Matthew McConaughey does not want the Washington Redskins to change their name.
Matthew McConaughey recently revealed in an interview with GQ his personal opinion on the controversy surrounding the Washington Redskins name.
What do you think about the calls for the team to change its name?
Man, it’s twofold. What interests me is how quickly it got pushed into the social consciousness. We were all fine with it since the 1930s, and all of a sudden we go, “No, gotta change it”? It seems like when the first levee breaks, everybody gets on board. I know a lot of Native Americans don’t have a problem with it, but they’re not going to say, “No, we really want the name.” That’s not how they’re going to use their pulpit. It’s like my feeling about gun control: “I get it. You have the right to have guns. But look, let’s forget that right. Let’s forget the pleasure you get safely on your range, because it’s in the wrong hands in other places.”
But as a fan, it would hurt you a little to see the logo gone?
It’s not going to hurt me. It’s just… I love the emblem. I dig it. It gives me a little fire and some oomph. But now that it’s in the court of public opinion, it’s going to change. I wish it wouldn’t, but it will.
Matthew McConaughey has been a huge Washington Redskins fan since he was a kid. He retells GQ magazine why he fell in love with the team, “4 years old, watching Westerns, I always rooted for the Indians. Second, my favorite food was hamburgers. The Redskins had a linebacker named Chris Hanburger.”
The Washington Redskins name and logo have been the subject of recent controversy. Several lawsuits have been filed by Native American groups who considered the team name and logo racist and disparaging. Recently, the United States Patent and Trademark Office voted to cancel the Redskins trademarks. The name was called “disparaging to Native Americans” by the patent office and the team lost their trademark rights.
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Despite his love for the team, Matthew McConaughey will most likely get ridiculed for this statement. Interesting enough, according to a Washington Post poll, only 14% of Americans believe the Redskins should should change their name.
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