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[pauljeremiah]

I was at a house party last night, with about twenty or so people at it, ages ranging from early 40s to early 20s. My friend James was in charge of the music and decided to put on a playlist of "One Hit Wonders." So songs like What Is Love, Breakfast At Tiffany's, She Drives Me Crazy, Shut Up Your Face, Don't Worry, Be Happy etc. When this song came on:



A young girl, who I think was in her mid-twenties, came up to us and told us to turn off that racist song and that the song was just white people using cultural appropriation to make money from Asian culture. Before we had time to explain that Carl Douglas was a black UK singer and the song came out in 1973 at the height of Bruce Lee's fame, she turned around, gave us the finger, called us racists and walked away.

Discuss.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

White woman, always offended on behalf of someone else. Assuming she is white.

 

[SJRB]

 

[Power Pro]

She doesn't like it, then she should've left. The lyrics aren't even offensive, it just sounds like it's talking about any number of kung fu movies. This outrage thing is really getting out of hand. Nothing can ever been gray, it's always black and white. You're either a hypersensitive asshole like this idiot, or a complete racist scumbag to these people. Can't just accept that it's a catchy song, and lighten up.

 

[pauljeremiah]

White woman, always offended on behalf of someone else. Assuming she is white.

She was so white she could be a Daz commercial.

 

[IDKFA]

No. It's not a racist song.

This is a racist song.

 

[Trilobit]

Why would I care about what a mid twenties American girl thinks? Y'all crazy over there with your woke ideologies and whatnots. Maybe ease up on your sugary diets and try to relax.

 

[pauljeremiah]

Why would I care about what a mid twenties American girl thinks? Y'all crazy over there with your woke ideologies and whatnots. Maybe ease up on your sugary diets and try to relax.

This girl was from Cork in Ireland. The house party was in Dublin, but her Cork accent was so thick you knew exactly where she was from when she spoke.

 

[Kilau]

Yes.

Man arrested for singing 'Kung Fu Fighting'

Police arrested a singer on racism charges after a man reportedly of Chinese descent complained about his performance of the song "Kung Fu Fighting," according to reports.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[ManaByte]

A young girl, who I think was in her mid-twenties, came up to us and told us to turn off that racist song and that the song was just white people using cultural appropriation to make money from Asian culture. Before we had time to explain that Carl Douglas was a black UK singer and the song came out in 1973 at the height of Bruce Lee's fame, she turned around, gave us the finger, called us racists and walked away.

Any time great meteor of death, any time.

 

[DrFigs]

is kung fu a racist term?? lol

 

[Tams]

Good riddance.

Make sure she isn't invited to any further parties. Don't put up with this ignorant vicarious offence taking.

 

[Days like these...]

She should take offense at raisins in potato salad instead.

 

[jason10mm]

is kung fu a racist term?? lol

Wasn't "Kung flu" an early slang term for covid?

Seems racist to me

 

[K' Dash]

 

[Joshmyersbv]

What's funny is every time I hear this song I think of Beverly Hills Ninja with Chris Farley and Chris Rock lol.

 

[TaylorSwiftFan]

Yes.

Man arrested for singing 'Kung Fu Fighting'

Police arrested a singer on racism charges after a man reportedly of Chinese descent complained about his performance of the song "Kung Fu Fighting," according to reports.

www.nbcnews.com

So the UK was turning to shit well before 2016.

 

[mansoor1980]

 

[Unknown Soldier]

OP should be glad that the girl self-identified as someone you should not be in relationship with and move on with their day

 

[Trunx81]

Well, the song uses the nickname “Chinamen”, which probably is the most non-creative insult you could ever think of.

Maybe make a warning before the next party:
Some songs are a victim of their time. Lyrics and music can seem offensive for todays standards. Due to respect to the original art we decided to play them anyway. Now fuck off.

 

[Krappadizzle]

I don't think it is.

Or at least probably not purposefully and I'd say it get's a pass.


Here's a bad one though if ya'll want something to hate.

 

[Kenpachii]

Would have kicked her out, u are there to enjoy yourself not to hear some activist opinions.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Here's another beauty from the same time as the song.

 

[LegendOfKage]

Here's another beauty from the same time as the song.

I'm pretty sure Sublime did a cover of this song at one point for a TV themes album.

 

[Putonahappyface]

Is The Song "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas Racist/Cultural Appropriation?​

 

[DeafTourette]

No. It's not a racist song.

This is a racist song.

WTF?!?!

The Asian woman standing there like "This bitch!"

 

[DeafTourette]

She should take offense at raisins in potato salad instead.

I will never understand raisins in Potato salad (or Cole slaw)... People in the south don't do that crap... unless they're Midwestern transplants.

 

[ADiTAR]

There's no such thing as cultural appropriation, it's a made up term invented to give a purpose to otherwise bored out of their minds social media armchair turds.

Everything in this world was taken from some place or another, and it's something to be celebrated.

 

[pauljeremiah]

Well, the song uses the nickname “Chinamen”, which probably is the most non-creative insult you could ever think of.

Maybe make a warning before the next party:
Some songs are a victim of their time. Lyrics and music can seem offensive for todays standards. Due to respect to the original art we decided to play them anyway. Now fuck off.

If only she had stayed in the room, I would have put this song on next to see her reaction:

 

[ADiTAR]

Also.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

The only lyrics I can assume she was referring to within the song is “there were funky chinamen, from funky chinatown”….

But whatever. Everyones triggered about something these days

 

[RavageX]

Should have shown her some kung fu right out of the door.

