Rosie O'Donnell joins the ranks of people who don't know when to shut up

Seriously, how much more of this are we going to have to endure? What is wrong with people that have had cameras on them for years suddenly forgetting how to behave in front of one? I can't say that I ever had any warm and fuzzy feelings for Rosie O'Donnell before, but I never imagined her to be such an idiot. I guess I was wrong.

The Asian American Journalists Association has put out a statement...

AAJA Responds to Rosie O'Donnell's Offensive Mimic

It has come to our attention that in a recent broadcast of "The View," co-host Rosie O’Donnell tried to mimic the Chinese language by uttering repeated phrases of "ching chong. . ."

We feel strongly that it is our responsibility to call attention to what we consider a mockery of the Chinese language and, in effect, a perpetuation of stereotypes of Asian Americans as foreigners or second-class citizens. The use of the distorted phrases is insulting to the Chinese and Chinese Americans and gives the impression that they are a group that is substandard to English-speaking people.

We find it especially disturbing that this incident comes from a well-loved personality and a television program aired on a respected network.

The Asian American Journalists Association is happy to make its resources available to ensure that both news and entertainment media always remain cautious about the use of sensitive or derogatory material in their broadcasts. We also hope that Ms. O’Donnell address this issue and apologize to her viewers, especially the Chinese and Chinese Americans who have been greatly insulted by this broadcast segment.

Rene M. Astudillo
Executive Director
Asian American Journalists Association