Though I was born in China, I've been living in Australia since I was nine years old and speak English fluently with an Australian accent, but strangers still ask me if I speak English. To the people in these comments saying "It's an assumption based on observation", I'd say, "Observation of what?"
Of them observing their own ignorance. Many speakers of English don’t like to admit how hard it is to for them to understand English with a different accent, and therefore avoid the attempt.
Source: Am American and have seen the exchange enough times. I only speak English fluently, but that’s due learning disabilities, not lack of trying. Native English speakers can feel uncomfortable when they can’t easily understand English with an accent, so it’s easier to avoid it. Which is self-centered, but many people have not learned to see outside of their own bubble.
I remember when one of the US defense contractors got permission from the US gov't to allow them to sell a satellite to china and let china launch it which of course meant providing technical advice (I think it was a first). I don't remember if it was Lockheed or Hughes or whoever. But I remember thinking: that's got to be the worst idea ever, but it's always about $$$$$$$$$$$$$ for US corporations.
They did a study that shows from free throw distance, with the extraordinarily tall players (can’t remember the exact height cutoff), their height works against them and would perform MUCH better if they threw it underhanded (granny shot). But no one will do it because they don’t want to “negatively” impact their image. If I was a coach, I would force them to cause that’s giving up an awful lot of points for personal style
He was friends with Trump in the early 2000s when he played for the Heat, and he did say to give Trump a chance after his victory in 2016. But he didn't vote for him, and recently he's helped Michelle Obama's registration drives.
Thanks for saying this. There were A LOT of people that said give Trump a chance right after he was elected, even if they didn’t vote for him. There’s been misinformation being spread about “people supporting Trump” when that’s all they were saying. Bryan Cranston, for example, said the same thing even though he didn’t vote for him, and I completely agree. What he said was, “why do you wish failure on him when he’s our president, give him a chance.” That’s a bit of paraphrasing but he’s notwrong
This right here is why I would never be a celebrity even if by some miracle I had the opportunity to become famous. You say or do one stupid thing and it's never forgotten or forgiven, say something racist because you didn't know any better then spend the next 30 years putting in the work, advocating for, learning about, and trying to lift up that minority community but someone still comes along with "isn't so&so racist". It's fucked up.
That's as much a function of being a celebrity as it is a function of online dip shits who love to purity test every single person and if you don't 100% agree with them they will go out of their way to try to destroy your life because they're pathetic losers who have to drag everyone else down with them. Tbh this is why people/companies need to start ignoring social media backlack and tell these people to fuck off. By caving to everything they enable this shitty behavior.
Look, man, putting in the work and advocating for the marginalized is great and all but Shaq FUCKED UP and he shows NO REMORSE and just unapologetically pushes his bullshit to this day. He does not deserve his crimes forgotten. I generally believe most things are ultimately forgivable but you just don't come back from spokesmanning for Papa John's.
This is an example of the online dipshit I was talking about. Imagine unironically saying someone has committed unforgivable crimes that must never be forgotten in reference to owning some papa johns restaurants. JFC get off the internet and go outside. How unhinged.
Na, they assume your weird af. I experience that when I don't wear my hearing aids at the grocery store. People are so adamant to talk to me, when I do everything to avoid people.
I have a co worker when i started at my current company i would always say good morning and i never got anything back i just figured he was a mute. After months of working i saw him talking to someone else and i was like you can talk?
Well, when you come from a country that speaks another language, and never hear them speak, it's not a wild assumption. Now I'm sure that many Chinese schools teach English as a second language, but Shaq might not know that, and there's still no guarantee Ming ever learned it depending on his upbringing in China.
What Yao experienced is called Racial Microaggression. Shaq didn't mean anything by it, but it is what it is. I have experienced this even when I worked retail at the university bookstore, standing at the register. I waved to someone waiting in another line, he came up and said "Sorry, I didn't know if you could speak english." This was just some dumb college kid who probably grew up in a small town and had minimal interaction with diverse peoples. This is why diversity is important.
Yeah but Yao Ming is from China and Shaw never heard him talk..... That's not a microaggresion it's an assumption made by observation. What you experienced may well be a microaggresion because typically one would assume a front facing retail worker in an English speaking country can speak English, but one would not automatically assume an international athlete speaks English, especially if they've never seen them speak English in the number of years they ran into each other.
I love how you state "Yao experienced" not "they both experienced " what you did there is a Racial Microagression, it probably wasn't intentional but your bias shone through.
I'm a white Australian man and English is my only language. I lived in the US for a year and had two different American women tell me in the most patronising tone I could imagine that "YOU SPEAK VERY GOOD ENGLISH". Yeah, I speak it better than you, you fucking cracker hillbilly.
