Bernardo Silva tweet controversy

[willipp]

I think we need to stop looking at it through blue-tinted spectacles, he did wrong, he meant no malice, but he did wrong. If it was a United or Liverpool player we'd be calling for a ban. It was probably done in naivety as a light hearted joke and Mendy has probably done the same back to Bernado at some stage but you've got to be so damn careful nowadays.

I for one certainly wouldn’t be calling for a ban of any player for making a joke. It’s naive, but that’s about the bottom line of it.

 

[Gazza]

I for one certainly wouldn’t be calling for a ban of any player for making a joke. It’s naive, but that’s about the bottom line of it.

But sadly it'll probably happen, if not it'll be a suspended ban.

 

[razman]

 

[ancoats]

What tends to happen in life is if you keep lecturing people and banning stuff it leads to a backlash. People start to rebel. Society has made great strides in educating people on racism and why it is wrong and as we live in a multi cultural society even the most stupid person should understand that. It is the same as discrimination against people for their sexuality and beliefs. Live and let live is my motto and is for most people. The majority just want to pay the bills, make sure they and their family are okay and enjoy themselves. Problems arise when radicals start preaching and jumping on every single little thing. Rather than help the cause they are trying to protect it just annoys even moderate people and leads to a backlash. I saw some moron on tv recently saying there are over 100 different genders to identify with. Really? Personally I couldn't care less but it is ridiculous. So that is 100 people out there that could potentially be offended if someone mistakes them and doesn't recognise what they identity as. The world's gone mad.

to be offended by other people views is the question ?? who is right ?? why are they right ?? and why are your views wrong ??
if they all believe in what they think is right then who are we to say sorry your wrong, racism and beliefs are mixed together under a umbrella of religion, dare you question somebodies religion or beliefs

laws on racism are clear and you step over the line then its wrong and you will be punished, but religion and your beliefs are aloud to speak your views

 

[Tevez City]

Why is it big deal ?

He was joking with his best mate.

If its offensive ( racist), he clearly didn't mean it and should apologize if hurt anyone.

 

[pardoeofftomexico]

Some people get out of bed hoping to be offended. They can't be busy with proper jobs.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Just stay of twitter boys and text each other in future, its got fuck all to do with anyone else how mates speak to each other.

 

[Mon Autre]

Bernardo seems like a genuinely decent guy and i accept it was a intended as a joke between friends. He posted it onto a public forum in front of millions of people though so it does matter what other people make of it outside of Mendy.
There's obviously some cultural difference here as he's from a country where that depiction of a black child is something you see in shops every day. The product itself is half the problem here because that kind of imagery is deemed racist by most in this country. I think he was right to delete it, he should apologise, put it down to experience and move on. You need to know your audience when you're joking about stuff like this and putting it out there to millions of people was a mistake.

 

[hcblue95]

well i'm offended that they are offended,lets see what happens now.

It's all bullshit mate,what next.....a Sterling selfie with his kids in McDonalds.....investigation as it's offended vegans.

You're being a bit thick mate. If Bernardo had said ' Mendy you black ***** ***** **** (insert whatever words here)' and Mendy laughed it off because they're mates, does that mean other people aren't allowed to be offended after Bernardo posted it publicly?

 

[crazyadi]

Really ? This is a serious question ?

I'll answer in good faith although I feel this is part of a wind-up

Darren Anderton had shaggy hair

Is there anything about the cartoon figure that bears a resemblence to Mendy ? Apart from his skin colour ?

Yes, no hair and a cute as you like smile! BLACK doesn't mean bad!! Do people like you understand what you are doing with your pathetic attitude?

 

[domalino]

yeah,me too......just dont understand how there can be an investigation into something that mendy hasnt taken offence to.

Imagine you're in a pub and you started shouting out racial slurs at your black friend because it's banter, or part of an in-joke between you and your mate. If another black person near by overheard it, would you be surprised if they took offence and at least demanded and explanation?

The same principle applies to this. If you share something with your 600,000 followers and the rest of the onlooking world, it stops being a private joke, and people are going to see you comparing your friend with a racist mascot and think it's a bit racist.

And if you're the FA, if a few hundred or thousand people complain about a potentially racist tweet, you're going to open an investigation to look at it further.

He just needs to say sorry, explain there's a cultural misunderstanding and a private joke, Mendy will get a chance to say he's not offended, and hopefully it'll go away.

 

[BosnianBlue]

The first thing that united Daily Mail readers in not being hateful about City player though.

 

[cheekybids]

Good grief, worlds gone mad!

There is genuine racism & shittery in this world can all efforts be made to wipe this out rather than picking on a liberal nice lad have a laugh with his mate.

 

[blue5ter]

I am staggered by how much so many people are spectacularly missing the point. We are all city fans, we all love bernardo, we could all do without this kind of hassle and he's done something that anyone with half a brain cell knows gives ammunition to being attacked. Whether posters are personally offended or think silva's actions or the man himself is racist simply doesn't matter as it doesn't change that point. I too think the world has gone mad. All panelists on BBC Question Time are too scared to say the n-word despite the fact that in that context (of an academic discussion) it can't possibly be racist to use it but they still don't as they know they will get a hard time afterwards. But that is the world we live in and it does our club no good for a player to not understand what will provoke a negative reaction on twitter. Moaning about the world's gone PC mad doesn't help in any way at all

 

[Rolee]

I understand why people would find it offensive, I believe Bernardo was naive, I also believe he'll be mortified by the subsequent reaction.

I have a question though. If Mbappe, for example, had tweeted/posted this would it still be deemed offensive?

 

[TheThirdDeano]

I understand why people would find it offensive, I believe Bernardo was naive, I also believe he'll be mortified by the subsequent reaction.

I have a question though. If Mbappe, for example, had tweeted/posted this would it still be deemed offensive?

Weird you bring him up because he enjoyed Bernardo’s tweet as well, even went so far as to like it

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

"mandatory education" that's language you would expect from Nazi or Communist dictatorship.

 

[Rolee]

Weird you bring him up because he enjoyed Bernardo’s tweet as well, even went so far as to like it

I intentionally used Mbappe as they seem like a close knit group of friends.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

"mandatory education" that's language you would expect from Nazi or Communist dictatorship.

Well he clearly needs to be taught to keep in-jokes private. Stupid of him to post that on twitter.

 

[squirtyflower]

I’m sure they have that wrong as he’s already had his ‘mandatory education” in Portugal.
What they really mean is ‘re-education’, kind of like Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge offered its citizens.