While Japan is dealing with a rising death toll, massive destruction and a nuclear crisis in the wake of a devastating 9.0 earthquake and tsunami, some prominent media personalities, athletes and celebrities in the United States have found themselves apologizing for making insensitive comments about the tragedy.
Family Guy scriptwriter Alec Sulkin tweeted, “If you wanna feel better about this earthquake in Japan, google ‘Pearl Harbor death toll.'”
WNBA player Cappie Pondexter tweeted, “What if God was tired of the way they treated their own people in there own country! Idk [I don’t know] guys he makes no mistakes.” She added, “u just never knw! They did pearl harbor so u can’t expect anything less.”
And others being criticized for insensitive comments include Glenn Beck, rapper 50 cent, comedian Gilbert Gottfried and CNBC host Larry Kudlow.
Is this slew of thoughtless comments the result of a historically contentious relationship between Americans and the Japanese, or do some Americans simply think they have a free pass to make fun of Asians?
We talk with Jeff Yang, pop culture columnist, about the cultural implications of such remarks.
The Tumblr KarmaJapan has been making a record of some of the invective about Japan that has been published online.
Without federal support, local stations, especially in rural and underserved areas, face deep cuts or even closure. Vital public service alerts, news, storytelling, and programming like The World will be impacted. The World has weathered many storms, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to being your trusted source for human-centered international news, shared with integrity and care. We believe public media is about truth and access for all. As an independent, nonprofit newsroom, we aren’t controlled by billionaire owners or corporations. We are sustained by listeners like you.
Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World.