Rove McManus is a complete tool.
Ok, everybody’s known that for years. But watch the very start of this clip (Rove Daily Ep 24, aired Sunday 23/8/09), just in case you were on the fence about this.
"...this week, a week in which Australia cemented a 50 billion dollar gas contract with China. Looks like putting that Asian girl on Neighbours paid off.”
For the uninitiated, Rove McManus (Aussie TV personality and variety show host) is referring to Neighbours character Sunny Lee (Hany Lee Choi) who arrived on the soap opera this year after criticism that the show was too “white”.
Sunny Lee is Korean. The actress portraying her is Korean.
I’m guessing somebody starring on the same network on which Neighbours is broadcast would be aware of this, as well as the "whitewashing" criticism.
The audience reaction (astounded laughter, squeals, and gasps) made me roll my eyes too. Don't encourage him, people! It was obvious Rove regretted the joke as soon as it fell out of his mouth, grinning stupidly and trying to awkwardly joke about the flak he was sure to cop. Rather than say, apologise for some pretty elementary school level racism that he clearly knew was uncool.
As an aside, I got teased for being "Chinese" on the school bus when I was eight and growing up in a predominantly white small rural Australian town – only after the kids saw my Filipina mother. But you know, as awful as it was at the time I’m willing to give a few former bullies some leeway because we’re talking about ignorant children here.
No leeway for some overrated media personality who has access to millions of viewers across the country, who told me as an adult woman, “Asians are a minority and all Asians look the same and they’re all Chinese! Hahahahaha!”
Rove you’re just so FUNNY. You know, in a way that's like, not.
For the uninitiated, Rove McManus (Aussie TV personality and variety show host) is referring to Neighbours character Sunny Lee (Hany Lee Choi) who arrived on the soap opera this year after criticism that the show was too “white”.
Sunny Lee is Korean. The actress portraying her is Korean.
I’m guessing somebody starring on the same network on which Neighbours is broadcast would be aware of this, as well as the "whitewashing" criticism.
The audience reaction (astounded laughter, squeals, and gasps) made me roll my eyes too. Don't encourage him, people! It was obvious Rove regretted the joke as soon as it fell out of his mouth, grinning stupidly and trying to awkwardly joke about the flak he was sure to cop. Rather than say, apologise for some pretty elementary school level racism that he clearly knew was uncool.
As an aside, I got teased for being "Chinese" on the school bus when I was eight and growing up in a predominantly white small rural Australian town – only after the kids saw my Filipina mother. But you know, as awful as it was at the time I’m willing to give a few former bullies some leeway because we’re talking about ignorant children here.
No leeway for some overrated media personality who has access to millions of viewers across the country, who told me as an adult woman, “Asians are a minority and all Asians look the same and they’re all Chinese! Hahahahaha!”
Rove you’re just so FUNNY. You know, in a way that's like, not.
I'm not Chinese but I am asian, I laughed my head off when I saw it on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteLet loose a little, its okay to poke fun at your heritage or stereotype we all do
Oh sure, Anonymous Asian-but-not-Chinese commenter, I love to let loose and laugh at things! When they're, y'know, funny.
ReplyDeleteIf you laughed your head off at Rove, that's cool! But the "Well I'M Asian and I think it's FUNNY!" defence doesn't really fly with me - it's dismissive, like saying, "I have more right to be offended that you, and I'M not so YOU sure as hell shouldn't be!"
Just because you're a part of the butt-of-the-joke and found it funny, does not invalidate other people's responses. I mean, I'm Asian-Australian too and I thought it was a shitty thing to say. We just have different POVs.
Also, I get the whole laughing-at-yourself gambit, but Rove ain't Asian so I don't know what you're saying? He's poking fun at OTHER people's heritages here, not his own.