The narrative is back: Boston is racist

[Roy H.]

This time from USA Today, due to idiotic radio programming.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/racial-slur-hurled-espns-mina-131355929.html

The media loves to create a narrative and run with it. 

[86MaxwellSmart]

I Hate the Media driven narratives

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Will it ever die? I mean, the city of Boston could be down to just one racist individual, and if that individual said something racist, we'd still hear that "Boston is racist!"

[kraidstar]

Sounds to me like he was making a lewd comment, not a racist one.

[Donoghus]

Sounds to me like he was making a lewd comment, not a racist one.

It was definitely a racist remark.

Curtis, who was already a documented scumbag before this, certainly isn’t helping the perception and just confirming the stereotype of Boston sports radio having some racist undertones.

[Roy H.]

Sounds to me like he was making a lewd comment, not a racist one.

Exactly.  It’s like the media ignored that there are multiple meanings of “nips”, and decided to go with the one most likely to be used by the WW2 generation.

[jpotter33]

So, as a Midwesterner who has literally been to Boston once for a Celtics game, I’m always confused by this narrative. When I think of Massachusetts and Boston, I’ve always had the perception that it is super liberal and progressive, which their politics and voting history seems to support. Presumably, this would include more progressive conceptions about race relations, too.

Coming from one of the most deep red and conservative areas of the country where racism (or at least a lack of sensitivity to racial matters) abounds, Boston, Massachusetts just doesn’t strike me as a similar type of place where this kind of racism would thrive.

So what am I missing? Is there some historical or cultural connection that some of you East Coast natives can shed light on to make this narrative (fair or not) make sense?

[kraidstar]

Sounds to me like he was making a lewd comment, not a racist one.

It was definitely a racist remark.

Curtis, who was already a documented scumbag before this, certainly isn’t helping the perception and just confirming the stereotype of Boston sports radio having some racist undertones.

Dunno man. I've never once in my life heard the word "nips" used as a racial slur. I've definitely heard it used to refer to anatomy though.

[Roy H.]

Sounds to me like he was making a lewd comment, not a racist one.

It was definitely a racist remark.

Curtis, who was already a documented scumbag before this, certainly isn’t helping the perception and just confirming the stereotype of Boston sports radio having some racist undertones.

You know more about the show than I do, I but I took that more as a reference to nipples.  Do people under the age of 80 use the word in the racist context?

[Donoghus]

Sounds to me like he was making a lewd comment, not a racist one.

It was definitely a racist remark.

Curtis, who was already a documented scumbag before this, certainly isn’t helping the perception and just confirming the stereotype of Boston sports radio having some racist undertones.

You know more about the show than I do, I but I took that more as a reference to nipples.  Do people under the age of 80 use the word in the racist context?

I don’t know.  Of all the media personalities to make that comment about, he picks out the one of the few mainstream that are of Asian descent? I’m not sure that’s a coincidence.  I’m 42 and I’ve known of that term since I was probably a pre-teen.

[Celtics2021]

Honestly, it’s a pretty fair article. I’d encourage people to read it.  And it was made more relevant by the fact that rather than just apologizing, the official WEEI line was that he meant to insult Mila Kunis instead of Mila Kimes.  WEEI absolutely represents a certain contingent of Boston sports fans, and thus Boston in general, and yes, it deserves to be talked about.  And some quotes below show the article isn’t wholly bashing Boston.

If you're familiar with Boston's history, this incident isn't a surprise.

It's true that Boston isn't the hardcore racist town it once was. It's changed for the better. In 2021, Michelle Wu became the first woman, first person of color, and first Asian American to be elected mayor of the city, winning over 60 percent of the vote.

The amount of racism in Boston isn't at the same level as when I lived there decades ago. Overall, it's a better place for athletes and people of color.

What the WEEI incident with Kimes shows, however, is that parts of Boston still won't let that racist past die.

…

Racism happens in other cities, of course. Hell, across the country. Donald Trump gave white people the permission structure to be openly racist, and plenty obliged him. It was Trump who gave a racist nickname for the coronavirus during the pandemic, serving as the leading edge for a rise in anti-Asian hate.

What we saw with Kimes was, I believe, partly the Trump Effect, but also the Boston one. You'd be making a mistake if you thought this was just a WEEI thing. This story is also, in part, a Boston one. Despite the progress made, there's an audience that likes hearing this type of ugliness and the hosts know it.

…

Boston is better but the stain of racism is long and hard to ignore.

This isn't just about one racist clown on a talk show. This is also about Boston's past clinging hard to its present like poop on a shoe.

[JSD]

Sounds to me like he was making a lewd comment, not a racist one.

It was definitely a racist remark.

Curtis, who was already a documented scumbag before this, certainly isn’t helping the perception and just confirming the stereotype of Boston sports radio having some racist undertones.

You know more about the show than I do, I but I took that more as a reference to nipples.  Do people under the age of 80 use the word in the racist context?

