Comedian Steve Harvey is under fire for mocking Asian men.
During a segment on his eponymous talk show on Monday, the 59-year-old comedian made fun of several self-help books, including one titled “How to Date a White Woman: A Practical Guide for Asian Men.”
“Excuse me, do you like Asian men?” he asked the audience. “No thank you.”
He then suggested a new book title, “How to Date a Black Woman: A Practical Guide [for] Asian Men.”
“That’s one page too!” He says. “‘You like Asian men?’ I don’t even like Chinese food. It don’t stay with you no time … I don’t eat what I can’t pronounce.”
Though Harvey spent most of his segment cackling at his own jokes, people on social media weren’t laughing.
“Steve Harvey’s joke about Asian men being unattractive was trash,” wrote one Twitter user.
Asian American advocacy groups have also come out condemning Harvey.
“It’s unfortunate when those with a public platform like Steve Harvey use that platform to mock and ridicule entire groups of people and in this particular case, to perpetuate negative and harmful racial stereotypes about Asian Americans,” Karin Wang, V.P. of Programs and Communications at Asian Americans Advancing Justice, told Page Six. “We are disappointed in Steve Harvey.”
Did you even look at what he said? Besides this "preference" excuse, what he said was blatant racism. I'm disappointed in Steve Harvey I found him to be funny but now not so much. Disappointing to see a minority member so willing to tear down another minority member without a qualm
What an idiot. You dont get a pass on racist jokes as a black comedian. Reminds me of Chris Rock hosting an award show a while back (the Oscars?) and complaining about the lack of diversity then making racist jokes about Asians like....
I hate it when blacks are prejudice towards other minorities and gays. It's like, know your struggle. Check yourself.
This is proof that we're all racist by societies design (with some of us more likely to be subjected to it) and we all need to actively work to scrub off that social conditioning.