Fox News Host Bob Beckel forgets "the preferred nomenclature" on live TV

[Miles Archer]

Fox News host Bob Beckel used a racial slur in a rant about China on 'The Five' Thursday.

"The Chinese are the single biggest threat to the national security of the U.S.," he said. "They have been, they will be and they can wait, they're very patient. Do you know what we just did? As usual, we bring them over here and we teach a bunch of Chinamen -- er, Chinese people -- how to do computers and then they go back to China and hack into us."

The other 'Five' hosts gaped in disbelief.

"That is going to end up on 'The Soup,'" Andrea Tantaros said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/10/bob-beckel-chinamen-the-five_n_5575873.html

[Drunken Irishman]

1. Bob Beckel is a true FOX News Democrat.

Solely there to humiliate the Democratic Party and bring nothing to the narrative. Go away, Bob.

[jollyreaper2112]

2. ha

That's such an old-timey slur. That's like bagging on the Irish.

[Drunken Irishman]

27. Well damn.

[JEFF9K]

3. Not much of a "racial slur."

If someone in China called me a "United States man," I wouldn't feel insulted. Going overboard on political correctness can only hurt the progressive cause.

[LanternWaste]

8. I imagine many people purposefully confuse "simple respect" with "political correctness"

I imagine many people purposefully confuse "simple respect" with "political correctness" to better rationalize a bias.


"The term Chinaman is described as being offensive in most modern dictionaries and studies of usage..."
~ Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage ~

See also: The Cambridge Guide to English Usage describes it as having "derogatory overtones"

[Wolf Frankula]

9. Say It In Chinese

Zhongguoren.

Wolf

[geek tragedy]

10. Are you Chinese? If not, you really lack standing to dismiss concerns

about racist slurs used against people of Chinese ancestry.

Also: many people (I am not saying I am one of them) see white guys who complain about "political correctness" as the type who tend to be sexists and racists.

It's generally a phrase used by libertarians and Republicans.

[JEFF9K]

17. You must be a lawyer to say that I "lack standing!"

As someone with free-speech rights, I have standing to make a comment.

Beckel's remarks were somewhat insulting, but his use of "Chinaman" is pretty mild, as insults go.

And going overboard with political correctness is just like handing free votes to Republicans.

[geek tragedy]

19. Sure you have the ability to make a comment, but such commentary

carries extremely little weight amongst most liberal folks.

And, yes, people are free (freedom of speech) to criticize racist slurs, whether or not it gets your nose out of joint.

"white guy thinks minorities, women being too sensitive" is never very compelling frame of argument.

[randys1]

28. This is not only NOT going overboard, but it is mandatory we draw these lines

But you are probably a white, hetero, protestant male and know all about being called names and being discriminated against, right?


If you arent in that category then what in the heck are you doing being so insensitive, it only makes sense if you are

[CTyankee]

29. Oh, lordy, "chinaman" is about as retro as you can get...

my mother used to use it, fer gawd's sake...and she was born in 1911!

I think it is time to let it go. Some things you just can't rescue, spiff up and trot out as if it's "all good!"

It is vernacular for late 19th, early 20th century colonialist sentiment, along with "wog" and "coolie."

Get a map. See how the world has changed.

[JEFF9K]

32. It's YOUR business ...

... if you want to pursue policies that help Republicans.

[Capt. Obvious]

34. So, allowing people to utter racial slurs

helps Democrats?

[LondonReign2]

16. Oi

I'm sure he'll try harder next time

[JI7]

31. nope, it ignores the history of how such terms were used against people , NOT the same thing

[Wounded Bear]

4. Shit....I can't keep up with the carousel ...

of what is the "most serious threat to national security" anymore. It seems to change every week.

Guess I'll have to go back to trying to track who is the "most liberal" Senator/congress-person in history. That one nearly drove me , though. The Repub game of whack-a-mole "worsts" continues.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. You Can't Keep Track?!?

You're the most serious threat to national security given your inability to keep this stuff straight!

