When Brazil’s goalie Julio Cesar prepared to blast a goal kick during last Tuesday’s game against Mexico, fans raised their pitch and, just before the point of contact, took a big collective breath and screamed the Spanish word for male prostitute or whore.
So what’s the word then? Puto or what? It irritates me when news sources pussyfoot around the thing that was actually said. How are we supposed to understand in how far this was offensive/discriminatory if they won’t say what it is?
How it’s calling someone “Son of a Whore” discriminatory? I agree it’s insulting but where is the discrimination? Is it towards sons or towards whores?
Because it is very often used towards gay men. Not exclusively, but often. It’s regional, too. Not all Spanish speaking countries use it that way, and some use it that way but with a more general connotation. You’ll get a lot of people defending it based on tradition, or based on how THEY use the word (ignoring how others use it), or based on it having many meanings, or based on racism towards their culture. They’ll complain that this is white people who don’t speak Spanish telling them what is and isn’t offensive in Mexico.
But ask a gay man in Mexico what it means to him when he hears “puto” and it won’t be about his mother.
In Mexico and in many South American countries, Son of Bitch is only one meaning of the word. Another very popular meaning is “male whore.” And the vast majority of male whores are either gay or service gay men. This is happening in Mexico, not in countries where it isn’t used that way.
It’s so prevalent that when you do a Spanish to English translation on Duck Duck Go, puto translates to “gay.” On Google translate puto goes to “fucking,” so there is no one definition for it. Puta has 10 different definitions listed, including hooker, slut, prostitute, tramp, and dyke… so it isn’t a stretch to see why the masculine form of the word can mean male whore.
Per NPR
When Brazil’s goalie Julio Cesar prepared to blast a goal kick during last Tuesday’s game against Mexico, fans raised their pitch and, just before the point of contact, took a big collective breath and screamed the Spanish word for male prostitute or whore.
Link
So what’s the word then? Puto or what? It irritates me when news sources pussyfoot around the thing that was actually said. How are we supposed to understand in how far this was offensive/discriminatory if they won’t say what it is?
How is that discriminatory? It’s tradition, happens every big game.
Traditions can be discriminatory
How it’s calling someone “Son of a Whore” discriminatory? I agree it’s insulting but where is the discrimination? Is it towards sons or towards whores?
I’ve heard from Mexican friends it’s meant more like “bitch” and IMO probably directed only at FIFA at this point
Yes it’s used like Americans use bitch but it means whore. I’m Portuguese we do the same all the time
I’m all for stopping games and punishing fans for slurs being used, but this seems like a really weird one to draw the line at.
I agree, if they are saying ‘puta’ then it’s not homophobic at all, it’s crude and unnecessary but hardly homophobic
This is my only point, also those players are football fans too and I bet they did it at some point in their life
Because it is very often used towards gay men. Not exclusively, but often. It’s regional, too. Not all Spanish speaking countries use it that way, and some use it that way but with a more general connotation. You’ll get a lot of people defending it based on tradition, or based on how THEY use the word (ignoring how others use it), or based on it having many meanings, or based on racism towards their culture. They’ll complain that this is white people who don’t speak Spanish telling them what is and isn’t offensive in Mexico.
But ask a gay man in Mexico what it means to him when he hears “puto” and it won’t be about his mother.
“it’s tradition” has been used to justify all manner of horrible behavior. It’s not the defense you think it is
I don’t disagree with you but I still wonder how much culture should evolve spontaneously vs how much it should be intentionally sculpted/pruned
Culture is people - so people saying “this is wrong” is just as valid a part of shaping culture as people doing what they want.
That’s a fair point
How prude are you to consider calling someone Son of a bitch “horrible behaviour”. You all need to calm the fuck down with the morality policing.
Alright then shut up shit for brains go sit in a corner and suck your own ass dummy
Don’t be a prude bitch sissy about it just shut up idiot
See, I feel insulted but not discriminated against
In Mexico and in many South American countries, Son of Bitch is only one meaning of the word. Another very popular meaning is “male whore.” And the vast majority of male whores are either gay or service gay men. This is happening in Mexico, not in countries where it isn’t used that way.
It’s so prevalent that when you do a Spanish to English translation on Duck Duck Go, puto translates to “gay.” On Google translate puto goes to “fucking,” so there is no one definition for it. Puta has 10 different definitions listed, including hooker, slut, prostitute, tramp, and dyke… so it isn’t a stretch to see why the masculine form of the word can mean male whore.
Is this a real question?