#josh zepp

[iamanadultiswear]

Posting this everywhere I can because it was one of most disgusting, terribly executed interviews I've ever seen. It couldn't even be called an interview. Josh Zepp patronized and ignored Suey Park, called her opinion "stupid" and got all kinds of offended when she said that, as a white man, he can't understand what Asian-Americans go through. Which is absolutely true. 

Get the fuck out of news media, Zepp. You're nothing but a detriment. 

[exdestinyschildmember]

"Being a white man doesn't mean I don't know what it's like to be an Asian woman."

[overheardfb]

"Mansplaining" to Josh Zepp from an Asian Male

From the Huffington Post.

I do not feel Suey Park did a great job representing her views.  The following is a VERY brief summary of Josh Zepp's questions, followed by my imagined Suey response.  As I am male, consider this "white yellow (?) knight mansplaining to the man."  Or something.

(Note, some of the following is not necessarily my personal view, but how I understand Suey.  Also note I have the luxury of not being "on the spot" and editing as I need.)

First question: Why #CancelColbert?

I find this tweet, regardless of satire or not, offensive.  The show caters to a "liberal white audience" and uses that target audience to justify racist jokes in the name of "educating" and "entertaining" them.  I find these jokes/satire are more an obstacle to equality than "educational."  My followers and I would rather The Colbert Report be replaced with a show that handles racism in a less offensive and more productive manner.  We also wanted to do something that would surprise and shock people into listening to us.  The fact that I'm here is proof we were effective.

Second question: Do you understand the point of satire?

Yes, of course I understand satire.  I'm a writer.  

Third question: Why not attack Dan Snyder's racism?

That's a good question.  I helped get #NotYourMascot trending during the Superbowl to fight the Redskin name.  I spent time in my undergrad speaking out against the school Chief mascot.  Both times I faced sexist and racist backlash.  I could ask you, when was the last time you used your position and skills to combat racism?  When was the last time a large group of white individuals really put their foot down on racism and demanded better treatment for others at the expense of their own "fun," or white privilege?  To effectively fight racism, everyone needs to be involved.  Including the majority, which is the white population.

No real question, more of an indignant interjection:

I feel that you being a white male is making it difficult to understand my view, both as a minority, and as a woman.  Let me try to explain again. (author edit: veering off Suey's script)

First, the mock "Asian name" Colbert used is incredibly offensive.  In my personal view, the name is nearly as offensive as "the n-word" is to Blacks and African Americans.  I don't even want to type it out/say it out loud because it is so damaging.

Second,  this tweet trivializes "sensitivity" which is a major impediment to Asians being taken seriously.  I admit that as a group, Asian Americans are amongst the more privileged non-white minorities.  But we still face racism.  It is precisely because we "have it so good" that makes combating the racism we face so difficult.  For example, the "perpetual foreigner" treatment seems innocuous.  But if I feel unsafe, unwelcome, and unwanted in America (my only home) purely because of my skin color, I would be devastated.  I'm more American than anything else.  If America isn't home, where would I turn?  How can I even function in America?  It's a toxic thought.

Third, the use of "Orientals" is a dated word would be comparable to using the word "negro" for blacks.

(author edit: getting back to Suey)

We Americans usually think of race in regards to the white and black dynamic.  So let me put it this way.  The equivalent Colbert tweet using Black Americans as a stand in for Asian Americans would read something like this:

(I'm so fucking sorry.  I'm deeply uncomfortable with this example, but I felt it necessary to demonstrate how damaging Colbert's statement is.  Mouse over for hover text.)

My point in even constructing such a sentence is that this is over the top in how offensive it is.  Much like how I feel the original Colbert's tweet is.  The tweet is so racist that even though I am not the target of the satire, I feel victimized and demeaned.

(aside: I am calm, and I am reasonable.  Please do not feel that you as a man are more level headed and logical than I am because I am a woman.)

It's just a stupid opinion:

Calling my opinion stupid is unprofessional.  As a woman, I am extremely tired of privileged white men "mansplaining" things to me that "I just don't understand."  I have explained to you as clearly as possible my view point and simply because you do not understand me does not make my opinion or feelings "stupid" or "trivial" or "misguided."  I do not want to put forth any more labor in explaining this to you.

Explain:

I just did to the best of my ability and can do no more at this time.