Asian Band Who Fought for Name: 'We All Have a Vested Stake in the First Amendment

pjmedia.com ^ | 10/27/2017 | Karl Herchenroeder

[rktman]

WASHINGTON – The entertainment world has seen its fair share of groups take ownership of racially charged and sexually disparaging terms: Queen and N.W.A. (Niggaz Wit Attitudes) are a couple notable examples.

But it was The Slants – an Asian-American dance-rock quartet that sought to reappropriate a term used against them by grade-school bullies – who found themselves defending First Amendment rights before the Supreme Court earlier this year.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had denied their trademark application, arguing that the band’s name was disparaging to the Asian-American community despite the fact that band members had never fielded such complaints. Officials in an eight-year legal battle argued that the band’s four

[rktman]

Hmmm. The Slopes? The Gooks? The Ricers? Yellow Man Crew? Good for them. Move ahead Slants.

[shibumi]

Featuring Slope and Zipperhead on Guitars with Nipper on the drums.

[Red Badger]

Wow, just imagine if I could’ve trademarked that back when I was in grade school. I’d be rich today.................

[2banana]

Philly Is Renaming a Cheesesteak Shop Called ‘Chink’s’; Philly Is Not Taking It Well

http://gawker.com/5993306/philly-is-renaming-a-racist-cheesesteak-shop-called-chinks-philly-is-not-taking-it-well

Chink’s Steaks changing its name

http://www.philly.com/philly/food/Chinks-Steaks-changing-its-name.html

[Bon of Babble]

How about this at the World Series?

Yuli Gurriel returned to the Astros’ dugout, where he put his fingers to the sides of his face and lifted the corners of his eyes — a “slanted eyes” gesture widely regarded as a racist mockery of Asians.

Gurriel also used the word “chinito,” or “Chinese boy,” in reference to Darvish, who is of Iranian and Japanese descent.

Gurriel will be suspended without pay for five games at the start of the 2018 season and will have to undergo sensitivity training. He won’t miss any games in the World Series.

[VietVet876]

What country’s that beaner from?

[rktman]

Sounds to me like he was A-Otay to do that. ;-)

[vette6387]

George Carlin has covered this very, very well in the past:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUvdXxhLPa8

[LukeL]

And somehow Nabisco can trademark Cheese Nips.

[Bon of Babble]

Cuba. Needs to be deported. He’s a punk.

I wondered if someone like Chris Taylor, Corey Seager or Justin Turner had done the same thing what would have happened?

Most likely it would have been national news and they’d have been pulled from the World Series.

[jjotto]

He defected from Cuba before the 2016 MLB season. He played at least one season in Japan.

[Migraine]

Q: How is autumn like the Japanese trampoline team?

A: There’s always a little nip in the air.

[rktman]

Yeah, and see what it got him? ;-)

[dfwgator]

I thought they’re named after a football pass route.

[dfwgator]

[rktman]

Nip and tuck? LOL!

[caligatrux]

I agree, good for them.

[littleharbour]

Astros new theme song, courtesy of The Vapors:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LR4XNqrqxrU

[Lizavetta]

The First Amendment was and is designed for politically unpopular speech.

The other kind has no need for its protection. Hello.

[Oratam]

When you embrace the disparaging stereotype you drain it of its power.