LAist: Rosie O'Donnell Makes Fun of Chinese People

tiffany

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 21:26:19 -0800

Those kinds of comments are always inencusable. It seems that the people that are not targeted are always the quickest to dismiss them. What is most offensive is that this is on national television and that people actually laugh, maybe these same people think racism doesn't exist in America anymore. An audience consisting of mostly white women perhaps? I can't believe the crowd applauded. That just goes to show how fast this ship is sinking. Completely disgusting. Barf.

Jeff

Sat, 09 Dec 2006 13:45:09 -0800

Now, I don't like Rosie. I don't think she's funny and I often disagree with things she says. But I don't think she's necessarily a racist, either. If we can't definitively call Bitchards a racist, then I don't think we can do the same for Rosie. Now, I'm not saying the joke wasn't offensive. I'm just saying there's a leap between an offensive joke and a racist. Comedians of all ethnicities do impressions of different people's voices all the time--and its not always them making a connection between language and intelligence. In Rosie's case the impression of a Chinese voice was too silly, allowing the assumption of that connection to be made. BUT I think the point of her joke was not so much to disparage Chinese people or culture, but to show how a (dumb-ass Hollywood non-) story goes too far when you turn on a foreign-language channel and hear an American celebrity's name in between indecipherable words. She made a mistake in using that ridiculous voice and if she apologizes for it, rest assured its only for publicity. Just like Andy Dick. I do agree, though, that the level of crowd laughter was disturbing. It was disturbing because it seemed to react immediately to the silly voice instead of the punchline when she says "Danny DeVito." I would argue that the crowd was more offensive than the joke.

darleene

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 21:43:49 -0800

Well? Seeing as how Rosie O'Donnell seems to be lacking in other portions of her personality, I'll forgive her the insult. But it was offensive. Racist is racist no matter who's doing it, no matter who its being done to.

Jeff

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 16:52:59 -0800

Comparing calling a retarded person retarded and a jock retarded is perhaps the most retarded analogy I've ever heard. Its the "words are just words" argument and its false. Context is essential.

Henry David

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 15:17:33 -0800

I would say that regardless of racism's nuances and supposed "hierarchies", it is simply a question of offense. As an Asian person, I am fucking offended by that impersonation. I am pretty certain that most Asian people you ask would be offended too. And it's not simply the content of the joke, it is the way in which it was used. It wasn't even funny. I can explain this. When Dave Chappele impersonated Rick James saying "Ching-a-chong-a-chang China Club", that was funny. Why? Because he is describing the content of Rick James' character at the time, given that it was the 80's and he was addicted to heroine. Rosie O'Donnell was exposing the content of her own character. She lacks it. Did I say racism against Blacks and Chinese are analogous? No. And I'm not one to judge that. What I meant was simply that blacks sitting in an audience would not laugh at a white person using the N-word the same way an audience full of Chinese people wouldn't have laughed at Rosie O'Donnell's impersonation.

jon

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 13:32:18 -0800

Asian people are the same as white people, just better at math. Making fun of them is less offensive thank making fun of black people because black people are poor, uneducated, and scared of FEMA. It's analagous to when you were in highschool and you call a retard "retarded" and a popular jock "retarded." Based on who you are talking to, the insult is going to hurt one person more than the other. Race is a very nuanced issue, so making broad claims with the underlying supposition that all racism is equal, seems rather simplistic. Here's the offical racial sensitivity heirarchy: black

Sloane

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 13:04:59 -0800

That's fucking awesome. Thanks Henry :)