# Is Kim's Convenience racist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [November 4, 2020, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773 "2020-11-04T18:12:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/21 "2020-11-11T20:01:09Z")
Cheque’s in the mail, but it’s in Yap Islander currency so postage may be a bit dear when you cash it in… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/22 "2020-11-11T20:52:36Z")
> [@Didi44](#): > > Totally not racist! Totally funny! > > I’ve never heard of the show before and have to hunt down full episodes, because the Youtube clips are hilarious! Thank you! It’s on Netflix. I’m currently going through it. The characters on the show are _characters_ with personalities that go far beyond stereotypes. I think it would work just fine with any other racial group. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/23 "2020-11-11T20:58:37Z")
> [@bump](#): > > but it’s not making any kind of stereotyping, It is the definition of stereotyping. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/24 "2020-11-11T22:05:24Z")
Let me know when you get to S4ep1 - whether you find the racism bit as spot on as I did. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2020, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/25 "2020-11-11T23:05:10Z")
So wait. Any time characters act in a way _some_ real people do is stereotyping? ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/26 "2020-11-12T00:07:10Z")
Oh, I guess if you’re saying it that must be reality. Go and re-read my post above that quotes the makers of the show. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/27 "2020-11-12T02:15:12Z")
And here I thought Kim’s Convenience’s biggest sin was being too banally CBC… ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/28 "2020-11-12T02:25:30Z")
Too late to edit, I say that as someone who is subscribed to CBC Gem. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/29 "2020-11-12T02:29:49Z")
“So wait. Any time characters act in a way _some_ real people do is stereotyping?” _slaps head_ Duh…of course that’s exactly what a stereotype is!. I meant to say I know some people so who act that way. Open and honest wit their thoughts and especially the way Asian parents, including my own treat their children. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/30 "2020-11-12T21:52:01Z")
I think **Bippity** was responding to @bump’s tale of how **bump** himself described his local trick or treaters. Nothing to do directly with the show. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/31 "2020-11-12T23:09:09Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I think **Bippity** was responding to @bump’s tale of how **bump** himself described his local trick or treaters. **LSL** gets it in one 👍🏽 ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/32 "2020-11-13T01:39:06Z")
@BippityBoppityBoo Having read bump’s post I see I owe you an apology. I am sorry for misunderstanding the context of your post. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/33 "2020-11-13T01:54:44Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > sorry for misunderstanding the context of your post. We’re good. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/34 "2020-11-13T07:17:45Z")
> [@FordPrefect](#): > > And here I thought Kim’s Convenience’s biggest sin was being too banally CBC… The CBC has the habit of telling Canadians that they are multicultural, through their productions. In addition to “Kim’s Convenience,” they have also produced and broadcast “Little Mosque on the Prairie,” about Muslims in Saskatchewan; “King of Kensington” (about a Jewish shopkeeper in Toronto, whose friends included a black Jamaican); and “Adventures in Rainbow Country,” which featured plucky Billy (a white kid), aided by his friends: a Cree Indian and a French-Canadian, in adventures in northern Ontario. “The Beachcombers,” which ran for years, starred a Greek boat operator in British Columbia. The CBC isn’t racist. It’s merely trying to reflect the multicultural makeup of Canada. Sometimes, it’s a little heavy-handed, but it means well. Its productions may not translate well to other countries, however. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/35 "2020-11-13T07:58:54Z")
Seems to be exactly what the BBC does too, and that’s great. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/36 "2020-11-13T08:17:59Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I admit that I am likely dense, and blinded by my identity, but I still find this somewhat confusing. > > I honestly do not wish to refer to anyone in ways that trouble them, but find it can be challenging to determine what is or is not offensive. The same joke - such as humor based on an immigrants language skills - might be offensive or not, depending on who came up with the joke, their reasons behind the joke, where and how it was published, who repeated the jokes and why… > > Take Kim’s Convenience. Would it matter if the original play was written by a non-Korean? Do the Korean creator’s motivations matter? Perhaps he resents and wishes to ridicule his culture… How about if I - a white male - repeat a joke from the store? > > Please accept that I am not TRYING to offend anyone, or tell anyone how to interpret things (other than my personal views/statements.) A part of me almost feels like I’m laughing at a racist joke, or other joke at someone’s expense. “Dance Me Outside,” a film about life on a First Nations reservation, was written by white guy WP Kinsella (as was the series The Rez and the novel/film Shoeless Joe/Field of Dreams). The film featured First Nations actors and characters and told a story that presented these characters with depth and humour. Was it racist? Because it was written by a non-native? I don’t think so. Perhaps I’m naive. ---
**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:** [November 13, 2020, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/37 "2020-11-13T09:00:46Z")
The fact that an actual Canadian-Korean is in charge is a good indicator that they know enough about Korean immigrant culture to avoid anything that would be hateful to Koreans and Korean immigrants. It’s not perfect, but, unless you see a bunch of Korean immigrants saying the show is offensive, it’s probably not. And, yes, it is largely about listening to the actual minorities in question instead of trying to dictate what is and is not “racist.” Sure, there are some absolutes with racism, but when it comes to whether or not a particular portrayal is stereotypical and hurtful, that is pretty much up to them. Just makes sure you check with the actual audience. One time this has been misused is people asking actual Japanese about depictions that were offensive to Japanese-Americans. Japanese people lack the context that the Americans knew, and the works in question were American. You can, of course, get a good general idea of what a group would find offensive. But that’s for those who have done so. If you haven’t, then just listen to what the mainstream opinion in that group is. That’s probably good enough. As for your own feelings–those are up to you. Even if something is problematic, it’s okay for you to find it funny and enjoy it. That’s something that the people yelling at the “SJWs” never seem to get. Someone saying that, say, _Beauty and the Beast_ was problematic are not saying “you should not enjoy this.” ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2020, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/38 "2020-11-13T16:43:37Z")
Fair enough. What I was trying to get at is that I’m not assigning any negative attributes or anything like that- it’s just a mostly accurate indicator of where someone lives in my part of town. It doesn’t imply anything else about them. It’s like saying that someone with a “Texas Farm Truck” license plate on their pickup truck probably lives in a rural area somewhere in Texas. It’s most likely true, but not 100% absolutely true, as there are almost certainly people with those license plates who live in other states, and who live in cities. And it doesn’t indicate anything else about them either. It may be a stereotype, but it’s a very limited one without all the usual baggage of a stereotype. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2020, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/39 "2020-11-14T02:30:23Z")
This show isn’t racist or accurate at all! I just watched episode 5 and Eomma told Janet she loved her. No first generation Asian/Canadian would do that! LOL! 😄 ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773/40 "2020-11-19T00:55:46Z")
Darn you! You owe me $8.99 for Netflix 💰 AND 4 days of binge watching every episode 🥺 PLUS the emotional damage of having to wait until the debut of Season 5 to see what happens next! 😨 Darn you! Darn you! Darn you! **Oh and thanks for talking about such a great show!** Darn you! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-kims-convenience-racist/924773.md?page=3)