Keeping the White Man Down

No more than a few hours ago, I commented on Russel Simmons' call to end blatant misogynistic and racist epithets in rap lyrics. A few minutes later, cable channel, Headline News, ran a piece about some CBS radio DJs who had come under fire for a prank call to a Chinese restaurant and I wanted to comment on that then, but had to run to physical therapy for my neck. By the time I got home, BBC had picked up the story. I might have forgotten it altogether but for the BBC article.

Now, this one's a lot sketchier than either of the other two (Imus and Simmons) simply because

• I deplore prank phonecalls and other "jokes" of a similar nature (hidden camera, etc.)
• This one really starts to smack of actual censorship
• Asian-Americans deserve respect just like any other stratum or group of the population

This is the danger of limiting speech. While one Asian-American spokesperson mentions "double-standards," let me remind everyone how white men (and women, but specifically men) are - far and away - the largest group of Americans who face double-standards across the spectrum, so you'll forgive me if I don't rush right out and support your cause, won't you?

Allow me to point-out how no white rappers ever created music that was racially-charged against black people (unless there's some white power rap group or act with which I am not familiar, but I don't think there is). Allow me to point-out how pretty much every black comedian's act consists of the same tired racist jokes ("black people do [that] like [this]; white people do [that] like [this]") - a note that even NBC picked up on and played out on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (the dialogue was almost verbatim to what I have said and blogged before - no, I'm not going to sue them, if for no other reason than I was very pleased to see it and how they handled it on the show). When the white man is the target of these racial "tongue-lashings," it's all good; only white people can be racist, make racist statements, or have racist thoughts.

I heard some of the phonecall and I was not offended by the language but, again a personal preference, I found the whole thing offensive just because I don't particularly find it funny to make a jackass out of innocent, unsuspecting people. I don't think it's funny when adolescents do it; I don't think it's funny when white people do it; I don't think it's funny when radio DJs do it. That being said, the phonecall was obviously supposed to be humorous and humor is largely a subjective matter; because I didn't find it funny doesn't mean that no one else did either.

Racism, on quite the other hand, is not subjective. CBS head, Les Moonves, said he was trying to root out a culture of permissiveness which allows people to be demeaned. While I agree with that sentiment, I don't - and have never - believed that people "have a right to be offended." I find that sort of thinking ridiculous. Sure, you have a right to be offended, but you also have a right to exercise your own judgment and actions as to what you are exposed to - meaning to say that, if the radio show offends you, you can turn it off.

And that's the real measure of racism and censorship:

Segregating people is racist; most stereotypes, while not necessarily true, are not necessarily racist. Asking people to show restraint in their language and actions at a funeral is a matter of respect; enacting a law which forbids anyone from saying anything negative at a funeral is censorship. These distinctions are clear and easily defined.

If you are an Asian-American (and, by the by, would you be Asian-English or Asian-Spanish if you lived in England or Spain? No, of course not - keep blaming the white man who, by the way, established the very laws which give you the right to do so) and this skit offended you, I feel you have two very basic rights: you have the right to speak out and be heard and you have the right to change the effing channel.

Don't tell me shit about "double-standards."

Oh, and Iggy Pop turned 60 today. What a stooge!