Why do you feel the need to specify that it was 2 decades ago? Should we have reason to doubt you?

As for Asian jokes, I’d say they most certainly have changed of late. ‘Harold and Kumar Go to Whitecastle’ may or may not have been your cup of tea, but it did, to some extent, succeed in reshaping the perception of Asian-American men in the media.

You also seem to miss the fact that some of the top stand-up acts are Koreans (off the top of my head: Margaret Cho, Steve Byrne, Dr. Ken, Bobby Lee, and Kevin Shae).

PS. Cho Yong Fat, Jackie Chan and Jet Li are probably the top action movies stars in North America, so that pretty much destroys the assertion that Asian men are emasculated by the American media. TV characters like ‘Jin’ on Lost (probably the toughest guy on the island) played by Daniel Day Kim (I’m sure he has many female fans) have also contributed to a more balanced image. (Let’s not forget that Yunjin Kim’s character, ‘Sun’, on Lost is a very intelligent and assertive woman).

After years of living in America and hearing a certain group of people telling other groups of people to “stop playing the race card”, or “don’t be so oversensitive - it’s just a joke” etc, it is really refreshing to encounter these folks being so concerned about matters like how black people are portrayed in the media in Korea. Now, if only these same types of people would be equally concerned about such matters back home, where, like there’s actually lots of black people living here, unlike in Korea…why, it would be fantastic!

They. . .don’t care about perceptions. Unless Jay Leno makes a joke about eating dog, or Dustin Hoffman’s movie Outbreak includes them in a plot, [or James Bond sees them leading an ox]. Then they’ll file lawsuits and have a national tantrum, proving how insensitive they are. Because when its Koreans on the receiving end, they break the fucking sensitivity meter. But when its someone else, they don’t give a fuck.”

The saddest thing about many Asian jokes in the American media is that most of them haven’t changed much since I was in elementary school (that’s over two decades age). I personally got over it when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. Most of them were of the *chink* variety though. Yes, in America I get to be both a *chink* and a *gook*, even though I am just a gook. I used to think I had it bad until I got a little older and realized that Asian women had to endure a rather peculiar combination of racism and sexism that seems endemic to them.

I suppose I could go on, but I don’t want to bore you because I realize you could care less about it than I do about sambo cartoons or whatever race card that conveniently happens to satisfy your resentment fetish with Koreans (you know who you are). But you would forgive me if I roll my eyes everytime this tired and predictable exercise repeats itself.

By your own admission it is highly likely that it is signed by a Korean given name, if it isn’t a surname, and even more so that the artist is Korean (as you suggest that us foreigners are too unrefined to grasp the intricacies of 漢字 and 우리말). Well, I have studied 漢字. As a matter of fact, I usually have a 辭典 at hand to look up words I don’t know (like most Koreans do, I sure). So, spare me the lecturing on whether 사 is a 姓, 乭, or something else.

With that said, you really need to stop assuming that ‘foreigners’ can’t learn Korean or Hanja. Most of the people who post here are at least bilingual, if not polyglots (I know I am (as most linguists should be). Heck, English isn’t even my first language).

They. . .don’t care about perceptions. Unless Jay Leno makes a joke about eating dog, or Dustin Hoffman’s movie Outbreak includes them in a plot, [or James Bond sees them leading an ox]. Then they’ll file lawsuits and have a national tantrum, proving how insensitive they are. Because when its Koreans on the receiving end, they break the fucking sensitivity meter. But when its someone else, they don’t give a fuck.”

Bears repeating.

Those cartoons used subcontracted South Korea firms to do the production work only.

No kidding Elgin. It’s called “OEM animation”. A friend of mine, who is in the industry, does work for “King of the Hill”, “Simpsons”, etc., for Korean studios like AKOM Production and DR Movie at their offices in Gangnam.

Incidentally, she and hundreds of other Korean animators working on those series draw each and every image by hand. Their turnaround time is short once they receive the specs, so they work like dogs for mediocre pay — while sustaining major repetitive-use hand injuries in the process. (She has to wear a handbrace just to do her work.)

