First you have this little opinion piece in the KT from an English teacher upset about the media running sensational stories about “foreigners” (read: English teachers) engaging in mischief. I found this line particularly amusing:
Such generalized, judgmental stories are causing ordinary people to have unwarranted prejudicial assumptions regarding the foreign guests of Korea. Such stories would not only be scrutinized in places like the United States and Canada for their inaccuracies in portraying an entire group, but an association or a human right’s group might pursue judicial reparations for such reckless reporting by the media. I guess the Korean media should be thankful no human rights organization would take up the cause of fair treatment for foreigners, basically for fear of angering the masses by going against popular xenophobic sentiment.
Here’s the weird thing. On Saturday, Free Zone News (which has been on something of an illegal immigration kick as of late) issued the latest in a series of pieces saying the exact opposite — that the media is actually downplaying foreigner crime (for example, see this incident), and that not only are human rights organizations taking up the cause of fair treatment of foreigners, they are actually obstructing justice by protecting foreign criminals in the name of “human rights” and fighting deportations (similar sentiments were expressed in the much more mainstream Dong-A Ilbo here). It also argues that far from feeling “xenophobic,” the general public is actually excessively sympathetic to the plight of foreigners, especially illegal aliens.
{ 36 comments… read them below or add one }
I may be the wrong person to point this out, but can we mark him down for using the word “guess” in that context. You “guess”, not “feel” “think” “opine”… Somebody buy this guy a thesaurus.
You’re perfectly right, Dram_man — you were the wrong person to point that out.
If I had to pick a favorite line from that piece, BTW, it would be this:
Well, I wouldn’t expect the “foreign community” to call themselves a bunch of pot-smoking sex fiends.
I, for one, look down on the pot-smoking sex fiends. Drunken sex fiends, however, are just fine with me.
Sure, Brendon. We all that potheads get into violent fights. The biggest argument you’ll ever catch potheads having is who should pay for the next bag of Cheetos. “Hey man, I bought the Cheetos last time.” “Whaaaa? Oh, the Cheetos. Okay, man. Cool…Hey, you got any cash? I forgot my wallet in the van.” “No prob. Here. Next time it’s on you.”
You’re right about the Cheetos. And that’s another problem with the Korean drug scene: The snacks are just not right. Who eats Cheetos made without cheese flavors?
The guy is exacyly right. Why is everyone pissing on him?
Is he exactly right?
The other part of the foreign devil maxim in the Korean press is the lack of coverage of foreigners doing good things. I know down here in Gwangju the local waeguks have just about single-handedly kept several orphanages afloat, and I imagine the story is similar in other cities. When was the last time anyone read anything positive about the expat community?
#5,
You’re right about Korean Cheetos. They taste as if they were dipped in sugar and ramen soup base.
An excellent point. To provide statistical evidence, I have conducted a Google advanced search of the phrase “foreigners are bad” within all .co.kr domains. 3 documents were returned.
The phrase “foreigners are good” returned – are you ready? Zero documents. Numbers don’t lie.
I guess I was asking for that.
I for one certainly hope their is not some “association or a human right’s group” in the States out to try to hobble our First Amendment rights to free speach, even if others strongly disagree with what they might say.
Of course, there are ‘speach codes’ on many campuses, which is cause for worry.
You all just wait. As I type the Minstry of Confectionary (MOC) is planning. The MOC will launch Korea into the top of Cheeto Exporting Nations (CEN). Once Korea becomes an ubiquitous CEN in the OECD the MOC director, KIM, will become the leader of the GNP and threaten the 787’ers of MB!
Actual the MOC is having a contest to pick the best slogan (BS) for Korea to enter the CEN list:
1. Cheeto Fighting!
2. Creating a Ubiquitous Cheeto Culture!
3. Cheeto Sparkling!
4. Hi, Cheeto!
Netizens are encouraged to send UCC to MOC for the BS contest!
Hub of Cheeto
Just think the when the FSS issues rules to regulate the cross ownership of “Cheebols” the MOC will create.
BTW Dram Man, you’ve left out some critical elements of the strategy, in particular the govt mandated self regulatory organization for cheeto mfgrs, officered by parachuted in retirees from MOC, funded with contributions calculated on the basis of worldwide sales (to ensure the bulk of the money comes from the coerced foreign participants, ostensibly to pay for customer rebates, claims etc, 90% of which are generated by the Korean mfgrs, but the fees for which are so large that it is “inevitable” that the MOC-seconded officers must invest them – in golf courses, where they can hold the 6 monthly meetings that are held in Korea (the other six being held overseas at various venues – again grossly disproportionately funded by the foreign members”. Oh, and did I mention the requirement that participants disclose their recipes, mfging processes, sourcing and marketing plans, so that
the competitive success of the Korean market entrantsconsumer safety is served?Dr. Hwang woo-suk approves the “Korea: Hub of Cheetos” slogan, because “치터즈” reads the same as “cheaters” in Hangeul.
