Watters' Racist World | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Watters' Racist World

"Am I supposed to bow to say hello?" he asked.

47
Watters' Racist World
sheknows.com

The Fox News Channel show "The O'Reilly Factor" has been under attack this past week for airing a Chinatown edition of the "Watters' World" segment that many people have been calling "vile," "racist," "xenophobic," and other brutally blunt terms. If you watch it, you'll probably understand why.

The whole segment is what would be called "cringe-worthy," from the kitschy introduction and jarring movie clips to "Kung Fu Fighting" playing in the background. It takes on a mocking tone, fueled by tired stereotypes.

It doesn't help that the only reason the segment took place in New York's Chinatown is because China was mentioned 12 times in the first Presidential Debate.

When Jesse Waters isn't making jokes at the expense of older, non-native speakers who can't respond due to the language barrier or have heavy accents, he's making insensitive comments.

"Can you take care of North Korea for us?" he asks, when the woman he's interviewing says that US-China relations are positive.

My biggest problem with the segment, however, is how alienating it is towards Asian-Americans. Grouping all Asians-Americans into one big monolithic community, talking to us as if we're visitors instead of actual American citizens, and drawing negative attention to our command of the English language (or rather, the lack thereof) is downright ignorant.

While show host Bill O'Reilly calls it "gentle fun," and passes it off as edgy, political humor, the only fun that can be taken from it is that the people at Fox don't seem to know the difference between kung fu, karate, and taekwondo, which all originated in different countries.

If they wanted to make a tasteful segment, it really would not have taken much to send a Chinese-American correspondent that Chinatown inhabitants could find relatable and with whom elderly Chinese people could actually talk to.

Since then, Jesse Watters has responded to outrage with an apology, although many still find it lacking.

Hopefully, "The O'Reilly Factor" — and on a bigger scale, the Fox News Channel — will learn from their mistake and offer better representation for our diverse nation.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

10 Things To Know About The First Semester Of College

10 things that most incoming college freshmen have no idea about.

51
campus
Pexels

Starting college is pretty scary and fun at the same time. You are free of your parents(in most cases) but this is the first time you have no idea what the heck is going on. Here are 10 things you may want to know going into your first semester.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The Daily Struggles of Being a College Commuter

It's not all morning coffees and singing along to the radio.

808
The Daily Struggles of Being a College Commuter
morethanwheels

I've been in college for four years now. I spent half my time as a commuter and half as a resident so I've experienced both sides of the housing spectrum. One thing I've learned comparing the two is that my struggles as a commuter far outweigh anything I went through while living on campus. Commuters have to deal with the problems school brings along with a slew of other issues; I've filled up my gas tank in the worst kind of weather conditions and napped in random places in public more times than I'm proud to say of. This is a list of some of the most challenging aspects of being a commuter.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

3557
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

17763
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments