I know that it isn't right and that it is truly offensive, but my first inclination when seeing the image to the left is to laugh. "All in good fun" and all of that. Sadly, I know (and you know) that I am an idiot. This a Kosuke Fukudome T-shirt that is the hottest-selling item at a souvenir stand that sells unlicensed Cubs-related merchandise across Addison Street from Wrigley Field in Chicago. The always reliable Gordon Wittenmyer has more here.
Wittenmyer sums it up the best when he says, "Regardless, it's not funny. The image feeds not only ugly, arrogant and ignorant Japanese stereotypes, but also the stereotype of the obnoxious, profane, drunken, booing, garbage-throwing Cubs fan. How much truth is there in either image? And how funny is either one?"
Although Fukudome is rightfully offended, he stays classy San Diego. Our favorite new Cub said it best: ''I knew I was coming to a different country, so I expected something like this,'' he said. ''Maybe not necessarily racial, but that anybody could take any context of my words and degrade me if they wanted to. But if I make a big deal out of it, it's not going to benefit me, so I'm not going to make a big deal of it.''
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1 comment:
As a Japanese American myself I disagree with the comment that this feeds into the "ugly, arrogant, ignorant Japanese stereotypes." In fact, I find that comment offensive! There is a reason that we have stereotypes, and I think that shirt is just good plain fun. If we can't laugh at ourselves then we are devolving, not moving forward.
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