The Return of the Racist Fukudome T-Shirts

by Leon Durham on May 1, 2008 8:03 PM CDT

Sadly, it appears the Cubs "fixing" the problem of the Fukudome t-shirts was only a temporary fix.

Look, as long as people can make a quick buck, they're going to try to sell these shirts.

If the Cubs want to, they can stop it, as they did before. But it will take some vigilance on their part to keep these sellers away from the stadium permanently.

Upon leaving the game today, someone was selling the Horry Cow shirts on the northeast corner of Addison and Sheffield.

For those of you who are as appalled as I am by the shirts, please contact the Cubs and let them know it's an issue you are serious about.

For those of you who think it's just a fun t-shirt or no big deal, we've heard your opinions before. Feel free to contact the Cubs and tell them your opinions as well, but no need to post messages here telling those of us who are disgusted by the shirts what we should and should not be offended by.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation, Bleed Cubbie Blue, or Al Yellon, editor-in-chief. FanPost opinions are, however, valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Sad to say that we're always going to have morons like those

to deal with but I agree with you that this sort of thing still shouldn’t be tolerated. Not only are shirts like those disgusting from a racial standpoint, they give the anti-Cub people out there ammunition to criticize all of us.

I like that people like you are staying on this. Sites like this are great to interract, argue, etc., with fellow fans but it’s also nice to them used to do something especially constructive.

Btw-is there a certain number to call to contact the Cubs about this?

by bluekoolaide on May 1, 2008 8:21 PM CDT 0 recs

A few things to do

The Cubs general number is (773) 404-2827. They can direct you to who is the best person to talk to. Peter Chase is the Cubs media relations director and I think he took charge last time, so you could try him.

I’d also recommend contacting Gordon Wittenmeyer at the Sun-Times as he’s the one who was most on top of this story last time. He can be reached at: gwittenmyer@suntimes.com

by Leon Durham on May 1, 2008 8:53 PM CDT up 0 recs

I'll email Peter Chase and let him know...

... and send him the link to this post.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on May 1, 2008 9:09 PM CDT up 0 recs

Thanks

by Leon Durham on May 1, 2008 9:16 PM CDT up 0 recs

let me get this straight

you get to write a diary telling everyone to be appalled by a t-shirt but people that aren’t appalled by the t-shirt aren’t allowed to comment on your diary because why?

only you get to tell people how to feel? or, maybe you just don’t like people telling you how to feel?

by circuitclout on May 1, 2008 8:34 PM CDT 0 recs

No, genius

I am not telling anyone how to feel. I’d love for you to point to anything in my post that tells people what they should think. I don’t make an argument at all in fact other than making it clear that I am opposed to the shirts.

What I am doing is bringing something to the attention of people who have previously taken steps to correct what many of us see as a problem that has now returned and suggested that they once again take action, if they are so inclined.

by Leon Durham on May 1, 2008 8:55 PM CDT up 0 recs

What circuit is saying is that you are telling people who are indifferent to the shirt not to post, like they aren’t important because they don’t feel the way you do.

....we’ve heard your opinions before….but no need to post messages here telling those of us who are disgusted by the shirts what we should and should not be offended by.

Isn’t that exactly what you are doing?

Note: I’m not condoning the shirt, just thought the OP shouldn’t have added that last line.

by GoCubbies34 on May 1, 2008 9:15 PM CDT up 0 recs

That's exactly what "Leon" is doing

Circuit is correct. Your diary Leon was OK until that last paragraph. It reminds me of being back in college where certain viewpoints were driven home by some profs and if you didn’t agree you were discredited. Makes me glad I studied the sciences. The last paragraph is akin to the ‘global warming’ debacle. Heidi Cullen and other liberal fascists state the earth is warming and humans are the predominant cause. If you speak out other wise, you are discredited immediately, including other meterologists. What a crock.

I hope in your case it was just a little overrun of emotions and thats it.

As far as the shirt, I wasn’t going to say this before but now I will. I showed a pic of the shirt from the first “crisis” a couple weeks ago to THREE Japanese colleagues of mine and all THREE of them thought it was a bit funny, silly but funny. They thought it was a little wierd looking but were NOT offended. And yes, all of them understand the history of the Cubs, Harry Caray and the likes.

