Why Asians Get Crazy Haircuts

By Dyske    November 2nd, 2010

46 Responses

  1. Sarah says:

    so the whole point of this comedy is to laugh at someone that is different ? not very smart though.i’m not impressed, sorry.

  2. Abe says:

    Apparently General Tao chicken was invented in New York somewhere. I was watching a some programs during the Beijing Olympics they had a crew of TV people went to the town in China where the real General Tao was supposed to be born & lived, they know nothing about the damn chicken.

  3. Maxie says:

    Hey! Not all chinese talk that way ok? I don’t even think any chinese would talk like that unless they are retarded. Well I am chinese and i’m proud to be chinese. I might not be borned in china but still…. Respect man! RESPECT! I don’t care if its just a joke. Its insulting so quit it… RACISM ain’t funny.

  4. VAZ says:

    Eh…although he is saying some controversial stuff, isn’t all comedy like that in a way? If they’re not impersonating the stereotype of asians, they’re impersonating blacks, italians, jews, women, etc. It’s always some type of sterotype that is targeted. I’m curious what other jokes this guy had (not necessarily directed towards asians) and who they targeted. Would you take less offense he made jokes that targeted himself? Probably not..what about if he made jokes that targeted minorities and stereotypes that don’t apply to you?

  5. Graham says:

    This comedy routine seems to be offensive on several levels.
    Firstly by making the statement that all Chinese people look alike.
    He goes beyond making judgements about Chinese Americans, by making collective statements about Chinese culture.
    Hairstyling is undoubtedly culture bound. He then ends the routine with a random addition about General Tso’s chicken, and the relevance the title has to the dish.
    It seems that hes degrading Chinese culture on multiple levels.

  6. Danitsa says:

    I most definitely agree that this video was highly offensive. For people to laugh at this proves how racism and stereotypes of Chinese people still exist. The statement of Chinese people looking alike is a joke that has been applied to just about every race and is a worn-out joke.
    He compares gaming culture with their identity and honestly gets off-topic and cliche with the General Tso’s chicken “joke” People like to say that the best jokes are offensive ones, but where does it stop and people get that it isn’t funny at all?

  7. Corinne says:

    I understand firstly this is a comedy routine, but aren’t all the jokes he used applicable to almost every race? Aren’t there popular food dishes with odd names from all cultures? If he had used these same jokes but applied them to no particular populace and without the demeaning accents he threw on at times it might actually be enjoyable for any audience. How would a Chinese person sitting in the audience feel if they sat through that. What would they feel about their haircut, accent (if they had one), and being ” one in 1,300″ and not “one in a million.” I know his goal in this was not to offend anyone, but he has made himself look like a real ass and shows how in some circumstances it could fly that he made these jokes. But anyone viewing this on the internet or in person is now in some way propogating this steriotype if they don’t speak out. Not to mention many Chinese would come away from it either offended or in some way made to feel less than they are because of their heritage without even realizing it.

  8. teletubby says:

    white people look alike to me

  9. Danny says:

    Yo bro… You’re the one with the stupid and ridiculous hairstyle =3=

  10. M.T. says:

    Um…except that General Tso’s Chicken was probably invented in America. It was made by a Chinese person but just not in China. (I know there is debate about the origins of this dish but I’m merely referring to the theory of which I am aware.) So…yeah this video was funny for the first fifteen seconds (the population bit could’ve been pretty good had it been drawn out longer – just face it, the Chinese know that they’ve got more people than anyone else in the world, so that’s not exactly racism, it’s one of those funny because its true kinds of things) but the rest of it was shite.

  11. truth says:

    matt pavich is a ret@rd

  12. Saundra says:

    I don’t care who you are, this video should offend you.

    And naturally the audience is all white. Sigh.

    Blergh, I couldn’t even finish it. What a jerk.

  13. Frank Luo says:

    Factoid: General Tso’s chicken was invented in Taiwan, and originally had a typical Hunan cuisine taste profile, combining chilis and vinegar. But it is not truly a Hunan dish, just named that because its inventor thought it sounded good to name the dish after a famous person from Hunan.

