8 Asians

Surprise! Son of “Meanest Mom in the World” is Asian

This story on the “Meanest mom on the planet” selling her son’s car was in the news for a while, albeit one of those news stories they put at the end of a TV broadcast where they need a “soft” human interest story. It made the front page of Yahoo! as well - here was this mom in Iowa, selling her son’s automobile because he broke the rules about not having booze in the car. I guess it touched a lot of nerves about parenting in general, and what kids see as “totally mean.”

But just when everyone thought their 15 minutes were over, Angry Asian Man posted a photo of them on Good Morning America. And surprise, the kid is Asian!

Three thoughts, for better or for worse, jumped into my head:

• “Oh, the kid is ASIAN? In THAT case, his parents could have been MUCH more meaner.” It’s almost like a fucked up “meanness” currency, where twenty white mothers is the equivalent to an Asian dad. And I kinda feel embarrassed to say that, because it almost feels like I’m gloating about how strict my parents were to me, like it’s a badge of honor or something.
• Wait, the Mom is doing the talk show circuit? And the son is tagging along as well? I’m fairly sure Steven Hambleton wins the award for “Most Humiliated Asian American Male Under 30.” (You’re free to go now, William Hung.)
• What’s a kid like that doing drinking? Hell, what’s a kid like that doing, driving the car? Dude, you look twelve years old.

So, fellow Asian folk: How mean is the “Meanest Mom in the World?”

Other posts you might be interested in:

• The Tonight Show: Governor ‘Bobby’ Jindal of Louisiana
• In Memory: Wai ‘Ray’ Ng
• Let’s talk about sex
• Adding a Helping of Heritage on a Full Plate (Part 2 – Being with other Asian Americans)
• Phillipe Nover: Healer by Day, Fighter by Night

Comments (6) to “Surprise! Son of “Meanest Mom in the World” is Asian”

1. akrypti wrote:

   Ernie, my dear, you know I adore you, but you look twelve years old too.

   I still don’t get how she’s the “meanest mom in the world.” Like you said with the badge of honor thing. You’re telling me the mother gave him two conditions for getting a car at that young age, he broke both conditions simultaneously, and she gets dubbed “meanest mom in the world” for taking the car away?!? Dude, man. If that happened to me and all my parents did was “take away the car,” I would be counting my blessings.

   Posted on 14-Jan-08 at 1:57 pm | Permalink

2. jozjozjoz wrote:

   I can tell you one thing: if my Mom were to have done that to me, neither of us would be on the talk show circuit talking about it…

   Posted on 14-Jan-08 at 2:38 pm | Permalink

3. Mike wrote:

   My Mom once told me to go to my room. Isn’t that so MEAN! Because of her all meanness, now I’m the maladjusted, anti-social, psychopathic, degenerate criminal you see today… oh wait… nevermind.

   Posted on 14-Jan-08 at 2:51 pm | Permalink

4. Jesse! wrote:

   His mom isn’t white is she? That’s what the photo suggests… in which case, funny…

   BUT.., like… I mean selling the kid’s car cuz he had booze in it? Totally for that. The kid broke the law and could have been killed…

   Now the meanest Dad award has to go to the guy who auctioned off his kids xmas present of Guitar Hero III, because he caught him smoking pot… awesome!

   Posted on 15-Jan-08 at 11:10 am | Permalink

5. Xxxtine wrote:

   Oh … she dubbed herself ‘Meanest Mom on the planet” … gosh … and I thought someone knighted her.

   I love how she’s still running the ad … “for feedback.” And I’m all for her parenting though - the kid broke the rules … and it isn’t HIS car to begin with. If he couldn’t follow the simple rules, he deserves to lose the car and should also ditch the friend that left his booze behind - idiot.

   Posted on 15-Jan-08 at 2:03 pm | Permalink

6. Efren wrote:

   I agree, she’s not THAT mean–but then it just amazes me that so many white parents are so much more lax in raising their kids and let them get away that would cause any other parent to smack their kid.

   Posted on 15-Jan-08 at 5:52 pm | Permalink

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