#CancelColbert trends on Twitter, Activist Suey Park goes viral
A joke went arwy when Comedy Central funnyman Stephen Colbert made fun of Washings ton Redskins owner Dan Snyder's Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation. Activist Suey Park, the creator of the twitter handle, went on HuffPost Live saying that she is tired of, "Asian Americans are always a punchline."
The Colbert Report mocked the organization as a PR stunt made by the National Football Leauge. The punchline by Colbert being, "I am willing to show #Asian community I care by introducing the Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever."
Park believes The Colbert Report failed its audience because, "Unfortunately he's not doing that when he draws parallels to Oriental ism to make a point about Native American mascots." She went on to saying that she understands the jokes about people who are being obviously racist, "Does nothing for people of color."
The Twitter tag "#CancelColbert" began trending due to the racist remark.
Executive Director of the organization, Gary Edwards, says the mission statement is to, "Provide awareness of the needs of Indian Country throughout America then to bring those needs back, share them with other professional sports organizations and partners that want to partner with the Indian country to make the quality of life for Native Americans living on reservations better. And once we share that information, then we partner to actually make it a reality."
Edwards, a Cherokee and former retired member of the U.S. Secret Service, is also the CEO of the National Native American Law Enforcement Association (NNALEA) which received almost $1 million in government funds with "no benifit" to the U.S. government. The funds were intended for recruitment services to hire "critically needed" law enforcement officers to work in Indian Country.
Park, who has protested the usage of races as mascots prior to The Colbert Report's comments, aimed to publicize her efforts in activism through the opportunity The Report presented.
Twitter's #CancelColbert went trending. A mix of outrage and outrage about the outrage has surged through the social media site. Below are the reactions from the community:
You will never hear the name of the most successful activists. All you will remember is the cause.
— Delores Schilling (@DelSchilling) March 28, 2014
#cancelcolbert cause I want attention and I don't understand satire!!! — mccrae olson (@mccraechum) March 28, 2014
People who support #CancelColbert ignore the context because they WANT to be offended. In America, outrage = empowerment. #Dopes, #Frauds
— Jim Norton (@JimNorton) March 28, 2014
In which folks want to #cancelcolbert show for mocking racists, but are, like, totes cool with real racists staying on the air. MURICA. — Amanda Nelson (@deadwhiteguys) March 28, 2014
Have any of the #CancelColbert criticisms argued that the satire in context is offensive? https://t.co/6Idwc6Gch4 Or just the tweet?
— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) March 28, 2014
I think being offended is becoming a new national sport #cancelcolbert — The West Wing (@thewestwingTV) March 28, 2014
#CancelColbert seems extreme. Maybe #ChastiseColbertForRecklesslyTweetingOutOfContext?
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) March 28, 2014
#CancelColbert is why the left can't have anything nice. I mean, really, FFS. Stop it. — Oliver Willis (@owillis) March 28, 2014
#CancelColbert. I want better odds at the next Emmys. #CancelFallon too, just in case.
— Daniel Radosh (@danielradosh) March 28, 2014