The stupidity of the above story only emphasizes my comment on the original story (which follows) and how the press and public think hitting people with baseball bats is funny...
[previous comment]
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.
The stupidity of the above story only emphasizes my comment on the original story (which follows) and how the press and public think hitting people with baseball bats is funny...
[previous comment]
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.