So in an e-mail that we all got from our fearless leader, Ernie, we got this rather interesting synopsis of an upcoming cartoon on Cartoon Network, Chop Socky Chooks:
Lets analyze why this show is freaking racist to Asians. First the offensive caricatures featuring stereotypical slanted eyes, bun hair, fu manchu whiskers, and dumb martial arts outfits. Second the name of the show, what do you get when you combine chinks and gooks? You guessed it, the name of the show, Chooks. Please help spread this around, and write emails to Cartoon Network protesting this very offensive cartoon show!
I took a look at it, and am actually amused that this person actually paid attention to this particular show as well as the mental gymnastics done to prove this conspiracy (chinks and gooks = chooks! RACIST!).
Cartoon Network has done other caricatures of Asians that could be seen as offensive, or funny, depending on how much humor you actually have, like Raj, the elephant with a badly done Indian accent in Camp Lazlo, or the Chinese engineering kid genius (who the boyfriend says is done pretty well given that he always wears flower-decorated flip flops) and Dr. Vindaloo, the Asian Indian physician in Courage the Cowardly Dog. There are also Cartoon Network shows with Asian characters that aren’t necessarily offensive (though if your head is stuck in your ass, you probably could find something wrong with them), like the Asian kids in Class of 3000. Or you can bitch about how there are very few Asian American voice actors dubbing all the anime you see in Cartoon Network (at least they’re pronouncing the Japanese names somewhat correctly…), or wonder why all the Asian animators who are actually producing these shows aren’t in a tizzy either.
Looking at the Chop Socky website, it seemed to be more of a send-up of ’70s kung fu and blaxploitation movies, and honestly, wasn’t that offensive to me. I’ve seen worse.
It also calls to mind how we need to come up with new strategies that get companies to actually change things that we find offensive, rather than just doing “feel-good boycotts” or ineffective e-mail campaigns, where people get worked up over an offensive T-shirt or TV show or random idiotic comment and scream at a multinational corporation, like A&F or Urban Outfitters. Said corporation becomes contrite (of course, after seeing a spike in sales and ratings because the boycotts give free publicity to their companies), surface changes are made, and the protestors leave, only to get worked up again when these corporations need free public advertising since their sales are dropping.
How about actually trying to get a job into these companies and start changing the culture from the inside? Or supporting companies, shows, etc. that are run by Asian Americans?
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ancient one wrote:
Boycotts of advertisers might be more effective than campaigns directly to the network. Another way would be through shareholder proposals. Handling those costs the company money, are high profile, and generally are highly irritating to management.
Questions about casting issues. Do anime’s dubbed in English really need Asian American voice actors? Is having non-Asian Americans actors do the voice work really racist? Besides, they are better subtitled. I know my sons prefer the subtitled versions of the Naruto anime to the dubbed one.
I like your idea of supporting shows that are more positive about Asian and Asian American culture. “Avatar: The Last Airbender” on Nicolodeon is one of my favorites, and they employee Asian American actors to do the voice work (Dante Basco, Mako while he was alive) and have had Asian Americans on the production staff .
Posted on 02-Apr-08 at 3:53 pm | Permalink
If it hasn’t been said before, I’ll say it here. A “chook” is Australian slang for “chicken.” Google it.
Posted on 03-Apr-08 at 6:17 am | Permalink
stan wrote:
I had to do a double-take when I passed by the banner advertising the show on the side of the Turner building here in Atlanta. I agree that it seems more like a play on the kung-fu and blaxploitation movies of the seventies (I played Kung-Fu Fighting at work twice that day), but I definitely had a bit of outrage on initial sight.
I can’t really have an opinion of the show until I watch it, but if it turns out as bad a “Xiaolin Showdown”, I might have to become Raging Angry Gaysian Man.
Why can’t we have a group like the Parents Television Council?
