Orson

A protest by an Asian American watchdog group over the use of the word "Chinaman" in last Sunday`s episode of Fox`s "The Simpsons" has prompted producers to agree to delete the reference in future airings of the installment. The Media Action Network for Asian Americans complained about the Mr. Burns character calling his assistant Smithers "a Chinaman" while riding in a rickshaw. "Simpsons" executive producer Mike Scully said new dialogue would be substituted when the episode airs again: "There was no malicious intent behind the joke. It was supposed to be one of Mr. Burns` typical antiquated expressions." He quipped, "For future runs, we will change the line to offend another ethnic group."
source LA Times

Is Mr Scully being sarcastic about offending another group?If this is a true story (though i suspect a hoax) then it's just political correctness gone mad. Burns is supposed to be a dislikable dinosaur, who doesn't realise that times have moved on and racism is unacceptable. It's satire! The producers can't seriously be accused of racism?! Surely!?

[Edited by Orson on 03-05-01 at 10:03 AM]

RobCA

If the story's true, it wouldn't be the first time it's happened. There was another episode where Homer and Bart go into an Indian casino, and Homer says something like, "We must respect the ways of the Indian". The original line was, "We must respect the ways of the red man", but was changed due to a similar complaint. They just redubbed the dialogue; if you watch Homer's mouth as he says that line, he definitely did NOT say "Indian".

SirPablo

That's crappy. It was just a joke. I wouldn't be offended if I heard a white guy called "Whitey" on a TV show. Come on people...

Michael T Hudson

I agree people need to get the chip of of there shoulders. It is a joke nothing more.

badger1997

Good points all. But how many of you responding are actually Asian? I think only people of Asian hertiage could tell us whether or not they would find it offensive. I don't think it's the same as a white person being called "whitey" because in general white people haven't experienced as much racism as people of other nationalities and heritages.

ZenerDiode

I'm Asian...but then I'm a long time watcher of Simpsons and I know that Burns is the antithesis of the other characters...so I thought the joke worked the other way around....meaning it was mocking the ignorance and meaness of people like Burns. Either way, it was damn funny.

Orson

I started this thread, and I'm asian. (Although most don't realise that covers ~50% of the world's population, whereas 'White/European' includes less than 20%).
And I get really sick of this political correctness rubbish. I'm not in special need of protection 'due to centuries of racism'. Only children and incapable people need special extra help. I'm not incapable, yet political correctness/positive discrimination claims I am. Now that IS insulting and racist! Mr Burns saying 'chinaman' pales in comparison.

MrBEAViS

I may not be asian, but I don't think Mr. Burns could stereotype me with a word that would offend me enough to make them change the show.

nazz

It's comedy after all...not to be taken seriously.

C-Mart

Does it really matter? A racial slur is a racial slur, no matter what nationality you are. That doesn't mean that I agree with censoring the episode in the future, I think that a joke is a joke. Anything on the Simpsons should be taken as such. As far as that goes, I hear racial slurs on TV shows all the time, why are they singeling out the Simpsons?

-CM-

Trout

I think the censored their Christmas episode also (the one where bart steals the Bonestorm game).

Don Brodka says:"That may fly over at lamps plus, but don't peddle it here" (or something like that)

But in the rerun I saw, he says: "If I wanted to blow smoke up my ass, I'd be at home with a short length of hose and a pack of cigarettes"

Did anyone else notice this or was I just high?

huzefa

This is total crap, I am an Indian and I don't take offense to Apu and the way he talks on the show, because I know it is meant to be a joke, and moreover NOBODY talks like APU in real life. And APU is in almost EVERY show!!