ESPNU Road Trip feature can't avoid Asian stereotype

As I was watching one of the latest installments of ESPNU's "Road Trip" series previewing the Oregon vs. USC football game, I didn't think I would encounter a blatant racial stereotype.

I was wrong.

It takes until the very end of the feature when the male host,who goes by the name "Drubner," reveals his Halloween costume. Drubner dresses in a kimono modeled after the uniform of New York Yankees outfielder, Hideki Matsui. The first thing he says when the camera rolls to reveal his costume is, "Konichiwa," Japanese for 'hello.' He continues to stare blankly into the camera for a few seconds before saying, "That's all I got, sorry."

It only gets worse when his co-host, Jenn Brown, looks at Drubner and asks him if he is "going to make sushi later."



Clearly this is about as blatant of a stereotype as there is. Saying the Japanese translation for 'hello' is not that bad if you are trying to portray a Japanese person for Halloween. But for Brown to ask if he is going to make sushi later crosses the line. Matsui is known as a great hitter for the Yankees. Why couldn't she ask if he is going to hit a home run later? She might as well throw in karate and math equations because obviously every Japanese person is partial to wanting to participate in those fields as well.

Although saying Asians may enjoy sushi might be an accurate stereotype, that does not mean it is not appropriate to do. Yuch-Ting Lee in a study about the effects of asian stereotypes said "Negative but accurate stereotypes could imply a real social or cultural problem that should be examined systematically and effectively."

There are plenty of stereotypes used frequently that could be proven to be accurate in certain settings and situations, but that doesn't mean it is o.k. for them to be used. Stereotyping seems to always leave someone offended no matter how accurate it may be.

Citation: Lee, Y. et al. How Did Asian Americans Respond to Negative Stereotypes and Hate Crimes? American Behavioral Scientist Vol. 51 No. 2. (2007). Sage Publications