The producers of the new Broadway play KPop are demanding a formal apology from the New York Times after what they called the “casual racism” of reviewer Jesse Green.
In his review, Green called Jiyoun Chang’s lighting design “squint-inducing” and said non-Korean speaking play-goers won’t be able to enjoy the show.
Producers Tim Forbes and Joey Parnes penned a letter to New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger and Theater Editor Nicole Herrington calling the review “insensitive and, frankly, offensive,” reported Playbill.
“To be clear, we respect Mr. Green’s right to be critical of the show. What we are asking you to address is the cultural insensitivity, underlying ignorance of and distaste for K-pop as a genre, and what comes across as casual racism in his review. That this would be the case in The New York Times is, frankly, astonishing.“
The letter followed comments made by the cast addressing Green’s critique and his description of the play’s lighting as “squint-inducing.”
Yeah we can read. But it’s also inappropriate to use words highly associated with a racist stereotype to describe any aspect of an Asian show. Imagine if they called the red lighting in A Strange Loop “watermelon tinged.” Some words are inappropriate in certain places.
— BunnyBuni (@BunnyBuni) November 28, 2022
To date, neither the NY Times or Green have responded to the request for an apology nor have they commented on the controversy.
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