8 Asians

N.Y. shock jocks dropped over Asian slurs

Call it the Don Imus Effect. “Shock Jocks” Jeff “JV” Vandergrift and Dan “Elvis” Lay did a bit on their New York radio show a day after Imus’s “nappy-headed hos” comment (unlucky timing on their part):

“The pair broadcast a call to a Chinese restaurant; the caller, in an exaggerated accent, placed an order for “shrimp flied lice,” claimed he was a student of kung fu, and compared menu items to employees’ body parts.” (AP)

I’d have to listen to the actual piece to see if I find it all that offensive. Asian-American community organizations asked for the same treatment for Asian-Americans that African-Americans got for Don Imus and it looks like the radio hosts got it.

But I have to agree with this statement in the Associated Press article:

“It’s not about whether you like what you heard or not,” said Debbie Wolf, president of People Against Censorship. “I find censorship to be far more offensive than anything that was said.”

Free speech is a wonderful thing, but let’s use the airwaves for something constructive. “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Other posts you might be interested in:

• The origin of ethnic slurs
• Californian Asian-American Culture Shock!
• Asian American contestant in Bravo’s Top Chef a victim of gay bashing
• Boston’s City Council member Sam Yoon and Edison, NJ Mayor Jun Choi
• NPR: The Slants: Trading in Stereotypes

Comments (3) to “N.Y. shock jocks dropped over Asian slurs”

1. James wrote:

   Oh jeeze, don’t use that Spiderman quote…soo corny.

   Anyway, I am pretty stupefied by these chinese restaurant prank call jokes. So old. And so dumb. The worse thing of it all is that a joke like that will barely elicit an outcry from the American community. But had these shock jocks decided to prank call a KFC or something pretending to be black, it would be national news. It’s disgusting how racist humor amongst minorities have double standards.

   Posted on 15-May-07 at 10:25 am | Permalink

2. lost in ube wrote:

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETdcYLn88So
   Some notes: Defenders of JV and Elvis will point out that the actual call to the Chinese restaurant was polite and they spliced in the computer’s part (which does lessen the impact in my opinion but it’s still a stupid and lame racist skit). Others will use JV’s wife, Natasha Yi as evidence he is not a racist.
   Finally, the AP does not point this out but People Against Censorship is a special interest group formed by radio fans of Opie and Anthony (who have also gotten into trouble recently) to fight back against other special interest groups.

   Posted on 15-May-07 at 5:46 pm | Permalink

3. Bertie wrote:

   The First Amendment limits the *government’s* right to regulate speech. People always seem to forget this little distinction.

   When private individuals organize boycotts or write to radio stations to change the programming, they are also exercising their right to free speech. When a private corporation decides to replace a disc jockey, the private corporation is also exercising its right to send a message.

   I see nothing wrong with that.

   Posted on 16-May-07 at 9:19 am | Permalink

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