    That cook moved to the States and started to make the dish in New York. It became famous because Kissinger made it a point to stop in for it when he was in town. Then Chinese restaurant cooks from all over copied it, typically not having actually ever eaten the original version themselves, but just because some guy who read about it in the papers asked for it at his local Chinese place, or the Chinese restaurant owner added “Kissinger’s favorite Chinese dish” to the menu, and most of the time what you would end up with is the same heavily breaded and deep-fried chicken in a brown sauce made from soy sauce and corn starch and maybe sugar and vinegar, that is pretty much exactly the same as sesame chicken, chicken with orange peel, or sweet and sour chicken.

    Most Chinese food in America is completely fake and would not be recognizable as Chinese food in China — in most of the country, you can literally throw chicken McNuggets in some sweet and sour sauce with some broccoli heads and call it anything you want in most of the country, and no one would ever call you out on it. Well maybe a Chinese grad student here and there. But 99% of the customer base just doesn’t know, and would start demanding the fake stuff when they actually encounter the real thing. It’s a funny cultural phenomenon.

  14. PNSchuster says:

    I doubt this particular comedian has any real experience of living in China (the real one, i.e. the one across the ocean). What we see here is yet another instance of the proclivity, esp. among whites, to conflate Asians (and their culture) with Americans of Asian descent. Just watch Bill Maher on HBO, and you’ll see almost all of his Asian jokes are a distillation of decades-old Asian stereotypes with events that happened in Asia.
    But again, it should surprise no one that cultural nuances are exactly their forte.

    What is truly sad is that in this day and age, Asian Americans are perceived by so many to be never really “American,” always assigned with some remote “otherness.”

  15. http://asianamericanfemale.blogspot.com/ says:

    this is classic. asian jokes can only go so far, you’d think people will get over the accent but shows how low the audience’s standards are. Just like that asian guy in last comic standing – he got boring after his first show!

  16. K.T. says:

    There are millions of blond haired blue eyed people out there. Do they all look alike to him? What an idiot. He just about hit every stale joke about Asians out there, except for the bad driver bit. Guess he didn’t have enough time to go through Youtube to steal that one.

  17. J. Mi says:

    i think the people on here are taking it too seriously… I’m asian and even i found this funny… I have to admit I have seen asians with crazy haircuts…And has anyone here watched korean tv shows? (i know he’s talking about chinese but some comments are about racism) They make fun of black stereotypes! You can’t let this stuff get to you. Just calm down…

  18. X. Li says:

    The historical General Tso:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuo_Zongtang

  19. friendlymunki says:

    i’m not offended… i find this funny. we make fun of the white-devil back home too so alls ok i think.

  20. Katie says:

    Yo.. Asians are the people.
    why r u making fun of them?
    Do u know how much China growing up now?
    Japan and Korea too.
    You are worst.
    Stupid
    This is RACISM.

  21. Theresa says:

    I love Asian haircuts (except when they dye it blond – come on, leave it be). This “comic” is using the wrong accent. He’s trying Chinese but sounds more like a Southeast Asian. He can’t pronounce General Tso’s correctly. Yes, most blonde blue eyes look the same to me. I can’t tell one sorority sister from another. All fraternity brothers look the same to me.

  22. Makie Ima says:

    lucky he did not insult the japanese. or else he’ll be killed by my clan.

  23. Matt Pavich says:

    I’m so amazed at how offended you people all got. I may not be from China, but I’m from Queens NY which is the most culturally diverse city in the entire world. I am 1/2 Croatian, 1/4 Italian, and 1/4 Haitian. I am not a racist. I’m a comedian who gets paid to make people laugh. Relax. Peace and love. Life is funny. Laugh.

  24. John Dyler says:

    You’re a loser… If you’re not a racist then make fun of your own race. If you think its so funny to make fun of the chinese.

  25. gEISUO says:

    Fucking white racist…! Come to Asia…we’ll roast you…!

