Saw it on another forum. Im not sure if i thought it was funny or disturbing. http://www.elfrigo.org/flash/chowmein.htm

Funny or disturbing? Disturbing. :nod:

All I got to say is, let's go visit our "pets" thread :eat:

As a voice from Asia here, I feel compelled to throw in my two cents.

While it is true that in China, Korea, and other parts of Asia, dogs and cats and numerous other animals are eaten (often as a necessity as they would go hungry otherwise), it is racist and ignorant to say cooks at a chinese restaurant in America would serve you cat/dog/whatever. It portrays a picture of Chinese as:

Sneaky
Lazy
Trying to stick it to 'Americans' by serving them strange food (xenophobia, anyone?)
Immoral
Unprincipled
Dishonest
Having a lower standard of cleanliness/hygiene than yourself
Poor/Needy (serving anything at hand to satisfy the customer)

Do you think, in general, Chinese people fit any of these gross stereotypes? You do if you think this cartoon is funny, or believe the urban legends that suggest such practices are carried out in Chinese restaurants. If there is a case that happened in a Chinese restaurant in America (I don't know of any myself), it is no more disgusting than what goes into McDonald's burgers or your Taco Bell (read the book, Fast Food Nation), and is an isolated event, not a common practice.

Just think about what you are you enjoying when you watch a cartoon like this. Are you laughing at the 'funny' customs and practices of Chinese? Are you laughing because you feel superior to the dirty, sneaky Chinese people? Think about it. It's not just 'some fun' with a cartoon.

And to further this discussion. Meat consumption is a relative issue across the world. What is considered 'disgusting' or inhumane in America is standard fare across the world. I've eaten horse meat in Japan, and it was pretty tasty. But this horse was raised on a farm for the purpose of consumption, it's not last week's loser at the track. Same thing goes for dog meat in Korea. I don't really think I'll ever eat dog, but it's wrong to say all people across the world shouldn't eat dogs. A little cultural relativism goes a long way.

Do you think all Norwegians have ginger beard(including the women) with horns in their helmets, yelling "yarr" all the time, while killing whales, clubbing seals or watching the polarbears and penguins walking in the streets?

Every country has a stereotype, but that certainly doesn't mean it's true. But a stereotype can most certainly be funny, so let's just take it as it is - a stereotype.

As for eating habits, I don't think I could have eaten cats or dogs, even though I'm sure it's delicious. I've eaten horse, cow, sheep, snake, squids, seagull, all kinds of birds, whale - yes WHALE - and certainly wouldn't turn down a nice crisp grasshopper...

The point is it goes bad when stereotypes promote a negative image. I am more concerned about how Chinese are portrayed (sneaky, dishonest, lazy) than what food they eat. To just 'leave it' as a stereotype without seeing the reason behind it is dangerous. As for a Norweigan person, a viking helmet is like lederhosen or a kimono. These are surface stereotypes that rely mostly on visual information that can be easily misinterpreted, and maybe they aren't a big deal. But when you go and say stuff about a person's character vis a vis their nationality, that crosses the line.

But when you go and say stuff about a person's character vis a vis their nationality, that crosses the line.

Like bloodthirsty, seal-clubbing, whale-killing viking?

Personally, I don't take much offence in it. Most stereotypes are based on lack of knowlege, so if anyone wants to portray a Norwegian as I described (and it happens), then I just laf back at the persons doing it, cause they have no idea what they're talking about :nod:

As a voice from Asia here, I feel compelled to throw in my two cents.

While it is true that in China, Korea, and other parts of Asia, dogs and cats and numerous other animals are eaten (often as a necessity as they would go hungry otherwise), it is racist and ignorant to say cooks at a chinese restaurant in America would serve you cat/dog/whatever. It portrays a picture of Chinese as:

Sneaky
Lazy
Trying to stick it to 'Americans' by serving them strange food (xenophobia, anyone?)
Immoral
Unprincipled
Dishonest
Having a lower standard of cleanliness/hygiene than yourself
Poor/Needy (serving anything at hand to satisfy the customer)

Do you think, in general, Chinese people fit any of these gross stereotypes? You do if you think this cartoon is funny, or believe the urban legends that suggest such practices are carried out in Chinese restaurants.

