# "Asian Girlz" by Day Above Ground: is this a joke? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 4, 2013, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301 "2013-08-04T04:25:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/1 "2013-08-04T04:25:38Z")
“Even I’m offended by this, and I’m a fat Southern sheriff!” Okay I’m not really a fat Southern sheriff. But I was amazed by how offensive this video was. And how stupid. How could anyone think this was a good idea? So I’m wondering. Are these guys serious or is this a joke where they’re satirizing really stupid offensive videos? ht tp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0zlkB-s\_Vk#at=11 (NSFW video) I put this in the Pit rather than Cafe Society so we can freely express our opinions on the band if it turns out this wasn’t a satire. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/2 "2013-08-04T07:37:04Z")
Dunno, maybe you can ask their Asian bassist what he thinks. He seemed to be enjoying the joke (and the company of the hot model). Looks to me to be a satire of the fetishisation of Asian women in geek/nerd culture to me. ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/3 "2013-08-04T12:03:45Z")
Yeah, going to have to vote satire on this one, too. That said, even the presence of that gorgeous woman couldn’t really induce me to watch more than the first two or three minutes. It’s bad, real bad. “Sit on my lap or we’ll send you back” is a not the finest example of the lyricist’s art. I’m a white dude with an Asian wife and am not offended, so I don’t think Day Above Ground was trying hard enough. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/4 "2013-08-04T13:47:50Z")
> [@Maeglin](#): > > I’m a white dude with an Asian wife and am not offended, so I don’t think Day Above Ground was trying hard enough. +1 I laughed. \ ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/5 "2013-08-04T15:22:17Z")
Obviouly satire (in a form of which I highly approve and endorse). It was clearly meant to be satire because I can understand the lyrics, something that wouldn’t occur in a video made for musical purposes. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/6 "2013-08-04T16:04:07Z")
Yeah, definitely seems like satire to me. Not really well done, though, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/7 "2013-08-04T16:58:24Z")
The tune alone should let you know it’s satire. I can’t pin it down right now, but it’s nearly exactly like a boyband song I’ve heard. And they are deliberately “singing” in a silly voice. You want racism, go down the comments. Not that you couldn’t say that about 50% of the videos on YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/8 "2013-08-04T17:09:53Z")
I’m offended by how much the song sucks but other than that I’m not bothered. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/9 "2013-08-04T17:20:11Z")
I don’t see it as a satire, but a worship of a particular fetish. Nothing wrong with being attracted to a specific ethnicity or culture. And yes, the song sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/10 "2013-08-04T17:45:30Z")
More explicit maybe, but I don’t think this is innately more offensive than the Rolling Stones’ _Brown Sugar_. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/11 "2013-08-04T18:01:08Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > More explicit maybe, but I don’t think this is innately more offensive than the Rolling Stones’ _Brown Sugar_. It’s always surprised me that that song doesn’t receive more criticism, to be honest. I’ve always assumed most people have never really listened to the lyrics. Not that it’s the most offensive Stones song by a long shot… ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/12 "2013-08-04T18:30:01Z")
I don’t get what they’re satirizing. I get that it’s a joke song, except I don’t get any of the jokes. ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/13 "2013-08-04T21:02:43Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > I don’t get what they’re satirizing. I get that it’s a joke song, except I don’t get any of the jokes. Yeah, I don’t think this is satire. I think they just like Asian girls and tried to write a funny, edgy song about it and aren’t as clever as they think they are ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/14 "2013-08-04T21:32:15Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > or is this a joke where they’re satirizing really stupid offensive videos? This one, but more kind of a shock-jock approach – deliberately over-the-top in a _“hey, how about when I say and portray THIS, do you all **still** think it’s funny or sexy”_? Like **Steophan** said, I saw there a shot at race fetishization (BTW the shrinking-potion does call up a particular Hentai fetish), as well as a hint of a poke at the rap/hiphop proclivity for tracks/vids that are all about crudely depicting how you treat the “hos” and “bitches” as just that, only in this case done absurdly with a bouncy Boy Band tune. But, still, as others have said, only so-so in the cleverness axis. Best part is checking out Levy Tran undressed for the best part of five minutes, which I guess just proves their point. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/15 "2013-08-04T22:52:52Z")
Levy Tran, the dancer in the video, has a YouTube channel and she’s taken a lot of heat for appearing in the video - people are posting negative comments about the Day Above Ground video in her other videos. She’s offered a[public apology](http://saylevy.tumblr.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/16 "2013-08-04T23:00:50Z")
It’s obvious satire and–while it’s not very well done–I’m more offended that some people are taking it seriously. They’re thinking, “Wow, I can’t believe these guys don’t realize how racist that song is!” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/17 "2013-08-04T23:03:01Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Not that it’s the most offensive Stones song by a long shot… _Stray Cat Blues_ for one would be considered pretty outrageous today. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2013, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/18 "2013-08-04T23:46:46Z")
Do you guys honestly think a song that uses the term “ninja pussy” is meant in any seriousness? ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/19 "2013-08-05T00:22:56Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Levy Tran, the dancer in the video, has a YouTube channel and she’s taken a lot of heat for appearing in the video - people are posting negative comments about the Day Above Ground video in her other videos. She’s offered a[public apology](http://saylevy.tumblr.com/). That’s unfortunate. The song and video are obviously deliberately, pointedly offensive. “Best nails in the city.” Give me a break; this is like Cleavon Little apologizing for Blazing Saddles. ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2013, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301/20 "2013-08-05T12:20:33Z")
I was hoping to see some slanty-eyed yellow chicks and now I’m offended that the video has been exterminated from the Internet. :mad: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-girlz-by-day-above-ground-is-this-a-joke/665301.md?page=2)