>>THE REASON WHY THIS STORY IS RELEVANT IS NOT BECAUSE THE FACT
THAT SHE WON IT, IT'S BECAUSE SHE'S THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN
TO WIN IT.
THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS THAT
WRITE ABOUT THE LIPIDS IN A WAY THAT SOME DEEM OFFENSIVE AND IT
IS PARTICULARLY NOTICEABLE IN THE HEADLINE.
MERCURY NEWS IS A
PRIME EXAMPLE, THEY WERE WRITING ABOUT IT AND THE HEADLINE THEY
TWEETED WITH THE FOLLOWING --
>>PEOPLE WERE UPSET, WE WILL GET TO THE ANGRY TWEETS IN A
SECOND, BUT I WANT TO MAKE THE POINT ABOUT HOW NOT ONLY
HISTORIC THIS IS, BUT HOW IT'S SOMETHING THAT BREAKS THESE
MYTHS AND STEREOTYPES ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE IN GENERAL.
IN THE
UNITED STATES, WHAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE, THERE IS THIS
STEREOTYPE THAT BLACK PEOPLE CAN'T SWIM, YOU HEAR IT
PERPETUATED AND ADVISED ME CRAZY, WHEN THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW
ABOUT THE CONTEXT OF WHAT BLACK PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH IN
TERMS OF SWIMMING IN THE UNITED STATES.
EVEN AFTER THE SUPREME
COURT RULED ON BROWN VERSUS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, WHICH
ESSENTIALLY DESEGREGATED OUR SCHOOLS, POOLS IN THE U.S. WERE
STILL SEGREGATED.
THE IDEA BEHIND THAT WAS, THE POOL
SITUATION IS A LITTLE BIT MORE SENSITIVE THAN SCHOOLS.
SO BLACK
PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME ACCESS TO POOLS THAT WHITE
PEOPLE DID.
>>OR TO THE OCEAN, BEACHES.
>>FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, SIMONE WINNING THIS COMPETITION IS
SO HISTORIC, AND TO WRITE ABOUT IT IN THE WAY THAT MERCURY
NEWS DID IS INSENSITIVE TO SAY THE LEAST.
>>IN THE OLYMPICS SO FAR, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SO NAœVE IN THE
WAY THEY'VE BEEN COVERING A LOT OF THE TOPICS IN THIS
COMPETITION.
THE FACT IS, THIS IS THE CASE STUDY FOR THE WORST
IDEA OF JOURNALISM I'VE SEEN.
BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS IT RACIST IN
A WAY, IT'S SEXIST AS WELL.
THEY DON'T PUT HER NAME IN IT, BUT
THEY PUT MICHAEL PHELPS'S NAME.
I UNDERSTAND, HE IS THE MOST
DECORATED OLYMPIAN OF ALL TIME.
WE HAVE NONSTOP TALKED ABOUT
MICHAEL PHELPS ON TYT SPORTS, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A
RECORD-BREAKING ACHIEVEMENT, THAT SHOULD BE THE FOREFRONT OF
YOUR NEWS.
YOU SHOULDN'T MINIMALIZE AND BELITTLE THE
ACHIEVEMENT BY PUTTING IT NEXT TO MICHAEL PHELPS, AND THEN
PUTTING IN THE FACTS TO DRAW PEOPLE IN IS THAT HE'S NEXT TO
AN AFRICAN AMERICAN.
THE JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY OF SOME
OF THE SPORTSWRITERS, I'M BAFFLED.
LIKE, THE CHICAGO
BEARS, I THINK IT WAS A LINEMAN OR SOMETHING, HIS WIFE WON A
MEDAL, AND THE HEADLINE EVERYWHERE WAS LINEMAN'S WIFE
WINS MEDAL.
WE ARE SO NAœVE, WE OFTEN JUST WANT TO BELITTLE IT
AND COVER IT AS IF IT'S JUST PASSING THE PAGE, I WILL WRITE
THIS HEADLINE AND GET IT OUT THERE.
>>IT MINIMIZES THEIR COMPASS MEANT.
PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR
SHOES, YOU TRAIN AND YOU WIN, THAT HARD WORK PAYS OFF, AND YOU
GET MINIMIZED TO NOTHING MORE THAN A SKIN COLOR OR NATIONALITY
OR RACE.
>>I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE ARE SO ASTONISHED WHEN THEY SEE RACISM
AND SEXISM.
BECAUSE PEOPLE OF COLOR, WE ARE USED TO IT.
IT
WASN'T DONALD TRUMP'S AFRICAN-AMERICAN, THEY DIDN'T
STIPULATE WHAT AFRICAN-AMERICAN WAS.
BUT JUST A FEW DAYS AGO IN
ITALIAN SAID BLACK PEOPLE DON'T SWIM, THEY DON'T HAVE BUOYANCY.
