So Colbert did this, a tweet that comes up with a blatantly racist institution to support Asian American culture. And the internet along with many Asian Americans went on a storm. However, turns out the tweet was taken out of context and the actual video was this, where he conflates the association made by the Red Skins for the Native American with this fictitious racist Asian American focused organization. Now many a person on the internet have risen up from the intellectual cornucopia to defend Stephen. They claim that the original use was proper and the right blend of satire. However, I believe people are missing the larger point as to why so many Asian Americans are upset.
Minority voices and images have historically been used for the entertainment of a white populous. The minstrel show wasn't only for African Americans as many Asians, Latinos, Native Americans and many more minorities find themselves caricatured and put on display for a white audience's amusement. Nowadays such blatant racism is called out. In its stead we find a stream of subtle appropriation going on. Minority culture is taken and fetishized, used as an object for the rhetorical purpose of mainly whites. And therein lies the issue with Colbert's bit. As a straight white man, Colbert has many privileges others don't have. Even more specifically Colbert certainly has no true understanding of the plight faced by minorities via the media. Yet he finds that he can use their images and stereotypes as tools at his disposal to provide entertainment that everyone but the group being used (in this case Asians) would enjoy. Now can an Asian American make this joke and do it successfully? Perhaps. I'm unsure if I could speak to that seeing that I am not Asian American, but that's a debate that would happen within their particular community, not out in the public for the media to grab hold on. Simply put, there are some jokes you make with people in your own community and to have someone take part in that discourse as if they were entitled to do would be considered off putting. Also the tweet had Colbert's name on it and was associated with comedy central so he should definitely share blame. None of this it wasn't me "Shaggy" type bullshit.
Minority voices and images have historically been used for the entertainment of a white populous. The minstrel show wasn't only for African Americans as many Asians, Latinos, Native Americans and many more minorities find themselves caricatured and put on display for a white audience's amusement. Nowadays such blatant racism is called out. In its stead we find a stream of subtle appropriation going on. Minority culture is taken and fetishized, used as an object for the rhetorical purpose of mainly whites. And therein lies the issue with Colbert's bit. As a straight white man, Colbert has many privileges others don't have. Even more specifically Colbert certainly has no true understanding of the plight faced by minorities via the media. Yet he finds that he can use their images and stereotypes as tools at his disposal to provide entertainment that everyone but the group being used (in this case Asians) would enjoy. Now can an Asian American make this joke and do it successfully? Perhaps. I'm unsure if I could speak to that seeing that I am not Asian American, but that's a debate that would happen within their particular community, not out in the public for the media to grab hold on. Simply put, there are some jokes you make with people in your own community and to have someone take part in that discourse as if they were entitled to do would be considered off putting. Also the tweet had Colbert's name on it and was associated with comedy central so he should definitely share blame. None of this it wasn't me "Shaggy" type bullshit.
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