Here’s another one for our never-ending game of Progressive or Parody.
In post-Charlottesville riot America, Asian-American names are subject to discrimination in order to placate the ignorant. Case in point: Robert Lee.
Tuesday, ESPN yanked Asian-American announcer Robert Lee from his previously scheduled announcing gig at the UVa opener.
From the Washington Times:
ESPN confirmed Tuesday night that it had decided to pull an announcer from calling a University of Virginia football game because his name is Robert Lee. This Robert Lee is Asian.“We collectively made the decision with Robert to switch games as the tragic events in Charlottesville were unfolding, simply because of the coincidence of his name. In that moment it felt right to all parties,” reads the ESPN statement posted at t he popular Fox Sports college-football blog Outkick the Coverage.“Did I mention that Robert Lee is Asian?” wrote disbelieving blogger Clay Travis, who first broke the story, citing “multiple Outkick fans inside ESPN.”Mr. Lee had been scheduled to call the Cavaliers Sept. 2 game in Charlottesville against William and Mary.“It’s a shame that this is even a topic of conversation and we regret that who calls play by play for a football game has become an issue,” ESPN said in its statement.
Just last week, student groups at USC attempted to leverage Charlottesville in an effort to malign the school’s mascot Traveler, for the unforgivable sin of having a name similar to Robert E. Lee’s horse, even though they’re spelled differently and are in no way related.
I would ask when this idiocy will end, but I’m not sure I’m prepared for the answer.
Follow Kemberlee on Twitter @kemberleekaye
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