Asian group hits O'Donnell over 'ching chong' impression
RAW STORY
Published:
Wednesday December 13, 2006
 An Asian American rights organization is targeting comedian Rosie O'Donnell over what they characterize as a racist impression, RAW STORY has learned.
The Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) has called on comedian Rosie O'Donnell and The View's producers to "acknowledge the hurt" caused by the incident, which aired on ABC's morning show "The View" last week.
Readers at Rosie's blog have also joined the critical chorus.
During the December 5 broadcast, O'Donnell used the words "ching chong" in an impression of the Chinese language. O'Donnell was discussing the much-discussed appearance on the same show by a visibly intoxicated Danny DeVito.
"The fact is, it's news all over the world," O'Donnell said. "In China it's like: 'Ching chong ... ching chong.'" O'Donnell's comments prompted laughter from her co-hosts.
"Ms. O'Donnell's comments show how much ignorance exists about Chinese and Asians in general." said AAJC President and Executive Director Karen K. Narasaki in a statement issued late last night. "The fact that neither she nor her producers understand how that phrase has been used to denigrate Asians and Asian Americans � to the extent that it has become a racial slur � is appalling."
"What is even more troubling is her response when the issue was brought to her attention," Narasaki continued. "The sad irony is that Ms. O'Donnell, herself a personal champion of fighting intolerance on the basis of sexual orientation, is unable to see beyond her own bigotry."
O'Donnell has attempted to address the incident by responding to a number of critical comments left at her blog.
"Did you really think that chinese bit was funny?" asked a reader named Ploy. "Going 'ching chong' is exactely how people degraded and mocked my family all our lives. It�s distasteful and it hurts me that it comes from you."
O'Donnell responded in amateur poetry:
"i am sorry it hurt u poly
all the people who made fun of u
in a negative way
for being who u r
my bad accent was not meant to insult or degrade
linguistic incompetence - guilty
mocking - never"
Another blog commenter asked Rosie, "If the joke were about fat people and instead went: Fat people around the world heard it. They probably said, �Gobble gobble, munch munch, DeVito, drunk, munch view, gobble.' Would it offend you?"
Rosie's response:
"well
it would offend me
as it makes no sense
but the joke was about
the abusrdity
of danny devito drunk on the view
being INTERNATIONAL NEWS
then the offensive ching chong
and we're off 2 the races"
In its statement, the AAJC wrote that they "hope that Barbara Walters does not condone that kind of humor on the show she helped to create and we call on Ms. O'Donnell and The View's producers to apologize."
A video of Ms. O'Donnell's comments follows:
[Editor's note: The source of the "gong" sound effect is currently disputed, and widely believed to have been added after the original program aired. RAW STORY has no copy of the original video, as aired on ABC, available for review.]
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