Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images.
As polls have shown again and again, most people don’t think the Washington football team should change their name or mascot. The arguments for the team’s name vary, but most supporters—and the team— say that it’s used out of respect and tradition to Native Americans. While that may be the intention for Dan Snyder and the team’s loyal fans, one question that frequently pops up is: would you call a Native American a “r*dskin” to their face?
According to a new study conducted by business intelligence firm ORC International, on behalf of Change the Name and goodness Mfg, the answer, unsurprisingly, is no. At least, the majority of people they surveyed said they wouldn’t. The study, titled “How Americans Feel About Using R*dskin to Describe Native Americans,” conducted 1,020 online interviews between August 28 and 31 and found that four out of five Americans would be uncomfortable calling a Native American a “r*dskin.”
Other takeaways from the study, according to Change the Name:
- There is a generational gap in terms of awareness and perception that “r*dskin” is an offensive name.
- 50 percent of Americans 18-34 found the term to be offensive compared to 34 percent of Americans 35 and older (prior to being informed that the leading dictionaries describe “r*dskin” as offensive).
- Nearly twice as many millennials (64 percent) compared to Americans 35 and older (35 percent) are aware that the dictionary definition of “r*dskin” describes the term as offensive.
- “Fan blindness” is a contributing factor to an NFL fan’s decision to favor the Washington team’s current mascot. Fans are clinging to the mascot because of blind loyalty even though they feel that “r*dskin” is an offensive term.
- 72 percent of NFL fans who want to keep the mascot would not use “r*dskin” when speaking with a Native American.
- Once Americans learn that leading dictionaries define “r*dskin” as offensive: 22 percent changed their mind and favored ending usage of the term in any context, and 13 percent changed their opinion to favor a new mascot for the Washington team.
“Our study proves how important context is to behavior,” D’nae Kingsley, Head of Integrated Strategy, goodness Mfg, said in a statement. “On one hand, group mentality makes people think using the r-word is okay. But on the other hand, when a person comes face to face with a Native American, it’s not.”
Well, of course. The Daily Show kinda proved that already, though some believed they were duped and set up to be attacked.
