Ethnic hype in sport is ‘Linappropriate’

It appears that many young people in China have jumped on the "Linsanity" bandwagon following the recent form of NBA player Jeremy Lin. He is of Asian descent, has an image that sells and his name is ripe for puns. Couple that with electric form on the court, and it is no wonder he is seen as a success. But it does appear to be going a bit far.

It appears he has developed quite the female fan base, particularly in China. A model recently shot some "sexy" pictures to show her love for Lin. However, there are a number of problems with this rather cringeworthy show of affection.

Firstly, the pics are not sexy. Sure, the girl is obviously pretty, but she's doing the "pouty face" look, which makes women look like a baby attempting to impersonate a cartoon fish. Frankly, it's pretty desperate. And if the rumors that he has been out with Kim Kardashian are true, then he has probably already had his fair share of silly, pouty women who try and impress with desperate photo shoots.

Another problem I have is why Chinese people are making such a fuss over Lin. Let's get this clear - he isn't really Chinese. He is an American, who happens to be ethnically Chinese. He isn't fluent in reading and writing Chinese, and his values are probably far more aligned with the US than China. I know Yao Ming was really popular, but I never remember quite the furore for him, despite the fact he was actually home-grown in China.

While I am sure Lin has suffered prejudices in the US because of his ethnicity, particularly because of stereotypes in sport, he is now receiving exaggerated adulation. I wish the guy every success, I just hate the entire idea of ethnic/nationalistic hype that generally loves to build people up to such a height that they can then only fall.

Another factor in the ill-advised sexy pic saga is that I am fairly sure these aren't the sort of images Lin wants to look at. He has already expressed his religious views, letting it be known that he is a fully-fledged evangelical Christian. He wants to become a pastor in the future, and if I know anything about evangelical Christianity it is that sexual promiscuity is not tolerated. Just ask Ted Haggard.

Lin is clearly a fine player, and it is great to see people of all backgrounds achieving their dreams. However, I for one will be happy when this hype dies down, not least because I am going "Linsane" from the newspaper puns. Also, I have trouble taking anyone seriously who believes their prowess is down to a seemingly mythical being, rather than just the fact they work hard and have good genes.

By David Friesen