After Don Imus, Hate Radio Lives On
APA groups are pushing for the immediate firings of New York's 92.3 Free FM shock jocks.
Don Imus is gone, but the hosts of a New York morning radio talk show are still employed after their on-air racist and anti-Asian antics - it's a hypocrisy Asian Pacific American groups are vehemently protesting.
Video Courtesy www.falloutcentral.com
Chanting "Fire JV and Elvis now! End hate speech now!" a group of over 100 APA leaders gathered in front of the CBS headquarters April 27 and called for the firing of 92.3 Free FM's Jeff Vandergrift (aka JV) and Dan Lay (aka Elvis), hosts of the daily show "The Dog House with JV and Elvis."
Vandergrift and Lay were recently suspended for prank calling a Chinese restaurant to make racist and offensive remarks. But APA leaders also point out that the radio hosts have a long track record of racism towards APAs.
"This isn't about one prank. This is about a history of denigrating Asian American people. We as a community cannot stand up if there are people like this constantly telling us you're nothing," said William Lee, a producer of Falloutcentral.com.
Community leaders are quick to draw comparisons between the Imus backlash, which ultimately resulted in the removal of the broadcast veteran from television and radio. Imus' statement snagged headlines and ignited a debate about hate speech that CBS Radio could not ignore.
CBS, the parent company of 92.3 Free FM, sent out a clear message that it is wrong to denigrate African Americans. If the media company does not fire Vandergrift and Lay then they are condoning hate speech against APAs, said Lee.
Putting Hate in the Dog House
92.3 Free FM is currently broadcasting reruns of the "Doghouse" show, but APAs want their show to be taken off the air.
In the six-minute segment aired on April 5 and again April 19, a 92.3 Free FM's "Doghouse" team member prank called a Chinese restaurant and peppered an order for takeout with lewd language and racial slurs.
The caller told one female employee he wanted to come to the restaurant to see her naked and refers to a part of her body as "hot, Asian, spicy."
The caller also attempted to order "shrimp flied lice" and at one point he refers to a part of an employee's body as a "tiny egg roll."
CBS Radio has suspended hosts Vandergrift and Lay indefinitely and without pay, said Karen Mateo, of CBS Radio.
Station management has been in contact with a coalition of APA groups and will be having an in-person meeting to discuss the situation, but the date has not yet been determined said Mateo in an e-mail to the Pacific Citizen.
This isn't the first time Vandergrift and Lay have made offensive remarks towards APAs.
Days after the Virginia Tech tragedy, the duo used a stereotypical Korean accent to mock gunman Seung Hui Cho's confession tape. In 2005, Clear Channel Communications fired them from Wild 94.9 FM for offensive remarks they made about a drum and bugle corps.
"Mainstream networks should understand the wide influence they wield, and take responsibility to combat rather than perpetuate racial and sexual stereotypes," said Congressman Mike Honda in a statement calling for the immediate firing of Vandergrift, Lay and the show's producers.
Trying to Deflate the Power
Over at New York's Power 105.1 FM, the morning team of the "Ed Lover Show with Egypt and Ashy" faced similar criticism over an April 11 segment where callers were challenged to outsmart a stereotypical Asian character named "Hung Lo."
The April 11 show gaffe featuring a segment called "Are You Smarter Than an Asian?" did not ignite as much controversy as the "Doghouse" show, but station management did issue an apology.
In the segment, an "Asian" guy named Mr. Hung Lo speaks broken English with a stereotypical Chinese accent and listeners are asked questions like "How does an Asian pronounce 'fried rice?'"
"This segment made a mockery of the many contributions of Asian Americans to the United States, right before the month of May, which is Asian American Heritage Month, when people all over the country celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans to United States' history, economics and culture," said OCA Westchester President Jeannette Wang in a statement.
Radio shock jocks that push the envelope and enrage communities are not part of a new phenomenon. Last year, APA groups successfully pressured Los Angeles radio host Adam Corolla into apologizing for a racist spoof of the Asian Excellence Awards. The list of offenses goes on and in the discussion about shock jocks and racism, the question of freedom of speech continuously arises.
"They're shock jocks of a comedy show. Comedy is an art form..." said Mike Saavedra, 27, from Matawan, New Jersey. "I know they didn't mean it in malice or in anger."
Saavedra, who is a longtime listener of the "Doghouse" show, left a message of support on the "Doghouse" show's MySpace page saying that as an APA he was not offended by their remarks.
"I'm all for free speech," said Lee, but also added those who continuously spew racist and insulting speech across public airwaves should be fired.
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