Chauvinism. In a previous article I reflected on the hostility towards Uruguay after their defeat of Ghana, and given that this still appears to be a hot topic, I thought I’d explore this in a little more detail.
You probably know the word “chauvinism” from the expression “male chauvinist pig”, but it has other uses as well. Its origins lie in the name of a nineteenth century French army officer called Nicholas Chauvin, who was known for his unthinking devotion to Napoleon and the cause of France. The definition of chauvinism can be “1. aggressive or fanatical patriotism; jingoism” or “2. enthusiastic devotion to a cause”. There’s a subtle nuance in those two uses and, for the most part, chauvinists here have merely been enthusiastically devoted to the cause of South Africa (and, by extension, Africa).
In that sense, chauvinism is understandable, even desirable. It’s probably a necessary element in civic nationalism, because bridging the divides between us requires an emotional jolt to rally around a common cause. We’ve been swept along by this great wave of emotion and the sense of common purpose is palpable.
But our chauvinism goes further than that, and “jingoism” is probably a better description of what I have witnessed since Uruguay defeated Ghana. South Africans embraced — and continue to embrace — a rather comical hatred of Uruguay. It’s over the top and a joke and all of that. But humour serves both to conceal our real feelings and reveal them and what those comments about Uruguay tell us about ourselves is not pretty.
As I’ve written elsewhere, it was a bumper haul:
“It’s hard to be a good Christian when you are thinking about killing a little South American doos.”
“And they say cheats never prosper. Try teaching that to kids in Uruguay.”
“Fuck that dirty handballing coke snorting South American swine fuck.”
“I am so full of hate right now.”
A lot of South Africans noted the potential for double entendre:
“Uruguay –> Ur a gay.. It makes sense”
Anyone who defended Uruguay was targeted: “you suck for defending cheaters” is a typical comment. As I write, the debate continues on Facebook and in forums across the web.
The essence of chauvinism is an unreflective, instinctive response and it’s clear that very few of us have stopped to think about our behaviour. Educated, intelligent South Africans, people who would reject prejudice in other circumstances, embraced what, when you’re honest about it, is actually a form of racism. Our anger at Uruguay went beyond chauvinism and morphed into something that isn’t so far from the xenophobia that lurks in the shacks and taverns around us, waiting quietly for its turn again.
And that’s a pity, especially when we have been so generous in our support of teams other than our own (something noted approvingly by World Cup visitors). The huge support for Holland and Germany in this country suggests that we do have the ability to look beyond ourselves. After all, we could have chosen to ignore the remaining of the World Cup games once we were eliminated. Instead, we’re throwing ourselves into it, happily choosing sides and indulging in friendly jousting over who will end up in the final.
But the animosity towards Uruguay is on a different level. There’s genuine malice in some of these sentiments. How scary is it that people can be swept up so easily in a tide of emotion to the point where they hate an entire country of people they will never know or meet?
The whole point of chauvinism is that it is unthinking. Maybe it’s time to start thinking again.
I must admit that when the handball incident happened, and cost Ghana the game, I was livid.
All the words mentioned in the article, like ‘F-ck Uruguay’ passed my lips.
But unlike what the author of this article thinks, nobody hates the entire country. This is football, it carries with it emotions, when yur favoroute team loses. But it is only in the context of the game. Hardly is it a matter of hating anyone because of it.
Next time its the other way around with the opposing side saying…’F-ck, so and so’ because their team lost.
Even the Netherlands fans were walking around with banners proclaiming…Ghana is revenged!’ when Uruguay lost.
My personal favoroute was ‘Uruguay is Urugone!’
The Praetor.
Besides some really darn good cocoa, what good has ever come out of Ghana?
Uruguay’s national beverage is far more interesting — the yerba mate. It even sounds Australian.
So yer can throw a raw prawn on yer barbie and sip on yer yerba mate, mate. Yeah.
Can’t do that in Ghana.
