Foriegn media and American Racism

In My Humble Opinion
1

Quick note. Although I can run a stream of swear words starting from A, going trough Z, and all the way back again and enjoy every minute of it, I absolutely hate the word “Ni**ger.” Unfortunately, it plays a big part in this story, so when you see “N” you know what it means.

Anyway, a friend of mine downloaded the pilot for this television show in Japan called Tokyo Breakfast. It starts off simple enough, with a shot of the father grinding up some coffee beans and making himself some coffee. Then, the wife comes in, and the fun begins.

“Good morning, N.”
“Good morning to you, my N.”

And so it goes. Every sentence ended with the N word. When the teenage son comes in, everytime he says it, he looks to the audience, proclaims it loud, raises the roof, and the audience cheers. After a healthy breakfast of chicken and waffles, there’s a conversation between father and daughter about her not wanting to go to school, which follows:

“If N doesn’t go to school, N don’t get good grades. If N don’t get good grades, N don’t get into college. If N don’t get into college, N don’t get good job and can’t by BMW.”

The grandfather even gets involved in the fun, pointing to his shirt to declare that if anyone calls, tell them “This N Gone Fishing.”

It ends with a shot of a black mailman showing up at the door asking “Who ordered this case of fourties?” to which the family responds: “We did, N!!”

Now, from what I understand, the Japanese hate Americans, but they LOVE American culture. This show was just another example of them not-quite understanding it, but still trying to have fun with it. For them, it was lots of fun. From an American standpoint, it was highly offensive (yet, incredibly fucking funny). So, my question is:

Is this racist? (for us, yes, but for them? I don’t know. I take racism here to mean intentionally offensive towards one specific group of people due to racial differences).

2

AFAIK (going by my experience), Japanese DON’T hate Americans, they hate America. And possibly Dubya. There is a difference, subtle, but there nonetheless.

Is this racist? Hell, yeah! I mean, why couldn’t the people who created the show have ASKED some Americans whether using N would be offensive? By putting this kind of show on the air, they will be selling the idea that calling someone a N is fine and dandy.

BTW, is this show actually ON TV? I’ve never seen it. But that could be because I live beyond the black stump.

3

I’ve seen the clip you describe.

First, it’s not a regular Japanese TV show. If it was ever on TV, it wasn’t in the last 7 years.

Second, “nigger” doesn’t mean anything special to your average Jiro Sixpack, who’s probably wondering why everyone is saying they’re bitter (nigai).

Second, I don’t think it’s even Japanese-made. The family’s accents don’t sound like Japanese English. Also, I think the TV broadcast in the background is in Chinese.

Personally, I think it was made in Hong Kong or Taiwan. Why? beats me.

4

What westerners consider racist and taboo is often accepted as natural and nothing to be ashamed of in Asia.

There used to be a brand of toothpaste here in HK called “Darkie”, complete with a grinning black minstrel in a top hat. After complaints from westerners, the company that made it renamed it Darlie and changed the logo so it was non-racial. But in Chinese it still says “Black Man”. (I got a tube of Darkie before they phased it out 10 or so yrs ago as a souvenir.)

TV commercials here often show blacked up actors in goofy wigs playing the part of wild African tribesmen. And TV sitcoms often feature a Chinese actor with dark make-up playing the part of a Filipino or Thai housemaid, who of course screws everything up because she doesn’t know how electronic gadgets work, etc, etc.

One TV station even advertised itself as an advertising medium by showing a picture of Hitler and referring to the “final solution” for marketing problems.

wince

When westerners get worked up, many locals (mainly those educated here and not overseas) just scratch their heads. “What’s the fuss?”

It’s also totally legal in HK to discriminate on grounds of race/creed/nationality (though not gender or marital status). Many night clubs charge Indians to get in but allow whites in free.

There’s also a huge amount of open stereotyping - EG, about whites’ alcohol and sex related habits. (OK, so it’s not totally groundless, but at least be a bit more tactful.) I’ve often been seriously asked if I can eat Chinese food, as if my metabolism might not handle it.

5

Oops. The third point should, of course, be labelled “Third”.

Anyway, I didn’t even answer your question, do Japanese hate America(ns)?

Hate? Maybe about as much as Americans hate Japanese. There are some, of course (Tokyo governor Shintaro Ishihara, for one), but for the most part I’d say no. More people may have negative opinions about some things the American gov’t or American military do, without having the same feelings for individual American people.

Race relations are kind of an odd point, however. Non-Japanese make up only 1% of the population, and over half of those are Koreans who were born in Japan. Non-Asian racial or ethnic groups make up no more than one-tenth of a percent each, and most of them have arrived within the last 10 years. What other groups think, let alone what they cosider offensive, just doesn’t blip the radar screens of the Japanese media, or the average citizen. As a result, some staggeringly ignorant things get said every now and then, but without real malicious intent. When my students (or my fiancee) do this, I stay calm and explain why I or someone else would consider it rude or offensive. Almost always, the response is “Really? I never knew that.”

The TV clip, though, goes beyond anything I’ve personally witnessed, and seems to be deliberately aimed at English speakers, if not Americans. I wonder if it wasn’t actually made in America?

6

Hemlock-can I see some sites for the UK discrimination thing? That’s pretty nasty!

7

I’m with Sublight on this one. When I was studying in Japan, a friend of mine in Matusyama who knew I was born in England but lived in America once asked me if people pointed at me and called me “gaijin” (foreigner) in America. He seemed genuinely suprised to learn that in America no one did because it’s much harder to tell, not to mention ruder. Homogeneity (sp?) is taken for granted in Japan, which means it can be difficult to grasp America’s rather mind-boggling diversity. Remember, this is a country where, at least 10 years ago, if your grandfather was born in Korea, you were considered an alien. This isn’t condemnation; it’s just a reminder to myself as much as anyone that there’s simply a rather large comprehension gap between American and Japanese society as in “I know they do that, but why?”

CJ
Straddling 2 or 3 worlds.

8

That’s HK (Hong Kong) - not the UK. I just Googled “racial discrimination hong kong” and found a variety of articles by the small number of people here who speak out on the subject. The fact I found nothing substantial didn’t surprise me. It’s assumed - here and in many other parts of Asia - that people are naturally racist and it’s simply not a big deal, just one of those things westerners have a hang up about.

9

Wow.

The sketch described in the OP sounds like someone watching a Richard Pryor/Eddie Murphy tape got completely whooshed as to what was the point and decided to write their own sketch…

(Murphy himself once said: “I’m in some other country and people call out to me: ‘Eddie! Fuck you muthafucker!’ like it was some kind of greeting. Then they turn to their friends and say: ‘Look, that Eddie Murphy! He the fuck you muthafucker man!’.”)

10

I’ve seen the clip, and I think you got wooshed. The clip was, in my mind, poking fun at those who worship American culture, rather than imitating funny Americans.

You could also look at it as humour in the classic “Being Horrifically but Unknowingly Offensive” vein. For example, Jackie Chan’s “What’s up, my nigga?” from the original Rush Hour, or Jerry Seinfeld ranting about ponies at a dinner table with someone who loved and owned ponies.

11

D’oh! Sorry.

Yes, sorry to say, I can see it being more prevalent in Hong Kong rather than in the UK.