From: gossain@valhalla.sps.mot.com (Raj Gossain)
Subject: "Jap" reference/Political correctness
Organization: SPS
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 20:50:56 GMT

In article 10163@newsance.att.com, kimi@newsance.att.com (Kimiye Tipton;ball of confusion) writes:
>In article <1aal9kINN1fq@eagle.natinst.com> winkeler@natinst.com (Keith Winkeler) writes:
>>
>>Actually, he is very deragotory to his Korean-born son in that episode
>>until he comes to terms with it. It seems like too much apologizing by
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>the prime minister has put some y'all in the diaspora on the defensive,
>>especially about Koreans, etc.
>
>Why don't we get personal about this?  Sheesh.  My point is that
>A) Maurice now knows better than to use terms like Jap,
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
How can you make such a bold statement about a TV character?!?  Do you
know him?  This is just another case of the PC (Politically Correct) police
not liking what they hear.  If you examine previous statements made by 
Maurice with respect to Joel (Jew doctor), the homosexual inn keepers (I
think he used the terms queer and deviants), and references to his Korean
son, it seems totally consistent for him to use a term like "Jap".  Especially
when you take his fly-boy, good-ol'-boy background and his experience
fighting in Korea into consideration.

>and B) there was _no_ reason in the context of the story for him to use that parti-
>cular epithet.

Except that it was consistent with his character.

>You don't hear "nigger" or "kike" on TV unless it is
>being used to further the dramatic tension of the plot.  I suggested
>to someone in a mail message that "Asian chip-jockeys" or some other
>colorful phrase would have worked just as well, and not have been
>as offensive.  It might have even fit Maurice's character better, to
>slyly be even more critical while avoiding using a standard epithet.

Why bother?  Just to follow the PC line?  Come-on, give the writers some
credit.

>In my almost forty years on earth I have been called Jap, chink, gook,
>slant, geisha-girl, and my personal, jaw-dropping favorite, "slant-
>eyed slit".  Please don't try to tell me I shouldn't take offense,
>or that I wouldn't be bothered by it if I weren't suffering from some
>"yellow man's burden" of guilt over World War II or internal Japanese
>politics.

Can't disagree with you here.  Being a member of an ethnic minority (Asian Indian),
I too have experienced bigotry and racial slurs.  But that doesn't mean that
I condone forcing writers to adopt politically correct dialogue/plot-lines
just to appease the public.  The only way these problems can be dealt with
is by exposing them to the public and educating people on how to overcome
these issues.  Take "Huck Finn" by Mark Twain.  The terms used to refer to
Jim included nigger, etc. because they were consistent with the times in which
the book took place.  That doesn't mean that Twain condoned or opposed those
views, simply that he understood the social conditions of that era.  In fact,
Jim was portrayed as a thoughtful and intelligent (common sense), two traits
rarely associated with African Americans during that time period.

>You may feel that "Jap" is just a mildly derisive term
>regarding national origin.  It isn't--it's racist, and it shouldn't 
>be _casually_ used on television.
>
>I expect more creativity and sensitivity out of the people who create
>Northern Exposure.  This line of dialogue was beneath them.

See above.

>Kimiye Tipton  kimi@kokomo.att.com or kimi@newsance.att.com  Maitland, FL
>"Remind me not to aggravate you when you've got a knife in your hands". 

--Raj Gossain				gossain@ssdt-tempe.sps.mot.com


Newsgroups: alt.tv.northern-exp