There’s waaaaaayyyyy too many people overreacting to things now-a-days all in the name of Political Correctness. And the bitter irony of all of this the past several decades is the intention of the whole idea to begin with (help those who would be affected by demeaning behaviour) are not being helped at all.

I guess its interesting to consider if I were one of those complaining about the shirts, what I’d do if the person or persons selling these shirts ever decides to come after me for trying to stop them by stating their first amendment rights are being violated.

by blackhawk24 on May 3, 2008 6:07 PM CDT up 0 recs

I was at the game today

And saw three different vendors selling the shirts. All were guys that walk around with shirts on wooden posts, not booths.

Fontenot (fon-te-no): Cajun for "scrappy"

by zambranofan on May 1, 2008 9:19 PM CDT 0 recs

Thanks for this info.

I wonder where they got the shirts—their manufacture was supposed to be stopped.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on May 1, 2008 9:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

I saw the same

And commented, “oh, racist t-shirts”. If everyone does it, maybe they’d be shamed into stopping the sales . . .

by Shanghai Badger on May 1, 2008 9:44 PM CDT up 0 recs

Apparently they are hiring...

I was just perusing the jobs on Craigslist (unemployed actor, if you need one) and found:

“T-SHIRT SALES REP WANTED for online t-shirt company featuring ‘HORRY KOW!’ and ‘FUKUDOME IS MY HOME’ t-shirts among others. Sales to Sports stores, retail stores, bars, fraternities. Email us with resume, references.”

...?

by mahabaratanaut on May 1, 2008 10:05 PM CDT 0 recs

You should forward that to Peter Chase

See contact info above.

It could be useful in helping to track down these jerks.

Baseball is an allegorical play about America, a poetic, complex, and subtle play of courage, fear, good luck, mistakes, patience about fate, and sober self-esteem. -- Saul Steinberg

by bluebythebook on May 1, 2008 10:06 PM CDT up 0 recs

well

Couldnt they still sell these shirts online? Does anyone know of a website to buy one of these shirts?

by Glacier on May 1, 2008 10:09 PM CDT 0 recs

Ummm.no

and why would you want to buy one of these shirts? They are not creative, or funny….they are just racist…

by lance dickson on May 1, 2008 10:47 PM CDT up 0 recs

I also saw them

I at the vendor booth, next to the parking lot/ liquor store on Clark, south of the stadium. I’m not sure which cross street that is, Roscoe or School?

by MerigoldBowling on May 1, 2008 10:42 PM CDT 0 recs

Inventory Blowout

I would speculate that the manufacture of the shirts has in fact stopped but the vendors are simply trying to liquidate what inventory remains. I doubt that they would want to eat them.

by BartlettBob on May 1, 2008 10:46 PM CDT 0 recs

Is anyone wearing these things?

Would like to think they would encounter some verbal/physical abuse in Wrigleyville, the dumb asses.

by JFCubFan on May 1, 2008 10:51 PM CDT 0 recs

you are advocating "physical abuse"

upon anyone wearing the appalling, racist shirts (“ARS”)?

uggghhhh, here we go again

I'm the guy in the blue under armour shirt

by joeschmitt on May 2, 2008 12:39 AM CDT up 0 recs

This is hilarious

No, actually it’s sad. So something that is considered in poor taste by some should be encountered by a FELONY BATTERY CHARGE? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

People this is what PC is doing to this country. WAKE UP!

by blackhawk24 on May 4, 2008 8:31 AM CDT up 0 recs

How did the Cubs stop the manufacture of such shirts?

just curious.

I'm the guy in the blue under armour shirt

by joeschmitt on May 2, 2008 12:19 AM CDT 0 recs

hmmmm

no need to post messages here telling those of us who are disgusted by the shirts what we should and should not be offended by.

isn’t that, in fact, what you are doing by trying to shut down/disallow the sale of the shirts? i.e., “I’m offended by these appalling, racist shirts, so regardless of whether anyone else is offended, the sale of the appalling, racist shirts should be shut down/disallowed simply because i’m offended?”