 

[Mistake]

I would have 100% told her she isn't in charge and to shut the fuck up. Kung fu movies were everywhere back in the day. Jackie chan, bruce lee, Jet Li....Appreciation=\=appropriation.

Russell Peters does a skit making fun of chinese people, and you know what? It was extremely popular in china. All my chinese friends loved it

 

[DeafTourette]

There's no such thing as cultural appropriation, it's a made up term invented to give a purpose to otherwise bored out of their minds social media armchair turds.

Everything in this world was taken from some place or another, and it's something to be celebrated.

There's a difference between celebrating and saying "I invented this... No one else". Cultural appropriation is taking something and saying it's yours.

Cultural appreciation is not taking ownership of something you didn't create but boosting up the culture that did by SHOWING appreciation OF that culture.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[ADiTAR]

There's a difference between celebrating and saying "I invented this... No one else". Cultural appropriation is taking something and saying it's yours.

Cultural appreciation is not taking ownership of something you didn't create but boosting up the culture that did by SHOWING appreciation OF that culture.

Where have you seen anywhere that someone said I invented this? And if they did, they prob didn't know it belonged else where, people are not that historically intelligent.

Do you have examples?

 

[Ownage]

Curious what this girl would think of Wu-Tang Clan?



Protect ya neck, girl!

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Just passing by to post some ASIAN kung fu music

 

[Dice]

Where have you seen anywhere that someone said I invented this? And if they did, they prob didn't know it belonged else where, people are not that historically intelligent.

Do you have examples?

But it happens tons in fashion and design.

 

[AJUMP23]

It is cool. That is what it is.

 

[ADiTAR]

But it happens tons in fashion and design.

Not seeing the this has never been made before us part, they never claimed that plates from plants were never done, they claim they made the most eco-friendly ones.

This example also shows what a good impact can sharing ideas bring.

 

[Dice]

Not seeing the this has never been made before us part, they never claimed that plates from plants were never done, they claim they made the most eco-friendly ones.

This example also shows what a good impact can sharing ideas bring.

That's just whatever the person who made the meme typed. The "look at this new thing I invented" does happen a lot. As I mentioned, it happens the most in fashion and design. It's a means of capitalizing off an idea without any of the money going to the culture centers it came from. I grew up in the hood and I've seen it a ton. Stuff that has been around 30 years in the hood being noticed/popularized but with zero reference to its actual origins.

 

[ADiTAR]

That's just whatever the person who made the meme typed. The "look at this new thing I invented" does happen a lot. As I mentioned, it happens the most in fashion and design. It's a means of capitalizing off an idea without any of the money going to the culture centers it came from. I grew up in the hood and I've seen it a ton. Stuff that has been around 30 years in the hood being noticed/popularized but with zero reference to its actual origins.

Like what? Madonna made Vogue a thing after it was years in the club community, that elevated that community and helped build people's careers from it. If something has been in a place for 30 years and hasn't broken out, I'm sure that when it does get a spotlight it lifts all boats, and sorry to be harsh but even if it doesn't that place had 30 years to make it.

 

[Dice]

Like what? Madonna made Vogue a thing after it was years in the club community, that elevated that community and helped build people's careers from it. If something has been in a place for 30 years and hasn't broken out, I'm sure that when it does get a spotlight it lifts all boats, and sorry to be harsh but even if it doesn't that place had 30 years to make it.

You don't understand how racism in America works.

 

[DeafTourette]

Not seeing the this has never been made before us part, they never claimed that plates from plants were never done, they claim they made the most eco-friendly ones.

This example also shows what a good impact can sharing ideas bring.

Dude... Leaf plates were ALREADY a thing and already eco-friendly! Those folks saying that IS cultural appropriation... Plates made from plant leaves is more eco-friendly than most things made in the West and it was invented LONG AGO!

And like Dice said, it happens a lot in fashion.

 

[DeafTourette]

Like what? Madonna made Vogue a thing after it was years in the club community, that elevated that community and helped build people's careers from it. If something has been in a place for 30 years and hasn't broken out, I'm sure that when it does get a spotlight it lifts all boats, and sorry to be harsh but even if it doesn't that place had 30 years to make it.

In America, no it doesn't lift all boats if said appropriator doesn't give credit to where they got it from. Which happens a lot.

 

[LegendOfKage]

If only she had stayed in the room, I would have put this song on next to see her reaction:

Toy Story guy! No!

Seriously, this song was likely very progressive for its time. It makes fun of white racists from the south, and it basically puts the slur in their mouths. But a white guy sang it, and people didn't object to that at the time, but times have changed regarding the social acceptability of that situation.

 

[pauljeremiah]

Toy Story guy! No!

Seriously, this song was likely very progressive for its time. It makes fun of white racists from the south, and it basically puts the slur in their mouths. But a white guy sang it, and people didn't object to that at the time, but times have changed regarding the social acceptability of that situation.

The song is still progressive. Read the lyrics.

 

[Dr.D00p]

She walked out?

.Pfft, I would have told him to fuck off.

 

[ADiTAR]

In America, no it doesn't lift all boats if said appropriator doesn't give credit to where they got it from. Which happens a lot.

I'd love to see examples.

Dude... Leaf plates were ALREADY a thing and already eco-friendly! Those folks saying that IS cultural appropriation... Plates made from plant leaves is more eco-friendly than most things made in the West and it was invented LONG AGO!

And like Dice said, it happens a lot in fashion.

how is that cultural appropriation? It's something that's been around for ages like you said, and some folks in Germany gave it a spin and an industrial process. I don't get what the big deal is here. You don't see the Germans crying about Hamburgers being thought of as an American food.