I Write Letters
To borrow a meme from Shakesville: I Write Letters
Dear Mark and Brian Radio Program:
I realize that you're not a "safe space" for listeners, and you're not what I would exactly call feminists. I still listen to you because you're usually pretty funny and your subject matter isn't usually offensive. However, this morning, when you were giving away front row Sting tickets, and you had five callers vying for them with "talent," you really crossed the line. Caller five sang a song she and her friends had made up in high school about a girl from a rival high school. The song was so disgusting, so full of hatred, misogyny and racism, I'm really not sure I can forgive you for not only not bleeping her use of a racial slur for Chinese people, but then not disqualifying her and telling her that you don't allow that kind of thing on your show. AND THEN! AND THEN! You spun the wheel of digits and awarded her front row Sting tickets! For singing a song about a teenager who likely did nothing more than go to a rival school while Asian and likely attractive, to engender the level of jealousy that would cause someone to make something like that up. I'm thoroughly disgusted with you for not speaking up, and not banning her from ever receiving anything from your program. I'm not going to get into the whole sexualization of the Asian woman/exotic body because you won't get it and probably will tell me it was all in fun. But I could hear the shock in your nervous chuckles after she finished. You should have stepped up and said what you likely were thinking. If the girl in the song had been black and the singer had used the n-word, I'm pretty sure you would have bleeped her and hung up on her. The word she used, though it has a different history, carries the same hatred and racism.
In the future, please don't allow this kind of offensive racist, sexist crap to be aired on your show. I've been listening to you for over 20 years and I'd be bummed to have to find a new morning show, but I can't abide this kind of thing. It has no place on the radio.
erbie
ETA: I sent a modified version of this to both the Mark and Brian show and the station that airs it in my area, and the program director wrote me back saying that he agrees with me and will make sure it never happens again. :)
Dear Mark and Brian Radio Program:
I realize that you're not a "safe space" for listeners, and you're not what I would exactly call feminists. I still listen to you because you're usually pretty funny and your subject matter isn't usually offensive. However, this morning, when you were giving away front row Sting tickets, and you had five callers vying for them with "talent," you really crossed the line. Caller five sang a song she and her friends had made up in high school about a girl from a rival high school. The song was so disgusting, so full of hatred, misogyny and racism, I'm really not sure I can forgive you for not only not bleeping her use of a racial slur for Chinese people, but then not disqualifying her and telling her that you don't allow that kind of thing on your show. AND THEN! AND THEN! You spun the wheel of digits and awarded her front row Sting tickets! For singing a song about a teenager who likely did nothing more than go to a rival school while Asian and likely attractive, to engender the level of jealousy that would cause someone to make something like that up. I'm thoroughly disgusted with you for not speaking up, and not banning her from ever receiving anything from your program. I'm not going to get into the whole sexualization of the Asian woman/exotic body because you won't get it and probably will tell me it was all in fun. But I could hear the shock in your nervous chuckles after she finished. You should have stepped up and said what you likely were thinking. If the girl in the song had been black and the singer had used the n-word, I'm pretty sure you would have bleeped her and hung up on her. The word she used, though it has a different history, carries the same hatred and racism.
In the future, please don't allow this kind of offensive racist, sexist crap to be aired on your show. I've been listening to you for over 20 years and I'd be bummed to have to find a new morning show, but I can't abide this kind of thing. It has no place on the radio.
erbie
ETA: I sent a modified version of this to both the Mark and Brian show and the station that airs it in my area, and the program director wrote me back saying that he agrees with me and will make sure it never happens again. :)