I’m Taking Down All My Miley Cyrus and Jonas Brothers Posters

by Eugene Cho 03-19-2009

joe jonas slanty eyes Enough is enough! I bit my tongue several months ago when Miley Cyrus came out with her chink-eyed picture. Last summer, I was pretty furious about the Spanish Olympic Basketball team and their team picture as the entire team slit their eyes. Numerous folks pushed back and said I was making a big deal out of nothing. Then, a couple other teams came out with the same pictures. And then today, another high profile celebrity — Joe, one of the Jonas brothers — has a picture out [above] doing you know what.

mileycyrus

That’s it. I’m taking down all my posters of Miley and the Jonas Brothers!

Okay, these “musical artists” are not on my favorites list but I know that they influence thousands if not millions of fans including the three young kids in my house. If you could see how my girls reacted when they heard that Miley Cyrus did that slanty eyes! Why? Because they experience this on a regular basis and because of how much it hurts them and how much it deeply grieves me as a father that some of the same stupid frackin’ stuff keeps going on.

Folks will push back and say, ”Asian dude, relax. They’re teenagers,” and I’d respond by saying, “I’d love to be your kids.” Miley is 16 and this Joe dude is 19 [not sure when the pic was taken]. That’s clearly old enough to know something is stupid and racist. And of course, there’s the whole motivation push back:

It was meant to be affectionate and fun spirited.

Seriously!*$@ Go and have fun doing something else. While the intent may have been to demonstrate an “affectionate gesture,” let’s make this very clear: slitting or slanting your eyes is NOT an affectionate gesture. You don’t mock physical appearance because you think it’s affectionate.

For example, when was the last time you saw someone do this as an “affectionate gesture?”

Slitting or slanting your eyes has been used historically in the past and present as a way to mock, offend, and degrade Asians locally and globally. And if we don’t make a big deal of this and other instances, it will continue to not only occur but be perceived by some as acceptable and affectionate. And as I shared above, I can’t speak directly and authoritatively to the individuals involved. I’m not about to call out Joe and Miley as racists or whoever, but let’s not mince words or stutter to defend the actions. They hurt, offend, and degrade all who are created with beautiful Asian eyes — just as God intended.

We need to slam the slanted eyes gestures as racist gestures even if they come from a 16 or 19 year — and for that matter, a six year old. Why? Because we don’t want 50 million teens around the world to think that slanting your eyes is affectionate. Nothing is more scary that a Hannah Montana or Jonas Brothers concert with 16,000 fans slitting their eyes. Right?

I love this comment from Jessica, one of my blog readers who also serves as one of our worship directors at Quest Church. I know some of you folks won’t like it but I’ll just ask that you read it and sit on it:

I know this incident hit a little closer to home for me so I may be ranting but per the comment that the outcry among whites about racial incidents a la Miley Cyrus being loud — Not NEARLY loud enough. The fact that Michael Phelps takes a hit on a bong and looses millions of dollars in sponsorships and meanwhile Miley Cyrus mocks an entire race of people and only blogs a couple half-assed apologies with no greater repercussions — BOGGLES MY MIND!

Where were the big protests? Why didn’t any retailers pull merchandise? I mean, the mocking Cyrus did is STILL HAPPENING on playgrounds around the country, subjecting countless Asian-American children to the VERY denigration she perpetrated — children who were very likely fans of her career, children to whom she owes her very livelihood! And granted, I am just as guilty as anyone else for not making enough noise because truth be told, other than a mini-rant in my Race/Gender/Sexuality class this is my first public contribution. Nevertheless, to echo a sermon Pastor Eugene preached a few weeks ago about injustice, WE ARE NOT ANGRY ENOUGH. Okay, maybe I’M angry enough, but you get my point.

Eugene Cho, a second-generation Korean-American, is the founder and lead pastor of Quest Church in Seattle and the executive director of Q Cafe, an innovative nonprofit neighborhood café and music venue. He and his wife are also launching a grassroots humanitarian organization to fight global poverty. You can stalk him at his blog or follow him on Twitter.

Categories: Culture Watch, Diversity, Music, Race

nuclearferret

On an episode of his weekly radio show “The Foxxhole,” Jamie Foxx for launched a crude attack on the teen sensation saying, "Make a sex tape and grow up!" Other guests in the background can be heard saying "Be like Britney Spears and do some heroin. Be like Lindsay Lohan and start seeing a lesbian...get some crack in your pipe. Now that's what I want."

Sounds like a good topic for another Culture Watch column.

calledme

Wow. Good diversion -- take the emphasis off the insensitivy toward a whole race of people and aim it toward bad words.

I don't find the two things anywhere near equal in offensiveness. I hope you don't.

neuro_nurse

Why would a grown man have pictures of Miley Cyrus hanging in his house?

canucklehead

"The father of the Jonas Brothers is an Assemblies of God ordained minister and a former pastor."

so what?

"The Jonas boys, there's more than 3, have all been homeschooled."

I knew there was a reason they'd do something so stupid.

tadesch8

So , basically i agree with mr.Cho. My problem is his picture...Mr.Cho tell if i am wrong but your picture seems to come from hurt and anger...which is always a bad place of motivation. So if pictures of people mocking asians are unacceptable which they are not acceptable in my worldview, why should non-asians accept your picture? I mean should nt we have the eyes of Jesus ..meaning that of love. I think your picture is messed up as The brothers and miley are and you may answer i wanted others to feel how i did, well thats going up the path of the worlds ways, and eye for an eye...(.i was not not trying to make puns, light of or jokes with my examples.)

nuclearferret

The kids should have just made a snarky remark about Special Olympians.