If there is a case that happened in a Chinese restaurant in America (I don't know of any myself), it is no more disgusting than what goes into McDonald's burgers or your Taco Bell (read the book, Fast Food Nation), and is an isolated event, not a common practice.

Just think about what you are you enjoying when you watch a cartoon like this. Are you laughing at the 'funny' customs and practices of Chinese? Are you laughing because you feel superior to the dirty, sneaky Chinese people? Think about it. It's not just 'some fun' with a cartoon.

And to further this discussion. Meat consumption is a relative issue across the world. What is considered 'disgusting' or inhumane in America is standard fare across the world. I've eaten horse meat in Japan, and it was pretty tasty. But this horse was raised on a farm for the purpose of consumption, it's not last week's loser at the track. Same thing goes for dog meat in Korea. I don't really think I'll ever eat dog, but it's wrong to say all people across the world shouldn't eat dogs. A little cultural relativism goes a long way.


Well, I think the cartoon is hilarious and I don't think Chinese, or anyone for that matter fits any of the stereotypes you presented!!! Don't tell me what I think because I find something funny. I find it humorous for many reasons, none of which are because it deals with a Chinese restaurant.

There are thousands of stereotypes around the world. EVERYONE is stereotyped, EVERYONE. Being an American overseas, I am sure you have been stereotyped. I know I have been during my years of living overseas. But I didn't let it get to me. The people who had these ideas did not even know me, and once they did they told me they never knew Americans, much less Marines, were the way I was. I have met countless individuals who thought that because I was a Marine I was there to invade their country, or because I was an American working at the embassy I was spying on them, or because I was American I didn't care about their culture and I was just there to sleep with as many women as I can :eek:

How many people in the world stereotype overweight people as being lazy, unkempt, disgusting people? Just spend 5 minutes on these forums and you will see countless individuals proving that stereotype to be completely absurd :nod: In fact somewhere in the forums someone made a comment about breaking the stereotype that "computer geeks" were unattractive, not physically fit people (or something to that effect).

Just like Duckman said, stereotypes are due to ignorance. I don't know if maybe you have had a terrible experience with stereotypes or what, but lighten up bro! If the cartoon offends you, why don't ask Fudgam to remove it, or ask John to take it down. Fudgam did ask offensive/disturbing/funny?

And you really shouldn't tell people what they think based on ONE cartoon, that's extremely rude and presumptuous :mad: If you want to do that why don't you go to the Omarosa boards on The Apprentice forums. :rolleyes:

FUNNY!!!!! Thanks, keep em coming

Are you laughing because you feel superior to the dirty, sneaky Chinese people? No, I was laughing because I saw Garfield on a fork. PURRING! That's hilarious.

I hate that freakin' cat...

The point is it goes bad when stereotypes promote a negative image. ALL STEREOTYPES ARE NEGATIVE.

Trust me on this one.

Some may seem positive (e.g. how good "all Asians" are at math). That sounds fine right? No harm no foul. Unless you're Asian and not good at math. Now what? Are you some sort of defective Asian because you're not goot at math and don't get straight A's? That sounds like a "good" stereotype gone wrong to me.

All stereotypes cause problems. Every single one of them. There isn't a "good" stereotype, by definition. I promise you. Think of one and I can think up the counter example where it makes somebody feel terrible.

Well, basically, my entire job is bridging the cultural gap between Asian and Western cultures, and insensitive cartoons like these seriously offend me. Simply put, it portrays Chinese people in a negative light (my examples of this are in my previous post). I'm concerned about the message it sends out, not the cute characters it uses as a cover.

I'm glad, though, that it is being discussed here, as I feel it is an important issue.

In Japan, I'm discriminated against in one form or another everyday, but it's not something to brush off and just excuse it away as 'cultural differences'. That's just leaving it at the status quo. I make an effort to let people know their actions and ways of thinking are prejudiced against others. It at least provokes thought and dialogue, which is good. I apologize if my strong language offended anyone, but this is something I feel strongly about.