#36:

Your continued defense of the cartoon would make Rhie Won-bok proud. As long as American Jews/Blacks don’t find out…

You have your opinion Sonagi, and I’m just playing Devil’s advocate. (Quite frankly, I don’t care for the image either.)

And one image that you happen to dislike, does not, a Rhie Won-bok Nazi primer make. That’s a cheap shot.

And no, there is no Korean conspiracy to secretly denigrate and insult the races of the world with lurid images galore. Keep on projecting though, you’re doing a helluva job!

You remind me of a group of children I once saw touring the Art Institute of Chicago.

One of those kids must’ve had a massive cock like a Pepsi can and balls bluer than a Blue Screen of Death.

Where were you when the Bubble Sisters needed a defender? I mean, with your supreme analytical skills, I’m sure you could’ve answered criticisms of the fat skanks’ blackface routine with questions like “How do you know they’re really Korean?” and “Have you seen their passports?”

Seriously though, can you expound a little further on how the fact that a Korean company animates “The Simpson” (tragedy that only one of them remains) has any bearing on this? Because out of all the hilarious, disembling horseshit you’ve thrown out in this thread, that ranks up there with some of the funniest.

“Koreans aren’t responsible for that graphic…but if they are, they’ve already proven they can draw a mean Mr. Burns, so that absolves them of any wrongdoing! But I’m not saying they did anything wrong! They’re just insensitive and don’t care about perceptions. Unless Jay Leno makes a joke about eating dog, or Dustin Hoffman’s movie Outbreak includes them in a plot. Then they’ll file lawsuits and have a national tantrum, proving how insensitive they are. Because when its Koreans on the receiving end, they break the fucking sensitivity meter. But when its someone else, they don’t give a fuck. Which justifies all the spear-chucking, bone-through-the-nose graphics that NON-KOREANS at the Chosun Ilbo want to produce.”

우리들끼리

. . . Also, let’s not forget when it comes to animation, “The Simpson”, “King of the Hill”, “Futurama” et al., have been successfully animated in Korea by Koreans for over a decade now without nary an accusation of being “ignorant”. . .

Those cartoons used subcontracted South Korea firms to do the production work only. The creation (original artwork) was directed by the originators (silly Americans). It’s very good production work I might add.

No, you don’t get it. It’s called sarcasm.

No, you don’t get it at all, which is why you keep on insisting there is meaning, when in fact, there is no meaning. And it’s somewhat disingenuous of you to attempt to pass off your rambling prose as “sarcasm”. Nice try.

All I said was that it was signed by a Korean name

Yes you certainly did, however, can you correctly identify the corresponding Hanja? You CANNOT, so you can’t say with certainty that it is a Korean surname.

Your guess is as good as mine, as I am contending that the “Sa” in question is not a surname as you allege, but corresponds to the Hanja for 4:四.

#28:

“Who you gonna believe? H. Kim or your lyin’ eyes?”

You remind me of a group of children I once saw touring the Art Institute of Chicago. Without their all-knowing docent, they’d be totally lost and incapable of forming an opinion of their own in the world of Seurat, Chagall, Cezanne and Picasso.

#27:

H.Kim, as a Korean-American, how do you think African-Americans would react to the crudely drawn image of the slave with white sausage lips and white panties? At least the cowboy-slave owner (did cowboys even own slaves?) was endowed with a nose.

Well, like I said, it’s an illustration, it’s art, so it’s subject to interpretation. To each their own opinion I say.

#29:

BTW, I am now posting links to the cartoon at a couple of online black forums to elicit opinions on the cartoon. If I get many responses, I’ll link to them on this thread.

And don’t forget to contact the Reverend Jesse at Operation PUSH as well as Al Sharpton. And where is Johnnie Cochran when you need him the most? I can just imagagine what he’d say: “If the image is depicting, we must be convicting!”

#30:

Great idea! Be sure to let them know this picture originated in Korea, as in those people who run all the liquor stores and suck all the money out of their neighborhoods. This should be interesting.

Hear! Hear! Fantastic idea. I’m all for starting another race riot of Rodney King proportions as well as inciting unrest and strife between disparate groups of people separated by 8,000 miles of ocean over imagined slights! What a wonderful world this is!