Steve Harvey Apologizes After Offensive Jokes About Asian Men, Twitter Reacts To ‘Soft Apology’
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After catching flack for a string of offensive Asian jokes he made on his NBC talk show, Steve Harvey has apologized.
The episode, which aired Jan. 6, featured Harvey making fun of the title of self-help books. After showing off a book called, “How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide of Asian Men,” Harvey launched into a standup routine about how no women want to go out with Asian men.
“Do you like Asian men?” Harvey asked his viewers. “No. Thank you… You like Asian men?” Harvey asked again. “I don’t even like Chinese food, boy. It don’t stay with you no time. I don’t eat what I can’t pronounce.”
Following a backlash online, Harvey took to Twitter on Tuesday to a offer a short apology which was quickly panned by many. “I offer my humblest apology for offending anyone, particularly those in the Asian community, last week. It was not my intention and the humor was not meant with any malice or disrespect whatsoever,” he wrote.
Unfortunately for Harvey, many Twitter users did not accept his apology and were hoping for a better one. “Took you almost a week to offer this soft apology?” wrote one user. “Posting a note so no character limit… yet no thoughts past this?”
actions speak louder than words. A weak tweet apology doesn't make it right. #asianmenmatter
— Derek Ting (@derekting) January 17, 2017
How can @IAmSteveHarvey claim no malice or disrespect when he insults billions of people? Even this crappy non-apology reeks of insincerity.
— HCMW (@HCM_W) January 17, 2017
It's a start. Would be nice to acknowledge the words were inappropriate, not just offensive to others. #apology #sincere
— Barb Conkrite (@StoreedLyfe) January 17, 2017
.@IAmSteveHarvey You're not sorry you said it. You're just sorry if it offended people. That makes this non-apology just as offensive.
— Rich Ching (@richching) January 17, 2017
Twitter users weren’t the only people who had a problem with Harvey’s jokes. In an open letter to The New York Times, “Fresh Off the Boat” author Eddie Huang blasted the comedian for perpetuating the stereotype that “women don’t want Asian men.”
Added Huang, “He speaks openly about issues facing the black community, he is a man of God, and he has a huge platform to speak from. Unfortunately, he’s also the type of guy who orders Krug champagne for himself and Cook’s for everyone else. For his own personal profit, he’s willing to perpetuate the emasculation of Asian men regardless of how hypocritical it is.”
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