Sarah, have you been a follower of football or involved in its culture in any way before the World Cup came to South Africa? While the article is well written and shows a coherent pattern of thought, I cannot help but feel that you are expressing a somewhat naive opinion on an issue that is a little more complicated than you make it out to be.
I think its a reflection of SouthAfricans.
Its what we learnt from church,school and parents.
When something like this happens to us when the other party,we think is foreign,we think it is usual,we judge,assume,stereotype and demonise but we fail to see that we are just the same.
Like the Ponzi scheme in America we do not carry on thinking all americans are skelm.
Like eating rats.Its not only certain people in asia that may eat rat but also certain south africans and also certain mexicans.
I was not taken up by this SA or Africa hype, perhaps due to my interest in seeing whether Ronaldo would play well within the Portugal scheme of things. It was the same with Droga (my favourate) within Ivory Coast, Kaka in Brazil, Messi in Argentina, etc.
Suarez’s action evoked aroused several parts of my emotional well-being. First, it at the end of the match when all were looking for a winner, and perhaps worried about the prospects of penalty shoot-out. Second, a clear goal was not given. Third,his reaction after the penalty miss. Perhaps, forth, because I simply don’t know most players from Uruguay than those from Ghana. So their early departure was not going to enrich my observation.
It is pity that what should be spectacle by all citizens of the world has to be marred by identities of the political enclaves of the globe. The national flags, anthems, identities, arrogances, will continue denying people an opportunity of enjoying individual skills of the world citizen.
I hope that people will be allowed to do what they always struggle to do; understand themselves without political, religious, sexual, financial hegemony.
Praetor,
Correction, the handball did NOT cost Ghana the game – the moron who missed the penalty did.
Why didn’t South Africans rally up mass hatred support for Gyan?
I don’t get this. The ‘handball’ was a reflex action – the player could not possibly have enough time to process all the information required to allow him to take the decision to ‘cheat’. The rules of football dictate that the penalty for handball inside the area is a penalty kick. In truth, the real villain is the Ghana player who missed the kick. In any event, who’s to say that a successful kick would have won Ghana the match? It’s a non-issue. The reality is the heroes’ welcome that the team will receive when they return to Uruguay, in spite of their loss to Germany. That is what we as a nation should try to emulate. The fingerpointing at others is misdirected.
I wrote a blog about the incident – nobody cheated – someone fouled and the incident was dealt with correctly and within the Laws.
http://walterpike.com/2010/07/no-way-should-football-be-ashamed-over-suarez/
The reaction to this was totally hysterical, and the mob really fed on each other. It’s mob response, which I think is the point that you are making.
Sometimes, as Freud is alleged to have said: A cigar is just a cigar. I was very angry at the unsporting behaviour of Suarez. Does that make me a jingoist, xenophobe of chauvinist? I think not. I don’t give a fig for #URU actually. But it was momentarily a good #WC2010 energy focus point with quite an innocuous outcome, I believe.
After the Ghana game, where every single one of us left in tears, a huge group of us ambled up the road to our favourite watering hole to drown our sorrows. As we headed for the entrance, two guys wearing Uruguay colours also made their way in. I (comically- I hope) snarled, bared my teeth in a growl and flipped them a bird. With both hands. They laughed and danced a little happy jig, wooting happily. We all laughed, having played our roles, and went in for a drink, arm in arm! It was great
Sadly, I know others take winning and losing too far and lose perspective. I think these people are prone to it, and would find some other excuse for their immaturity, if there was no soccer. But not all of us. Not most of us
Sarah, you don’t watch much football, do you?
These ludicrous displays of hatred towards the opposing teams, they’re just a part of football culture.
The boisterous swearing, the unkind suggestions about the lineage of this-or-that player, the outbursts of scuffles – it’s all a part of football’s laddish drinking culture. I suppose we don’t see it as much in South Africa, but in countries like England, it’s far more prevalent.
So no, I have to disagree. The aggression has little to do with racism or xenophobia.
