Rosie's ching-chong comments

[Rickypt]

I don't believe this has been discussed yet.

For those not following, a few days ago, Rosie (on The View) was talking about all the hoopla over Danny DeVito's drunken appearance. She wondered aloud what it would sound like on Chinese news and proceeded to say something like "It would sound like ching chong, ching chong, Danny DeVito, ching chong, drunk, ching chong".

Many Asian-Americans have expressed anger over this and demanded an apology. After stalling a bit, Rosie has given a somewhat lukewarm apology. Many have said it is not enough, and have called on the television station to condemn the remarks.

I really don't know what I think about this one. My typical response is that if tons of people are offended by something, then there is a reason for that, even if I don't always "get it".

In this case, I'm trying to understand better why it is so offensive. I have a ton of French friends who are always making fun of what English sounds like to them (sounds like ruh, ruh, ruh, ruh, ruh). It is not like Rosie used a slur, or said anything nasty about Chinese people. She did a (somewhat dumb and lame) imitation of a language.

I live near Chinatown and hear Chinese every day. It sounds nothing like ching chong to me, so I think her imitation was stupid. But I don't find it racist or an ethnic slur (as has been claimed by some).

Finally, I am weary of people demanding apologies all the time. Apologies should be given when someone is truly sorry for their actions or words. They should mean something. Forcing an apology just means you "win" some kind of political fight, but really nothing is accomplished. My fellow gays are one of the worst groups at demanding apologies. Why not just put the energy into explaining why you are offended and doing some educating?

Any thoughts on this one?

[DavidMn]

She needs to shut her cakehole!

[Phoenix]

Stuff like this really pisses me off. Its like, some people are just looking for a reason to be offended. Rosie is a freekin comedean, and her intent was to be humerous, not to offend. Now, if it had malicious intent to it, that would be something else. but seriously, there are enough people in the world who GENUINLY ARE TRYING TO OFFEND!! People need to just reserve there anger and resentment for those people

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Stuff like this really pisses me off. Its like, some people are just looking for a reason to be offended. Rosie is a freekin comedean, and her intent was to be humerous, not to offend. Now, if it had malicious intent to it, that would be something else. but seriously, there are enough people in the world who GENUINLY ARE TRYING TO OFFEND!! People need to just reserve there anger and resentment for those people

Well, I look at it more from the point that I just find her EXTREMELY annoying more than offensive.

[bikerchic]

I love Rosie. The more annoying, the better.

[DrummerDeanna]

I want to know why THIS is being focused on when a few years ago Dave Chapelle did pretty much the exact same thing (although he was playing Rick James at the time ) Is it because of his role in comedy? The fact that people almost EXPECT him to be offensive?

I think it was in poor taste, but I also don't see how it was racially offensive, then again I'm not Chinese.

I also think people are totally looking for things to get on Rosie about. I mean seriously - she keeps getting nit-picked for her comments no this show and it's getting old.

[Nixxxed]

Never mind the fact that Rosie has used the term "Irish twins" on the show many times - and she's only been on it since September.

[skcin]

Originally Posted by DrummerDeanna

I want to know why THIS is being focused on when a few years ago Dave Chapelle did pretty much the exact same thing (although he was playing Rick James at the time ) Is it because of his role in comedy? The fact that people almost EXPECT him to be offensive?

No, it was OK because he was actually poking fun at Rick James.

I dunno how I feel. To be honest, when I first read what she had said - I gasped. That was my first reaction. But a few moments later, I was more inclined to think it's not a big deal. Now I'm back to thinking that it kind of is.

It's really hard, if not impossible, lately to be PC, or appropriate, or whatever and not offend somebody. Shows like Chappelle and Family Guy explore this & point out stereotypes and make some of their characters rude or racist or just plain clueless. I think it's great that they put it out there, so we can explore our misconceptions & make us more aware of how we act & are perceived by others.

Whether or not she meant any offense, she should apologize, if only to appease the people that are pissed. Explain that you weren't trying to make fun of an entire race of people, say you're sorry to offend, and let it go.

The Irish twin remarks - is that really offensive to people? I thought it was so old & dated that most people didn't really know, or care, what it meant. Rosie's Irish, right? I guess she figures it's OK to say that - kind of like I tell Poish jokes & I'm part Polish. Of course, I don't get upset when anyone tells Polish jokes, even if they're not Polish. But then again, I'm not going to go around telling black jokes either.

ACK! I'm so confused.

[CelticGypsy]

I love Rosie. She did it as a joke and nothing more than that. It's not like she went all out like that guy from Steinfeld and meant to treat people in a mean way. Rosie is funny and I love her on "The View."

People really need to stop being so sensitive about everything. It's called comedy.

[irishgrl]

Originally Posted by Rickypt

I don't believe this has been discussed yet.

For those not following, a few days ago, Rosie (on The View) was talking about all the hoopla over Danny DeVito's drunken appearance. She wondered aloud what it would sound like on Chinese news and proceeded to say something like "It would sound like ching chong, ching chong, Danny DeVito, ching chong, drunk, ching chong".