BECAUSE THE ITALIAN GIRL WHO LOST, BECAUSE SHE LOST AND
DIDN'T TRAIN LIKE SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO TRAIN WITH HER
OOMPAH LOOMPAH LOOKING ASS, SAID WE SHOULD PAINT OUR SKIN BLACK
SO WE WIN.
THOSE THINGS ARE HURTFUL TO PEOPLE, THIS IS THAT
WE DON'T WANT TO BE POLITICALLY CORRECT THING -- SHE WAS LIKE,
I'M SORRY, I MAKE MISTAKES.
THAT IS NOT MAKING MISTAKES, THAT IS
A RACIST COMMENT.
>>I AGREE, THIS WAS PROBABLY A MISTAKE, IN THEIR DEFENSE.
THIS
ONLY SHOWED UP ON THE WEBSITE, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS TO
WHAT FRANCIS SAID -- INSTINCTIVELY MICHAEL PHELPS YOU
MIGHT INCLUDE IN A HEADLINE, HE'S ALWAYS THE BIGGEST STORY IN
THE OLYMPICS.
>>AND MARIJUANA.
>>IMAGINE HOW SUCCESSFUL HE COULD BE IF HE DIDN'T SMOKE WEED.
IF ONLY HE DIDN'T SMOKE WEED.
>>IT RUIN HIS LIFE.
>>TOTALLY.
I STOLE THAT FROM SOMEONE ON TWITTER, I DON'T
REMEMBER WHO.
I GET WANTING TO INCLUDE PHELPS IN THE HEADLINE.
TO THEIR CREDIT, THEY CHANGED IT PRETTY QUICKLY.
THIS IS THE SAN
JOSE MERCURY NEWS.
THEY TOOK IT DOWN, THEY APOLOGIZED AND FIXED
THE HEADLINE.
IT IS PROBABLY SOME PERSON WHO IS OVERWHELMED,
CRANKING OUT OLYMPIC HEADLINES.
MICHAEL PHELPS, AND I HAVE TO
INCLUDE THE BLACK GIRL.
PROBABLY PATTING HIMSELF ON THE BACK THAT
HE DIDN'T INCLUDE SOMETHING HIDEOUS LIKE MICHAEL PHELPS AND
THE BLACK CHICK WIN GOLD MEDAL.
BUT WHAT WORKS AGAINST THE SAN
JOSE MERCURY NEWS IS, THAT IS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, THAT IS
STANFORD, THAT'S WHERE SHE'S FROM.
THAT GOES TO THE OTHER
WAY, SIMONE MANUEL SHOULD BE FIRST, FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO
MEDAL IN SWIMMING, THAT'S A HEADLINE, ALSO MICHAEL PHELPS
WINS AGAIN, YAWN.
>>CENK AND I HAD A LONG DISCUSSION ON THE SHOW ABOUT
THESE HEADLINES, AND OFTENTIMES IF THERE IS A FEMALE COMPETITOR,
SHE IS NOT NAMED IN THE HEADLINE, HER FAMOUS ATHLETIC
HUSBAND IS NAMED INSTEAD.
THAT TAKES AWAY FROM HER ACHIEVEMENT,
MINIMIZES IT, AND IT SUCKS.
ANYONE WOULD BE ANGRY IF PLACED
IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT.
BUT CENK'S ARGUMENT IS IT BECAUSE
THESE MALES ARE WELL-KNOWN AND THE HEADLINES ARE WRITTEN IN
SUCH A WAY THAT IT WILL GET MORE ATTENTION, LEADS TO MORE
VIEWERSHIP OR READERSHIP.
BUT IN THE CASE OF THIS LOCAL PAPER,
WOULDN'T YOU ARGUE THAT A LOCAL INDIVIDUAL WHO TRAINED AT A
LOCAL SCHOOL OR WENT TO A LOCAL SCHOOL WOULD GET JUST AS MANY
READERS?
>>AND THEY COULD'VE INCLUDED HER NAME.
THEY COULD STILL KEEP MICHAEL PHELPS.
>>JUST LIKE WHATEVER THAT BEARS LINEMAN'S NAME WAS, I DON'T
KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE PLAYER EITHER, BUT YOU COULD HAVE SAID
ANA KASPARIAN, WIFE OF BEAR'S LINEMAN CHRISTIAN LOPEZ --
YOU CAN GET THEM BOTH IN.
>>CAN YOU IMAGINE IF I DID SOMETHING ON THE SHOW THAT GOT
ATTENTION AND PEOPLE WROTE A HEADLINE LIKE, WIFE OF FORMER
BASEBALL PLAYER CHRISTIAN LOPEZ?
I WOULD LOSE MY MIND.
>>I MAY ONLY REFER TO YOU AS THAT GOING FORWARD.
>>THE ONLY DEVIL'S ADVOCATE I WOULD SAY THERE IS THAT IT WAS
THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE AND HE PLAYS FOR THE BEARS, THEY WERE TRYING
TO MAKE THE CHICAGO CONNECTION.