As I am football naive, my initial reaction to the the hand ball was in line with many of the comments you refer to, but more learned mates informed me that hand balls in the goal area are relatively common professional fouls. So I now question footballs moral fibre if deliberate cheating is kinda allowed. Even admired if you are on the ‘right’ side of the foul.
Anyway, justice was done so we move on.
Had Uruguay gone on to win the cup I think they themselves would not have been proud of their achievement.
Sarah
Ghana was revenged thanks to the Dutch. At a spiritual level I am dealing with something which I am sure many indegenous Africans are seriously pondering: The Netherlands has never won a world cup and now are at the verge of winning it on African soil where thousands of their forefathers’ graves are lying. What does this mean for us as South Africans? It makes me think and the thought does bother me. I wish them all the best may God bless them!
I have to be honest. I have openly admitted to friends that even though I have never been or felt racism towards another people I find that I just cant help myself when it comes to Uruguay. I am aware of how stupid and ignorant and narrow minded it is but I can honestly say that the only reason I watched Holland play was to see Uruguay get beaten and even more disturbingly: secretly hoping someone would kick Suarez in his smug face and take him out. i think this feeling was pretty much consolidated on the morning after we lost to them that I received a joking email with a picture attached with a hunky topless Suarez with the words: A real hero: silencing millions of vuvuzelles in one split second. I think that was the real moment from me. after that I’ve been pretty much consumed with blind racial hatred towards someone ive never met and probably never will.
I have never understood racism or xenophobia or how people can be swept up in mob behaviour. I am embarrassed to admit that I seem to be no better. Luckily now that they are out of the game I feel like my senses are coming back to me.
It is strange then that this morning I happened to glimpse this quote: Bitterness is like swallowing a poison and hoping the other person will die
Reflex foul, correct penalising and missed penalty.
All within the rules but just didn’t go Ghana’s way. A cheat will try to hide his actions, the handball was a reflex action watched by millions and penalised accordingly. Some of the blind rections, like the praetor’s, are unbelievably naive, I cant believe adults wrote them.
You know…generally when i read articles on thoughtleader, particularly of people like yourself, i make the assumption that you know what you’re talking about. So i kept reading on and on and then i was like What?! but then i got to comments, and it occured to me that you’re out of your depth here…hahahah…anyway, they’ve corrected – funny article.
I think you are right it has pitched over the border of chauvinism into xenophobia. It’s so weird because I am reading about Nazi Germany and the people were so tired of being beaten down that they were desperate to believe in something and in themselves. It may sound over the top, but that’s how I see South Africans. Only, possibly more extremely desperate to latch onto something, a sense of “proud South Africanness” which seems to boost itself off derision of other countries. I just hope a certain type of leader doesn’t come along to tap into it, because that level of desperation is powerful.
I’m South American (from Ecuador) and I really wanted Ghana to win against Uruguay. I was sad when someone called me to inform about the result (I was at office so I didn’t watch the full game, there are seven hours of difference between South Africa and Ecuador). The reason me and others supported Ghana is the simpathy for African teams and the fact that it’s repetitive to have the same champions every year. The Netherlands and Spain have never won a World Cup but they come from the only regions in the world (Western Europe and South America)to have had champions. However, it’s sad to read those comments against such peaceful and nice people like Uruguayans. “Ghana was revenged thanks to the Dutch”. “are at the verge of winning it on African soil where thousands of their forefathers’ graves are lying”. Think a little. Those forefathers put the seed for a racist system of opression against the great majority of the population in your country, whose effects are still going on.
Sarah,Thank you for your well thought narration concerning the alleged Xenophobic sentiments against Uruguay.First, I’m a Kenyan living here in the USA.I have been following the world cup since the opening game.Please allow me make a remark about your concern that S.Africans may be hating the entire country of uruguay.
