A friend sent me the URL to this site. I found it very funny. Warning, it requires ShockWave to view. But after looking at it several times, especially the exaggerated features on the two characters, I wondered if it’s indulging in stereotypes.
Here’s the URL: Combo #5
What do you all think?
It doesn’t bother me.
I dunno. I thought it was kinda cute.
Now, I’ve got that damn song in my head and can’t get it out. Thanks.
**Tuckerfan wrote:
Now, I’ve got that damn song in my head and can’t get it out. Thanks.**
You’re welcome. Anything for a fellow Doper.
Yeah, I’ve got the song stuck in my head, too. Ain’t the part about General Tso’s chicken hysterical? 
Yeah. Someone could probably make the argument that the thing was offensive on the basis of ethnic slurs or whatever, but at least they weren’t wearing t-shirts that read, “Cat: The other white meat.” :eek: (Though, I would have found that really funny. If I ever get stupidly rich, I intend to open one of those places and staff it with Asians and have them wear those shirts for their uniform, just to unhinge people. I also want to breed chiuaua’s [or however you spell the name of that over-bred Mexican dog that shakes and shits alot] the size of rottweliers! :eek: )
I don’t know about offensive, but I think it’s incredibly stupid. I don’t think I could bear to watch it more than once.
Here’s me glad I didn’t have my amplifier turned on:
Here’s me wondering if anyone would have to question whether a picture of an African-American with grotesquely oversized lips or of an intoxicated Irishman indulged in stereotypes: 
Here’s me quoting the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Heritage, Third Edition:
Your subject was “Is this offensive?” but your OP asked if it indulges in stereotypes. For me, that would be a “no” and a “yes” respectively. It takes more than that to offend me, frankly, but I’m not in the group being stereotyped.
I’ve seen this one before. My roommate forwarded it to me after her childhood best friend sent it to her. The best friend, as it happens, is Chinese-American. Her family runs a Chinese restaurant. She thought it was funny, so I think it’s safe to say that it’s not the most offensive thing on earth. But there’s no doubt that it does indulge in stereotypes, and that is enough to make it offensive to some people. I know it’s not something I felt comfortable forwarding on myself, and I don’t think I would have shown it to any Asian or Asian-American friends.
Yeah, it’s offesive in my opinion. My pie chart of why it is offensive would be constructed as follows:
Using racial stereotypes: 10%
Annoying tune: 5%
Lame/unfunny: 85%
Haj
**Lamia wrote:
But there’s no doubt that it does indulge in stereotypes, and that is enough to make it offensive to some people. I know it’s not something I felt comfortable forwarding on myself, and I don’t think I would have shown it to any Asian or Asian-American friends.**
After thinking this over a bit, I asked myself, “why is this funny?” It is because of the stereotypes used or is there something else? The music? General Tso and his chickens? The cow and pig? How about the ducks!? 
Having been to numerous Chinese restaurants in my life (in Hawaii, they’re pretty hard to avoid, 'specially if you got Chinese-American parents), I can say very confidently that Chinese restaurant waiters do not look like that. First off, they’re not waiters, they’re waitresses; in every place I went to, it’s the women who taking the orders, serve the food, and collect the bills. And none of them wear hats, much less chef’s hats. Even among the men, pencil mustaches are largely a thing of the past, and they do care about their appearance enough to correct things like overbites.
Some of the waitresses do talk like that. It depends on how recently they came to the States (nearly all of them are first-generation) and how recently they learned the language. I’ve encounted many first-generation CAs in my life, and I’m pretty grateful if they understand the language at all. (I’m not kidding…an astonishing number of permanent residents who don’t know one word of English.)
I’ve never seen combos referred to by number, either, except by the number of people it’s supposed to serve (meal for 2, meal for 4, etc.). In fact, the only places I’ve seen numbered combos are fast food restaurants.
Offensive? More like pointless if you ask me.
Having been to numerous Chinese restaurants in my life (in Hawaii, they’re pretty hard to avoid, 'specially if you got Chinese-American parents), I can say very confidently that Chinese restaurant waiters do not look like that. First off, they’re not waiters, they’re waitresses; in every place I went to, it’s the women who taking the orders, serve the food, and collect the bills. And none of them wear hats, much less chef’s hats. Even among the men, pencil mustaches are largely a thing of the past, and they do care about their appearance enough to correct things like overbites.
Some of the waitresses do talk like that. It depends on how recently they came to the States (nearly all of them are first-generation) and how recently they learned the language. I’ve encounted many first-generation CAs in my life, and I’m pretty grateful if they understand the language at all. (I’m not kidding…an astonishing number of permanent residents who don’t know one word of English.)
I’ve never seen combos referred to by number, either, except by the number of people it’s supposed to serve (meal for 2, meal for 4, etc.). In fact, the only places I’ve seen numbered combos are fast food restaurants.
Offensive? More like pointless if you ask me.
I’ve worked in a chinese resturant, and when I first saw that I thought they were french. Its indulging in outrageous stereotypes and is not meant to be taken seriously. So I don’t think it is offensive. They don’t look asian, and even the accent is a little off.
I also let it play about 4 times:)
A man of Chinese descent awakens his wife one night. “Hey, honey, I want a 69” he says to her. She sleepily and incredulously answers…
"You want Broccoli Beef * NOW *?
Cyn flees the room
Being a self-taught expert on Asians (
), I find it funny because it pokes fun at the stereotype, IMHO. All my Chinese friends think it’s funny.
What’s weirder is the shorter of the two looks just like my friend Stanton - :eek:
Esprix
I didn’t see anything negative about Asians in it. Yes, the chefs are caricatures, but I don’t think caricature alone is offensive in most cases.
I didn’t think it was offensive.
The funniest part to me was the flying ingredients, especially the broccoli–it reminded me of the time I threw a broccoli floret across the dining room table and into the family room, striking Dad’s recliner. I don’t remember why I did that though.
Very funny. I did not find it offensive at all. I’m not Asian, but I think I would find it just as funny if it was Italian chefs.
Sometimes stereotypes can be funny. What would the Simpsons be without our favorite Scotsman Willie or that German exchange student?
Marc