Matt Lamers of the Korea Herald took a look at the cartoon 경향닷컴 chose to run to accompany a story about foreigners and Koreans busted for drugs, a cartoon turned up by commenter JSK. From this evening's piece:
The problem many have with the cartoon is that it depicts two white-looking foreigners, even though a wide range of nationalities were arrested. Others are upset that the illustrator decided to go with two foreigners at all, despite the fact that 11 Korean nationals were also involved. The cartoon depicts two people, one with blond hair and one bald, smoking what is probably marijuana.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency told The Korea Herald the arrests on Oct. 23 included 11 Korean nationals, 12 Americans, two Italians, one from England, one from Russia and another from Canada. In total, 7 of the 28 were of Korean descent, the spokesperson said. The arrests were over possession of illegal drugs, including cocaine and marijuana.
I provided some comments in the article:
"This story has nothing to do with white people. In an article about Korean and ethnic Korean students busted for drugs in Seoul, the paper chose to run a cartoon that looks like two Caucasians doing drugs. It reinforces the stereotypes the media, and in turn many readers, hold of white foreigners, especially English teachers," said commentator Brian Deutsch. "Though overseas Koreans were busted, and though these teenagers were students, the cartoon is something normally papers would reserve for a misbehaving English teacher."
Other media outlets that covered the arrests, including an English language daily, focused on the foreigners, not even mentioning the 11 Korean nationals that were apprehended with them.
I had a bit more to say a little later in the article. I will add that the "outrage" referenced in the headline is quite muted, considering most people probably haven't seen it. It's certainly nothing uncommon, though. Lamers got the cartoonist's side of the story:
The cartoonist, when reached for comment, told Expat Living that it's all a big misunderstanding, and that one of the two white people he drew is actually supposed to be a kyopo.
"Yes. I knew that both Koreans and foreigners were involved in this case. The one on the right was drawn to portray a kyopo, since many kyopo dress up like that, and the one on the left with curly hair was to portray a foreigner," he said.
I'm still curious why he didn't depict any Korean nationals, and I also wonder why there needed to be a cartoon provided at all. But I think I know those answers.
18 comments:
The problem with this is, people will remember the picture long after they have forgotten the words, if they read the article at all.
This just further instills the stereotype of the drug-crazed foreigner.
My goodness, get over it. Who cares?
If this cartoon is the only thing I have to worry about in Korea, then I've got it made.
Jesus Tapdancing Christ.
I could tell one was a Kyopo (as in my other comment)because it is the blonde guy giving the passive Kyopo the doobie. The Kyopo's eyes have that swirl thing going on, which in Korea indicates madness. He is mesmerized by the "foreigner culture." Not hard to guess the source of evil here.
Anyway, Steelers won so I don't care about Korean pea-brain stunts.
This whole thing would make perfect fodder for that "Stuff White People Like" blog. There's nothing better than to be able to allege victimization due to racial discrimination.
Kyle, relax, nobody's alleging victimization nor racial discrimination. If a paper wants to run a cartoon, what's wrong with running a counter? SO far you're the angriest guy on either thread.
LOL..
Kyle wants Brian to get over something Kyle thinks is unimportant so badly that old Kyle can't get over his desire for Brian to get over the unimportant thing...
Two out of the first four posts?
Get over it Kyle.
A bit of the article was changed, including the title. Here's part of the excerpt with me:
***
Still, many are taking issue with the cartoon.
"It certainly appears to be two white people. In the illustration, the two have the exact same skin tones and dopey looking eyes," said a foreign English lecturer, who asked his name not be used in the story.
"This story has nothing to do with white people. In an article about Korean nationals and ethnic Korean students busted for drugs in Seoul, the paper chose to run a cartoon that looks like two Caucasians doing drugs.
"It reinforces the stereotypes the media, and in turn many readers, hold of white foreigners, especially English teachers," said EFL-commentator Brian Deutsch. "Though overseas Koreans were busted, and though these teenagers were students, the cartoon is something normally papers would reserve for a misbehaving English teacher."
***
I've seen those swirly eyes (@ㄴ@) on another drugged out foreigner and I'm pretty sure he's not Korean.
These type of caricatures have a way of piling up and up and up over the years until they are just accepted as accurate portrayals.
For what it's worth, most of the characters in 만화 look like white people too.
Hey if someone draws a pixie with huge eyes, big tits, and a sparkling sword smoking a doobie - I'll be the last to take offense...
You people who laugh this off...
I want you to understand that the real issue is not so much this cartoon but the recent foreigner bashing that has been going on in the media. This is something that has to be dealt with. If we ignore it it will become common knowledge and the racial sentiment will continue.
If you are up to date on things- and by this I mean pick up a paper now and again- then you will know that there has been some pretty nasty things written about YOU recently. THESE ARE THINGS KOREANS READ AND I GUARRANTEE YOU 99% BELIEVE TO BE TRUE. And the cruch of it all is, that it's biased! For example a recent article in the Korean Herald reads "Sex crimes by foreigners increases" WHat's this about I hear you ask? The person writing this crap is refering to a 40% increase in sex crimes by foreigners since 2001. Did he mention that the foreign population has more than doubled since this time and the actual crime rate has gone down dramatically? Oh I guess he must have overlooked that minor detail!
If all you folk pride yourself in being the kind of foreigner who doesn't complain about Korea and remain silent on this issue I warn you; you are feeding the already rampant negative sentiment that exists in Korea and may the sneers you recieve by Koreans be justified in your silence!
What does it matter how people are depicted?
lifer said
"If we ignore it it will become common knowledge and the racial sentiment will continue."
Ignore it and let them stay dumb.
"What does it matter how people are depicted?"
Indeed!
Matt's rendition is fantastic, but whether I saw that original or his rendition first wouldn't have made a difference to me.
We know who we are, what does it matter how we are stereotyped in the Korean media?
Shoe on the other foot and it happens in your country - Would you allow that to affect your thoughts about East-Asians in your country?
So then what is the concern? Are Korean people not as sophisticated
lifer said
"THESE ARE THINGS KOREANS READ AND I GUARRANTEE YOU 99% BELIEVE TO BE TRUE. And the cruch of it all is, that it's biased!"
You're biting your tail.
Who is biting whose tail?
If what you say is true and "We know who we are" and "what does it matter how we are stereotyped" then why are you interested in critiquing someone who thinks 99% of Koreans believe what they read is true?
And what makes the rendition so "fantastic" if it "wouldn't have made a difference" if that was how it ran in the original?
hardyandtiny said "Shoe on the other foot and it happens in your country - Would you allow that to affect your thoughts about East-Asians in your country?"
You are viewing this from a westerners perspective... I believe you way off base by saying this. I also come from a mainly white homogenous society in the UK. The difference is we know we can occasionally be narrow minded and racist. It's true western countries have their ignorant side.
BUT Koreans don't have the same oppinion when looking at themselves. They have a history of herding and believing what they read to be true (Believe it or not this belief that the written word holds more value stems from their buddist past).
Oh and what do we think about East Asians in my country? For the most part we pitty them due to the occasional narrow minded local they have to deal with... I dare you to find a Korean who feels pity towards the foreign English teacher and the hardship he or she has to go through in the republic...
BTW I don't get your biting the tale thing...As I mentioned I am not Korean so I look past the title of an article and before long discover the truth about things. The truth is the foreigner pop has doubled since 2001 so the article I was refering to was leaving out some pretty important statistics. I wouldn't have found this out if I had just read the title and immidiately believed it to be true due to the immortal words of some ajoshi working in Yoido
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