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mourningclam
Joined: 27 Jan 2004
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 Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 12:32 am Post subject: Racist? Ignorant? Probably Both. |
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I was at my local bar the other day early in the evening and happened to be watching one of those Korean sketch comedies on the MBC channel. It was situated in a police station. Anyway, out comes this K girl actress, except she wasnt trying to be Korean. Her skin was painted black and she had an afro wig on. She also had these grotesquely elongated lips and carried a guitar in one hand and some sort of fan thing in the other. It was an obvious attempt to parody a person of African origin like some culturally vulgar throw back to the "Minstrel" plays on the early American 1900s. Also, with that fan thing, she was blowing in the mouths of the other actors to make their lips contort in a fashion similar to her pathetic mimic.
I dont know if anybody finds this funny or disgusting, but I think it is extreme backword thinking. Korean society is still stuck 60 years in the past and this antedote is an example. |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 1:38 am Post subject: |
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| I dont know if anybody finds this funny or disgusting, but I think it is extreme backword thinking. Korean society is still stuck 60 years in the past and this antedote is an example. |
Sounds pretty retro, but I don't know if you have to go back 60 years to find stuff like that in the west. Anyone ever see that Carol Burnett skit, circa 1979, about the signing of the Russo-Japanese peace treaty? Harvey Korman plays this austeure Russian diplomat, and Tim Conway plays his buck-toothed, hyperactive, "ahh-soo" Japanese counterpart. Of course, the whole premise of the skit is what a whack-job the Japanese guy is.
Mind you, I've occasionally had students make fun of the way Japanese people talk, so Koreans would probably love that skit! |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 3:44 am Post subject: |
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I suppose mourningclam, you missed the Bubble Sisters.
That was pretty bad stuff. |
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ohahakehte
Joined: 24 Aug 2003
Location: The State of Denial
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 3:58 am Post subject: |
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| i think about alleged korean racism and backward thinking everytime i hear the preschool kids at my school singing "one little two little three little indians." it bothers me every time i hear it. my coworkers have tried to explain why koreans would sing such a song with their students w/ no shame - like they've met no indians in their lives and hence have no idea that its racist. i dont really blame them, but i doubt koreans would be very impressed if someone resurrected some archaic japanese racist slogan along the same lines, "one little two little three little hangugo's" or whatever. |
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Kwangjuchicken
Joined: 01 Sep 2003
Location: I was abducted by aliens on my way to Korea and forced to be an EFL teacher on this crazy planet.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 5:09 am Post subject: Re: Racist? Ignorant? Probably Both. |
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| mourningclam wrote: |
I was at my local bar the other day early in the evening and happened to be watching one of those Korean sketch comedies on the MBC channel. It was situated in a police station. Anyway, out comes this K girl actress, except she wasnt trying to be Korean. Her skin was painted black and she had an afro wig on. She also had these grotesquely elongated lips and carried a guitar in one hand and some sort of fan thing in the other. It was an obvious attempt to parody a person of African origin like some culturally vulgar throw back to the "Minstrel" plays on the early American 1900s. Also, with that fan thing, she was blowing in the mouths of the other actors to make their lips contort in a fashion similar to her pathetic mimic.
I dont know if anybody finds this funny or disgusting, but I think it is extreme backword thinking. Korean society is still stuck 60 years in the past and this antedote is an example. |
As for the stuck 60 years in the past, well I have learned some pretty wild stuff from my students. And, I know it must be true because I have heard it from 100's of students aged 20's -60's, as well as from Korean profs., etc.
Most Koreas got their first telephone in 1981.  My great grandmother had one in 1890
1985 many got their first TV and refrigerator.
so, they have a lot of catching up to do |
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komtengi
Joined: 30 Sep 2003
Location: Slummin it up in Haebangchon
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 5:18 am Post subject: |
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| just because wrote: |
I suppose mourningclam, you missed the Bubble Sisters.
