December 14, 2006
Rosie O'Donnell Apologizes For Her Fake Chinese
A week after her spectacularly failed attempt at the Chinese language, Rosie O'Donnell apologized for reducing Chinese to "ching chong" on The View this morning. From People:
After running a clip of the offending segment, which originally ran Dec. 5, she said, "This apparently was very offensive to a lot of Asian people. So I asked Judy, who's Asian and works here in our hair and makeup department. I said, 'Was it offensive to you?' And she said, 'Well, kinda. When I was a kid people did tease me by saying ching-chong.'Way to set expectations! But at least she apologized (in a way). And didn't say "solly." Or mention anything about "no tickee, no laundry." We're curious about what newscasters in China have been saying about her (have they been calling her a "gwei lo" - white devil?) or whether anyone in China really cares."So apparently 'ching-chong,' unbeknownst to me, is a very offensive way to make fun, quote-unquote, or mock, Asian accents. Some people have told me it's as bad as the n-word. I was like, really? I didn't know that.
O'Donnell said that her joke was "never intended to hurt anyone, and I'm sorry for those people who felt hurt or were teased on the playground," but added that in the future, "there's a good chance that I'll do something like that again ... Not on purpose."
Was Rosie's apology enough? We think it's time for City Councilman John Liu to respond!
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She's kind of still not accepting full culpability - how the hell could she not know that "ching chong" is offensive? She also makes it sounds as though those wacky Asians are easily offended.
She should have gracefully said "I'm an idiot, I was thinking, and I'm sorry" immediately after it happened.
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She won't be able to apologize a second time, Samantha. She and Michael Richards are too busy filming Mel Gibson's adaptation of Mein Kampf.
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Where's the apology?
All I've read is a lot of ignorance. And, she states it will probably happen again.
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pulling out the dumb card. huh.
the "apology" still sounds like she is quote-unquote mocking.
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Who the hell thinks 'ching chong' is offensive? Thats what chinese sounds like to English langauge speakers! Was she supposed to pull out some perfectly enunciated Mandarin out her ass? She was making a small joke about how big the DeVito-was-drunk story was, and this self-aggrandizing IDIOT John Liu blew it out of proportion. IT WAS A JOKE.
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Oh and dude, ching chong is not the preferred nomenclature.
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It's always a joke when it offends a group other than your own Mr. Nobody. I bet you would be first on line to condemn someone who made fun of you.
Rosie, a few weeks ago had a fit because she thought Kelly Ripa was insinuating things about gays when Kelly said she didn't want Clay to cover her mouth becuas ehse didn't know where his hand had been.
Remember what they say about people who live in glass houses.
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people who live in glass houses are gay and asian?
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I wonder when John Liu will pay attention to representing all his constituents in his duties as City Councilman rather than acting like he’s King of the Asians.
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why can't chinese people be more like black people? that's a model minority if there ever was one
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say em bah paw
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I certainly think the "ching chong" remark was pretty offensive. Moreover, I think there's another issue at hand here, which is that O'Donnell isn't terribly intelligent, or funny.
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John Liu fights hard for Queens. if you lived there, you would know. Flushing is what it is now because of Asians. It was a shithole in the Seventies.
John Liu for Mayor.
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"Wong Brothers Laundry Service - Two Wongs Can Make It White."
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who thinks "ching chong" should be offensive?...the same people who think making monkey noises at africans, etc etc
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For those of you who say that saying "ching chong" is just a jock....I want those people to say it infront of a young asian american male and see what happens...mostly likely ...your ass will get beat down..
P
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I don't think so Peter, unless you have it on tape.
Even Rosie's Asian stylist didn't say a thing, unless she put some spunk in her hair gel.
But then she's an asian female, the most sell out of the bunch. but, what ya gonna do?
There's some really really smart, really really strong real asian girls that know the real deal. but they're few and far between. Those are keepers.
Most are in denial until it's too late.
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I was about to say something about making a mountain from a molehill, but then I read the comments and got offended.
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I'd like to think the Chinese have better sense than to watch The View.
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Stupid fat dyke. I hope she gets cancer in both tits, which then spreads to that rotten apple cooch of hers, then finally to her brain, so that the only words she's able to utter are "Ching-Chong-Ching."
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b:your comment reminds me of an incident from a few months ago. i was on broadway, just south of canal, when i walked by a black guy. he said "ching chong" to me (i'm a chinese female) and i thought "if i said ooga booga to you, you'd get upset so why are you saying ching chong to me?" humanity's stupidity never ceases to amaze me. i can't wait till we wipe ourselves off the face of the earth.
