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Friday, January 13, 2012

Pix Patisserie on Yo, Is This Racist?

Posted by Alison Hallett on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 10:44 AM

Yo, Is this Racist? is a totally enjoyable website that smartly explains why racist things are, in fact, racist—and, whoops, Pix Patisserie made the cut a few days ago:

Gwen asked: Yo, this photo is from a dessert place in Portland, Oregon advertising an event called “Dim Sum Yum Yum” where you sample a bunch of different desserts. Leaving aside the stupid name (the connection to dim sum is tenuous at best; there’s not even a cart!) this is ridiculously racist. So yes, I know the answer already, but I want the satisfaction of reading your response.

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Read the response here.

 

Comments (27) RSS

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1
I wonder if the pigtails are part of the costume.
Posted by geyser on January 13, 2012 at 10:54 AM · Report
2
I bet they're not actually French, either.
Posted by cat & beard on January 13, 2012 at 11:00 AM · Report
3
THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A CASE OF REVERSE RACISM AGAISNT PIX BY THESE 'YO RACIST' PEOPLE. NEXT THING YOU KNOW, YOU'LL TELL ME THAT MY PLANNED PICKANINNIE PICKLE BUFFET IS A BAD IDEA.
Posted by Graham on January 13, 2012 at 11:07 AM · Report
4
BS on this unless pigtails, pointed hats, and pastry desserts form some classic stereotype I've missed all these years. Or-- is it just the hat on a white person? Jesus. Anyway, the PR boost for Pix is likely to offset any loss of patronage by boycotting WATB's.
Posted by Spoolo on January 13, 2012 at 11:15 AM · Report
5
uh? how is this racist? that's like saying 80% of all halloween costumes are racist. so sensitive.
Posted by arenit on January 13, 2012 at 11:30 AM · Report
6
Ignorant, maybe. Not really racist. On the few occasions Americans ever discuss race, it's always in the most retarded way possible. Ever notice that?
Posted by rich bachelor on January 13, 2012 at 11:41 AM · Report
7
Funny to read the actually site. Is commenting that this is hilarious racist? Is liking it on FB racist? I must be a racist for even looking.
Posted by mole harvey on January 13, 2012 at 11:43 AM · Report
8
This seems more like kitsch than racism. If there is ignorance here, it's ignorance of Asian culture, dress, and cuisine.

I'd be interested to see, from premises to conclusion, the argument for why something like this is considered "racism" (rather than, as I noted above, kitsch).

I suspect that it will actually be harder than it seems to make the case that virtually every attempted representation of a cultural or racial property by someone not of that culture or race is inherently "racist", and therefore bad. I also suspect that no one will bother to articulate that argument.

Still, the histrionic (and probably white-guilt inspired) responses on the blog this is re-posted from were funny enough to read.

Thanks for sharing?
Posted by Snagglepuss on January 13, 2012 at 11:54 AM · Report
9
I sure hope so. I love to watch the stupid folks go nuts when they think that they have correctly identified racism.
Posted by gg on January 13, 2012 at 11:55 AM · Report
10
watb = whining ass titty babies
Worried About Troubles Before
white-guild addled tongue buskers
wily ass triple-bastards
Wild-ass taco bats
wicked, annoying trogloBites
Posted by Spoolo on January 13, 2012 at 11:58 AM · Report
11
If we affect costuming of a people we lost a war to, does it still count as racist?
Posted by ScrumpyFU on January 13, 2012 at 12:08 PM · Report
12
So lets say I'm at a Mexican restaurant and my white, pigtailed server approaches me with a winning grin and a fucking sombrero on her head. Why is she doing that? How is that improving my eating experience?

Next time I go to The Old Spaghetti Factory I doubt the servers are going to roll out the dessert dish while rocking a velour tracksuit and a gold medallion on their chest. Or if me and gramma are going to the Old Country Buffet for Thanksgiving Dinner, the busboy at the food trough isn't going to readjust the feather in his hair and the moccassins on his feet before he readjusts the heatlamp to make sure my turkey breast doesn't dry out.

So far as Halloween costumes go: http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/26/living/hallo…

I can see someone arguing that it's not that big a deal overall, but that doesn't mean it's still not pretty fucking dumb. Dumb enough to get mocked for a couple minutes on the internet, as it should be.
Posted by Fatboy Roberts on January 13, 2012 at 12:11 PM · Report
13
The real news is that *all* crackers smell like wet dog when their hair is wet. All of them. Even with pointy hats on.
Posted by Saltines, Ci! on January 13, 2012 at 12:18 PM · Report
14
It isn't racist if a white person does it.
Posted by Marq on January 13, 2012 at 12:20 PM · Report
15
This is a Portland girl, so it is probably not a costume. She just threw on whatever was laying around like all the girls in this town do
Posted by iceprez on January 13, 2012 at 12:54 PM · Report
16
What about that Big Cheryl's "Ghetto" Cake they've sold for years? I've always questioned that. Are they going to name more desserts after gentrified areas of town?
Posted by Paul Cone on January 13, 2012 at 1:05 PM · Report
17
I'd call the photo . . . a bit insensitive. Or knuckle-headed.

It's just not appropriate for white people to make light of people of color. Even with the best of intentions.
Posted by azure on January 13, 2012 at 1:30 PM · Report
18
meanwhile in other news, there are at least a dozen wars going on and millions of people are starving, so I am not all that concerned about some silly twat in a hat
Posted by The Showstopper on January 13, 2012 at 1:38 PM · Report
19
+1 Showstopper.
Posted by Tommy on January 13, 2012 at 1:51 PM · Report
20
I think "Fatboy" calling himself "Fatboy" is offensive toward the obese. Shit is insensitive.
Posted by Chuck Garabedian on January 13, 2012 at 2:06 PM · Report
21
Alright, let's go ahead and use a fucking dictionary:

rac·ism/ˈrāˌsizəm/
Noun:
1) The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, esp. so as to distinguish it as...
2) Prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race based on such a belief.

Posted by Fruit Cup on January 14, 2012 at 10:00 AM · Report
22
White people wearing rice paddy hats is fucking racist, what the fuck is wrong with you people? Jesus fucking Christ.
Posted by Egret on January 14, 2012 at 2:33 PM · Report
23
"profanity is the attempt of a weak and feeble mind to express itself forcefully".
Posted by CJ on January 14, 2012 at 6:55 PM · Report
24
"Putting an insult in quotes makes it appear more true and enhances my sense of superiority. I have no friends, no one likes me." -23
Posted by Fruit Cup on January 15, 2012 at 5:34 AM · Report
25
As a Taiwanese and Cantonese ethnic minority living in America... I actually find the photo offense but not the idea of dessert dim sum. I wish she didn't wear that hat. First of all, no one wears that hat while serving dim sum. Second, where is the dim sum cart?
Posted by canadia on January 15, 2012 at 10:17 AM · Report
26
yeah, fuck that racist girl. I hope she gets raped by a mule.
Posted by _ on January 16, 2012 at 9:45 AM · Report
27
They should put this picture on Yo Is This Girl a Cutie? Because yes.
Posted by Chris Freeman on January 17, 2012 at 2:25 AM · Report

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