Three stereotypes walk into a diner…

Are walking ethnic clichés better than no clichés in sitcoms?

by Jaime Weinman

The multiethnic cast of CBS's 2 Broke Girls: Asian, Eastern European, Jewish, Black and WASP

Michael Patrick King, the creator of 2 Broke Girls, thinks he’s helped the cause of diversity by creating an Asian-American character who says things like, “You can’t tell an Asian he made a mistake, he’ll go out back and throw himself on a sword.” The comedy, the biggest new hit of the TV season, has been pilloried for stereotypical, under-written minor characters. Most pilloried of all, beating out the lecherous Ukrainian cook and the elderly, jazz-loving black cashier, is Han (Matthew Moy), a Korean with an exaggerated accent. The Hollywood Reporter called it a “sorry minstrel show,” and Marissa Lee, who writes for the site Racebending, calls Han “an unimaginative, lazy and flat stereotype.” King responded to hostile critics by pointing out that “the big story about race on our show is that so many are represented.” But Lee says people who wanted to see more minorities on TV are being “asked to pick between two disappointing options: ‘Would you rather be depicted poorly, or not depicted at all?’ ”

Several recent comedies have brought ethnic stereotyping back to TV to an extent not seen since the ’80s. Journalist Amanda Dobbins wrote an article comparing Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara to Charo, the ’70s actress known only for “sexy outfits and Spanish-tinged catchphrases,” and Vergara herself told journalist Maria Elena Fernandez, “We are yellers, we’re pretty, we’re sexy, and we’re scandalous. I am not scared of the stereotypes.” Rob Schneider’s new sitcom Rob, where he marries into a Mexican family, consists of broad jokes about Mexican culture. Even in political commercials, any stereotype goes in the name of comedy. An ad for Senate candidate Peter Hoekstra featured an Asian woman speaking broken English and boasting that her country is taking American jobs; the campaign defended it by claiming it was supposed to be “satirical.”

Police to investigate vandalism incident involving antisemitic, racial slurs

Written by Joanne Hill 

TORONTO – Police are investigating after several vehicles and houses in Dundas, ON, were marred by a variety of hateful messages, including, ‘Kill the Jews,’ ‘Hitler,’ and at least six swastikas.

Vandals wielding spray paint and markers struck at 12 homes on four different streets early on the morning of Feb. 2, Hamilton Police Service Detective Sergeant Tom Andrew said.

The worst messages were antisemitic and racist: a swastika and ‘Hitler’ on a rear deck, two swastikas and ‘I hate niggers’ on the doors of a double garage, and a swastika and ‘Kill the Jews’ on a different garage door. Swastikas were also painted on two vehicles. Other messages did not have racial or genocidal overtones; many made liberal use of profanity.

Abbotsford man attacked while walking to friend’s house

Victim needed 33 stitches after being beaten by two men

Liz Craig/Karen Surman

ABBOTSFORD (NEWS1130) – A walk to a friend’s home took a turn for the worst for an Abbotsford man.

At 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, a 33-year-old man was walking on Maclure Road near Clearbrook Road.  Police confirm two men attacked him from behind.  The victim was hit by one of the men and then slashed by an object. It took 33 staples to close cuts to his arm, chest and thigh.

A passing driver began honking their horn which caused the attackers to run away.

The suspects are described as South Asian men, in their early 20s. They are around 5’10″, 180 lbs. They are clean-shaven with one of the men wearing a white baseball cap.

By James Turner ,Winnipeg Sun

A Winnipeg man has been formally charged with the suspected shakedown of two British women by allegedly threatening to send sex tapes of them to their friends and families unless they sent him cash.

A defence lawyer appeared on Robert Li’s behalf Tuesday. He faces two charges of extortion by defamatory libel and a possible five-year maximum prison term if convicted.

Li, 33, was arrested in December following an international police investigation that was forwarded to Winnipeg police. He has no prior criminal record and is presumed innocent.

Last fall, two separate women from different small communities in England contacted their local police agencies to complain a man they met online had threatened to forward sexually-explicit videos of them unless they coughed up cash, cops previously said.