I'm the guy in the blue under armour shirt

by joeschmitt on May 2, 2008 12:37 AM CDT 0 recs

yawn

the point is, there has already been discussion of whether people think the shirt is offensive.

this post was to let people know the issue has come up again. my point in writing was i did was to ask the simple courtesy that you are apparently unwilling to extend (as evidenced by your post below), that this particular fanpost not be used as a place for rehashing a debate that has already run its course on this site.

by Leon Durham on May 2, 2008 12:55 AM CDT up 0 recs

IMHO

the debate has not run its course because many here apparently still believe in the stifling of free expression.

but that’s just me (literally).

I'm the guy in the blue under armour shirt

by joeschmitt on May 2, 2008 1:00 AM CDT up 0 recs

We already know how you feel, and..

... do you REALLY think this is “free expression”?

I think a lot of people don’t fully understand what 1st Amendment rights are.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on May 2, 2008 3:39 AM CDT up 0 recs

Al,

how is it NOT “free expression”? it is commercial in nature, so it is somewhat less protected, e.g., it may not be misleading. and it’s not “core” protected speech in that it is not political in nature.

regardless, the vendors are expressing an idea by putting their idea on a shirt and selling it. there’s no less protection to an idea that happens to offend people; in fact, that is the point of the 1st amendment, that one has the right to offend people and there’s no corollary right not to be offended.

on your other point, i certainly agree that a lot of people don’t fully understand what 1st amendment rights are.

ban offensive shirts now!!!!11!!

by joeschmitt on May 2, 2008 11:14 AM CDT up 0 recs

It is private expression, unlicensed by the brand owner, and...

therefore, the Cubs have a proprietary right to have those shirts removed from circulation if their fans ask them to. This is a private business and since it is not the government banning the shirts, the Cubs are within their rights as copyright owners to have those shirts removed from the market. The 1st Amendment has no bearing here. The Constitution only restricts the government in these matters, not private entities like the Cubs.

As to the message I understand why it is considered offensive. Minorities have been traditionally a target of abuse and ridicule due to their accents, as if it was their fault that they were not raised hearing the sounds that make the native English speaker’s accent what it is. The shirt promotes an offensive stereotype and does not help the Cubs. So, even as a public relations issue, the Cubs are right in pursuing this matter and I respect those who have raised the issue in this blog as well.

by Fraggin Judge on May 2, 2008 11:27 AM CDT up 0 recs

we've been over this too

would the shirt really be less offensive without the bastardized cubs logo? i don’t think so, maybe it would be. who knows.

but without the bastardized cubs logo, the cubs have absolutely no right to “shut down” the vendors. the offensive part of the shirt is the slogan, and someone putting that slogan on a shirt and selling it on public, state-owned grounds (assuming proper business licenses, etc.) is conducting a lawful activity which cannot be impeded by any public or private actor.

you are correct that the 1st amendment (“Congress shall make no law . . . “) does not directly apply against the cubs, a private actor. but neither congress nor illinois and its political subdivisions may pass a law restricting the sale of “offensive” materials. that’s how i know that the shirts are legal (excluding copyright/trademark and business licensing issues) and that the cubs are powerless to stop it.

ban offensive shirts now!!!!11!!

by joeschmitt on May 2, 2008 11:33 AM CDT up 0 recs

But I don't think we can take the trademark, licensing and brand issues away.

That is what give the Cubs the right to intervene.

by Fraggin Judge on May 2, 2008 11:34 AM CDT up 0 recs

i think they will just come back

with a shirt that does not impede any marks.

ban offensive shirts now!!!!11!!

by joeschmitt on May 2, 2008 11:35 AM CDT up 0 recs

*infringe

n/t

ban offensive shirts now!!!!11!!

by joeschmitt on May 2, 2008 11:36 AM CDT up 0 recs

Maybe so.

But I hope not. Why offend people when you could make just as much, if not MORE, money by selling a shirt with a POSITIVE message?

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on May 2, 2008 12:57 PM CDT up 0 recs

oh, they already have...

I’ve seen shirts, actually since Opening Day, that have Fuk U across the top, Dome across the bottom, and in the middle is a baseball glove with its middle finger raised. No Cubs logo or brand anywhere. Last I knew, nobody had a trademark on the middle finger, though I’m sure many have tried… ;-)

So yeah, bad taste knows no bounds, but as long as they follow the ‘rules’, they should be free to peddle their wares. Just as we are free to not buy them. I think we should continue to remain vigilant for any trademark sightings, and bring them to the attention of the Cubs.

In no way is a trademark violation on par with racism, but remember how they got Al Capone? It wasn’t for murder, bank robbery, or some other violent crime. It was for tax evasion (or something like that). When you got a guy on third, sometimes a little dribbler is just as good as a 450 ft. blast.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on May 2, 2008 1:26 PM CDT up 0 recs

for what its worth

i agree with you on this one.

by circuitclout on May 2, 2008 12:34 PM CDT up 0 recs

for what its worth

i agree. so that makes at least 2.

by circuitclout on May 2, 2008 12:35 PM CDT up 0 recs

on the google ads sidebar to this post

is the following ad:

foo-koo-dough-may
oldschool logo + Japanese
slogans = best
ChicagoCubbies t-shirt
ever!
www.SonHeir.com

the link takes one to a page where one may purchase this shirt (at the low-low price of $23 + S&H):

I’M OUTRAGED!!!! -

[The rising sun] flag is often considered offensive in countries which were victims of Japanese hostility [including the U.S.], particularly China and Korea, where it is seen as alarming, nationalistic, and hostile.

I'm the guy in the blue under armour shirt

by joeschmitt on May 2, 2008 12:52 AM CDT 0 recs

We've been through this, too.

First of all, I have no control over which ads appear in the Google Ads box. They key to the content on the page, so it’s no wonder that ad appears on this page. (I often see ads for tickets for the team the Cubs are playing in that box.)

Second, why are you doing this?

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on May 2, 2008 3:41 AM CDT up 0 recs

Control

Al,

If you have no control over the content of the Google ads, do you have the choice of whether the Google Ads appear at all or not? If you can turn them off, then you do have control to the extent that the ads would be eliminated.

by FrankSereno on May 2, 2008 5:40 AM CDT up 0 recs

i don't blame you for the ad

it makes sense that such an ad would appear for the reason you stated. i’m surprised there wasn’t an ad for the ARS itself which would have illustrated a GREAT reason why those who are so appalled by the ARS should just keep quiet about it.

still ironic though, that in a post in which the poster (and everyone else, of course) issues their plaintive call against offensive shirts and there is a shirt which many would find offensive being advertised for profit on the same page.

if you’re asking why i would make this comment specifically, i just found it funny/ironic and an opportunity to make my point below re: the slippery slope. if you’re asking why i continue to comment against the “shutting down” of the vendors (which i still don’t understand how that may be accomplished), it’s because i was frightened (offended??) by the lockstep agreement on here that the answer to something people don’t agree with is just to shut it down.

i’ll stop though, i think i’ve tried to make every point that i could and you seem to be annoyed by it. (and i’m fully aware that the 1st amendment does not apply against you – thanks for not banning me.)

ban offensive shirts now!!!!11!!

by joeschmitt on May 2, 2008 11:28 AM CDT up 0 recs

I'm concerned when the government restricts speech.

It is different when a private entity like the Cubs do it. It’s their right to control the use of their logo. If they don’t want to ofend a group, that is within their rights, and the fans are also within their rights to ask the Cubs to do so.

by Fraggin Judge on May 2, 2008 11:32 AM CDT up 0 recs

see my response above

to add to it, the cubs do not own the streets and sidewalks outside wrigley, where the sales are taking place. i agree that the cubs have every right to restrict everyone within wrigley. i also agree that they have a right to control the use of their logo, but i don’t think the logo is what is offending people so much on here – i think it’s the slogan itself.

ban offensive shirts now!!!!11!!

by joeschmitt on May 2, 2008 11:35 AM CDT up 0 recs

Rising Sun flag

The big difference here is that the Rising Sun flag is the military flag of Japan and is currently still being used currently being used by Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. The bit about the flag being “seen as alarming nationalistic, and hostile” could also be said about how some other countries see the US flag. Use of a national flag, and offensive speech used to belittle a nationality of people are two entirely different things.

by Matthewking72 on May 2, 2008 6:17 AM CDT up 0 recs

my point was

that there’s not a whole lot of ideas or items that don’t offend SOMEONE. that’s the problem with shutting things down because someone is offended. where do we draw the line? does it only take 1 person to say “i’m outraged!” to shut something down? or 50% of people? it’s difficult to say where the line should be drawn. that’s one of the good reasons why we’ve collectively decided to leave such decisions to the “marketplace of ideas” as expressed by Justice Holmes.

ban offensive shirts now!!!!11!!

by joeschmitt on May 2, 2008 11:18 AM CDT up 0 recs

Cmon people

the point of this post appears to be this. Leon did not want to debate whetehr it was offensive of not. It appears that he wanted to inform those of us who ARE disgusted by how some people represent this city (I am sure they are the same jerks who used to assault Jaque Jones and Latroy Hawkins with racist slurs).

I for one am glad Fukudome is here in Chicago to help this team we love win a championship and IMO, the way to thank him for choosing this team is not to make stupid ass jokes about his ethnicity.

You are all free to feel how you want. The idea here seems to be to rally those who DO feel this is obnoxious and offensive to try to stamp out this problem. I happen to be in this camp. Fukudome, along with everyone else on this club deserves respect.

Calm down.

by Kinky Reggae on May 2, 2008 8:04 AM CDT 0 recs

LSA

n/t

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on May 2, 2008 8:28 AM CDT up 0 recs

Agreed

by sue369 on May 2, 2008 2:48 PM CDT up 0 recs

Well if it were written this way

perhaps some on this blog would not have stated what they stated.

Its a matter of…..Say what you mean, mean what you say.

by blackhawk24 on May 4, 2008 8:40 AM CDT up 0 recs

stop

By posting blogs like this constantly you’re only making the shirts more popular regardless of whether you think they are right or wrong. Give it a rest.

“There is no such thing as bad publicity”

by delorean80 on May 2, 2008 9:56 AM CDT 0 recs

Again

I appreciate this post because some of us have once again complained about them to the Cubs. If no action is taken, we live in a very primitive world.

Calm down.

by Kinky Reggae on May 2, 2008 10:17 AM CDT up 0 recs

But...but...

...if we do or say nothing then the t-shirts go on being sold and nothing changes. And, again, these words and images pay a huge amount of disrespect to someone who is, by all appearances, a decent, intelligent human being and pretty damn good baseball player.

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on May 2, 2008 10:38 AM CDT up 0 recs

Sports Illustrated has done the same thing

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/04/29/fukudome0505/index.html?eref=T1

In an otherwise excellent article on Fukudome, the writer has to add this in an early paragraph:

Vendors say his jersey is their best seller, by approximately two to one. He has also spawned a cottage industry outside the ballpark, where you can buy bandanas with Fukudome’s name spelled in Japanese characters or T-shirts with shout-outs such as FUKUDOME IS MY HOMIE. (The Cubs, though, did have to pull one unlicensed T-shirt from the outdoor marketplace because it featured their bear logo with slanted eyes and Harry Caray glasses, over the words HORRY KOW.)

There is no reason to add this to the article.

by TC Cubby on May 2, 2008 1:41 PM CDT up 0 recs

I think if more people took to heart this saying

they wouldn’t be so fast to try to change the world. It hangs on the wall in my home, in hand-written script by my great-grandfather. I have the honour of keeping this now and will pass it on to my children some day. It reads:

God grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change;
COURAGE to change the things I can; and WISDOM to know the difference.

by blackhawk24 on May 4, 2008 8:37 AM CDT 0 recs

Headbands

On the Mother’s Day Game I saw them selling headbands with the Horry Cow logo on it. The seller was out in front of the Cubby Bear. Any recent attempts to contact the Cubs about getting these removed met favorably from the Cubs staff??

by McCarron on May 12, 2008 11:19 PM CDT 0 recs