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TexasTowelie

(111,290 posts)
Mon Apr 30, 2018, 04:55 AM Apr 2018

Whole Foods is slammed over Yellow Fever restaurant; owner says it's not racist

Kelly Kim and her husband wanted the name of their new pan-Asian restaurant to stand out, eschewing bland or stereotypical phrases, like bamboo, dragon and lotus.

Then it hit them. Yellow Fever.

-snip-

The announcement triggered a national outcry on social media, with many criticizing the name's racist undertones.

Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne infection that kills thousands every year, mostly in Africa, and named for the jaundice hemorrhage that the virus produces. But the phrase is also a common reference to a term associated with a white man's sexual fascination with Asian women.

Read more: http://www.courant.com/nation-world/ct-whole-foods-yellow-fever-20180429-story.html

17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Whole Foods is slammed over Yellow Fever restaurant; owner says it's not racist (Original Post) TexasTowelie Apr 2018 OP
This new outrage hit the nooz a few days ago and... TreasonousBastard Apr 2018 #1
"Yellow fever" is used to describe a fetish or obsession with Asian people. WhiskeyGrinder Apr 2018 #9
So? I know that, but still don't see the racism. TreasonousBastard Apr 2018 #15
Okay. WhiskeyGrinder Apr 2018 #16
That was my first thought, yellow fever is a viral infection. Yikes! Rhiannon12866 Apr 2018 #2
As bad as Cirque du So-What Apr 2018 #8
No one remembers the Ptomaine Tommys? FSogol Apr 2018 #13
Yikes! You're right, that's worse! Rhiannon12866 May 2018 #17
It's a triple whammy. CozyMystery Apr 2018 #3
I'm sure Kim will tweet as Michelle Wolf did....Thanks ! Everyone knows who they are now ! OnDoutside Apr 2018 #4
YUK JI7 Apr 2018 #5
The disease is the first thing I thought of when I saw the name. Either way-- catbyte Apr 2018 #6
Should have gone with cholera or typhus jberryhill Apr 2018 #7
I thought Ebola would be a good name. LuvNewcastle Apr 2018 #10
there you go.... jberryhill Apr 2018 #11
Lovely! LuvNewcastle Apr 2018 #12
. dalton99a Apr 2018 #14

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)
1. This new outrage hit the nooz a few days ago and...
Mon Apr 30, 2018, 05:12 AM
Apr 2018

it may be kinda stupid naming a restaurant after a dread disease (imagine naming it after Harold Ivan Victor 's initials), but racist?

Rhiannon12866

(202,970 posts)
2. That was my first thought, yellow fever is a viral infection. Yikes!
Mon Apr 30, 2018, 05:13 AM
Apr 2018

This was a really stupid name for a restaurant.

CozyMystery

(652 posts)
3. It's a triple whammy.
Mon Apr 30, 2018, 05:16 AM
Apr 2018

Racist, sexist, and the name of disease.

Since the owners are Asian, do you think that makes it okay? I don't.

When my son told me about this yesterday, I didn't know it was an Asian restaurant. My first thought was I wouldn't go to a restaurant named for a disease. Son left out that crucial detail when he didn't understand why I was hung up on the disease.

If I were the owners, I'd bag being defensive about it and change the name.

OnDoutside

(19,906 posts)
4. I'm sure Kim will tweet as Michelle Wolf did....Thanks ! Everyone knows who they are now !
Mon Apr 30, 2018, 05:35 AM
Apr 2018

"Ugh the name of this place skeeves me out," a woman said in an August five-star review, "but I'll be damned if they don't make a tasty bowl."

I remember the furore of Richard Branson's Virgin record store or the obvious meaning of FCUK.

catbyte

(34,169 posts)
6. The disease is the first thing I thought of when I saw the name. Either way--
Mon Apr 30, 2018, 05:48 AM
Apr 2018

disease or racism/sexism--it's not a name of a restaurant that I'd want to spend money in. WTF were they thinking?!?

LuvNewcastle

(16,820 posts)
10. I thought Ebola would be a good name.
Mon Apr 30, 2018, 08:16 AM
Apr 2018

Name the dishes after the various symptoms. Black Death has probably been done already.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
11. there you go....
Mon Apr 30, 2018, 08:22 AM
Apr 2018

Salmonella Dumpling

Viral Pork

Chicken Dropping Soup

General Himmler's Chicken

Tofu Bacteria Style

Tetanus Noodle

and the house special:

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