Susan_Phillips

My first post disappeared into the ether. the alcoholism analogy is not analagous for me, unless I"m flaunting my my drinking in from of friends in recovery. when we as children repeat songs, jokes, taunts, gestures we've learned -- that means someone has taught them to us. We must attend to what we teach. If we ignore the significance of these public figure's mockery, we teach that such mockery is insignificant. I, for one, do not believe it is.

This vlog is very helpful for focusing conversations on behavior rather than on thoughts. Regardless of what pop stars, or neighbors, or family members, think, it is our behavior that is accountable to one another. I commend it to you: http://www.illdoctrine.com/2008/07/how_to_tell_...

peace y'all

jeffp

I'm trying to figure out why someone docked me points for my first comment. So whoever it was, could you explain what you found to be objectionable? I would rather dialogue than play this playground game of points.

jeffp

What are you referring to?

jeffp

I think this article would apply equally as well to President Obama's Special Olympics comment last night.

Joe_Allen_Doty

Yes, Gene Scott was the guy who smokes a cigar. And, what is odd about his life story is that he used to be an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God and even worked in the educational department at their headquarters.

runstr8t

Are any of y'all making these comments about how "it's not that big of a deal" Asian? If not, then you truly don't get it. Check out all the Asian blogs. To Asian people ,this is the equivalent of using the "N" word to refer to black people. It doesn't matter if YOU perceive it that way, THEY do. THEY are offended. If a little four year old white child uses the term "N" word to refer to blacks do their parents say, "that's ok, he doesn't really know what it means." NO (at least I hope not).They EDUCATE the little child that this is very offensive and hurtful to black people, and we as Christians should not use this term. The same goes for that obnoxious little poem that I remember and that I NEVER said because it was very hurtful in the 70's when I grew up just as it is NOW. Tell the little kids the same thing. It is very hurtful for ASIAN kids who are still hurt as a adults as they remember being taunted by that as children. So if you have happy memories of that as a child, then I am sorry. But the Asian people in your class may have played it off, but they were hurt. How many times have you pretended something didn't bother you to save face? Let's all act as Jesus would have us do and teach our kids to STOP doing what other races find offensive just because Jesus said so.

kcruz

It isn't about intent- it’s about the effect. While as a child you were unaware of the racial undertones of the song, and others may claim Miley and Joe were unaware of their racist actions- it is all beside the point. Mocking a feature of a race is inappropriate especially when historically it is tied to a painful past of segregation, racism, internment etc. This is why mocking a white person's face doesn't hold the same power- the history isn't the same. these gestures, like the ones you sang about are hurtful to people who have to deal with racism on a daily basis- can you imagine fans of these entertainers who are Asian- how they must have felt seeing their idols mocking their physical characteristics? How shameful. How hurtful. This is why people are and should be upset.

midausch

can i offer an analogy? alcoholism and alcohol. if i see that one of my favorite artists is having a drink, i won’t assume they are an alcoholic (some of my favorite artists drink in their art). and i won’t think they are responsible for hurting me because alcoholism has caused tremendous suffering to myself and people very close to me. and i won’t look down on them because alcohol can cause them to look kinda stupid or set a bad example for their fans.

i think with instances like this - a quote, a picture, etc - it’s important to separate the two. alcoholism is very sad, destructive, hidden, yet common and widely served. i, mike, know this personally. yet it’s also important to withhold judgment of individuals who are drinking. to see a person having a drink and then throw them into the painful tradition of alcoholics is not fair. they could be drinking to have a little fun or because they are an alcoholic. who knows? let’s just hope they’re not alcoholics, for their sake.

finally, given this situation, should we rebuke all people who drink? should we teach that all drinks are bad? probably not. there are plenty of great human beings who drink - whether they be comedians or friends or whatever. i think it’s dangerous to try to ban drinks because of alcoholism. the smart thing to do is to educate and raise awareness about alcoholism and the various effects of drinking, good and bad. what’s not helpful is a black / white discussion that ignores the greater complexities and diversity of human beings.

Nathan Bedford

Joe_Allen_Doty,

I agree. We could use more adult supervision on both the posts and the responses.

Was Gene Scott the guy who smoked a cigar while he preached?

Joe_Allen_Doty

The father of the Jonas Brothers is an Assemblies of God ordained minister and a former pastor. The Jonas boys, there's more than 3, have all been homeschooled.

Why does Eugene Cho use vulgar language in his blog here?

"Frackin'" is another way of saying the "F-ing" word related to having sexual intercourse. So is "freaking" when it is used as an adjective to modify a noun.

Does he use that filthy vulgar language in his church like the late Gene Scott used to do in his church services?

nuclearferret

I don't think it is up to someone to decide for another whether they are over-sensitive about something like this. No more than when some one tells a "drunk Irishman" joke and doesn't understand why someone might find that upsetting either.

Sovreign

I'm really not sure what anyone is upset about. As a little girl we used to sing a rhyme with the line.." Chinese, Japanese, Indian Chief" and we pushed our eyes up and down and crossed our arms over our chest to represent the Indian Chief. I was innocent of any racial slur while doing so i simply didn't comprehend, it was just a song we sang. I don't think That Miley and The Jonas brother were being racist, i think malicious intent behind doing so would depict racism. Sometimes we are over sensitive to racism when we have dealt with it for extended periods of time. At Any rate, God Bless

kennyjohnson

I hope this post is satire.

jeffp

I don't understand what they were ding by making this gesture. Does anyone know what their excuse was? It just seems stupid and immature. Both of these young people work for Disney, don't you think they would find a way to get in front of this thing.