By Gina Martinez
Flushing elected officials are taking issue with a recent segment on comedian Steve Harvey’s talk show that implied Asian men are not dateable.
State Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Flushing), City Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) were among those who denounced the bit as “racist” in a letter demanding an apology from the comedian, who also courted controversy last week by meeting with President-elect Donald Trump.
The offending jokes were made on Harvey’s nationally syndicated talk show “Steve Harvey” last Friday during a portion of the program where he mocked self-help books, including “How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men.”
Harvey joked that the book should be only one page long, just asking “‘Excuse me, do you like Asian men?’… ’No, thank you.’” He also said the same would be applied to black women., saying “one page too!…’You like Asian men?’ ‘I don’t even like Chinese food. It don’t stay with you no time … I don’t eat what I can’t pronounce.’”
“We are writing to demand an immediate public apology for your offensive, classless comments on a recent segment of ‘Steve Harvey,’” the elected officials wrote in their Jan. 13 letter. “In just one short clip, you and your producers managed to insult Asian men, white women, and black women with a single skit. Your statements were racist, sexist, and completely inappropriate for a public figure on a show broadcast to millions.”
Kim said the bit was offensive not just to Asian-Americans but to women as well.
“I found Steve Harvey’s comments offensive and disappointing,” he said. “Like other recent media segments mocking minorities, this clip crossed the line. It was insulting to not only Asian-Americans but women of all races. We are calling on Mr. Harvey and the show’s producers to issue an official apology for this content and remove it once and for all. As fellow Americans, I believe we have an obligation to denounce prejudiced remarks and views like these whenever and wherever they appear, and thank my colleagues in government for standing together on this issue.”
A spokesman for the “Steve Harvey” show later released a statement apologizing if the skit offended anyone.
“Steve Harvey was poking fun at unusual book titles in a comedic segment from Friday’s show,” the rep said. “His comments were never meant to demean the Asian community and the show sincerely apologizes to anyone who was offended.”
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart
