rosie's ching chong view of china- Page 3

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 1:02am

"Jane2, aren't you late for work already?"

at 12:36 am? I'd say I'm early for tomorrow at this point, but thanks for your concern.

"And what do you mean Kelly Ripa was not offensive? Maybe not to you, which I expected you to say, but several people in the "special interest group" were offended by her nasty comment."

P.S. Get over it already.

Updated On: 12/10/06 at 01:02 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 3:39am

I'm half Italian and half Irish. Should I be offended every time someone tries to sound Italian or Irish? My God. If I were offended by that, I'd spend all my life being offended.


It's different. OH MY GOD, it is different. Like I said, there's nothing you can really liken this to.

[jimnysf]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 4:14am

The Irish and the Italians have also been the victims of racial slurs and discrimination. Please look it up. You will see that it's true. Haven't you heard about the "No Irish Need Apply" signs that used to be posted in our wonderful USA? What I'm saying is that every ethnic group, even the two I belong to, has something in the past that has happened to them. I don't forget about it, but I don't spend my life looking for reasons to be offended, either. My grandmother's native language was Italian. She spoke broken English. Whenever there was an Italian on TV or in the movies, they spoke broken English and the audience roared. Somehow, I survived. And I am also half Irish and we have all seen/heard the images of the drunken Irishman or the Irish cop played for laughs.

Here are some examples of how the Irish were thought of/treated:

The Chicago Post wrote, "The Irish fill our prisons, our poor houses...Scratch a convict or a pauper, and the chances are that you tickle the skin of an Irish Catholic. Putting them on a boat and sending them home would end crime in this country."

Not only the men worked, but the women too. They became chamber maids, cooks, and the caretakers of children. Early Americans disdained this type of work, fit only for servants, the common sentiment being, "Let Negroes be servants, and if not Negroes, let Irishmen fill their place..." The Blacks hated the Irish and it appeared to be a mutual feeling. They were the first to call the Irish "white n****er."





Irish Immigrants in America during the 19th Century

Updated On: 12/10/06 at 04:14 AM

[LaurenB]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 8:27am

Not sure I'm going to add anything to this conversation, but here goes...

The hatred of the Irish and how they suffered in this country is older history. While we still chuckle over caricaturish depictions (the Irish cop), I would think that by and large the majority of the country has long forgotten how they were mistreated. And Irish people no longer suffer blatent prejudice in this country.

The difference is that the "ching-chong-china-girl" name-calling is fresh, current, and the disdain of Asian people is still fresh, unfortunately. It goes on today and is meant to be hurtful -- very hurtful. Maybe you haven't heard it or seen it, but it is alive and well. Ever see someone pull their eyes up with their fingers, so the eyes go up in a slanted position, and yell out ching-chong-ching-chong, directed at an Asian person? It's ugly and hateful. It's not done in jest. It makes fun of people. "We don't like you, we don't want you here. Go back where you belong."

I think that is the difference. The Irish are accepted and mainstream, and a joke about a drunken Irish cop, while it may smart if you are Irish, doesn't cut quite as deep as modern-day prejudices. Time has passed, most people aren't even aware of the older prejudices, and somehow it becomes OK to make the jokes about the drunken Irish cop, or the Polish whatever. It doesn't make it right, but it's just one of those things, those caricatures have become mainstream.

By contrast, Asian people are still mocked. It's one thing to mock them for their behavior (camera carrying, which is funny, and will probably be one of those mainstream caricatures that we will always laugh about), but it's another thing entirely to mock them for their looks. And because that mockery is still going on (and please don't tell me it's not), to mock them for how they speak is adding insult to injury. It's too current, and too raw, and too real.

In time, hopefully the ching-chong comment will go the way of the drunken Irish cop, and we can all laugh about it. But we are not there yet. That's why her initial comment, while I am sure innocent, was controversial. Unfortunately I have not seen her reaction or apology (was it a non-apology apology), so I cannot comment on that. (I will say that I thought her reaction to Ripa was off the wall.)

[LaurenB]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 8:54am

Clarification on my post...

I'm not blasting Rosie for her initial comment, as I do think it was innocent. I'm just commenting on why I don't think we should be dismissive of people's reactions.

Also, I would love to see her comment on the reaction. I cannot find, does anyone have a link?

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 9:00am

I don't think it was that offensive.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 9:08am

Erika--your use of the phrase "special interest" is snide and belittling and homophobic, because it dehumanizes the gay and lesbian struggle for civil rights and reduces it to the selfish greediness of an oil company or a war profiteer.

Updated On: 12/10/06 at 09:08 AM

[actor]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 9:16am

Rosie should not be compared to Michael Richards. Michael Richards was far more racist and out of control. Rosie was poking fun without realizing that the Chinese viewers would be offended. It's an entirely different league. It's the difference between something that's frowned upon (Rosie), or something that should never happen (Richards). I do not believe that Rosie is racist after watching that. C'mon guys, get a grip. The two events are nothing alike.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 9:18am

I'm most humored by the fact that Papa linked to Michelle Malkin (who is Filipino? I'm sorry that I have forgotten that, I only recall her from trampolines), who wrote this about Rosie at the end of her post:

Update: Is Rosie leaving The View? Her eyes say no but her third chin says maybe.

