rolling "Is This Racist?" thread

I used to work with an impro troupe that did a show in the country, where they got into a load of dreadful stereotypes with varying responses:

Italian accent with-a words-a ending like-a this-a and godfather hand gestures – uproarious laughter

French 'haw' noises and cheap gags about bread sticks – uproarious laughter

Chinese 'velly solly' gags – DEAD SILENCE

It seems to be down to whether the culture is *perceived* as a minority; to view e.g. the Chinese as a 'minority' in this day and age is condescending and absurd imo. Sorry if this ends up as another giant clusterfuck but I seriously dgi.

the chinese are indeed a minority in washington, dc

Sorry if this ends up as another giant clusterfuck

lol no you aren't

French and Italian people are white, traditionally

"there are a billion people in your country, why are you mad that I called you 'slanty-eyes'"

Personally, I think it has something to do with the fact that I have never once seen an Asian person act in this way

how many asian people have you met tho

True, but I've never seen a French person wear a stripy jumper, clutch a wicker basket full of baguettes etc xp

where I live there's a huge Hmong population and the only stereotype about them that really rang true is that they're all really, really good at pool

"there are a billion people in your country, why are you mad that I called you 'slanty-eyes'"

well obviously that's a racist thing

True, but I've never seen a French person wear a stripy jumper, clutch a wicker basket full of baguettes etc xp

well I wouldn't laugh at this either but the image itself is kind of funny

aimless otm, re: stereotypical vs. racist

still, even stereotypes that don't rely on "genuinely negative imagery" can be effectively racist when they reflect an overall tendency to reduce perceived "others" to cartoonish types

the Chinese as a 'minority' in this day and age is condescending and absurd imo

omg lol

So, is this where I should mention the all white production of Hairspray being performed in the Dallas suburb of Plano, TX?

wait waht

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/mixmaster/2012/01/at_plano_childrens_theatre_the.php

wtf

It just came across my twitter feet and I actually did a face palm. Now I have to clean my glasses.

EZ has Twitter feet.

it explains my horrible typing.

haha i did not know enough (ie, anything) about 'hairspray' to recognize the problem

how they weren't going to bow to "political correctness"

This tells you all you really need to know, tbh.

it's a pretty huge problem

in some ways, it's more problematic than doing an all-white "Porgy and Bess"

omg lol

Rodenbaugh said they might do To Kill a Mockingbird with an all-white cast or Othello or The Wiz (three shows I mentioned to him that feature African-Americans either in prominent roles or as a majority of the cast).

an all-white "The Wiz"

let's just ponder that for a while

incisive! daring! innovative!

He was probably just trolling the reporter at that point, or some twisted one-upsmanship. "Oh, we'll do that too!". "And that one!".

Raisin in the Sun!

"might get together with a certain mayor and do a version of West Side Story where we just eat tacos for dinner"

someone inform The Corner of this brave display

There was a good episode of Strangers With Candy where they do an all-white A Raisin in the Sun, and the school's black students are trees on the set.

but guys guys is it racist?

Golden Raisin In The Sun

True, but I've never seen a French person wear a stripy jumper, clutch a wicker basket full of baguettes etc xp

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, January 30, 2012 4:45 PM (46 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

http://www.google.com/search?q=marcel+marceau

tbf the baguettes + basket were *imaginary*

all white cast the color purple?

ooookay.

all purple cast of the color white

i don't know for sure but there's like a 90% chance that there's a south park about this

there's a boston legal about it but

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_KBYGLvTKzrg/TF1Wx4zh0hI/AAAAAAAACA0/tSE3S_Tj_xc/s400/grimace.jpg

I can't believe I haven't mentioned this until now: I have a coworker who is probably in his 40s, Chinese, and is somehow still kind of naive about some American customs and culture. He's super friendly.

His name, I kid you not, is L4ng D3ng. As in, pronounced extremely closely to Long Dong.

I'm doing a facepalm thing just thinking about it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzC5HT1Qhmo

a (britishes) counselor had us perform this song at summer camp one year. but before we did - he singled out and asked the lone asian kid at the camp if it would be OK. the kid said yes. I am pretty sure he was Korean.

His name, I kid you not, is L4ng D3ng. As in, pronounced extremely closely to Long Dong.

Malaysian-born school friend's dad's name was Ch1ng Ch0ng

He used to go by an abbreviated nickname because obv he would have been faced with a wall of shit every single day

Chinese 'velly solly' gags – DEAD SILENCE

It seems to be down to whether the culture is *perceived* as a minority; to view e.g. the Chinese as a 'minority' in this day and age is condescending and absurd imo. Sorry if this ends up as another giant clusterfuck but I seriously dgi.

― Autumn Almanac, Monday, January 30, 2012 4:37 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

this was the appropriate response btw. and uh, what are the demographics of australia? because asians and asian americans make up only about 5% of the american population.

I don't know the exact number but people of recent east Asian descent are high against other immigration paths.

okay, and that makes chinese people not a minority in australia because...?

think the point is that french/italian ppl are also a minority in australia