[libodem]

5. It is hard to be politically correct

When it is only a facade of civility. Look at the actors and comedians who lose their shit and spew horrible stuff about the Jews or African Americans. I figure if you don't think it you won't say it.

Negro and/or Black used to be 'polite' now it is 'wrong'. It's harder if you are older, l think. You are not always on top of the trend.

I'll confess something. I was talking with my son (a few years ago) and saw him blanch and he said, Mom? We were discussing Asians and some how I said, 'Oriental', during the conversation. I got called on it before I realized what I'd said. That is because somewhere in my personal life, the word was programed in. If it's in there its bound to escape your lips. Don't even think it.

[WinkyDink]

7. 1. "Black" is acceptable. 2. So is "Oriental." I have Oriental rugs, not "Asian" rugs. "Occidental"

is okay, too.

[JEFF9K]

12. The term "Asians" ...

I think it's of fairly recent vintage, and that "Orientals" was considered the correct term not that long ago.

But it's kind of strange that a term like "Chinaman" is bad, while a term like "Irishman" is okay. Saying that "Chinaman" is a slur is almost an insult in itself!

[Gormy Cuss]

20. If by not that long ago you mean the 1960s, you're correct.

Not so much after that. The shift to Asian for people, Oriental only for inanimate use started in the '70s. There were hangers on in the next two decades but the shift to Asian was pretty much a done deal by the end of that decade. Most government entities including the Census bureau were using the term by 1980.

As for why Irishman is okay and Chinaman is not, one was never an insult and was embraced by those of that ethnicity, the other, not so much.

[B2G]

21. 'Asians' is fine, unless you're talking about carp. nt

[Nye Bevan]

14. Apparently "Eskimo" has become offensive, too.

BTW "Oriental" is fine in the UK, but not so much in the US.

[libodem]

18. It is hard not to step in it

If you talk about race almost any thing can be a stereotypical icon, and it makes you look like an ass. I was talking to the same wonderful intelligent grown up son this summer and got anther ....mom that sounds racist.

One of his childhood friends was the most delicious caramel color. I brought him up and mentioned his color and the curiosity I had about his national origin.

Gawd. I got my ass handed to me. Even if you try to be good and decent you can still offend people. Or just be saying it wrong.

[Drunken Irishman]

25. Not sure black is wrong at all...

The overly sensitive may use the term African American, but I hear black used a lot. Just how many times have you heard Obama referred to as the first black president?

[steve2470]

30. my son did the same thing with me on the same topic, now I know better nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. :)

(Some NSFW language in clip)

I'm convinced Fox hired the most obnoxious lout they could to pass off as a "liberal" for disinformation purposes.

In the world of Fox News, apparently liberals are either wimps (Colmes) or drunken asses (Beckel).

[zappaman]

11. Dude.

I completely agree.

[Armstead]

22. Alan Colmes isn't realy a wimp...He just comes off that way

Unlike Beckel, who spends half his time sounding like a conservative and the other in half-hearted mumbling and goof ups, Colmes is actually pretty sharp and generally on the right side of things. Unfortunately his looks and manner aren't a match for the big mouth conservatives on Faux.

[joeybee12]

15. Unless I see the video, I really doubt the "Five" hosts gasped in disbelief...

Those asshats probably applauded him.

[Mike Daniels]

23. Beckel is FOX News' useful idiot who gives them cover

so they can say "well, liberals use term "xyz" as well so why is it a problem when the GOP uses it?"

[tanyev]

24. Geez, how old is he?

I'm not young, but I've never heard anyone actually use the word 'Chinamen'. I've seen it in historical novels, but that's about it.

[Drunken Irishman]

26. Bob Beckel is 65.

[MisterP]

33. there's only so many ethnicities that can be blamed, and he's like 120 years off anyway

the sequence goes "blame the Pequod, Irish, Germans, Italians, CHINESE, Japanese, Jews, Mexicans, Muslims," and we also have to consider what's coming NEXT

*squints at picture* Tahitians?


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