In any competition, there must be a winner and loser.The most important matter is fairness and sportsmanship.The Uruguan player(Suarez)deliberately handled the ball which was heading into the net.After he was sent off, and Ghana missed a penalty kick, he was seen on international TV REACTING WITH APPLAUSE AND JOY.It was a totally provocative, inappropriate and an insult to the entire football fraternity in the world.He never showed any remorse for showing unsportsmanship (being unfair to the opponent).That was /could be the reason many South Africans or Africans “hate” him and the entire team.
Another analogy.Your argument(which I respect) sounds like you may support government officials who embezzle public funds openly but because there was no documented evidence, the presiding Judge acquits them.Dont you think you will encourage more cases of misusing public funds? If the public official in question was in charge of supplying medical equipments, aren’t patients going to suffer/die? In the same manner the Uruguay team cheated and instead of showing quiet remorse, they labeled the player a HERO!I hope you do not subscribe to that. Take care.
Does the trashing of property by German fans following their team’s exit from the world cup and expression of their xenophobic tendencies? is the inconsolable English fans and their support for Spain against Germany perhaps a clue revealing their intolerance, unsporting behaviour or conceited? Is it fair to characterize the preference for one player/team/nation over others or to express a negative review of a player/team/nation as a form of xenophobic tendency? Is it fair to say the Germans now hate the Octopus? Ghana sportingly accepted defeat and went home; just as Brazil, Argentina, New Zealand and many others. Yes, the Uruguay striker-cum-goalkeeper handled the ball (premeditated, I must add); but anyone could have done the same. In fact France was here, thanks to a deliberate handball; Fabio scored a spectacular goal, thanks in the main to a double handling; Ghana missed the penalty they should have scored, but that’s in the nature of the game; Roberto Baggio and Maradona come to mind. Ghana players where given a hero’s welcome back home; I’m not so sure anyone would want to go about hating other people on their behalf.
Me thinks you read way more that is necessary into the comments referred to in your article.
I am not sure if “racism” is an apt description of the feeling many people felt for Uruguay.Being a South African I was among the forlorn when Forlan meted out his punishment on Bafana.My feelings towards Uruguay? I must admit that I came to admire Forlan’s scoring skills and think Manchester United shot themselves in the foot by not recognising his potential and letting him go.
When Bafana exited I then rooted for Ghana.To be honest , the exit of Ghana was not quite like the exit of England[in 1986 as well as in 2010] . True Suarez cheated but his “hand of God” save was spotted by the referee who then took the appropriate steps.This was unlike the original “hand of god” goal by Maradona (1986) which was awarded by the referee or the Lampard goal (2010) which was not awarded by the referee.I am no fan of England but I think if the Lampard goal had been awarded the complexion of the match might have changed and who knows? England might have been in another final but for this injustice.
By the same token Ghana was not “cheated by the referee” unlike England, but there is no denying that an injustice was done.
With the defeat of Paraguay in the semi-final , I feel that justice has been done.The original “Hand of God” (aka Maradona) went on to win the world cup in 1986, but this time “God showed his true hand”.
@mv “I have never been or felt racism towards another people”
what a load of rubbish, racism goes under many guises and prejudices and anybody who says they have none is a liar…that would make you God (if there was such a thing)..
Correction to previous post.I said Paraguay instead of Uruguay the last paragraph changes to
“With the defeat of Uruguay in the semi-final , I feel that justice has been done.The original “Hand of God” (aka Maradona) went on to win the world cup in 1986, but this time “God showed his true hand”.
I am sorry Sarah but there is nothing xenophobic about Suarez or Uruguay’s contribution to our demise and that of Ghana.This was purely a footballing experience which you are oblivious to.Maybe you need to take time and go watch Ajax v Sundowns at Greenpoint or Supersport v Swallows at Loftus.
Uruguay deserves the kind of response it has been getting.Football purists will tell you that a player on the goal line should defend a ball with his head.This is all about FAIR PLAY we are promoting.It is in the same spirit as we campaign against Racism in the world.So for people to come with words like, Suarez was defending his country is just hogwash.In fact his action exposed something I have been observing and that is, we Africans have been too FAIR in our approach.Let us take issue of yellow or red cards.Who has the lowest stats in terms of continents?
