Frankston Bombers in serious trouble over ‘black face’ photo, voicemail saga

AN UNAPOLOGETIC voicemail has been seriously overlooked in the latest “black face” scandal over the weekend.

Photos from the football club’s iPod Shuffle Night.

OPINION

“IT’S F***ING token black people, motherf***er.

“I’m short and I’m fat and people take the piss all the time. We’re at a function where it’s called an iPod shuffle night and people come dressed as people and that’s what they f***ing do.

“Now if you don’t f***ing like, it, then blow my c**k, motherf***er.”

A Victorian rapper has copped a mouthful after complaining to a football club over a series of photos deemed racially insensitive.

On Saturday night, a Frankston football and netball club, an outer-southeastern suburb of Melbourne, held an “iPod Shuffle” themed costume party which saw numerous players dress in “black face”. What an “iPod Shuffle” themed night is exactly is still beyond this writer.

It’s no secret dressing in “black face” is social suicide; just last month Snapchat was under fire for its new Bob Marley filter, which critics blasted for giving people a digital “black face”.

In February, that same rapper, Adam Briggs, described two partygoers as “redneck scumbags” after a controversial photo shared on social media showed them dressed as Aborigines with painted black faces.

So it came as no surprise the Frankston football club met a similar fate after posting images on its Instagram account.

Shout out to @FrankstonBomber for their 'Racist Night' and door prize for most #Blackface pic.twitter.com/e6Lx8m69XT

— BRIGGS AKA BIG SIGH (@BriggsGE) May 14, 2016

If these idiots spent more energy learning why it's offensive rather than defending their right to be racist we'd be better off.

— BRIGGS AKA BIG SIGH (@BriggsGE) May 15, 2016

But it was the unapologetic voicemail Briggs published after the fact that has been seriously overlooked in this saga; according to Briggs the message was left by someone “believed to be linked to the Frankston club”.

“A friend of mine had texted and let them [the Frankston Bombers] know, pretty eloquently, what an issue blackface is, because their number was listed on Facebook,” Briggs told The Age.

“I kind of laughed [when I heard the voicemail response], because it sounded funny superficially, but thinking about it now, it’s disappointing that this is their response.

“There’s such an ignorance and it’s such an audacious thing to post it on your social media for everyone to see.”

The voicemail is disturbing due to its complete inability to recognise any fault of the club, and its severe ignorance of the issue at heart. You can listen to the unedited version here.

More importantly, its “my way or the highway” reaction is typical of the problematic response by ignorant Australians. It’s “you don’t like it, blow my c**k” response is childish, vulgar and incredibly disrespectful.

Why there has not been more emphasis on this call is beyond me. This man should be held to account.

Then again, Briggs is no angel in the matter, either.

For example, after posting the Frankston images on social media, he posted a tweet claiming people should commit suicide before defending the “white” side of the story.

Throwing stones at glass houses doesn’t solve the situation at hand, and while I empathise with Briggs, there’s lessons to learn on both sides here.

Before you post a picture of 'White Chicks' to argue for Blackface make sure you kill yourself first.

— BRIGGS AKA BIG SIGH (@BriggsGE) May 14, 2016

Take the side of the oppressor and get treated as such.

— BRIGGS AKA BIG SIGH (@BriggsGE) May 15, 2016

The club has since removed the images from its social media accounts, but it’s too late, the damage has been done. The pictures are everywhere.

It apologised in a statement on Facebook overnight, and says it wants to “commit to put in place an educational program relating to vilification and discrimination”.

“We are extremely regretful of the situation that has transpired over the last 24 hours and want to assure our supporters, sponsors and the wider community that the club is in no way racist and unreservedly apologises for any offence that has been caused,” it read.

“Our club is run by a group of local volunteers, who seek nothing more than to provide a supportive, well-intentioned and beneficial environment for local footballers and netballers and our aim as a club is to increase social cohesion among the community and not create division.”

It said the club had “received many abusive and threatening communications in relation to the labelling”.

The matter will be investigated by sporting body AFL South East.

Will this be the last “black face” scandal we’ll see? It’s unlikely. But how we deal with the response is what we should learn from this; and hopefully, it won’t be by telling someone to “suck my d**k” or “kill yourself first”.

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