looker"?

[MajGenl.Meade]

The line between reportage and redundancy is quite a fine one.

[Guinevere]

I don't recall that there was ever any evidence that Martina used PEDs it was just a homophobic slur that she was 'masculine'.


yrs,
rubato

As far as I can recall Martina was never accused of being a PED user, and I don't even recall her being discussed as masculine. I always thought she was pretty well accepted for who she was (and is). Of course, she also defected, and became an Amurican, so that probably helped.

BTW, she still plays competitive tennis, and is simply a goddess on the court. I was lucky enough to meet her after a doubles match at the US Open a few years back.

Her thoughts on the OP:

Martina Navratilova has questioned the “silence” of the International Tennis Federation after one of its members described world No 1 Serena Williams and her older sister Venus as “brothers”.


Shamil Tarpischev, the Russian Tennis Federation president, was banned for a year and fined $25,000 (£15,500) by the Women’s Tennis Association after making the comments on local television on Friday.


Navratilova, who won a total of 59 grand slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles, praised the speedy action by the WTA to defend Serena and the former world No 1 Venus, winner of seven grand slam singles titles, but criticised the ITF.


“The silence from the ITF has been pretty deafening,” she said in Singapore ahead of the start of the WTA Finals on Monday. “They are the ones who have actually 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.


“The WTA has done all they can do. They certainly have shown they have Serena’s back and Venus’s back and he might have thought the comment was funny but it was anything but. Certainly this kind of bullying comment cannot be tolerated from anyone, but particularly from a high up official in the tennis world.”

[MajGenl.Meade]

Guin - have you seen that documentary on Martina and Chrissie? It's a really good one. Maybe it was one of those 30/30 ESPN movies

[wesw]

oh please, any one could see she was on the juice. just like you could see bonds was and sosa, and the "hogs" of redskins fame.