Fatty, fatty bigot by four! Can't fit through the Chinese kitchen door!

[Calvin]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 11:04am

She is Filipino. And I'm glad to see her first reaction in responding to something she finds racially offensive (although had it been said by someone conservative, she would be belittling the offended no doubt) is to go for a weight joke. A class act all around.

And come on. Comparing this to Michael Richards and Mel Gibson? I'm not saying people shouldn't be offended, but the rants of those two showed something very dark and disturbing in their respective souls. This just showed poor judgment. Hyperbole rarely benefits an argument.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 11:08am

to draw a page from some sages around here who hammered this point home on other subjects, it's the hypocrisy.

[Calvin]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 11:18am

I won't argue with that.

But I have no doubt that if it had been Michael Savage, Rush Limbaugh or Pat Boone doing a jibberish imitation of Chinese, Michelle Malkin would have been the first to call anyone who complained "moonbats."

On second that, if Pat Boone had done it, would anyone have noticed?

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 11:23am

Excuuuse me, Actor and Calvin! My remark about Mel and Michael was a reply to Munkustrap who said Rosie was only joking. I then said anyone can say they were joking-using the two men as examples. I did *not* say they were the same thing. I *meant* that in any situation-EVER-if there is controversy over what someone said-they can always say they were joking.

Now have fun today. I'm going to a party tonight!

[jimnysf]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 11:46am

to draw a page from some sages around here who hammered this point home on other subjects, it's the hypocrisy.

When you say that, I hope you are including the comments found in your original right wing source link. They refer to Rosie as fat and make snide remarks about her being gay while at the same time they whine and scream about her making the "offending" remarks on "The View".

[actor]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 11:56am

Jane2, I personally believe that Rosie was joking. Also, Michael Richards has NEVER used the excuse that he was joking. Get your facts right.

[Calvin]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 11:58am

I can say that it's not racism that inspires me to hate homophobic uberbitch La Shawn Barber with every fiber of my being.

eta: And Jane, I wasn't specifically talking about you. If you look on the link, several people jump to that as a direct comparison. Updated On: 12/10/06 at 11:58 AM

[Jane2]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 12:08pm

"Jane2, I personally believe that Rosie was joking. Also, Michael Richards has NEVER used the excuse that he was joking. Get your facts right"

oy vey-will this ever end.

YOU get YOUR facts right. And learn how to read while you're at it. I said 'Why didn't Michael Richards think of that?' Which means-he DIDN'T say he was joking, whereas he could have said it as an excuse. you know what, this is really tiring. have a good day.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 12:12pm

All MIchelle Malkin ever says is " MISSA BOOSH IS GOOOOD! MISSA KERRY BAAAAAAAAD! MISSA GORE LIKE PIECE WOOOOOOD! DAT CINDY SHEEHANS IS CLAZEEEE RADY! AND EYE RUV LUSH RIM-BAWWWWWW!"

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 12:18pm

Avenue Q and South Park are funny.

Rosie is offensive.

Whatever...I can never remember when I'm supposed to be offended any more. Honestly, I think the media just wants to stir the pot. If Rosie's "ching chong" is really so offensive that people would jump to Mel Gibson or Michael Richards, then priorities need to be reviewed. It's funny if Margaret Cho or Mary Christmas do the Asian voice, but NOBODY ELSE. Unless they are Asian. Or an established politically incorrect satire. I just hope Rosie can survive this career-crushing moment with no retaliation from the Chinese government. I mean, they don't ever make fun of Americans, right?

Again...whatever.

[Phantom2]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 12:20pm

Oh no he din't!

(referring to PalJoey)

Updated On: 12/10/06 at 12:20 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 12:23pm

In this climate of jumping all over every public figure for every tiny move they make, I'm actually surprised that Rosie gets away so easily with so much. From blowing a snot rocket onto the View stage during a show to pontificating on how the cure for diaper rash is to have your dog lick the affected area, and now this, it seems like the only thing she's gotten any heat for is the Aiken/Ripa debacle. And even so, she's gotten away with it with no apology of any kind.

[dirty rotten guy]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 12:25pm

Oh and I suppose the Asian carolers should be edited out of A Christmas Story too. Maybe we could replace them with Walkie-Talkies...

[Phantom2]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 12:27pm

Perhaps they should send Rosie on the It's A Small World ride and make her wear this Disney pin as her punishment. After watching the clip, she was in no way, shape or form being mean.

Updated On: 12/10/06 at 12:27 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 12:40pm

I think we should all wear Phanty's pin in solidarity with Rosie.

What "snot rocket," Rath?

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 12/10/06 at 12:41pm

So much hypocrisy...

Now we're able to pick and choose who we can make fun of based on an arbitrary set of rules (even if we're not really making fun of anyONE in the first place). If you happen to belong to a certain set of people you can make fun of them--or if you are a Broadway show/popular television show, you can make fun of whoever you want.

What if you were an American of Chinese descent who had never been to China, whose parents had never been to China, who has hardly ever heard Chinese, and really had about as much affiliation with Chinese as Rosie is likely to have? Is it okay to make fun of the language then, just because you're Chinese by racial heritage? Really, aren't you being culturally insensitive?

Oh, and Jane2, I noticed you never answered my question.