Current Events > Can someone explain to me how 'Kung Flu' is racist?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Genuinely curious. It always just struck me as a funny play on words, but Ive heard a lot of people say that referring to that is racist.

How so? Id rather not look like a jackass, but I really dont get this one. Someone help me understand?

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Why would you call it "Kung" Flu?

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalism

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Cuz apparently holding a country accountable for doing something wrong is racist, when you do it in the form of a pun.

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It isn't but you just need to submit or you will be modded/cancelled/assaulted

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LostForest posted...

Cuz apparently holding a country accountable for doing something wrong is racist, when you do it in the form of a pun.

this. i also believe it's a racial stereotype because of the chinese and kung fu.
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it sounds stupid but the reason it's a problem is because it influences dumb racists into furthering their hate for asians. he puts it in their heads that asians are to blame for the virus and they then attack asians, even when some of them are not even chinese, because they are idiots who don't know the difference or care. even when the actual chinese are still also innocent because they had nothing to do with a government on the other side of the planet that their only connection to is its the current government for the homeland that their maybe their grandparents were born from

if trump insists on his dumbass campaign, he should at least stick to calling it the CCP virus or the Xi virus or something. but he's stupid stupid to do that

LostForest posted...

Cuz apparently holding a country accountable for doing something wrong is racist, when you do it in the form of a pun.

Well... Yes?

Like setting aside all the obvious objections...do you think you can't be racist to bad people or something? I don't understand the logic here, it's not like taunting someone holds them accountable either

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LostForest posted...

Cuz apparently holding a country accountable for doing something wrong is racist, when you do it in the form of a pun.

the people getting hurt aren't the country of china. the government leaders of china are to blame. but the people who get blamed are american citizens. asian americans get beat up on the streets every time Trump says Kung Flu

Asians have dealt with the stereotype of being martial artists, and all knowing Kung Fu.

So you're mixing stereotypes when assigning blame to China.

On top of Asian AMericans in America facing discrimination and harassment due to being blamed for Covid.

So coming out of the mouth of Trump, who's history with race relations is shaky, and his followers cheering at the word Kung Flu, it is bad optics. Cuz WHY exactly did his crowd erupt into cheering on Tuesday at the word "Kung Flu"?

Flu Klux Klan

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Because idiots who call it that are the same ones that will beat up a random asian person on the street thinking it is their fault.

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LightHawKnight posted...

Because idiots who call it that are the same ones that will beat up a random asian person on the street thinking it is their fault.

[citation needed]

do you have even one example of someone who beat up a random asian who used the term kung flu?

cjsdowg posted...

Why would you call it "Kung" Flu?

I dont. But I got a chuckle out of it the first time I heard it. Just thought it was a funny play on the word.

Zikten posted...

it sounds stupid but the reason it's a problem is because it influences dumb racists into furthering their hate for asians. he puts it in their heads that asians are to blame for the virus and they then attack asians, even when some of them are not even chinese, because they are idiots who don't know the difference or care. even when the actual chinese are still also innocent because they had nothing to do with a government on the other side of the planet that their only connection to is its the current government for the homeland that their maybe their grandparents were born from

if trump insists on his dumbass campaign, he should at least stick to calling it the CCP virus or the Xi virus or something. but he's stupid stupid to do that

So essentially, the reason people say it is racist, is because it normalizes, and subtly encourages racists to hold their xenophobic, discriminatory beliefs? And that by doing so, we make it harder for Asian-Americans to get away from their discrimination?

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HaVeNII7 posted...

So essentially, the reason people say it is racist, is because it normalizes, and subtly encourages racists to hold their xenophobic, discriminatory beliefs? And that by doing so, we make it harder for Asian-Americans to get away from their discrimination?

yes. anti asian racism has risen in the US ever since the virus and it just flares up more and more as Trump keeps saying stupid shit. what pisses me off is i have a younger sister who is adopted from china. and my dad is a trump supporter. and he doesn't see the connection. I keep trying to explain to him how trump is making my sister's life worse but he refuses to understand and always says I am overreacting to trump "having a little fun"

Fun fact: A really good Asian restaurant near me had to close because of racism after the COVID-19 pandemic heated up. They kept getting death threats and shit like that. I'm sure it's not related to Trump's rhetoric though.

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Fam_Fam posted...

[citation needed]

do you have even one example of someone who beat up a random asian who used the term kung flu?

All those idiots that beat up asian people for being asian with covid19 going on.

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Zikten posted...

yes. anti asian racism has risen in the US ever since the virus and it just flares up more and more as Trump keeps saying stupid shit. what pisses me off is i have a younger sister who is adopted from china. and my dad is a trump supporter. and he doesn't see the connection. I keep trying to explain to him how trump is making my sister's life worse but he refuses to understand and always says I am overreacting to trump "having a little fun"

I see. Alright. Thanks for helping me to understand.

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My account got suspended just for posting a video of David Carradines famous show. The mods are extremely touchy about this subject.

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Everyone just say if you think "kung flu" is okay, I wanna know who to tag as racist.

