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Fox Sports removes ‘casually racist’ skit from website

Matthew Johns
Matthew Johns apologized after an offensive skit ridiculing Pacific Islander surnames aired on his show

Fox Sports has taken down an online video accused of “casual racism” after it offended some past and present Pacific Island players in the National Rugby League, according to MSN.

The clip, ‘Footy Kids in Cars’, aired on the Matty Johns Show last week and featured children jokingly trying to pronounce Pacific Island players’ names. The site took down the video Monday.

Matty Johns has since apologized in the next episode that aired, according to SportingNews.

”I want to do it straight off the top of this show to highlight the importance of what I’m about to say,” Johns said.

”It’s in regards to last week’s Kids in Cars segment. Just wanted to say it was never the intention to disrespect anybody, particularly people in the Polynesian community.

”From everyone in the show, but particularly me, because I’m responsible for the show and it’s my name on the show and I take responsibility for everything that is on it. I’d like to apologize for any hurt or offense we have caused, and we have caused offense and we have caused hurt and I acknowledge that.

”For that, I just want to say that I and we are sincerely sorry, so apologies.”

The offensive one-minute skit included players like Petero Civoniceva, Nigel Vagana and retired Frank Puletua.

Puletua, NRL head of Pacific Strategy, said he was “disappointed” in the clip.

According to MSN, he told nine.com.au 48 percent of NRL first-graders were Pacific Islanders and that Polynesian communities were a significant fan base of the game.

“I was a little bit disappointed that a segment like that got to air without any sort of thought about how it might be perceived by people in Pacific Island league communities,” he said.

Puletua said Pacific Islanders should “voice their disdain strongly”.

He also said he believed the Matty Johns Show did not intentionally want to hurt or cause harm but said “you’ve got to be mindful of things of like that.”

The wife of Cronulla prop Sam Tagataese posted on Facebook that the segment raised concern for her children at school.

“Although I believe no malice was intended during the Kids in Cars segment on your show, I do believe that having parents laugh with their children because they are unable to pronounce Pacific Islander surnames is completely disrespectful,” she wrote. “Casual racism is not OK and I do not want my daughter, who goes to school, to have to tolerate it.”

 

Puletua and Nigel Vagana, an NRL manager of wellbeing and education, are believed to be considering a formal complaint with NRL and Fox Sports.

“We should not be dismissed or have these views put aside as something not to be taken seriously,” Puletua said.

Former Bulldogs and New Zealand international centre Vagana said the script was “offensive” and was baffled how the segment was approved by Fox Sports management.

“The names are tied in with a lot more than just the individual on the field. It’s the whole family,” he told stuff.co.nz. “Stuff like that is not right and at some stage, people have to be held accountable with the Rugby League World Cup coming up at the end of the year.”

Vagana said the intentional or ignorant disregard for the correct pronunciation of Pacific Island surnames was all too familiar with Australian sports broadcasters without sign of improvement.

“There are plenty of Pacific people who know how to say their names and you just ask them,” he said.

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1 COMMENT

  1. RE: Fox Sports Removes “casually racist” skit from website:Sad how Europeans, whether American or New Zealanders or Aussies or Canadians, embarrass themselves in their ignorance. As my husband says, it’s their alphabet we have been forced to use so why can’t they read correctly? In their inability to do so, they make jokes about us – as if we are to blame for their inability and ignorance. Boy or boy….

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