The Black King

by R. Elgin on August 31, 2007

I’m surprised that Korea does not have one of these yet.

{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }

1 mins0306 August 31, 2007 at 2:38 pm: I’m sure there’s one here somewhere. It’s just that no one has discovered one yet.
2 user-81 August 31, 2007 at 5:13 pm: It still says 黑人王 (black person king) in Chinese.
3 Seth Gecko August 31, 2007 at 5:33 pm: Reminds me of this David Chapelle sketch:

http://www.filecabi.net/video/niggar_family.html
4 seouldout August 31, 2007 at 7:25 pm: It’s content with Hitler Hofs.
5 Netizen Kim September 1, 2007 at 1:47 am: If Imus didn’t know that “nappy-headed ho’s” was a bad thing to say, and if white folks in America (who invented the word) get confused regularly about black folks calling each other “niggaz”, I don’t think we can expect the Chinese to know any better either. Try explaining “reappropriation” to a native Chinese and I think you’ll get a blank stare. They prolly heard it a lot in hip-hop videos, or heard Chris Tucker say it in a Rush Hour movie, and merely associate it with urban Black hip-hop culture.
6 dda September 1, 2007 at 1:57 am: heard Chris Tucker say it in a Rush Hour movie, and merely associate it with urban Black hip-hop culture.

If they’ve seen Chris Tucker they’ve seen Jackie Chan, duh, saying “How’s it goin’ mah nigger?” in one of those movies, and getting — almost — the shit beat out of him for this. They’ll associate it to “my my my this word can get you into a world of troubles”.
7 austin September 1, 2007 at 11:05 am: In Korea it is more common to use the terms Mr and Country, when namimg a business:
Kimbap Country (Nara)
Mr Pizza
Soju Country
Mr Soju
Beer Country
Ice cream Country
etc etc etc

The Korean version would be;
Niggar Country or
Mr Niggar

No Kings! Korea is a Republic!
8 Zonath September 1, 2007 at 11:16 am: Wow… reminded me of the Coon Chicken Inn…
9 Zonath September 1, 2007 at 11:18 am: Dang… my link didn’t work… Anyhow… just pointed to the wikipedia article for ‘coon chicken inn’…
10 Sonagi September 1, 2007 at 11:35 am: I don’t think we can expect the Chinese to know any better either.

The owners were warned by the local police to change the sign, probably in response to complaints.
11 Sonagi September 1, 2007 at 11:43 am: I don’t think we can expect the Chinese to know any better either.

The owners were warned by the local police to change the sign, probably in response to complaints.

Sometimes people don’t listen. One of my Korean students came to class wearing a hairpin with a cartoon image of an African as typically depicted in Korea. She was about to go to the States for language study. I kindly explained to her why the hairpin would inappropriate in the US. “But it’s cute!” she protested. On another occasion I spotted in Itaewon’s Victory Town an Aunt Jemima-ish ceramic jar and approached a staff member to explain nicely how the jar might be perceived by foreign customers. The clerk shrugged and walked away.

I don’t expect Asians to be aware of every epithet or caricature, but I do expect people in large, cosmopolitan cities to make reasonable efforts to heed well-intended cross-cultural tips.
12 wjk September 1, 2007 at 11:47 am: Give the East Asians a break.

Realistically the only people who started and suffered for the Nazi and racist crap is white people in people from white countries. I’m talking murder, genocide, rape, segregation, etc.

Only since 1945, was there any visible effort in white countries to even try to accept other races as equals.

Something never mentioned in history books, but figure-out-able by smart people like me.
13 wjk September 1, 2007 at 11:49 am: it’s so odd that you guys point fingers at East Asians for their racism when they’ve been exposed for maybe 50 years, while you guys have been doing much, much, much way worse while experiencing with full exposure for 100, 200, and even 300 years.

Look at those yellow people. Fuckin’ racists !

Oh, really?

Your grandfather was much worse. Guarantee it. Swear by it.
14 Sperwer September 1, 2007 at 12:27 pm: give the East Asians a break.

Realistically the only people who started and suffered for the Nazi and racist crap is white people in people from white countries. I’m talking murder, genocide, rape, segregation, etc.

something never mentioned in history books, but figure-out-able by smart people like me.

For the “smart” people:

give everyone else a break.

Realistically the only people who started and suffered for the Japanese and racist crap is Koreans yellow people in people [sic] from yellow countries.
15 R. Elgin September 1, 2007 at 1:11 pm: “wjk”, using faults of others to justify faults in someone else is weak if not outright unethical.

This sort of thing can be an opportunity for people to learn, since maybe they will hear comments and complaints from others, otherwise maybe they would never get a chance to learn anything different from what is already instilled in their ambient thoughts.

I hear way too many people of dubious intelligence in the U.S. using “nigga” this and that, which reflects their own failure to form a positive self-image and a failure to develop meaningful social relationships that are not dependent upon a history of depreciation and negative stereotypes.
16 babarian September 1, 2007 at 2:03 pm: “smart people like me”?

Sorry to say, but I think you’re one of the silliest minds at Marmot’s.
17 wjk September 1, 2007 at 2:44 pm: babarian, Elgin, Sprewer, point well taken.

I only spoke the truth, though.

Oh, whatevers…
18 dda September 1, 2007 at 3:01 pm: Is wjk the new Baduk? His brother? Or his alter-ego?
19 R. Elgin September 1, 2007 at 3:21 pm: I miss the “halls of Badukian splendor” . . . )
20 dlatn September 1, 2007 at 3:41 pm: deleted (racist and baiting)
21 dda September 1, 2007 at 3:49 pm: /me can smell a ban coming.
22 elvislovechild September 1, 2007 at 11:35 pm: Any of the old timers remember “Darkie” toothpaste, complete with a Steppin’ Fetchit mascot? I think it was made in Hong Kong. I had a few boxes that I was saving for my museum of the f*cked, but I seem to have lost them in my travels…
23 Zonath September 2, 2007 at 7:56 am: On a related note of f’d up product brands… Is that ‘mi in black’ crap still around in SK? The snack foods with the bone-through-the-nose caricatures of Africans on the packaging? I always meant to pick up some to save the packaging, but I guess I must have spaced it.
24 wjk September 2, 2007 at 9:08 am: hey, go to a local major university and ask them if they have displays of US caricatures of African Americans through the times.

You might be surprised that white US citizens have been doing this until very, very recently.

There is no need to pick up snack wrappers from Korea or Hong Kong.

and you’ll realize quite objectively that I speak the truth.
25 Zonath September 2, 2007 at 9:46 am: #24

Quite true. But it’s amusing getting stuff in foreign countries that you can’t get in your own. Novelty factor, and all.
26 Railwaycharm September 2, 2007 at 1:41 pm: #22, yes Hong Kong. Now renamed Darlie. I lost my sample too!