The booing of AFL player Adam Goodes has quickly become yet another contest in the culture wars, with some right-wing commentators rushing to insist the treatment of the former Australian of the Year is not racist.
They’re wrong. The booing is a particular kind of racism, one we’ve seen before from Australian sporting crowds: the resentment of Australians toward non-white athletes who dare to be good and who aren’t content to conform to our preferred racial stereotypes.
The “no-balling” by Australian cricket crowds of Muttiah Muralitharan was another example of this ugly mob mentality. It is a form of group bullying directed at people of colour perceived to be unwilling to acknowledge the primacy of white Australian culture, sportsmen who play by the rules — but not by our rules.
Confronting this mentality is difficult — its perpetrators hide behind weasel words and declarations of innocent intent (screaming “get back to the zoo” at an Aboriginal player is not, apparently, intended to be racist). But cultural warriors make it even harder by using the issue as just another front for their ceaseless attacks on their opponents; the racism that is at the heart of the booing must be denied, just like the scourge of domestic violence is dismissed, and just like climate change action is fought tooth and nail for fear it might give a victory to “the left”.
Common across these examples is denialism. In the Goodes case, it is a particularly clumsy and ridiculous form of denialism. The booing of Goodes is inescapably, fundamentally, racist. Dealing with it is not a matter of left versus right, but of decency versus bullying, of an Australia accepting of diversity versus one that obsesses over a white past.
I suppose you would have to ask each and every person who is booing Adam Goodes ‘Why are you booing Adam Goodes?’ To come out and say that the booing is racially motivated, in my opinion, is a big call. Of course saying, ‘Get back to the zoo’ has racial connotations.Goodes has experienced racial slurs on the football field and stands up against this- well done him. However, when Adam Goodes made the decision to do a hunting/war dance and threaten the opposing spectators with an imaginary spear, this was clearly a provocative act. People responded in an expected manner- by booing. If another player ( of any racial background) had performed similar intimidatory actions with an imaginary weapon, the result would have been booing. The media then got hold of things, saying that the booing of Adam Goodes was an example of a wider problem of racism against Aboriginals, in the Australian community. Racism against Aboriginal people is a serious, endemic problem in Australian society. However, the initial booing of Goodes had more to do with his threatening actions and the consequent (and expected boos) actions from the crowd. People don’t boo Greg Inglis when he does his ‘goanna’ moves. That has become a trademark he has after he scores a try. It highlights his Aboriginally to the spectators. But it is not a confronting, intimidatory move. They might boo him because he plays for Souths or Queensland etc. Some might boo because he is Aboriginal- who knows? But people are largely booing Inglis because he is so good- he is a threat. If Inglis intimidated with an imaginary spear or Cameron Smith started shooting the opposition spectators with an imaginary gun, then the crowd would boo- the crowd feels angry and threatened and retaliates in the only way they legally can as a spectator. On a deeper level, Goodes’s actions created the tensions and added to the divide between black and white. He chose to act in a threatening manner towards the crowd. It was not an acceptable action. He threatened violence. He made the spectator aware that ‘I am an indigenous man, I use my indigenous weapon on you and you are my enemy.’Then all the social commentary started. ‘People are booing Goodes because he is black.’ Goodes took this on board. He is Aboriginal and, has had to live with racism all his life. Now, on the sporting field, he asserts his Aboriginality. He is proud of this. Unfortunately, he uses an aggressive action to express his pride. That was his choice. Maybe another action ( an eagle swooping, a tribal dance etc) is nowhere near as provocative or violent. I am sad that Goodes has been so personally harmed by the aftermath of all of this. I hope he can play for The Swans for the remainder of the season. If he does return, I hope the Australian public and Goodes have learnt something from all of this. A little soul searching on all sides does no harm. The old saying ‘Assumptions make an ass or u and me’ is ringing in my ears.
Fancy him carrying on the way he did …. in the “Indigenous Round”? … And what a front, to take offence at how he’s been treated since calling out that girl for taunting him as she did before all this ….?
Racism writ large in the Crikey world.
New Zealand rugby crowds booing Quade Cooper because he is Australian. Or a Kiwi. Or a Maori. Or because he is good. Thothing at all to do with a series of off the ball assaults by him on Ritchie Macaw. No no no. Nothing to do with that at all. Clear racism.
Australian crowds shouting “Howzat!” every time John Bracewell bowled a ball. Clearly because he’s a Kiwi. Or a good player. Nothing to do with his tendency to appeal the most dubious chances an awful lot. No no no. Nothing to do with that at all. Clear racism.
I notice that the ever decent Mike Baird has asked people to support Adam Goodes, as has Daniel Andrews, Jay Weatherill, Richard Di Natale and Bill Shorten. Even the prevaricating Colin Barnett has asked crowds to stop booing.
Nothing from the Prime Minister even though he is always open to a photo opportunity on Aboriginal advancement. We need national leadership to call out ugly racism. Sadly Australia’s “national leader” is too busy saving Bronwyn’s Bacon.
@Bronwyn Morris – the booing of Adam Goodes began long before his war-dance.