Posted on 12/20/2016 5:43:07 AM PST by rktman
A federal appeals court had ruled in favor of The Slants, but the Obama administration appealed to the Supreme Court.
The institute explained the background: Simon Shiao Tam is the front man for the band. He is of Asian descent and heritage and has said the name was chosen because he and the other members wanted to take on the stereotypes of Asians and own them.
He also said he is proud of the Asian heritage, and the response hes gotten to the bands name from the Asian community has been positive.
The government, however, said it was refusing permission to trademark the name because it consists of or comprises immoral, deceptive, or scandalous matter; or matter which may disparage or falsely suggest a connection with persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt, or disrepute.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
Well, they trademarked “NWA” (Niggaz With Attitude), so this seems hypocritical to me.
Oh, don’t be obtuse! This is the apex of stupidity.
Such as “N”WA? What’s next? Telling “Buckwheat Zydeco” to cease and desist?
I think there’s only 5 guys in the band. So maybe change to The Volvos?
Side note: The terms "Gook" may have originated in Korea (there are a few possibilities as to the origin, but this fits the best). The Korean word for America is "Me Gook". Ever buy Hankook tires? They're Korean. They purposefully changed the name on the tires to be spelled with a "K" at the front of the "kook" part, instead of the more linguistically correct "G".
Hankook is the Korean word for Korea.
Gook/Kook basically means country.
When the G.I.s were arriving to help them against the Norks, they would rush the planes and boats yelling "Me Gook!" "Me Gook!" literally "Americans Americans", but the G.I.s assumed the Koreans meant it that they wanted to be called "Gooks."
I was told this by one of our many native Korean contractors at Osan AB back in 1989.
Will they cover “Turning Japanese” by the Vapors?
How about “The Dead Kennedy’s” and some of the other interesting ‘punk rock’ band names?
Ist Verbotten?
If they all straight they could called Straight 6
If not, The Gay Caballaros? (sp)
Well, there goes my new band “The Pasty Faced Micks”.
CC
I wonder if they play “Turning Japanese”, originally by the Vapors.
Damn. I knew I should have read through the thread before commenting. You got there first...
Seems like there is musical, if not legal, precedence. The Nip Drivers had a good twenty year run as a California punk band. You can still order their original slant-eyed angry face logo Tshirt from Slope Records. Probably one of the least politically correct bands ever— I’d think they made both liberals and conservative heads explode.
You have a Plan B with a certain Cheap Trick live album. :-)
Chinese Fire Drill.
IIRC, Nipsey Russell was not Japanese-American.
And on the cold December day they hanged Tojo, it was said there was a little nip in the air that morning.
Better nip this in the bud, now.
If people truly are turned off by the name, they’ll ignore the group and it won’t get any traction. Likely if the name is too “out there” and is chosen purely for shock value, then the music is just so-so anyway. The market decides. I can’t imagine how a case like this would get any attention. Only in Obama’s world.
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