Personally, if I had a magic wand, I’d swap all the soju in this country for ganja — that’d mellow this place the fuck out. Imagine if every salaryman had a weekly office toke instead of a weekly office drinking binge. It’d be as effective a culture-change in Korea as replacing all the Toby Keith fans with Belle and Sebastian fans in America.
(Not that I represent the lot of us, but yes, I’m Canadian . . . why do you ask?)
Oh, so Cheetos. Of course!
Maybe I’m the only one old enough to remember, but when did Charlie Cheetah go from the smooth Barry White sounding critter saying, “It ain’t easy being cheesy”, to this annoying freak that’s apparently ingested a bathtub full of crank? My daughter’s a big Nickelodeon fan.
You guys have fun with your Cheetos, but I’m going to take issue with his “should be thankful no human rights organization would take up the cause of fair treatment for foreigners” crap. Just what we need in Korea, a human rights star chamber stifling free speech. The guy needs to take his multi-culti victim complex back to Soviet Canuckistan where it belongs (no offense to freedom-loving Canuckies out there–I know you exist).
And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, check this:
http://steynian.wordpress.com/
or this
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jul/07071907.html
14 Dram-man for the BS contest:
what about
“Fine Cheeto, and you?”
OK, I got a bit serious back there. How about:
Bravo your Cheeto!
Cheeto your life!
Samsung AnyCheeto!
Not even Hitler could not unify Cheeto and Frito!
Cheeto Tomorrow and Global!
And of course we cannot forget:
Dynamic Cheeto!
Five female clones singing
“Chee-to, Chee-to, chee-chee-chee-chee-chee-chee-to” and wiggling their shoulders in unison.
or
A TV ad with Jeon Jihyun looking imperiously down her nose at the camera, an extreme close-up of an effeminate man with a bit of facial hair to hide the fact he’s wearing a blouse, watching her through a pane of one-way glass. . .
An opera singer sings in the background as Jeon Jihyun makes pouty faces at what she thinks is a mirror. The soundtrack hits a high note. . .
The one way glass cracks, she spots an eye gazing at her behind the splintered mirror. . .
He whispers, “Chee-to”
or a music video involving a break for dialogue between the last verse and the bridge to the final chorus, somehow involving the sound of screeching tires, an ambulance’s flashing lights, and a cute girl in a wheelchair, visited in the hospital by the sensitive one from DongBangShinGi, who offers her. . . cheetos.
#20,
“Soviet Canuckistan “? Dude, that is so old. American conservatives have been red-baiting Canadians ever since we got universal healthcare. Why would they do that? Think about it for a second.
Here’s one for the ladies:
Daniel Henny, asking ‘Are you Cheetos?’
I’m surprised no one’s suggested:
“Bravo your Cheetos!”
Whoops, Wedge actually beat me to it, sorry. Anyway, why hasn’t anyone at the Hole reported on the case of a little girl who was beaten and nearly kidnapped in her apartment building elevator (and saved by a brave young female college student)? …the inept PD basically ignored the crime and the new Mr. President showed up at the Cop Shop and kicked some ass around…
Pragmatism in Cheeto.
Personally, if I had a magic wand, I’d swap all the soju in this country for ganja — that’d mellow this place the fuck out. Imagine if every salaryman had a weekly office toke instead of a weekly office drinking binge.
According to Dr Ken Jeong, that would turn Korea into Vietnam.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnwUJ-wG9NQ&feature=related
And finally, there is
Cheesy expat humour, horse beaten to death by
Netizen Kim: thanks for finding that for me.
do post hoc hat tips, both to you and Dr. KJ count?
i’ll take the cheesy expat humour as a change of pace after the kind of rhetoric that ends up on the comment boards here at other times.
These are totally not the comments I was expecting. Where’s pawi? Where’s the bitching?
Pawi is either laying off the salty snacks, or is too busy promoting Korea as an ubiquitous CEN hub nation.
If you’d like, I can dress up as Pawi for you.
Just give me a minute to get into this. . .
uh. . .
Yankee go home!
The expat obviously doesn’t, uh, like spicy food, and, uh, has so much prejudice, too, and, um. . .
sorry I’m no good at this.
anybody else want to give it a try?
Cheetos: Seoul of Asia.
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