TMZ is under fire for racist comments it made about Asian drivers, reports the Wrap.
It seemed the more they talked about it, the deeper they stepped in it.
The Media Action Network for Asian Americans has demanded an apology.
Step Up 3D actor Joe Slaughter was asked about Korea creating larger parking stalls.
“I think America should do that for Asian people in general, said Slaughter. Stereotypes aren’t stereotypes because they’re unfalse [sic]. They’re stereotypes because we know for a fact that things like that happen.”
Then a TMZ staffer backed up those thoughts and said ““But you know what? My roommate is Asian. She is full blown Chinese. And she openly talks about how she is a bad driver. And she does blame it on her genetics because of her eyes. It’s not something that’s a bad thing if you — you know, maybe someone can be born with a big nose and you can’t turn all the way…”
Guy Aoki, founder of MANAA, wasn’t pleased.
“First of all,” Aoki said in a statement, “she describes being full-blooded Chinese–’full blown Chinese ‘– as if it’s a disease. Secondly, even if her account of her roommate’s beliefs are accurate, we doubt TMZ would’ve aired comments by a staffer attributing perceived shortcomings of any ethnic group to genetics.
Slaughter starred in Step Up 3D which was directed by Chinese American John Chu and featured several Asian American dancers.
You can watch the whole exchange in the clip below.