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Nobody who makes jokes should apologize. No violence-inciting language should be acceptable, but there is a big difference between hate and jokes. I proudly make offensive jokes everyday but I would never use hate speech. Nothing irks me more than when people say "I'm for free speech BUT..." Does it hurt someone's feelings? Awwwww
If you didn't mean to be offensive stop bowing down to these cry babies and don't apologize! Now people think making fun of a language is racist?! UGH UGH UGH
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No Engrish is spoken in or appears on the signs of non-chain stores in Frushing
Why Liu no concern about his constitulents assimirating into America’s gleat melting pot?
Hooray Frushing!
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Next, Rosie will be in rehab, à la, uh, well, every celebrity who's made faux pas. In other words, it wasn't me talking, it was the booze/ADHD/Vicodin/toad-licking/whatever...
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Flushing was a shithole then and now it's a vibrant commercial district.
That accounts for something.
And for those saying it's a joke, then the "n" word to you is a joke and again, say it to someone of colour. Tell them it's a joke.
I'll tell you what, come fourth of July go to a black owned business like Sylvia's etc and ask if they have any "n" chasers for sale.
Better yet, ask your black co-workers where to find them. That should be easier.
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eb, I wish you actually said that instead of thought it, but as a female who may have been concerned for her safety, I understand.
What asians should do, as in this instance, is not let it slide. That's what we're 'expected' to do - just ignore it, keep walking, don't make trouble, blahblahblah. If we want this to keep happening, stick to that advice.
I, on the other hand, choose to get in someone face about it.
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as an asian person who's tried hard to live in this unjust world I'd just like to understand the psychology of all this hatred. Why can't I just walk around without getting "ching chong" sing songs? What did I do? I speak english superbly. I didn't kill anyone. I've never raped anyone. I've never committed any crimes. I've followed the law. I try to make a decent living and contribute to society and yet because I keep my head down and try to live my life without imposing on others I get this racist shit as a reward? sometimes I think it's better if asians were more sinister and mean and loud. we need more asian people killing, raping, and doing despicable things in the papers so we'd actually deserve the ching chong slurs.
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I love it how it's always the whities who say "C'mon, lighten up!" - people who probably have never experienced bigoted speech directed at them in their fucking lives.
And if you're a person of color who thinks "Aw, ease up!" Try not to be such an Anglophile and be just alittle bit proud of your heritage, why doncha?
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Fuckin' fat dike. (If that was offensive to the fags, I'm sorry. I didn't know.)
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rocknrope: i did think about addressing the guy except i was half his size/weight and had a feeling he wouldn't take kindly to having the tables turned. i applaud you for not letting those incidents slide. maybe next time i'll say something because it really makes me crazy!
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the worst i've gotten in recent memory is being called ichiro at a yankees game. they were playing the mariners, but i didn't have any seattle gear on and i don't think i look remotely japanese. it was so stupid.
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Bob: Having lived in Flusing for most of my life, I could care two shits what language the signs are. I am not asian and just because it's not written in "Engrish", that never stopped me from going into those stores. (Oh wait, the "enrish" thing was a joke... in that case, it's okay. sorry.) I would like to think that I'm a little bit more open-minded than that; and smarter too. Just because I couldn't read the sign, I knew if it was a restaurant, or a deli, or a clothing store, or whatever business it might have been. Heck, I even have a chinese doctor. Probably his only latino client. Big whoop!
Re: John Liu: He is no Sharpton. Does he like the limelight? Yeah, but he also goes out into the community to do things that are important. He came to a thanksgiving event a couple of years ago a teen group I was volunteering for put together. All minors, not yet able to vote. No parents, no press, very few asian teens. He eventually donated a very generous amount of money to the orgranization, but those things aren't important to the community I guess.
Lastly, as a gay male, I think Rosie is an idiot and should choose her words more carefully because even though she knew it was a joke (and I agree it was), I'm sure that she has many viewers who think exactly what she said is correct.
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that's Yankee stadium for you. You'll be treated better at Shea only because there's more interracial couples there.
In fact, you'll be treated better at a NASCAR race than at Yankee stadium. but you also have to take your shirt off to get that four hour Track tan.
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There's an enormous difference about making light of the way a language sounds and dropping N bombs for no reason. I hate to revert back to Michael Richards land and discuss if that word is appropriate because Rosie was imitating an accent and using it to make a joke. And to say priveliged people are the only people who say "lighten up" misses the point. We ALL get teased or made fun of for some reason at some point in our lives. Sometimes it is harsh and sometimes it is lighthearted but to cry racism and hatred everytime does two dangerous things. 1) It takes focus away from REAL racism. I will never deny that bigotry exists.
2) It stops free speech. I make lots of hack German jokes at my girlfriend's expense and she never says "Oh that's not fair".
I've been at the end of racist jokes and racist remarks. I don't "brush them off" I laugh at them because they are funny.
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I just read C.H.U.D.'s remarks and I just want everyone to hold up a collective finger in his nose and laugh at him. What a tool
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#32/Javster
You don’t get it.