That was pretty bad stuff. |
that was a tragedy.... even worse is that they are still out there |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 6:07 am Post subject: |
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| i think about alleged korean racism and backward thinking everytime i hear the preschool kids at my school singing "one little two little three little indians." it bothers me every time i hear it |
And I suppose you had NEVER heard children singing this song before you came to Korea? Can there be anyone over the age of thirty reading this who did not either sing that song as a child, or at least hear other children singing it? I can't exactly recall where I first heard TEN LITTLE INDIANS, but it would not at all surprise me if it was from a teacher, parent, or some other authority figure.
Don't get me wrong. It's a good thing that most young westerners today grew up in a culture where such overt racism is taboo. Let's not imagine, however, that this golden age of cultural enlightenment has been going on for centuries. I'd say twenty years, tops. Hardly long enough for us to be bragging to the world about it.
And, which is worse? The song being sung by Koreans who have nothing to do with the Indian genocides, or it being sung by North Americans whose nations are built on land stolen from the same Indians who died in the genocide? |
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Homer
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 6:51 am Post subject: |
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That was pretty bad indeed....
Cultural insentivity is what it seems to be....unfortunate.
Much like the old Jerry Lewis movie where he plays the chinese guy (thick glasses and buck teeth) or the american movies form that same era where white women got roles playing asian women.... |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 6:59 am Post subject: |
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| Much like the old Jerry Lewis movie where he plays the chinese guy (thick glasses and buck teeth) or the american movies form that same era where white women got roles playing asian women.... |
Indeed. And let's not forget, that "era" goes up to at least 1980.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082501/ |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 7:01 am Post subject: |
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From the IMDB review of Jerry Lewis' HARDLY WORKING:
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How bad is it? Flat jokes, overblown situations, Oriental stereotypes.... If this were done by someone imitating Jerry Lewis it would be bad enough, but to see Lewis doing an imitation of himself (and a bad one at that), it's pretty sad.
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Cthulhu
Joined: 02 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 10:11 am Post subject: |
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Regarding the original post I think its ignorance more than racism, though I wouldn't doubt racism plays a part in it to some degree. Korea still has a ways to go in this department. Although Asians sometimes get the stereotypical treatment on TV back home it's a little less like the caricature presented on the Korean show.
On the other hand, after watching a few rap videos on BET last week and checking out a rather curious Festival in Jamaica on the multicultural channel the other day I'm kinda wondering if it's the Koreans who are presenting the worst black female stereotypes out there...or is it somehow okay that the artists are portraying "their own women" as hos?  |
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OiGirl
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: Hoke-y-gun
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 12:43 pm Post subject: |
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| On the other hand wrote: |
| I can't exactly recall where I first heard TEN LITTLE INDIANS, but it would not at all surprise me if it was from a teacher, parent, or some other authority figure. |
Nursery school. I was facing east.
Why is it offensive to be counting Indians? Are they putting their hair in mohawks and giving war whoops? Or putting Bindi on the kids before they sing the song?
"Hey! They are teaching the kids to sing 'Ten Little Hammers'!! That's offensive to...tools and other hardware." |
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seoulmon
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Racist? Ignorant? Probably Both. |
Sounds like your talking about Bush.... |
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Corporal
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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| ohahakehte wrote: |
| i think about alleged korean racism and backward thinking everytime i hear the preschool kids at my school singing "one little two little three little indians." it bothers me every time i hear it. my coworkers have tried to explain why koreans would sing such a song with their students w/ no shame - like they've met no indians in their lives and hence have no idea that its racist. i dont really blame them, but i doubt koreans would be very impressed if someone resurrected some archaic japanese racist slogan along the same lines, "one little two little three little hangugo's" or whatever. |
I just wonder why Koreans have to giggle hysterically anytime anyone says Africa. Can someone please explain to me what is so funny about Africa or Africans? So there aren't many black people here. So what? When you were a kid and someone said "Korea" did you instantly burst into laughter like they just told a really good joke? 
This irritates me no matter how often it happens. |
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Shincheon_Blues
Joined: 16 Dec 2003
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2004 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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| just because wrote: |
I suppose mourningclam, you missed the Bubble Sisters.
That was pretty bad stuff. |
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