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It didn't need to be racist, but it's already been politicized and recognized as a whistle of sorts. Look at how it's being used, now. Look at how excited the crowd got when Trump used it.

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Zikten posted...

xenophobic

Lol

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Guide posted...

It didn't need to be racist, but it's already been politicized and recognized as a whistle of sorts. Look at how it's being used, now. Look at how excited the crowd got when Trump used it.

and that crowd was kids. thats the worst part. a new generation growing up to hate asians. it's sickening.

BudDupree48 posted...

Lol

I never even used that word. wtf

Wuhan Flu was a funnier name and accurate since that where it came from imo. It also sounded like Wu Tang and people made Wu Tang puns around it like Wuhan Flu Ain't Nothing To Fuck Wit.

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Trump needs to stop blaming China for his failures

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Zikten posted...

I never even used that word. wtf

Misquote my bad. It was the user above you but took you name for the text

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If were on the subject of made up virus names, I think its more clever of a name than Captain Trips.

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Hey guys sometimes it's ok to live a little and say kung flu without being A Racist

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ledbowman posted...

Hey guys sometimes it's ok to live a little and say kung flu without being A Racist

Zikten posted...

it sounds stupid but the reason it's a problem is because it influences dumb racists into furthering their hate for asians. he puts it in their heads that asians are to blame for the virus and they then attack asians, even when some of them are not even chinese, because they are idiots who don't know the difference or care. even when the actual chinese are still also innocent because they had nothing to do with a government on the other side of the planet that their only connection to is its the current government for the homeland that their maybe their grandparents were born from

if trump insists on his dumbass campaign, he should at least stick to calling it the CCP virus or the Xi virus or something. but he's stupid stupid to do that

HaVeNII7 posted...

I dont. But I got a chuckle out of it the first time I heard it. Just thought it was a funny play on the word.

BlueTigerLion posted...

Wuhan Flu was a funnier name and accurate since that where it came from imo. It also sounded like Wu Tang and people made Wu Tang puns around it like Wuhan Flu Ain't Nothing To Fuck Wit.

Are you two fucking 5 years old? Lets remove ourselves from the obvious racial undertones/ dog whistles for a moment. How can you be a grown ass man or woman and find any humor in these nicknames? Theres no intelligent wordplay going on here. Theres no punchline.


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clyde_frog posted...

Are you two fucking 5 years old? Lets remove ourselves from the obvious racial undertones/ dog whistles for a moment. How can you be a grown ass man or woman and find any humor in these nicknames? Theres no intelligent wordplay going on here. Theres no punchline.

If we're removing the racial undertones: In a vacuum, bad puns are funny, take the stick out.

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clyde_frog posted...

How can you be a grown ass man or woman and find any humor in these nicknames?

Impress us more with your high brow humor.

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I don't care if it's racist or not as that isn't the big problem here. The big problem is not taking the virus seriously.

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clyde_frog posted...

Are you two fucking 5 years old? Lets remove ourselves from the obvious racial undertones/ dog whistles for a moment. How can you be a grown ass man or woman and find any humor in these nicknames? Theres no intelligent wordplay going on here. Theres no punchline.

Just trying to better myself with this topic. And I did. Feel free to keep insulting me though.

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creativerealms posted...

I don't care if it's racist or not as that isn't the big problem here. T

yes it is. you obviously are not asian or don't have any asian family or friends

BigSLM1993 posted...

Asians have dealt with the stereotype of being martial artists, and all knowing Kung Fu.

So you're mixing stereotypes when assigning blame to China.

It's racist but it's not mixing stereotypes. Kung fu and coronavirus both came from China.

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LostForest posted...

Cuz apparently holding a country accountable for doing something wrong is racist, when you do it in the form of a pun.

This, except in earnest rather than sarcasm.
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Zikten posted...

what pisses me off is i have a younger sister who is adopted from china. and my dad is a trump supporter. and he doesn't see the connection. I keep trying to explain to him how trump is making my sister's life worse but he refuses to understand and always says I am overreacting to trump "having a little fun"

show him this article

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/04/us/politics/trump-mass-shootings.html

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Guide posted...

If we're removing the racial undertones: In a vacuum, bad puns are funny, take the stick out.

Considering that covid isnt even the flu, and you have to reassign the kind of virus it is in order to make the pun work, it ruins the joke. Feels too forced.

BeyondWalls posted...

Impress us more with your high brow humor.

Im confident that all of us ITT have more wit and humor in our individual pinkies than Donald Trump has in his billionaire bone spurs.

HaVeNII7 posted...

Just trying to better myself with this topic. And I did. Feel free to keep insulting me though.

Maybe I went a wee bit too far, but honestly just dont find them to be funny. And this is coming from someone who loves bad jokes and meta humor. Im not some elitist comedy nerd lol I laugh at dumb shit all the time. Kung flu is hella cringe, no way around it.

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Zikten posted...

and that crowd was kids. thats the worst part. a new generation growing up to hate asians. it's sickening.

They're growing up to hate anyone who isn't a white conservative, not just Asian.
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