Antoine Griezmann under fire for blackface basketball costume
Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann, at least from afar, seems like one of the most likable players in world football. Or at least he seemed like one of the most likable. His game is delightful. He plays and celebrates with joy.
On Sunday, though, that statement flew out the window. Griezmann posted a terribly insensitive picture of himself in a blackface costume, with the caption, “80’s Party”:
The French striker was immediately blasted for the photo on social media. Forty-five minutes after it was posted, it had not yet been deleted. Somehow.
However he has since deleted the posts and penned a kind of apology, saying in French: "I agree that it was awkward of me. If I hurt some people, please excuse me.
Je reconnais que c’est maladroit de ma part. Si j’ai blessé certaines personnes je m’en excuse.
— Antoine Griezmann (@AntoGriezmann) December 17, 2017
Griezmann also posted Instagram videos of himself in the blackface costume as well but they have been removed.
Griezmann posted a second tweet around an hour later, writing, “Calm down guys, I am a Harlem Globetrotters fan … it’s a tribute.”
But this has also since been deleted.
Griezmann is an avid basketball fan who regularly visits NBA games in the U.S. He very easily could have done this costume with just the wig, the jersey and the shorts. It might have even been pretty funny.
But he had to go and not only paint his face black, but paint his whole body black. Or at least that’s what it looks like. Come on, man.
Griezmann immediately received considerable backlash, both from fans and the media:
What is Antoine Griezmann thinking?
And is there nobody around him to tell him that is a very bad idea?— John Bennett (@JohnBennettBBC) December 17, 2017
And Overseas Racially Insensitive Imbecile of the Year goes to..... #spoty https://t.co/gdLPJmKmHD
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) December 17, 2017
I genuinely thought we’d reached some sort of consensus on this not being OK, and now two in one day. I’m a bit baffled. https://t.co/K6Eg2eeV7Z
— Rory Smith (@RorySmith) December 17, 2017
There are so, so many different options for an 80’s party, or a night out at the darts for that matter, that don’t involve blackface. I can’t believe we’re out here in 2017 saying don’t dress up in blackface. https://t.co/TzqsVdSOeg
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) December 17, 2017
How has Griezmann even gone through the process of painting his entire body, posing for a picture and posting the picture of blackface with NOBODY informing him that it’s not okay? Yikes. Red Card.
— 🥀 (@sarahhandleyx) December 17, 2017
Antoine Griezmann isn't some stupid teenage boy. He's a grown-ass, ignorant man who is commodifying a race of people for a costume.
— Mikala Paula (@mikalapaula) December 17, 2017
For Antoine Griezmann and anyone else still wondering about this in 2017 pic.twitter.com/QhmrwpsuPO
— Michael Caley (@MC_of_A) December 17, 2017
By the way, a significant number of players on the French national team – of which Griezmann is a crucial part – are black. We’ll see if he gets any public or private criticism from some of those players as well.
I'm already stressed out about Griezmann's inevitable apology saying "a lot of my best friends are black." pic.twitter.com/0UtS3Yb7Yv
— Miriti Murungi (@NutmegRadio) December 17, 2017
If there is any explanation for Griezmann’s decision to post this, perhaps it’s that blackface costumes are not as frowned upon in Spain or France as they are elsewhere in, for example, the United States or England.
That’s not an excuse, of course. Just an explanation.
This is in no way a defence of Griezmann but seeing a lot of how could he/his team not have seen the reaction to this and sad truth is it is not as taboo a thing to do in Spain as UK/US.
— Kieran Canning (@KieranCanning) December 17, 2017
would imagine Griezmann’s intent isn’t to be hurtful but how can someone, especially a global star, not be aware of the subtext and ramifications of blackface in 2017
— ty (@finalthrd) December 17, 2017
Let’s settle this once and for all. Wearing a blackface costume is completely unacceptable. Don’t do it. Especially if you’re a wildly popular professional athlete with a public reputation to uphold.
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