Tony Parker’s ex-wife Eva Longoria may have filed for divorce from the Spurs point guard three years ago, but it’s a different incident involving Parker from around that time that has France’s panties in a collective bunch. A photo recently surfaced of the Spurs point guard — and French national — next to French comedian Dieudonne, flashing a “quenelle”, which many people consider to be a modern version of the infamous Nazi salute. According to Parker, the photo was taken three years ago, when the sign was viewed as more anti-establishment than anything else. Since then, the sign has taken on a new life as a symbol for anti-Semitism.
Naturally, Parker is taking a lot of heat for striking the pose, especially when you consider that Dieudonne is well-known for the offensive nature of his routines (he’s been fined seven times for defamation, insult, hate speech and for racial discrimination). He’s also kind of a nut job, as his one-man war on the “domination of Zionists” would seem to indicate. Needless to say, it’s probably in Parker’s best interest to distance himself from all that nonsense.
Still, Parker had to apologize for it (because that’s all we do these days) — via the Spurs:
“While this gesture has been part of French culture for many years, it was not until recently that I learned of the very negative concerns associated with it. When l was photographed making that gesture three years ago, I thought it was part of a comedy act and did not know that it could be in any way offensive or harmful. Since I have been made aware of the seriousness of this gesture, I will certainly never repeat the gesture and sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding or harm relating to my actions. Hopefully this incident will serve to educate others that we need to be more aware that things that may seem innocuous can actually have a history of hate and hurt.”
[BDL]