BUT IF YOU WATCH MY VIDEOS I'M
RIPPING APART THE COVERAGE, BECAUSE THE OVERALL NAIVETE OF
OUR COVERAGE, BECAUSE IT IS NOT MAINSTREAM SPORTS, AMERICAN
FOOTBALL OR BASKETBALL, YOU CAN'T DO 10 MINUTES TO FIGURE
OUT THEIR NAMES AND WHAT THEIR SPORTS ARE SO YOU CAN TAKE A
BREAK FROM LEBRON JAMES'S STATISTICS FROM THE OFF-SEASON?
>>AND THE SEXISM IS DISCUSSING.
WILL YOU TWIRL AROUND FOR US
ONCE?
THE THINGS THEY SAY TO THE WOMEN -- COME ON.
>>I MISSED THAT.
>>THERE IS A MONTAGE OF ALL THE SEXIST THINGS THAT HAVE
HAPPENED, ONE REPORTER TELLS A WOMAN, WILL YOU TWIRL AROUND FOR
US?
>>THAT WAS THE LAST TIME WE COVERED THE OLYMPICS.
AND I
DON'T KNOW IF THIS OCCURRED DURING THE OLYMPICS, I APOLOGIZE
IF MY MEMORY IS NOT ACCURATE, BUT THERE WAS A VOLLEYBALL
PLAYER WHO HAD A BREAST REDUCTION SURGERY AND THAT WAS
IT, THAT WAS THE ONLY THING REPORTERS WANTED TO TALK TO HER
ABOUT.
DIDN'T MATTER HOW SHE PERFORMED, HOW ATHLETIC SHE WAS.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT WOMEN GET LESS ATTENTION FOR AND THAT IS
FRUSTRATING BECAUSE IT MINIMIZES THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
>>TO WHAT AIDA -- I HAD IT, WE JUST MET RIGHT BEFORE THE SHOW,
IN MY DEFENSE -- WHAT AIDA SAYS NEEDS TO BE EMPHASIZED.
BECAUSE
THERE IS NO HISTORICAL CONTEXT HERE.
IN 1987, WHICH WAS THE
40TH ANNIVERSARY OF JACKIE ROBINSON BREAKING THE COLOR LINE
IN BASEBALL, FAMOUSLY THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE DODGERS,
THE ORGANIZATION THAT SIGNED JACKIE ROBINSON AND HAD BEEN
SORT OF THE BEST AT BLACK ATHLETES ON THE FIELD, AND AN
OVERWHELMINGLY SIGNIFICANT LATINO FAN BASE, HE GOES ON
NIGHTLINE AND FAMOUSLY TALKED ABOUT WHY THERE WOULDN'T BE A
BLACK MANAGER, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE INTELLECTUAL
CAPACITY TO MANAGE A GAME.
THAN AS DUMB AS THAT WAS, IT GOT
DUMBER BECAUSE HE SAID IT'S LIKE SWIMMING, THEY HAVE NO BUOYANCY.
THIS WAS THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE DODGERS, AND A GUY WHO HAD
SIGNED BLACK PLAYERS, AND SIGNED THEM BECAUSE HE THOUGHT IT WAS
IMPORTANT THAT WE WENT OUT AND BROUGHT LATINO, BLACK AND BROWN
PLAYERS INTO THE MAJORS.
AND NO ONE TOLD HIM YOUR SKIN COLOR
DOESN'T AFFECT WHETHER YOU CAN SWIM.
WEIRDLY, PIGMENTATION
DOESN'T AFFECT ABILITY TO STAY UP IN WATER.
>>NOT TO MENTION WE BEEN SWIMMING HERE FOR A LONG TIME,
BLACK AND BROWN ALIKE.
THOSE CUBANS WHO FELL OFF THE BOAT
DURING THE MARIO BOATLIFT, THEY HAD TO SWIM PART OF THE WAY.
THERE WAS A NICE LITTLE BOAT RIDE WHERE PEOPLE CAME FROM
AFRICA AND HAD TO DO SOME SWIMMING, TOO.
BUT IT'S ALL
ABOUT HISTORICAL CONTEXT.
>> MAKING SIMONE MANUEL'S TRIUMPH IN THE POOL A MOMENT
OF PARTICULAR CELEBRATION.
>> WHEN SOMEONE SAYS IT IS A RACIST THING TO DO WHEN YOU
IGNORE HER AND PUT MICHAEL
PHELPS.
AT LEAST IN THAT PICTURE WE HAD, IT WASN'T IN THE IMAGE.
IF IT WAS FOR CLICK PURPOSES, THAT SHOWS SOMETIMES WHEN YOU
ARE RACIST IT'S NOT BECAUSE YOU'RE
GOING TO SAY I HATE THOSE N- WORDS.
WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU
OVERLOOK
THEIR EXISTENCE.
THEY DON'T
MATTER, YOU DON'T EVEN REALIZE THEY DON'T MATTER.