Please keep the discussion civil and constructive so that we can keep this conversation going
I find it really sad that the discussion surrounding the actions of the owner of Yoyof*ctory at the national yoyo contest have disappeared, as many of us figured they would.
Yoyof*ctory’s various tendrils of influence have intertwined so extensively throughout the community that I imagine it would affect nearly everyone if their presence was diminished or even removed, particularly the businesses and individuals that sell those products. Contests would be vastly different or possibly even non-existent.
Instead of removing Yoyof*ctory completely, I think that a helpful first step would be:
B*n stepping down as the owner of YYF
Even if this were only done for optics, I think it would still be a step in the right direction. Brushing this, and his other actions in the past, under the rug effectively enable this type of behavior to continue. Allowing him to continue in his current capacity is a slap in the face to the members of our community most affected and most vulnerable to this type of behavior.
I also think B*n should be banned from all future events
I bring this up here specifically because this is the YYE forum and YYE is also a massive presence in the community.
Perhaps placing a halt on the sale of Yoyof*ctory products until change occurs could be effective
To my knowledge, I don’t believe any sort of a statement has been made, other than the statement from the national yoyo contest board. Racism should not be tolerated the way it has been in the community, and I think the fastest way to send that message is for the other large influences in the community to speak up and act.
Yes, I mentioned that in my post. You have to start to ask yourself at what cost though.
I’m also not suggesting that they be removed from contests altogether. I’m saying that their upper management should be barred from attendance in the future.
I think something that needs to be remembered is that, while they are a big part of the scene, YYE is a small business and this store is their livelihood. YYF no doubt forms a large amount of their revenue so something like the halting of YYF sales would likely have an outsized impact on YYE.
Additionally, I would not expect YYE to make a statement or take further action before the NYYL makes a further statement outlining the steps that will be taken. If YYE were to take action before the NYYL, it could risk undermining the NYYL’s later statement and generally lead to more problems.
So while I understand the desire for something more systemic/large scale than just individuals deciding to boycot YYF, I don’t think it is really a fair expectation to put on YYE.
Rather than YYE pressuring YYF, I think it would be far better for individuals to email YYF and let them know what measures they’re willing to take. I’ve personally decided to no longer purchase their products.
The problem with YYE being the ones to do this is, whether they should or not, every buyer doesn’t care about this issue (I’d imagine mostly because the casual thrower is just looking for something relaxing to play in their spare time - they’re not going to dig to find out about each manufacturer’s history and values before buying a [skill] toy). If YYE was the only one to stop selling their yoyos, then competitors (like the one that has yoyo and tricks in the name) could take sales away from YYE.
However, I’m less concerned about YYF crumbling or having less of a presence in the community. There are loads of other great brands to purchase from, who I’m sure would be more than happy to fill the void and meet demand. I just think it’s better for us as individuals to pressure YYF rather than a retailer like this one. Plus, as @Captrogers mentioned, André is heavily involved with the NYYL, and I’m sure conversations are already happening in the contest scene.
Regardless of the situation with Ben, I personally have had a bad experience with their yoyos. Bought a couple brand new from retail, and they were both flawed (vibe that would not be tuned away).
I did not even bother to reach out for a refund, I just decided I will not invest another cent in this brand.
Now with the racism thing, and with all the fiesta happening with their players every summer it’s kind of become a habit hasn’t it?
I don’t get why no action has been taken against it whatsoever. Wasn’t spingear owner immediately banned from an event for no reason? Why is Ben still around?
I’m not here to judge anyone though, but it sounds messed-up.
-It would damage the community
-Contests would be affected
-Businesses would be affected
-It shouldn’t fall on one person/group/business
-Etc.
This is not the first time he has made racist remarks. These arguments have been made before. At some point, someone needs to ask, when and where is the line drawn? Is there an acceptable amount of racism? Can a company be too big and influential to demand immunity from consequences and accountability? How much immorality do you accept before doing something?
I think these are fair questions to ask a company that sells tons of Y*F and benefits greatly from their product.
I highlyhighly doubt that anything will be done, because nothing has been done in the past, and the man continues to exist in spaces he probably shouldn’t.
JeiCheetah
(J̵̡̥̦̳̗͎̤̯̟͓̞͔͔̻́͛͐̒͋̔̈́͂̃͝ͅͅ E I H W Δ N̸̢̢̡͙͖̝̩̟͎̹̻͔̳͕̙̗̈̆̆͋̈́͛̀̑̒̂̀̈́̇̚͘͠ͅ)
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I believe more will be revealed in time.
YYF has made a statement to the NYYL about the incident and the league is choosing to keep this private as they decide on what the future will hold for those involved and contest.
We might not ever see that statement but for now I’d say choose who you support. As with past issues, I believe that who you choose to support says a lot a out your character so that’s something to keep in mind
