YouTuber Jake Paul, who beat former NBA star Nate Robinson in a boxing match last month, was asked by a VICE host if knocking out Robinson was racist.
Yes, really.
Paul, who previously fought another black opponent in YouTuber Deji, achieved a second round knockout victory over Robinson in a fight that was part of the undercard for the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. exhibition match.
During a subsequent interview with Paul on a VICE TV show called Cari & Jemele (Won’t) Stick to Sports, host Jemele Hill said she “almost had to protest this show.”
“We saw what happened to Nate Robinson, so I’m gonna ask Jake Paul…considering where we are right now in our racial conversation in America, was what you did to Nate Robinson racist?
“Nah, stop playing with me,” responded Paul.
Question of the week: was @jakepaul KO to Nate Robinson racist? ? pic.twitter.com/ogSqHj764s
— VICE TV (@VICETV) December 4, 2020
“We just had to witness a white man just knock a black man smooth out in front of all of America so that’s why I asked that,” said Hill.
After Paul’s wi-fi reconnected, he was asked the same question by Hill’s co-host Cari Champion, who said, “Was it racist to knock a black man out, that is the question of the week.”
“Stop asking me that, I said no, it’s a shitty question, it’s a sport,” responded Paul.
“Why is it a shitty question?” asked Champion.
“How does it have anything to do with race? It doesn’t,” said Paul.
“It’s a fine question, we gotta wake you up, you gotta be a part of this conversation,” said Champion.
It’s hard to tell whether Hill and Champion were being serious or not (this is VICE), but the fact that they repeatedly asked the question suggests they do indeed think it’s racist for white people to beat black people in competitive sports games.
What’s next? Handicaps for white people to account for their privilege? Maybe Paul should have had one hand tied behind his back.