My brother spent a long time in Eastern Europe and he put it this way - there are sterotypes and stereo-actualities. Stereo-actualities are the things backed up by precedent, while stereotypes are the unfounded ideas that are backed by a lack of cultural awareness, and are fueled by the fear of the other. Stereo-actualities are an unavoidable product of different cultures exisiting, one comparing their culture against another's and noting the differences, but stereotypes are the ones I'm concerned about. For example, many Japanese people believe all Americans carry guns or want to carry guns. This stereo-actuality has been taken from movies, TV shows, and the news, where guns are all over the place. This is kind of unavoidable. But to say that going to America, anywhere in America, is dangerous because you will probably be shot (and many Japanese do say this) is an unfounded stereotype that plays on the fears of the other, a kind of xenophobia. In the case of the cartoon, the stereo-actuality is that Chinese people eat animals Americans do not consider food, which I can see being a source of amusement, but the stereotype is that Chinese people are unprincipled, sneaky, and poor is what gets me.

So do you see where I'm coming from? I know this is probably more than anyone wanted to discuss this, but I'm willing to continue this dialogue further in the interests of promoting cultural understanding.

Well, I think the cartoon is hilarious and I don't think Chinese, or anyone for that matter fits any of the stereotypes you presented!!! Don't tell me what I think because I find something funny. I find it humorous for many reasons, none of which are because it deals with a Chinese restaurant.
Well, then you fall outside the scope of what I'm posting about. But I don't see how this cartoon would be cohesive without the use of the word 'chinese', the dopey 'Asian' font, the Pagoda background, or the use of chinese-sounding words like chow mein.

Just like Duckman said, stereotypes are due to ignorance. I don't know if maybe you have had a terrible experience with stereotypes or what, but lighten up bro! If the cartoon offends you, why don't ask Fudgam to remove it, or ask John to take it down. Fudgam did ask offensive/disturbing/funny?
Precisely because I find it offensive I want to promote discussion about it. I don't want it to 'go away'. I don't think I'm being rude (and I am not trying to offend anyone with my criticisms)

And you really shouldn't tell people what they think based on ONE cartoon, that's extremely rude and presumptuous :mad: If you want to do that why don't you go to the Omarosa boards on The Apprentice forums. :rolleyes:
I was saying if you find the cartoon funny because you believe unfounded sterotypes about Chinese to be true, that is wrong. All the people that have commented on this say they don't buy into these stereotypes, which is great, but I'm asking you to think why you find it funny, apart from Garfield stuck on a fork. I'm not telling people what to think, I just want them thinking.

Holy Sh*t!!!!!
I had no idea this thread would elevate to this. But I guess its good that it did. Knowledge is power right? And debate/discussion is one way to get there.
Anyway......sterotypes are bad. I understand why this movie is offensive.

This might be kinda offtopic, but when I hear stereo types reguarding certain european countries, I really dont care. I am Hungarian, German, French, Polish, English and Ukranian. When I hear about how the French are impatent(I spell that correctly?), I laugh. When I hear about how the English are inbred, I dont care. When people think nazi, they tend think germany....but I really dont care. And everyone has heard a polish joke, their funny. But when I think of myself as a nationality, I think of America. I dont identify myself as any of those other things. Is that off topic?
Eitherway, just something more to keep the discussion going.

I found it funny.

Mainly because the meat in the fried rice at Mr Chows just doesnt seem like any meat I'd had before, and the thought did cross my mind that maybe, just maybe, it was dog. Why would that thought enter my mind? Because its true that some asian cultures eat these animals, and that the people who ran the resteraunt clearly had not been in America very long.

And the song was a rather clever parody of Cat in the Cradle.
(And the voice reminded me of the Weeeeeee song (http://www.threebrain.com/weeeeee.shtml), a web classic!)

So am I a racist?

No way. Far from it. It has nothing to do with race anyways,. its culture.

And I'm pretty sure it wasnt really dog...

I find it funny because they could be talking about ANY restaurant. Replace the Asian cook with the cook from Beetle Bailey and the lyrics with a military theme (i.e. chow hall instead of Peking Moon) and it would crack me up just as much. Or have the cook be a school lunch lady, that would be just as funny as well. The point is, it was funny because it was funny, not for any other reason. I don't know what Asian font you were referring to.