I can tell you were a dumb college kid because you still use sjw buzzwords like "micro aggression" in an effort to sound smart, this was clearly an assumption based on observation like the previous comment said
eXoRainbow
Shaq
Sh4rKSe7eN
Ultimate troll right there.
zanli
Though I was born in China, I've been living in Australia since I was nine years old and speak English fluently with an Australian accent, but strangers still ask me if I speak English. To the people in these comments saying "It's an assumption based on observation", I'd say, "Observation of what?"
iwantthepinkbook
Of them observing their own ignorance. Many speakers of English don’t like to admit how hard it is to for them to understand English with a different accent, and therefore avoid the attempt.
iwantthepinkbook
Source: Am American and have seen the exchange enough times. I only speak English fluently, but that’s due learning disabilities, not lack of trying. Native English speakers can feel uncomfortable when they can’t easily understand English with an accent, so it’s easier to avoid it. Which is self-centered, but many people have not learned to see outside of their own bubble.
hnngh
Hit em with the Jackie chan in rush hour.
JackieTreehornProductions
Every time I've seen Shaq speak at an awards or memorial he's been simply fantastic. Would love to meet him sometime and just chat.
BrdCdn
He's a broadcaster for games now and is excellent and funny.
prilldomon
DeVermisMysteriis
Love Yao Ming. He was one of the first Chinese celebrities to bring attention to poaching and the ivory trade in China.
SoundFuture
I like Yao, but I don't like that his celebrity eventually resulted in the NBA completely selling out to CCP dictates.
DeVermisMysteriis
Unfortunately, that would have happened regardless. He hasn't been in the league for years and it's only gained in popularity.
WorthEveryPenny
Americans would have sold out anyway. Capitalism has no loyalty to anything but money. Blaming Yao like he had a say is sus
zHurk777
I remember when one of the US defense contractors got permission from the US gov't to allow them to sell a satellite to china and let china launch it which of course meant providing technical advice (I think it was a first). I don't remember if it was Lockheed or Hughes or whoever. But I remember thinking: that's got to be the worst idea ever, but it's always about $$$$$$$$$$$$$ for US corporations.
SoundFuture
Yao made the NBA popular in China. If it wasn't him, it would have been someone else. This is why I don't blame Yao while recognizing his role.
Misteree8
Unfortunately, money(billions usd) talks, and China and Saudi Arabia are ready to spend lots of it on sports...
NKato
Because they know Saudi Arabia is fucked if they don't keep the proletariat entertained.
titoitoi
More about money laundering and wealth transfer but that too - bonus!
ShaunB
The full speech is hilarious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-IiiFvfdVo
LurkerFrag
Impressive and well done speech, hilarious? I felt it was filled with warm humour, but hardly hilarious. YMMV
suitebbyjae
Vergenbuurg
Hack-a-Shaq!
Sylventhe
If you've never watched Shaqtin' a Fool, you're missing out.
JPRiddles
He'd been waiting for someone to challenge him for years. Glad Shaq could step up!
zHurk777
Shaq took a beating in the NBA. Same thing happened to Chamberlain.
[deleted]
[deleted]
ForceAwakenWasLame
derrymerbles
They did a study that shows from free throw distance, with the extraordinarily tall players (can’t remember the exact height cutoff), their height works against them and would perform MUCH better if they threw it underhanded (granny shot). But no one will do it because they don’t want to “negatively” impact their image. If I was a coach, I would force them to cause that’s giving up an awful lot of points for personal style
baals
Isnt Shaq pro trump?
MeatGob
Maybe, maybe not. ...Relevance?
srsfaceI8C
Not that I can find. He's been part of "Get out and vote" initiatives with Michelle Obama, so I doubt he's pro Trump.
Ismellofhockey
He was friends with Trump in the early 2000s when he played for the Heat, and he did say to give Trump a chance after his victory in 2016. But he didn't vote for him, and recently he's helped Michelle Obama's registration drives.
MeshHatMafia
Thanks for saying this. There were A LOT of people that said give Trump a chance right after he was elected, even if they didn’t vote for him. There’s been misinformation being spread about “people supporting Trump” when that’s all they were saying. Bryan Cranston, for example, said the same thing even though he didn’t vote for him, and I completely agree. What he said was, “why do you wish failure on him when he’s our president, give him a chance.” That’s a bit of paraphrasing but he’s notwrong
eXoRainbow
DonmeccaYYZ
https://www.politico.com/interactives/2018/is-this-true/shaq-trump-false--best-president-ever/
GigiDundas
This right here is why I would never be a celebrity even if by some miracle I had the opportunity to become famous. You say or do one stupid thing and it's never forgotten or forgiven, say something racist because you didn't know any better then spend the next 30 years putting in the work, advocating for, learning about, and trying to lift up that minority community but someone still comes along with "isn't so&so racist". It's fucked up.
tronicles
The comment has been down voted more than the next two comments who correct it. If it isn't true, it's fairly simple to explain
zHurk777
This is exactly why I won't be a celebrity. If not for that, I would be a celebrity in 2 seconds and famous. The mostest famousest ever.
imoutofnames
That's as much a function of being a celebrity as it is a function of online dip shits who love to purity test every single person and if you don't 100% agree with them they will go out of their way to try to destroy your life because they're pathetic losers who have to drag everyone else down with them. Tbh this is why people/companies need to start ignoring social media backlack and tell these people to fuck off. By caving to everything they enable this shitty behavior.