Lastly,soccer is a poor man’s sport simply because of little resources that can utilised.Over the colonial and apartheid years it has been an area of solace for our experience.In many instances, it has been a comfort zone for talented poor Africans who unltimately plied their trade in Europe.So when a country rallies around a team with eleven men,their victory is ours.It thus makes sense for us to drop some % of our IQ when a Suarez “cheats” with his hand of evil.
My only reaction was a affirmation in my thinking from our second game and the onwards that Suarez is a cheat, otherwise I liked Uruguay and still do.
maybe that makes me one in a thousand by blaming the individual and NOT the group.
But that is how it should be!
Sarah all those comments against Suarez and the Uruguayans are just football supporters talk. If those who utter the comments were to meet Suarez & his Uruguayan team face to face I don’t think they would do any harm to them, the hate and bitterness doesn’t stretch that far because they know football is just a game.
I happen to be one of the people who dropped a tear when Ghana lost to Uruguay & I remember posting this comment on FB, “I bet Suarez’s wife is in trouble seeing as to how he confuses body organs, he confuses hands & feet and God knows what else he confuses.” That was just talk Sarah, it was rather uncalled for I must admit but in the heat of the moment when the pain off the loss of Ghana was still fresh I didn’t see anything wrong with that comment. If I were to meet Suarez now, many days after the match I will be very nice & apologetic to him because I will be feeling bad for that comment.
@ William Smith
Athletes like these get paid MILLIONS to do exactly that: make split-second, intuitive decisions under pressure. Isn’t that what we admire them for? That hand ball was deliberate. If it was a one-handed reflex then perhaps it is debatable. What about 2 of the 3 goals scrored against Bafana? One was a hand-ball, the other scored from an off-sides position. Their strategy (like many other teams) is clearly to take chances at cheating because the officials might not notice… Personally, I prefer supporting disciplined teams.
@ Sarah
I think Sipho Hlongwane hit it on the head. I find the views presented in this article over-analytical… It’s simply football culture! I even got caught up in the name-calling, but at no point whatsoever did I feel hatred directed at Uruguay as a nation!!! “Xenophobia”, or “racism” is quite the over-exaggeration. (My favourite is “Jou ma se Uruguay”, BTW)
Like Owen, I’m not too entangled up in it outside of the current context and after the Ghana match, I also question the moral fiber of a game that protect blatant cheating under the mask of “professional fouls”. I might have this wrong, but if this happened in rugby, wouldn’t the try be allocated?
As South Africans I think we often find it quite easy to label everything and everyone we disagree “racist” or “xenophobic”. In the case of Uruguay, I don’t think either label applies. On the contrary, many South Africans have complained about Suarez and his handling of the ball. But I have also heard many South Africans speak about how well Forlan has played and should be considered Player of the Tournament. I think the anger at Suarez’s handball has not distracted many South Africans’ observation that Uruguay has had good World Cup performance. But soccer fans, including me, are very emotional when they see injustice on the soccer pitch. Once the tempers have calmed, you will get an honest assessments of the game and in my part of the world, the honest assessments have started and Forlan’s peformance in the World Cup is being applauded. No xenophobia or racism there!
@Sarah – I think you’re possibly blowing this out of proportion. My gut feel is that whenever any (or most, for that matter) of us express our loathing for Uruguay, it’s really only in light of what happened on the pitch and it wouldn’t have any real extension to the country as a whole. To be completely fair, though, this bitter feeling is aggravated by at least the following:
1. The Uruguayan celebrations, which were as if to suggest that they felt they really deserved the win.
2. The smug, almost-patronizing comments made by the coach, his players and supporters in response to the incident.
My favourite are by their coach: “Suarez couldn’t foresee what happened afterwards, that Ghana would miss the penalty..” Which, funnily, is probably an unwitting admission of guilt.