Too many people try to analyze and look for things that are not there. I know how you feel about some non-Americans thinking we all want guns. I've met people who thought the same thing. They thought that due to ignorance. I don't get offended, I use their ignorance to my advantage if they don't want to get to know me. Stereotypes have been around for a long time, and they will always be around because all of the world's population will never be free of ignorance. However, telling people they are stereotyping others because they like a joke does not help anyone.

Yes, I can see how the cartoon would be offensive to some people. But can you see why some would find it funny (without it being used as a tool to stereotyping anyone)?

I found it funny.

Mainly because the meat in the fried rice at Mr Chows just doesnt seem like any meat I'd had before, and the thought did cross my mind that maybe, just maybe, it was dog. Why would that thought enter my mind? Because its true that some asian cultures eat these animals, and that the people who ran the resteraunt clearly had not been in America very long.


:confused: I can't see the connection concerning length of stay in America. And how do you know they had not been in America very long?

I know you're half kidding, but its the other half that is sticking out to me...

Let me put it this way, they were not very Americanized. I gauged this by their inability to speak english, which I think is fair enough. I do not subsribe to the philosophy that you should speak english or leave America, but I cant see how they can really understand the American culture with such a strong language barrier. And the connection being that due to this, maybe they didnt realize that serving dog meat was innapropriate.. (not because they were deciteful or lazy, but just because they didnt know).

And yes, I'm not very serious here. These thoughts did enter my head, but much like the thought of hitting a pedestrian with your car to earn 10 points; its not something I took seriously.

I can understand that, in your position, these stereotypes are exactly what you are working against and so their propigation can be frustrating. I agree that the world would be a better place with more tollerance and understanding of our cultural differences.

Observed by a more easly influenced eye, perhaps something like this could actually do some damage in this respect. I, however, am a mature, open minded guy who loves diversity and people of all creeds and colors, so I think its ok if I laugh a little. :D

I watched it again and you're right, there is no 'Asian' font. My bad, perhaps I am overreacting a bit. I guess I'm taking offense to it particularly because you hear most about Koreans and Chinese eating dogs (admittedly more than cats) and through my work I've become oversensitized to dealing with such things. I guess this struck a very particular chord with me, and I responded in haste. What got me is the line 'They say its beef or chicken or pork, but [its really cat].' That was a real loaded line, to me. See flukes post for what I'm against here, even though he too says its in fun.

I find it funny because they could be talking about ANY restaurant. Replace the Asian cook with the cook from Beetle Bailey and the lyrics with a military theme (i.e. chow hall instead of Peking Moon) and it would crack me up just as much. Or have the cook be a school lunch lady, that would be just as funny as well. The point is, it was funny because it was funny, not for any other reason. I don't know what Asian font you were referring to.

Too many people try to analyze and look for things that are not there. I know how you feel about some non-Americans thinking we all want guns. I've met people who thought the same thing. They thought that due to ignorance. I don't get offended, I use their ignorance to my advantage if they don't want to get to know me. Stereotypes have been around for a long time, and they will always be around because all of the world's population will never be free of ignorance. However, telling people they are stereotyping others because they like a joke does not help anyone.

Yes, I can see how the cartoon would be offensive to some people. But can you see why some would find it funny (without it being used as a tool to stereotyping anyone)?

I bet Garfield would taste pretty good. He's all plump from the donuts and lasagna. I think that other cats would have kind of tough meat because they are so active.

Im not flaming in response to what Freemason just said, it just reminded me of something.
I was watching travel channel, or discovery, or something and it showed how cats are prepared in the restaurants that served cats, rats, etc.... Poor little buggers. :( :( :(

edit:// Not to say that ours are any better. I forgot to clear that up.

This reminded me of this place (Ho Ho's, anyone heard of it?) where they sell "Scoops" (no joke) of chinese food and they were right next door to a pound...I mean how could I not make the connection?

Also man dujanabi you need to chill out bro if some guy makes fun of mexicans eating beans i'm like "haha, yea...dirty wetbacks" and I am mexican. Just chill bro, we're here to lose flub not change anyone's opinion about whether making fun of chinese people is bad or not.

Its not about making fun of what they eat. It's how they are portrayed through their actions is what concerns me. No one cares about beans, everybody eats beans, but some people have strong feelings and cultural baggage attached to pets and channel those feelings into their fear of the unknown.