Many Asian-Americans have expressed anger over this and demanded an apology. After stalling a bit, Rosie has given a somewhat lukewarm apology. Many have said it is not enough, and have called on the television station to condemn the remarks.

I really don't know what I think about this one. My typical response is that if tons of people are offended by something, then there is a reason for that, even if I don't always "get it".

In this case, I'm trying to understand better why it is so offensive. I have a ton of French friends who are always making fun of what English sounds like to them (sounds like ruh, ruh, ruh, ruh, ruh). It is not like Rosie used a slur, or said anything nasty about Chinese people. She did a (somewhat dumb and lame) imitation of a language.

I live near Chinatown and hear Chinese every day. It sounds nothing like ching chong to me, so I think her imitation was stupid. But I don't find it racist or an ethnic slur (as has been claimed by some).

Finally, I am weary of people demanding apologies all the time. Apologies should be given when someone is truly sorry for their actions or words. They should mean something. Forcing an apology just means you "win" some kind of political fight, but really nothing is accomplished. My fellow gays are one of the worst groups at demanding apologies. Why not just put the energy into explaining why you are offended and doing some educating?

Any thoughts on this one?

I am not Asian/Asian American so I cant relate to their position....I truly dont see what the fuss was about?

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

I am not Asian/Asian American so I cant relate to their position....I truly dont see what the fuss was about?

First off, Michelle Malkin is a f&**ing right wing Auntie Tomasina c*nt! She is an utter disgrace to the human race. I wouldn't p*ss on her if she was on fire.

Okay... being of Asian extraction, I think I can add some insight to this... For one thing, I don't think Rosie was intentionally trying to be offensive. The fact is that for some reason it has always been "okay" to mock Asian people, especially Chinese people, in the most patently offensive ways- pushing the corners of the eyes up, sticking out the front teeth and making fun of the language with all of the "ching chong, ching chong" crap. It's classic playground behavior. And apparently Rosie has plenty of that kind of immaturity to get over.

And for those who don't really understand it, I guess this is another one of those "it's an Asian thing; you wouldn't understand" topics. I don't think most people here know what it's like to have been taunted by gangs of thugs as a kid while they hurled rocks at us doing the whole "slanty eye" "ching chong" thing. They threw rocks at my grandmother! I don't think most people here know what it's like to attend a hick mostly white private school and being the only minority and being taunted constantly with the "slanty eye" "ching chong" thing. And most of you don't know what it's like to have your white trash ignorant history teacher patronizing you by calling you his "little Asian connection," which totally exacerbated the whole "ching chong" thing even more. And it isn't like I was some walking encyclopedia of Asian stereotypes: I don't have really slanty eyes and I have always spoken perfect unaccented English (I would dare say, better than most native born Americans). As a result I went through a very long time of being ashamed of my ethnicity; almost as if everybody managed to convince me that, indeed, there was something wrong with being Asian and that Asians were inferior to whites. I guess you can say I wrestled with my cultural identity issues for a very, very long time. My parents made a point of trying to assimilate us into the mainstream rather than settling down in some Asian ghetto, and I'm very, very glad they did this. But, unfortunately, this is the price we paid. Do you think enduring all of this as a child was deeply hurtful and offensive? You'd better believe it.

I am glad that Asians as a community finally "grew a pair" and started denouncing this sort of thing in the media. If people think this is being excessively politically correct, then I'm all for being excessively politically correct. And for someone like Rosie doing the whole "ching chong" thing on national television brings back some very bad memories. Shame on her! Especially for someone who is supposed to be THE role model for gay parenting. I hope she is not teaching her children that intimidating minorities with this type of offensive conduct is okay, especially since she is part of a persecuted minority as well.

[DrummerDeanna]

^^

Thanks for posting that, Hejira - it really does shed light on the issue, at least for me. And I even said in an earlier post...the "ching chong" thing is totally the default mock of Asians...I remember it well from the playground

The difference? Kids are little sh*ts and always have been, O'Donnell should have know better....

Anyway - thanks again, really great post.

[Rickypt]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

And for those who don't really understand it, I guess this is another one of those "it's an Asian thing; you wouldn't understand" topics.

That is right, I didn't understand. Thanks for shedding some light on this.

[irishgrl]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

First off, Michelle Malkin is a f&**ing right wing Auntie Tomasina c*nt! She is an utter disgrace to the human race. I wouldn't p*ss on her if she was on fire.

Okay... being of Asian extraction, I think I can add some insight to this... For one thing, I don't think Rosie was intentionally trying to be offensive. The fact is that for some reason it has always been "okay" to mock Asian people, especially Chinese people, in the most patently offensive ways- pushing the corners of the eyes up, sticking out the front teeth and making fun of the language with all of the "ching chong, ching chong" crap. It's classic playground behavior. And apparently Rosie has plenty of that kind of immaturity to get over.