Also, “We’re proud of our performances and what we’ve contributed to the development of football at this World Cup”.
And, especially, “Uruguay went through almost three matches without a yellow card at all, so please don’t tell me we’re cheats”. Like that excuses them for anything thereafter. Is it just me, or does he have no room to attempt any justification of such a blatant, unpunished foul?
Anyway, perhaps the collective effect of all this is to make us sound like pathetic,irrational, xenophobic thugs when all it really is, is our failure to correctly communicate our feelings (or, possibly, our failure to be heard as we would intend to be).
Eish Sarah we were kicked out of the worldcup and that is painful enough, but did you really have to rub it in like the way you have just done it now? Come one now me sistah what’s wrong with your thinking here? Don’t you know the saying about the cicada that be hit only its back and not its tummy because if we did we would squash the poor insect even though its a nuisance we who come from Kgalagadi have learned to live and let live every time it makes its eradrom shuttering cry.
Ghana choked big time
Phew
David Rama and William Smith have got it totally wrong. Guan missed a penalty, as did many greats (remember Baggio). It happens to the best players. Why would you drum up hatred for him. Do you want another killing, like the killing of Escobar in 1994, for his own goal? What nonsense to say Suarez’s handball was a reflex, it was premeditated and he was gleeful and boastful after the match. The rules of football were followed though so I do not blame him too much for what he did, but his reactions afterward were those of a person who I would never trust in other dealings either. The last action of the game was the penalty so OF COURSE Ghana would have won. Mr. Smith did you actually watch the match? It seems not. Having been extremely irritated by your responses, it is true that wars have been fought around football (2 PEOPLE DIED IN A FIGHT IN KENYA AROUND THAT INCIDENT) so we have to curb our base instincts after these incidents.It does not make it right. I
oh come on! Sarah, have you ever been in a footbal fans crowded bar before? And not just in SA but anywhere in the world?
You are lifting a simple sport competition issue (along with its insults and rough comments) on a whole new level that does not find evidence in reality. Have you seen any group of any nationality beating up any other group of any other nationality in the streets? Any case of REAL world cup xenophobia? I just see people screaming obscenities during the game and then having drinks and laughs together afterward.
I am sorry to say, but yours is a bit too much of a speculation.
Too simplistic your analogy! Just because you know the origin of chauvinism doesn’t being angry at a cheat who brings God’s name in his shameful act gets praised by his mates is chauvinist or xenophobic for that matter.
Their actions are unacceptable and they didn’t receive hatred just for the sake that they’re from Uruguay!
People who discuss football(soccer) as if it were some kind of substitute for real (their) life, are beyond my understanding – it is just a ‘f—-ing’ game, after all.
I do enjoy a display of exceptional footballing skill (as in any other sport) but in most cases my criterion of satisfaction is that the best side should win. Where a referee challenges this to the extent that the inferior side wins, then we have a serious issue that should be resolved.
They are proud cheaters madam.No one from ‘U r Gay’ saw it as wrong.Germany did a good job with them.They should not have allowed them any goal and Germans should have done the famous 4 with the and added a goal.They are better gone home like the racist English!!!When is their earliest plane by the way?
Sarah – to put it more bluntly : we’ve fucked up as a race, destroyed any culture we had by our disruptions on Uruguay (whom are a far friendlier and nicer culture than us), screwed up spirituality, and then destroyed each other. And of course, since we are one desolate race, aliens can’t find any explanation for our demise and come up with their only explanation. That we just amused ourselves to death when our culture embraced war/soccer as entertainment and destruction as a way of life.
Seriously, Urugruay’s biggest mistake was beating South Africa. By the time they met Ghana, most people were hoping they’d be beaten, if only to avenge South Africa. It really had nothing to do with Xenophobia. If we really were Xenophipic, why did the same sentiment not extend to Argentina?