Liu is so concerned about Asians being treated equally. Yet his own district is filled with Asian owned shops and restaurants with signs entirely in Chinese or Korean that send a message (whether intentional or not) that English speaking people are not welcome in their establishments.
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And ER is a typical dumbshit who thinks getting teased and experiencing racism is the same thing. So fucking typical.
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ER, you are a fucking idiot. If you brush off "light racism" you leave the door open to "Heavy racism". WHy do you think the city tickets people for "quality of life" issues like noise complaints and graffiti? It's been proven that these smalltime things are pathways to city decimating crimes like prostitution and drug sales. You want people to turn the other cheek and then when they do the people who are the taunters just up the ante and say even heavier racist shit. And to say that ching chong is not racist is fucking ignorant. It's the same as making monkey noises to a black guy.
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That is quite possibly the worst apology I've heard since Michael Richards on Letterman! Seriously, where are celebrities getting their apology lessons from these days? Pope Benedict? Kobe Bryant? C'mon, Rosie. You can do better than that.
You fat fucking dike!
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I see nothing has changed since the death of Vincent Chin.
this is why I don't go out unarmed. and if you do stop me, you better have PC. I have a lawyer on retainer.
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Yeah, the fact that ER thinks racist jokes and remarks are funny, even when directed at him, says alot about the depth of his personality.
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God, Rosie is so damn UNfunny and UNoriginal. Any comedian who has to resort to "ching chong ching" needs to find a new line of work. Steven Colbert, however, is one funny man! Anyone catch his purposely offensive but extremely funny version of someone doing a bad Chinese impression? It's so bad, it's good! And I'm Asian! Rosie, is that the best you can do to get media attention? So sad...
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Man, I do love it when non-asians tell me when I should and shouldn't be offended. Me so solly!
Do me a favor, STFU.
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"The right to freedom of speech equates to neither an obligation to offend nor a duty to be insensitive. If our commitment to free speech is important, our belief in antiracism should be no less so."
- Gary Younge
"Not only are whites kicking us; they are telling us how to react to being kicked."
-Steve Biko
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I guess the apology was ... sorry you people took the joke the wrong way. Didn't Rosie O'Donnell grow up on Long Island? How could she not know "ching chong" was offensive to Asians? They know that even in Wyoming. Okay, she apologized ... sorta. Let's move on. Next time she goes on about perceived homophobia ... we'll all go ... "yeah, right." She wins the Hypocrites award this year.
As for what Chinese sounds to western ears ... try saying "Oooga booga" to a group of African Americans. Let us know how well they accept that joke.
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If you Asians don't like it, take the Fung Wah bus back to China. There you will find a billion people saying ching chong all day long and you will be happy.
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Confucius say, ching chong pai gow dong. Hee wah, ding tah.
And you can take that to the bank.
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william- you are lucky to hide behind the internet cause I'd fucking disembowl your ass.
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I'm glad you asians are happy. Now do us all a favor and learn how to drive!
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William's mother sucks cocks in hell.
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I used to call my neighbor a coolie. He never complained.
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Most you people have issues that need to be sorted out in a constructive way, sooner the better
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it's always the mindless, unoriginal people who say ching chong, asians can't drive, good at math/science, blah blah blah... even if it's true, so what? your point being? you want to make yourselves feel better in comparison? oh, ok, got it. thanks. point taken!
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I didn't know rosie o'fatty was from LI?
That sort of explains it. Guess it hurts when people call you fat growing up that you resort to making fun of others.
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people who say ching chong and derogatory things to asians are really saying "I can't understand you, You are better than me in every aspect so I have to find a way to taunt you because I fear everythin you stand for" - that's it in a nutshell
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Sorry William, the Fung Wah bus doesn't go to China. It goes to Boston. You know Boston? Home of some of the top Ivy League schools in the country, where asians make up 20% of the population?
Don't worry, I gather one day your job will be outsourced to an asian country, so you can visit China too, if you want your job back.
Moron.
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I take Fung Wah bus to Ivy Reague School. Me number one son. Must make ancestors ploud. Sank you.
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I hear ya, bro. As a white person who's tried hard to live in this unjust world I'd like to understand the psychology of all this hatred myself.
I'll tell you this tho; When I walk down the street at night I feel comfortable, safe and totally at ease anytime I'm somewhere with or even completely surrounded by Asians because I know how respectful, polite and educated most of you are. That's MY stereotype of the Asian people. If you, me and another white guy where in the same room I'd instinctively trust you more because I'm fully aware of the fact that we whites have a much higher count of crazy-demented whackos amongst ourselves than your people.
So don't let it get to you. Take it for what it is; the stupid insensitive comment of an overweight homosexual 'comedienne' who's best years have gone by.
IF there really ever were any 'good' years for her.
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Hope you guys weren't watching "The Office" tonight.
I smell some outrage brewin'.