The Golden Globes started off humorously when Tina Fey welcomed “a bunch of despicable, spoiled, minimally talented brats”, an allusion to the Sony email about Angelina Jolie. However, it quickly took a turn for the worst when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler included Margaret Cho as a North Korean General. The bit reminded me of the cringeworthy scenes of Mickey Rooney as I. Y. Yunioshi (a white man playing a Japanese man). However, this time it was a South Korean woman playing a North Korean General. Including someone of Korean descent does not absolve the Golden Globes or its hosts of racism.
Freedom of the Press is central to a properly functioning democracy but so is inclusion of all communities. Representation of minority groups empowers people to participate in governance. However, demeaning representation undermines it. Unfortunately, the Golden Globes lacked representation of Asian Americans, which could have counteracted the effects of an overtly racist North Korean bit.
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