As one who does professional mascot-ing gigs, and who sees "mascot abuse" rising to the level of mime-bashing in the 90s, I find this whole event deplorable. Equally dis-tastefull is the "amused" view of the public and press.
Here is a guy who hits someone with a baseball bat because he thinks it will be funny! Since the performer was not hurt, it is all accepted as good fun. What would people think if the performer suffered a cracked skull? loss of hearing or sight? or permanent brain damage? All are possibilities. What if the same sportsperson had squeezed some woman's breast in a restaurant because it would be "funny", or called his fellow Black team mates the "n" word for fun. He would be arrested and/or sued, and possibly fired.
I doubt victims of racial and homophobic violence (many who have been hit with bats)
would think there attackers were just some good ol' boys "having fun". This was a clasic case of battery. It shouldn't matter whether the victim was dressed as a sausage, a Muslim, or a drag queen. The criminal should be charged, prosecuted and given sentence.
As one who does professional mascot-ing gigs, and who sees "mascot abuse" rising to the level of mime-bashing in the 90s, I find this whole event deplorable. Equally dis-tastefull is the "amused" view of the public and press.
Here is a guy who hits someone with a baseball bat because he thinks it will be funny! Since the performer was not hurt, it is all accepted as good fun. What would people think if the performer suffered a cracked skull? loss of hearing or sight? or permanent brain damage? All are possibilities. What if the same sportsperson had squeezed some woman's breast in a restaurant because it would be "funny", or called his fellow Black team mates the "n" word for fun. He would be arrested and/or sued, and possibly fired.
I doubt victims of racial and homophobic violence (many who have been hit with bats)
would think there attackers were just some good ol' boys "having fun". This was a clasic case of battery. It shouldn't matter whether the victim was dressed as a sausage, a Muslim, or a drag queen. The criminal should be charged, prosecuted and given sentence.