Um, you’re a vampire?

The Admiral has spoken.

I pulled my search on Google News only few days after the incident, and I am referring to the title of the news, not the content. But even within the content, the articles were mostly talking about the utter insensitivity of ridiculing Tsunami victims, not so much as the inherent racism in the HOT 97 show. It appears that a lot of asian american groups that spoke out against it, but if you look at your own google search a bit closer, a lot of those links are to forums/blogs like this one talking about it, some news publish few days after the fact, etc etc.

Dogbert, crazy number of people in Asia die each year. This Tsunami disaster is like a drop in the bucket in human-disaster. I mean, one can only imagine the number of Asians who die of preventable tropical diseases like malaria. Right after the disaster, I felt really bad and went to the Doctor’s Without Borders to make a *ahem* *ahem* a generous donation (Yay me) and found on their website, essentially saying that they received more than enough for Tsunami victims for the time being, but they were urgently needing resources for these other issues.

So why are we sending a bucket load of cash to Sri Lanka instead of say Sudan? These tragedies mean more to us when it’s in a context we can understand–the context of our fellow tourists who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. So my Korean ancestor says the Crabs take the Lobster’s side. I hope you don’t misunderstand me, and I am not merely poking fingers at the “evil white men” who are so insensitive to the world–because we ALL do this regardless of color. But the fact remains we do, do this. And it simply is my opinion, IMHO, that the problems of HOT 97 news coverage is simply an extension of this deplorable human tendency to empathise with people who we share some sort of bond with. Right after HOT 97 incident, I saw a zillion one “Norin Nae” clones, who were arguing that that show wasn’t racist at all–because I guess, it’s funny, or maybe Asians cann’t be discriminated against. I don’t know. But you can click on your own google search links and read them yourself. I’ll stop my speech at this point and say, well maybe you are right. Maybe I’m an overly sensitive guy.

I was here in Korea when the song controversy came out, and I heard and read people (in the States) bashing it for both its incredible insensitivity AND its racism. Each compounded the other. I don’t think the headline always tells the story (although it points you in the direction where it’s going).

The song was dumb, and I really cannot grasp how someone thought that was funny.

About the radio station article on my blog, I don’t get that either. You’re right: some people think it’s NOT racist if you’re just trying to be funny.

And why was Rex Reed reviewing beers?

btw, i couldn’t finish reading that transcript on your website, because I was again, “blowing my gasket”. I could’t help but start thinking about the infamous HOT 97 episode with the Tsunami song parody. The crazy part about that incident was that when I did a simple google news search, most of the headlines said more-or-less “HOT 97 makes fun of Tsunami victims.” Only ONE news source said anything about racism against asians in it’s title–and to my horror, that paper was the New York Post. I was saddened at the New York Times that day. Even in the article, only the Post really played up that angle. The basic message is that it’s not ok to make fun of scandinadian back packers, but it’s ok to make fun of the natives. Grrr~~~~

I remember when I was arguing with a poster here named “Norin Nae” who claimed that Rex Reed’s OB review wasn’t racist, because of some crazy reasons. But I think it’s pretty clear that to a lot of Americans, things are not racist, if it’s meant to be funny.

Why is it that the people who were tortured by the Japanese had less hatred for Japan than the kids who are skipping around with Totoro dangling from their cell phones?

Because hatred is good for self-esteem?

Kids are 100% about self-esteem.