Category: Random Stuff

Bill Maher Criticized for Stereotyping Korean-Americans

| July 11, 2017

Bill Maher got away with using the N-word with little consequences which means he can definitely get away with stereotyping Korean-Americans:

Just weeks after he drew widespread criticism for using a racial slur on his HBO program Real Time, Bill Maher once again finds himself on the receiving end of backlash following a recent tweet.

“This N Korean thing is getting tense! I mean, I think it is, I’m on vaca. The ladies at my nail salon are freaking out, that’s what I know!” the comedian wrote on Twitter on Friday afternoon, referencing a recent missile launch by the country.

Following his use of the N-word in June, Maher apologized on-air the following week on Real Time. “I did a bad thing,” Maher said on his show, addressing the backlash he’d received to guest Michael Eric Dyson. “For black folks, that word — I don’t care who you are — it’s caused pain. It doesn’t matter that it was not said in malice, it caused pain, and that’s why I apologized. I’m not that big of an asshole.”

Maher went on to say that he is “just a product of the country, but I don’t want to pretend that this is more of a race thing than a comedian thing. We are trained to get a laugh. This is not the first time I’ve gotten in trouble because that’s what comedians are somehow wired to do. Sometimes we transgress a sensitivity point.”  [Hollywood Reporter]

Tweet of the Day: Brexit 1776

| July 4, 2017

Tweet of the Day: Prepared for All Contingencies

| June 6, 2017

Tweet of the Day: World War II Pacific Theater was Easy?

| June 4, 2017

What Americans Can Learn from Our Friends Down Under this Memorial Day

| May 30, 2017

When I hear people say “Happy Memorial Day” I too find it a bit awkward considering the real meaning of this holiday:

Allison Jaslow heard it more than once as the long holiday weekend approached — a cheerful “Happy Memorial Day!” from oblivious well-wishers.

The former Army captain and Iraq War veteran had a ready reply, telling them, matter-of-factly, that she considered it a work weekend. Jaslow will be at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday to take part in the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. She’ll then visit Section 60, the final resting place of many service members who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“You can see it in people’s faces that they’re a little horrified that they forget this is what the day’s about,” said Jaslow, 34, who wears a bracelet bearing the name of a fallen comrade. “Culturally, we’ve kind of lost sight of what the day’s supposed to mean.”

While millions of Americans celebrate the long Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial start of summer — think beaches and backyard barbecues, mattress sales and sporting events — some veterans and loved ones of fallen military members wish the holiday that honors more than 1 million people who died serving their country would command more respect.  [CBS 58]

In my opinion Memorial Day really should begin with a somber tone much like I have seen with ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand.  Communities across both nations meet for morning remembrance services every April 25th.  It is a very big deal and has a somber tone to them.  After the morning service the rest of the day depending on the community there could be parades and other events going on to honor servicemembers and all of them usually involve drinking beer.  So the whole day is not somber, but enough of it is so people don’t lose the real meaning of the day.

It seems if Memorial Day was on a fixed date like ANZAC Day then a tradition like this could be established in the United States as well.  However, as long as it remains at its current last Monday of May it will remain a holiday that represents the unofficial start of summer for most people.

Tweet of the Day: Presidential Game Maker

| May 28, 2017

Tweet of the Day: The Only People Under 40 Years Old With Nuclear Weapons

| May 9, 2017

Tweet of the Day: Awesome Landing

| May 2, 2017

South Korean TV Show Accused of Racism for Skit Using “Blackface”

| April 30, 2017

Via a reader tip comes news of an SBS show under fire for what seems like an annual controversy over the use of “blackface” in South Korea:

In a comedy skit, a character named Hyunhee talks to her family about her dreams of becoming a comedian despite her father’s disapproval, according to Koreaboo.

When she comes to see him, Hyunhee appears in blackface, wearing dreadlocks and what are supposed to be African tribal clothes.  

The final scene of the show has the character dancing to the song “Circle of Life” from Disney’s “The Lion King”.

In response, viewers took to social media to express their anger, with many calling the skit racist and how it’s offensive to people of color.  [Next Shark]

You can read more at the link.

Tweet of the Day: Chart of the World’s GDP

| April 15, 2017