Posted on 04-Apr-08 at 4:51 pm | Permalink
Joe wrote:
“Australian slang” doesn’t really do much to protect a British-produced show airing in the US market. This show could have been called “Chop Socky Chickens” and been just as lame.
I’m not going as far to say that this deserves a letter-writing campaign, but shouldn’t we be a little more sensitive about putting the word “chooks” in a kids TV show right beside a pile of The Usual Asian Stereotypes? You certainly wouldn’t gain fans creating a cartoon about some hilariously lazy dark-colored rabbits in a rain forest and calling it… well, you can probably guess.
Posted on 04-Apr-08 at 7:15 pm | Permalink
Mari wrote:
I saw the toys for this show at Jack in the Box and I was pretty annoyed. I am very open-minded and I tend NOT to be on the side of the PC police, but the use of the super stereotyped images and the phrase “Chop Socky” really bugged me. I mean, how upset would people be if they had a show called “Spear Chucking Chooks” and used stereotypical caricatures of black people?
Posted on 17-Jun-08 at 11:30 am | Permalink
Maxx wrote:
I used to work on this show at one point, and it’s kind of hilarious that the whole racism thing was never even thought about till it was first showed in America. The show definitely a rip on kung-fu and blaxploitation films, and various comics. I am Asian (and Canadian), there really is nothing offensive in the show, and other than the Kung Fu there isn’t a lot of asian themes. And Mari do you even know that Chop Socky is a type of Kung Fu films from China during the 70’s? There is nothing racist about it! Sheesh… and the Chook with the Afro is Black.
Posted on 21-Jun-08 at 7:57 pm | Permalink
Anna wrote:
I saw this the toys yesterday when we picked up Jack in the Box. They are SO offensive and racist! I don’t even know where to begin?!! I have a 4 yr. old daughter and we spent half an hour talking about how this little Asian toy looked mean and evil and how it makes me really mad that they’re making shows and giving out toys to kids that don’t have the ability to analyze what’s being fed to them via mass media.
I send a comment to the CN email–I doubt that anyone will respond–this show needs to end and the toys need to be pulled out of the restaurants.
Posted on 09-Jul-08 at 7:53 am | Permalink
Kate wrote:
How exactly are the toys racist? Forget your kid, I think someone needs to sit you down and explain the meaning of racism to you. Have you ever seen the show? Cause there are only 3 asian characters (and one of those only show up every 5th episode). And how does being mean and evil even convert over to being racist? Does that mean the Joker in the new Batman movie is racist as well? By that reasoning he would. And there are villians in the show who would look mean and evil. oh but wait one of them is German, and another is a non race (so I’ll go with white) Talking Gorilla. Lady it’s people like you that are making America the shit hole that it is right now.
Posted on 17-Jul-08 at 3:31 am | Permalink
Maxx wrote:
OMG… Anna are you serious? I think there are more important things in the world to Crusade against. What about the Houseing or Fuel Crisis. Why don’t you explain to your kid how the rest of the country is going down the crapper. So how much does KungFu Panda piss you off? Did you have a heart attack on spot?
Posted on 17-Jul-08 at 7:44 am | Permalink
Anna wrote:
Some people seem to think that toys are just toys, or a movie is just a movie. Toys, movies, cartoon, etc. are representations. These representations give meaning to many things. Have you ever seen “Mickey Mouse Monopoly”? It’s a documentary about how Disney movies convey hidden messages of race, gender, and class to children.
If you have time, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byaMd_PNyIY
Posted on 21-Jul-08 at 2:07 pm | Permalink
Steve wrote:
Stumbled upon this show while scanning through the list of channels on my DirectTV guide one night. I and my wife were like “Oh, my god!” It was a totally stereotype setup. The use of Australian slang did not help me as an American feel like the show was any less revolting to those who might stumble across it. I will be glad when it is gone. This is as bad as the sad racist stereotype of Asians during the WWII era when cartoons from Hollywood would show any from Asia in a very unflattering manner.
Posted on 13-Nov-08 at 12:26 pm | Permalink