MeatGob
Look, man, putting in the work and advocating for the marginalized is great and all but Shaq FUCKED UP and he shows NO REMORSE and just unapologetically pushes his bullshit to this day. He does not deserve his crimes forgotten. I generally believe most things are ultimately forgivable but you just don't come back from spokesmanning for Papa John's.
ThisOldCPU
Once a whore, always a whore? We're back to that now, are we?
ButtTrumpett
What.
imoutofnames
This is an example of the online dipshit I was talking about. Imagine unironically saying someone has committed unforgivable crimes that must never be forgotten in reference to owning some papa johns restaurants. JFC get off the internet and go outside. How unhinged.
MeatGob
Imagine getting that hostile because you took a joke about Papa John's being a shit chain that seriously. You're not unhinged but you do seem dim.
theoracleofdreams
+1 For an Olajuwon mention
SoundFuture
I still have a clutch city pennant somewhere....
thereitis101
Hakeem absolutely destroyed young Shaq in the finals.
Psionickitten
You can just do that? Not speak to people and they assume you can't speak English? Imma try that.
pareidoliaperson
Que? Oh me no Englai$ BROTHA.
Ifekinlovesauerkraut
It only works sometimes. I myself prefer making weird noises, like "NGA NGA NGA!", then proceed to give people crazy stares. Works every time.
beerlady
Na, they assume your weird af. I experience that when I don't wear my hearing aids at the grocery store. People are so adamant to talk to me, when I do everything to avoid people.
mikeatike
I mean when your a white dude in the usa, probably.
beerlady
I'm not a white dude
Greypuppy
Anyone have that gif of the chick getting a guy at a club to lose interest in her and leave her alone by using sign language?
NomadUniverse
It helps if you dont look like a local.
Yufer
I have a co worker when i started at my current company i would always say good morning and i never got anything back i just figured he was a mute. After months of working i saw him talking to someone else and i was like you can talk?
Sonicschilidogs
Well, when you come from a country that speaks another language, and never hear them speak, it's not a wild assumption. Now I'm sure that many Chinese schools teach English as a second language, but Shaq might not know that, and there's still no guarantee Ming ever learned it depending on his upbringing in China.
ProfessorDumbass
Walk around muttering a dozen German, Dutch Russian words randomly and ignore the world
Greypuppy
and have a random native speaker asking what you meant by muttering "bedtime pizza cow" as you wandered by
SecondSince
Then you simply say "That's MY bedtime pizza cow! Get your own!" and walk away
PetricusGaming
What Yao experienced is called Racial Microaggression. Shaq didn't mean anything by it, but it is what it is. I have experienced this even when I worked retail at the university bookstore, standing at the register. I waved to someone waiting in another line, he came up and said "Sorry, I didn't know if you could speak english." This was just some dumb college kid who probably grew up in a small town and had minimal interaction with diverse peoples. This is why diversity is important.
TacoPoweredHelicopter
Ok, but yao never talked to shaq either. Infant Shaq was the first to talk....
daychilde
I'm a wheelchair user for two years now. People have started taking to my wife instead of me
TacoPoweredHelicopter
Tdl physical disability < woman on the social ladder. Why can't we all just treat everyone the same.
Sonicschilidogs
Yeah but Yao Ming is from China and Shaw never heard him talk..... That's not a microaggresion it's an assumption made by observation. What you experienced may well be a microaggresion because typically one would assume a front facing retail worker in an English speaking country can speak English, but one would not automatically assume an international athlete speaks English, especially if they've never seen them speak English in the number of years they ran into each other.
VagrantKoba
I love how you state "Yao experienced" not "they both experienced " what you did there is a Racial Microagression, it probably wasn't intentional but your bias shone through.
MeatGob
Except it's not called that because nothing he did was aggression.
idonotthinkitownswhatyouthinkitowns
I'm a white Australian man and English is my only language. I lived in the US for a year and had two different American women tell me in the most patronising tone I could imagine that "YOU SPEAK VERY GOOD ENGLISH". Yeah, I speak it better than you, you fucking cracker hillbilly.
AdelineThatsMeYo
You got me rolling, homie. 🤣
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee5693
I can tell you were a dumb college kid because you still use sjw buzzwords like "micro aggression" in an effort to sound smart, this was clearly an assumption based on observation like the previous comment said
DeadyBearr
You're the reason why HR requires yearly harassment training.
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee5693
Oops sorry for subscribing to wrong speak , I have disturbed the wokie party 😂
yzark01
Imagine saying stuff like this unironically lmao
TacoPoweredHelicopter
Ok but yao never talked to shaq, shaq Infact initiated the first conversation.... How is that racism? Is Yao racist for not talking to shaq?
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee5693
Because sjws need to get offended daily by something 🙄
FarQuad
Gnakenheimer
Wait, that's him?
TravisThePusseeFartFairy
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/yao-ming-face-bitch-please
Gnakenheimer
TIL
Onlyhereforthelaughs
There are few who cling to the ancient ways...
WilliamHuskerAdama
ORLY?
elijajaja
Many ancient. Much cling. Wow.
Kyen155