Posts
3687
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
GB
Edited Date/Time
10/29/2017 9:44am
It's a joke, right? We all know it's a former pro in character, sending up the American redneck. A caricature born out of some funny goon riding videos years ago.
Even Weege chimed in on Racer X:
Really? A clueless fan who's never seen a dirt bike race? Today I spoke to two people. One a longtime fan and rider of 40 years, and the other one a legendary top class journalist, (and someone you've definitely heard of). BOTH of them didn't realise it was a joke and both thought he was a freestyle rider....
You only know it's a joke if you're into the Internet and Vital and that kind of shit.
Even Weege chimed in on Racer X:
I understand there needs to be a debate over if a Ronnie Mac (drinking beer, racing dirt bikes) is “good for the sport.” I can understand the detractors. I personally think it’s fine, because, as I mentioned above, most everyone realizes there’s a thin line between fact and fiction, and this stuff is just a joke.
TO NOT REALIZE IT, YOU'D HAVE TO FIND A COMPLETELY CLUELESS FAN WHO HAS NEVER SEEN A DIRT BIKE FACE BEFORE BUT YET ALSO DECIDED TO WATCH THIS SHOW. (My emphasis)
Really? A clueless fan who's never seen a dirt bike race? Today I spoke to two people. One a longtime fan and rider of 40 years, and the other one a legendary top class journalist, (and someone you've definitely heard of). BOTH of them didn't realise it was a joke and both thought he was a freestyle rider....
You only know it's a joke if you're into the Internet and Vital and that kind of shit.
I simply cannot believe the powers that be, including RedBull, allowed Jimmy Albertson to "compete" in character against what are supposed to be perceived as real athletes. I was truly embarrassed for the sport. All these years trying to convince the general public that motocross is a real sport with real athletes who train and take their profession seriously is completely wiped out with that stupid Ronnie Mac character.
This "inside joke" everyone keeps referring to should not bleed into the outside impression of this sport, which is exactly what happened when those morons at RedBull Straight Rythm decided this was a good idea.
I'll stick to watching juvenile Ronnie Mac videos while I'm taking a shit in the morning. Otherwise, it's pretty fucking stupid and should not in any way represent this sport.
The Shop
http://motocross.transworld.net/news/text-messages-ronnie-mac/
To the casual observer that knows little about MX and already leans towards the (earned) stereotype that MXers are rednecks, what looks like a spoof to you just looks like another Brian Deegan with spike shoulder pads to the general public.
Jimmy is a good kid who is liked by everyone so nobody is gonna stomp out the niche he's carved for himself.
But there is a reason you'd never see this in any other grown up sport. It's the equivalent of a NFL sanctioned personality that endorsed steroid use & donestic violence. ESPN tried that shit with a show called PLAYMAKERS years ago. The NFL shut that shit down as fast as they could.
Ricky Bobby has short term gains and long term damage to a sports image.
Considering that moto riding areas are endangered species, I would think positive PR would be paramount to everyone.
These "Is Ronnie Mac OK for the sport" threads are a fuqing joke. Much like Ronnie Mac
Anyone complaining about Ronnie Mac needs to put down there keyboard and join other like minded nancy's at their local mothers against baby spanking protest
While we speak the same language generally, we don't always understand each other. British Humor has always been a little tough for us too, just like you don't get redneck humor.
By the way, just how many English accents are there? And why are they on all of our TV news persons and radio commercials? Does it make one appear smarter? Or are dumb American's just programmed to think that way?
I'm not bashing anyone. If you get the joke and realise that he's a caricature, as I do, it's funny. I get the redneck humour. But unless you've been on forums etc how would you know?
I was surprised that my friends, who have encyclopaedic knowledge of mx, didn't realise that he wasn't a real person. And if you don't know that then I wonder what people's perceptions are?
It would be like you not realising that Benny Hill was a character....
Regarding English accents, I can go 10 miles and find a different one. And I can pretty much place, with some accuracy, someone's home town, to within 20 miles or so, by their dialect.
Some of the farmers round here you wouldn't even be able to understand!
RE TV, have you noticed that more often than not the bad guy megalomaniac in films is portrayed as British?
Pit Row
The funny part is how people talk about RBSR being a fun event with little pressure. Even if you're not racing him, how'd you like to be a lites guy looking for a ride, and realize Ronnie Mac is within a second of your time, while acting like a clown and riding an ancient (uncompetitive 2 stroke!) bike.
Ronnie Mac needs an urban cousin that wears a flat bill hat, is covered in tatts and swills monster.
But that shows you the power of stereotypes don't it?
Playing into those stereotypes is bad business.
And yes, motocross carries it's own negative stereotypes it shouldn't be playing into. If you want the sport to have sponsors that is.
People complain about riders not being able to make a buck in the sport, and it seems like Ronnie's keeping himself in PBR and tater tots. More power to him.
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