ABC's Martin Bashir has Asian fever.
First of all, who the heck is Martin Bashir? You may recognize him on ABC's Nightline... his claim to fame before that was interviewing Michael Jackson in a 2003 documentary. Bashir caught Jackson looking especially creepy if I remember correctly. I couldn't watch the whole thing because, well, I was creeped out.
Anyway, Bashir made a statement last week at the UNITY conference in Chicago (for "journalists of color".) What he said made me puke in my mouth a little bit.
Bashir made a tasteless remark when he spoke in front of a group of Asian American Journalists. According to the Star Tribune, shortly after he began, Bashir remarked how exciting it was for him to be in a room full of great looking "Asian babes." Then he said he was glad to be standing behind a podium so no one could see how excited he really was.
EK, DISGUSTING!
The senior VP of ABC News, Jeffrey Schneider, says, "This kind of remark has no place in any setting and Martin knows that and is truly sorry for his serious error in judgment."
ABC's Juju Chang described it as a "ridiculous joke." "I thought 'oh, man, what an inappropriate thing to say.' But I've known Martin for a long time. He's a good man who said a dumb thing. He has since apologized to me for his boorishness and I know he deeply regrets it," Chang said in a statement.
Here's Bashir's letter of apology:
Dear Madam,
I wanted to write and apologize for an inappropriate comment that I made at the AAJA dinner last Friday and for the offence that it caused to those present. Upon reflection, it was a tasteless remark that I now bitterly regret. I am grateful to you for the opportunity to address those present and hope that the continuing work of the organization will not by harmed or undermined by my moment of stupidity.
Yours truly,
M Bashir
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YIKES. SUCKS FOR HIM. HE'S TOTALLY EMBARRASSED. I FEEL KIND OF SORRY FOR HIM.
However, you know I can't let this rant go by. Why, for the love of Pete, can't people stop talking? I understand it wasn't a malicious joke, but it still annoys me. Let's be real. Why would he say that? This joke teeters the line of objectifying Asian women.
Why would he address an entire crowd of Asian people that way? That is why I say he objectified Asian women... you can't address an entire race/culture/skin tone/group in a way that is sexual and frankly, dirty. If you do, then 1) you come across as a perv and 2) you come across as a perv who objectifies people.
Would he have addressed the other groups at UNITY in the same manner? (The National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Native American Journalists Association were all present for the convention.) "Thanks for having me. I'm so glad to speaking in front of all these hot, black babes," I imagine Bashir saying. "Wow! These Native American women are giving me a stiffy!," if only Bashir would've said.
Saying "Asian babes" certainly does not reach the obscenity levels of those XXX-rated companies that portray Asian women as submissive, exotic, and loose... but I do think it's too close for comfort. I certainly would not want to spend ANY time with a man who asked me out on a date simply because I am Asian-looking. Gross! I suppose it can be an added bonus since it does have something to do with my identity, but I've met plenty of guys who are only interested in Asian women. I have a friend who calls them "VANILLA RICERS"! Icks-nay on the anilla ricers-vay.
I have so much to blog about when I get home... I wanted to blog here, but there wasn't enough time. We literally spent 15 hours "working it" in Los Angeles for this journalism convention, so there was not enough down time to keep up here.
First, you could smell the bulgoki and kalbi a mile away. I have also never seen so many people in line for intenstines...
My friend Hannah Says Hi and I went before our AAJA convention... We also had the chance to catch with an old adoption connection of mine from Oklahoma. What a day.
Anyway, this cookoff was so great that I thought about just moving to Los Angeles. There were thousands of people there (more than 10,000, I'm sure.) Actress Sandra Oh was just one of the judges... and of course, the main attraction was some damn good Korean food!!
Tickets were $5 a plate. And there were more than a dozen restaurants to choose from. We ate kalbi, bulgoki, and intestines...just like Oma makes 'em. Delish. The lines were literally 100 people deep but totally worth it to try out new twists on old favorites.