I don’t know.  Of all the media personalities to make that comment about, he picks out the one of the few mainstream that are of Asian descent? I’m not sure that’s a coincidence.  I’m 42 and I’ve known of that term since I was probably a pre-teen.

39 here. Somerville to between Boston and Lowell my whole life, never heard that racial slur, and my grandfather was a marine who fought in Korea

[Roy H.]

Honestly, it’s a pretty fair article. I’d encourage people to read it.  And it was made more relevant by the fact that rather than just apologizing, the official WEEI line was that he meant to insult Mila Kunis instead of Mila Kimes.  WEEI absolutely represents a certain contingent of Boston sports fans, and thus Boston in general, and yes, it deserves to be talked about.  And some quotes below show the article isn’t wholly bashing Boston.

If you're familiar with Boston's history, this incident isn't a surprise.

It's true that Boston isn't the hardcore racist town it once was. It's changed for the better. In 2021, Michelle Wu became the first woman, first person of color, and first Asian American to be elected mayor of the city, winning over 60 percent of the vote.

The amount of racism in Boston isn't at the same level as when I lived there decades ago. Overall, it's a better place for athletes and people of color.

What the WEEI incident with Kimes shows, however, is that parts of Boston still won't let that racist past die.

…

Racism happens in other cities, of course. Hell, across the country. Donald Trump gave white people the permission structure to be openly racist, and plenty obliged him. It was Trump who gave a racist nickname for the coronavirus during the pandemic, serving as the leading edge for a rise in anti-Asian hate.

What we saw with Kimes was, I believe, partly the Trump Effect, but also the Boston one. You'd be making a mistake if you thought this was just a WEEI thing. This story is also, in part, a Boston one. Despite the progress made, there's an audience that likes hearing this type of ugliness and the hosts know it.

…

Boston is better but the stain of racism is long and hard to ignore.

This isn't just about one racist clown on a talk show. This is also about Boston's past clinging hard to its present like poop on a shoe.

Yeah, I don’t think that’s particularly fair at all. The stuff you’re citing is basically still saying that Boston stands out for its racism. I don’t see a lot of balance in that.

And, I don’t think that calling a Korean woman a racist slur for Japanese people is all that likely.  I do think the proffered excuse — that he was lewdly commenting about Kunis’s nipples  — is more believable, but also a very bad look. 

I’ve definitely heard the racial use of the term, but only in context of WW2.  Two grandfathers who were in the war, one of whom was an alcoholic with extreme PTSD.  So, I’ve heard some bad stuff.  But outside of movies, I’ve never heard it in another context.

I think there are more piggish and sexist men than there are who are anti-Asian racists who still use that word.  But, it’s WEEI, so anything is possible.

[Donoghus]

Sounds to me like he was making a lewd comment, not a racist one.

It was definitely a racist remark.

Curtis, who was already a documented scumbag before this, certainly isn’t helping the perception and just confirming the stereotype of Boston sports radio having some racist undertones.

You know more about the show than I do, I but I took that more as a reference to nipples.  Do people under the age of 80 use the word in the racist context?

I don’t know.  Of all the media personalities to make that comment about, he picks out the one of the few mainstream that are of Asian descent? I’m not sure that’s a coincidence.  I’m 42 and I’ve known of that term since I was probably a pre-teen.

39 here. Somerville to between Boston and Lowell my whole life, never heard that racial slur, and my grandfather was a marine who fought in Korea

Okay, so?

[kraidstar]

So, as a Midwesterner who has literally been to Boston once for a Celtics game, I’m always confused by this narrative. When I think of Massachusetts and Boston, I’ve always had the perception that it is super liberal and progressive, which their politics and voting history seems to support. Presumably, this would include more progressive conceptions about race relations, too.

Coming from one of the most deep red and conservative areas of the country where racism (or at least a lack of sensitivity to racial matters) abounds, Boston, Massachusetts just doesn’t strike me as a similar type of place where this kind of racism would thrive.

So what am I missing? Is there some historical or cultural connection that some of you East Coast natives can shed light on to make this narrative (fair or not) make sense?

Mass is definitely ultra-liberal. There's also an element of "not in my backyard" elitism though. black folks definitely haven't reaped the benefits of Boston's ever-increasing wealth. And there is some old-school white riff-raff who are loud and racist. Maybe they're angry about being left behind during the gentrification and increasing diversity of the city - I don't know - but there's a contingent of angry white folks who do like to blame minorities for their problems.

But I highly doubt it's worse than other cities/states. My brother lived in Florida for a while and said it was openly racist there. From my own experiences, the racial tension there is palpable. We hear stories daily about social dysfunction in Florida, but never a peep when it relates to sports. Same with most other cities. I've met racist LA folk, and that city has had deep racial problems. Heck, just this last summer members of the city council were throwing racist jabs around. But you'll never hear a word about that when people are talking about the Lakers. I think Boston's racist reputation is largely tied to sports more so than politics. Which is strange.