And for those who don't really understand it, I guess this is another one of those "it's an Asian thing; you wouldn't understand" topics. I don't think most people here know what it's like to have been taunted by gangs of thugs as a kid while they hurled rocks at us doing the whole "slanty eye" "ching chong" thing. They threw rocks at my grandmother! I don't think most people here know what it's like to attend a hick mostly white private school and being the only minority and being taunted constantly with the "slanty eye" "ching chong" thing. And most of you don't know what it's like to have your white trash ignorant history teacher patronizing you by calling you his "little Asian connection," which totally exacerbated the whole "ching chong" thing even more. And it isn't like I was some walking encyclopedia of Asian stereotypes: I don't have really slanty eyes and I have always spoken perfect unaccented English (I would dare say, better than most native born Americans). As a result I went through a very long time of being ashamed of my ethnicity; almost as if everybody managed to convince me that, indeed, there was something wrong with being Asian and that Asians were inferior to whites. I guess you can say I wrestled with my cultural identity issues for a very, very long time. My parents made a point of trying to assimilate us into the mainstream rather than settling down in some Asian ghetto, and I'm very, very glad they did this. But, unfortunately, this is the price we paid. Do you think enduring all of this as a child was deeply hurtful and offensive? You'd better believe it.

I am glad that Asians as a community finally "grew a pair" and started denouncing this sort of thing in the media. If people think this is being excessively politically correct, then I'm all for being excessively politically correct. And for someone like Rosie doing the whole "ching chong" thing on national television brings back some very bad memories. Shame on her! Especially for someone who is supposed to be THE role model for gay parenting. I hope she is not teaching her children that intimidating minorities with this type of offensive conduct is okay, especially since she is part of a persecuted minority as well.

I for one would rather share a playground (or anything else for that matter) with an Asian than with some WHITE folks I know!

I find much to admire about the Asians as a whole, and I say that from many levels, both personal and professional.

Its too bad Rosie reverted to a "playground" mentality when she made her jokes, but I really dont think they were malicious....

I think all races come in for their fair share of mocking, and I say this as a Californian, born and raised in the melting pot that is the Bay Area. Ive been on the receiving end of racism as a minority myself, believe it or not!

That said, Im not a KID any more and I dont need to constantly be on the lookout for perceived injuries either...........

[HejiraNYC]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

Ive been on the receiving end of racism as a minority myself, believe it or not!

Oh geez... I think I'm going to start a race war on the Ledge even though it is not my intention. All I can say is that:

In this day and age, there is no such thing as racism against white people.

And this is hardly an original concept. I believe it was Spike Lee who got into some hot water by stating his opinion about this in the media many years ago... and it was largely dismissed by the (mostly white) media.

But I happen to believe it is true. And it's hard to make this point without sounding like some kind of white-hating radical activist, which I am not (hullo, music does not get any "whiter" than Fleetwood Mac ). It's just that in the western world, caucasians are in a position of dominance- culturally, economically, politically, etc. This means that they are not exactly in a position of being persecuted, marginalized, criminalized or otherwise at a disadvantage in life because of the color of their skin or the language that they speak. So yes, I do realize that there are instances in largely ethnic neighborhoods where whites are technically in the minority. And I do realize that there are white stereotypes perpetrated in the media, e.g., that straight white boys can't dance, all white girls talk like Valley Girls, etc. But this is not the same as calling black people the "n" word or calling Asians "slanty eyes" or, again doing the "ching chong" thing. Historically, those derogatory terms came from a much darker place- they were a means of putting people of color down in their place- basically to remind them that they were different and were not equal to the (superior) whites. During the last World War, the Asian stereotypes were put out in the war propaganda to fuel the American zeitgeist against the Japanese (and, of course, to the vast majority of Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. are all the same ) Conversely, there are no such derogatory terms in our language today that imply that [my race] is superior to caucasians, and caucasians are nothing but lowly _______. It's just not possible; caucasians control every aspect of western society. I'm not saying that it is right or wrong... it's just the way it is. Therefore, in my own estimation, it seems that any sort of derogatory terms about white people are either a) done in jest b) made up by one group of white people to feel superior to another group of white people, e.g., redneck, or c) crafted as an angry response to being oppressed, e.g., Jesse Jackson calling NYC "Himeytown."

Yes, it does sound like a double standard. But this is why it has been socially acceptable for black people to use the "n" word but totally forbidden for white people to use it. Accordingly, to a large degree, I have carte blanche to poke fun at Asian stereotypes, and trust me, I do (along with Margaret Cho, Amy Tan, etc.)! But for whites to do that... not such a good thing. In general, any time you are in a position of dominance, it really is your noblesse oblige to take the highroad when it comes to dealing with people who are at a disadvantage in society. That is why there is a double standard for white people- it is acceptable to knock white people down a peg or two, but it would be racial harassment if the tables were turned.

Let the flames begin!