Mbappe is memed as ‘the dictator’. He was asked by a journalist if he has seen the memes online and what he thinks of them. He said he likes the meme of his face photoshopped on an image of ‘I think, a Chinese dictator’, that he finds it funny.
What’s resulted is non-stop racial abuse on Chinese social media and annulment of contracts and sponsorships with the entire Spanish league. The government itself has condemned him. He apologized publicly for referring to Mao as a dictator and yet a lot of people online are just going whole hog on the racism.
Even without any of the disgusting racial abuse hurled towards him, it’s a weird overreaction to what’s essentially a guy casually saying he enjoys the memes of him being depicted as Mao. It’s not like he was trying to publicly slander him. You’d think this would be important context in this whole thing, considering the average Westoid doesn’t know anything about Mao except for the usual clichés. I’ve seen popular figures say far worse things, with actual malicious intent behind them, and yet this is what makes them lose their shit.
Everyone would’ve literally forgotten about this interview within 5 seconds if they hadn’t decided to make such a fuss about it. Now it was boosted everywhere, and a boon for all the most annoying people I deal with to become even more insufferable than usual. This is not how you do soft power.
Yes! If anything, it was a borderline endearing comment by Mbappe, he didn’t even know who Mao was, he just found it funny that the biggest meme is his face on Mao.
It’s really been blown out of proportion, and as you said, the worst people involved are fanning the flames while all official entities are providing it oxygen.