  26. Matt Racist says:

    @Matt

    Your statements do not make you any less of a racist. What if you tried your same routine and substituted Asians with Jews or for that matter African Americans? You know those Jews they are so…… You would not be able to work again ever. Laugh about that. Life if funny!

  27. Matt Pavich says:

    Actually Matt Racist. I have a whole bunch of jokes about African Americans. Very little jew stuff except i mention how my nose is very Jewish. I would post those jokes but they kill so hard at the clubs i don’t want to post the videos because than I can’t perform them anymore. Come through to the show tomorrow. All the money from the door is going to UNICEF! See how racist i am?

  28. Matt Seriously says:

    Matt since you took the time to respond, I will reply in a more level-headed manner.

    First off regarding the appropriateness of your jokes. I am Jewish and although it’s fine for me to make fun of Jewish habits as an insider joke it borders on racism and can be construed as such when someone who isn’t Jewish does it. This is especially the case with things such as Jewish noses. Imagine a German doing it. He would be flailed alive. On a similar vein would you dare use your African jokes on a predominately black audience? You would be due a severe pounding.

    Second the “I can’t be racist because I am a minority defense” is just pitiful. You donating to UNICEF also does not address the content of your jokes, which I am not alone in finding racist.

    Third, the reason people feel your jokes are racist is because it furthers the perception that Asians all look the same, can’t speak English correctly, and are patently foreign and thus not American and cannot ever be. If you are Jewish then you can appreciate that last part, because that’s exactly the kind of thinking that was prevalent in Europe before the Holocaust.

  29. Matt Pavich says:

    This is the part where I get to call you a stupid contradictory jew. You forget I do this for a living. I’ve played all black rooms. Every single person in the audience was black or should I say african American? But that would be stupid because some Dominicans are black, Haitians are black and are as close to africa as florida. When I’ve done my “black jokes in rooms like that I literally set the roof on fire. Because they agree with everything I’m saying. They’re not like the white people who look around before they laugh and get uncomfortable. Let’s put the race thing aside because you’re obviously overly sensitive to that material. I have a 6 minute bit about homosexuals. I’m not a homosexual so I shouldn’t be a loud to say it if I’m using your logic right? So why when I play an open mic in a bar in chelsea where the audience is filled with 90 percent gay men and the rest comprised of “faghags” do I bring the house down and get 15 friend requests the next morning? Why does my good friend and fellow comic who is a homosexual Thomas Dale(google him he’s great) think its hilarious? O yeah, cuz it is. As is the Asian joke. So next time, jewboy whose last name probably has a color in his last name…relax. That wasn’t a racist comment that was an assumption based on my life statistics. Chill the fuck out. The point of comedy is to laugh. Not analyze peoples routines you’ve never seen or met. Cuz I’m not going to take my joke about how I have a jew nose out of my set. And for the record I didn’t raise money for UNICEF it was for the Japanese Red Cross. Kisses.

  30. hugh says:

    I am Chinese American, I have lived in the States all my life. I cannot relate to anything you have said in your jokes, but I know they are hurtful. You are a piece of shit. How does that feel?

  31. Cut the billshut says:

    I love how everyone cries racism on this, but if it’s Russel Peters, it’s somehow hilarious, just because he’s a brown person from India. Lighten up people.

  32. Cut the BS, Cut the billshut says:

    Hi, “Cut the billshut.” Just wanted to tell you that you made a stupid post which is arguing with some nebulous phantom strawman rather than anybody who actually posted here, since you are in fact the only one who mentioned Russel Peters. Thanks.

  33. Learn to take a joke. says:

    All of you calling “Racist” on this video are entirely correct. The guy makes a couple racist jokes. So what? Who hasn’t heard a racist joke before? Why do you care if it’s racist when you yourself are racist?

  34. Cut the billshut says:

    @Cut the BS

    Oh because my comment was COMPLETELY irrelevant to the conversation. Fucking idiot.

  35. Tony says:

    Comedy is funniest when one takes sensitive issues and makes a joke out of it. To most, it sends a message that many issues people have are self initiated. Are only Asian comedians allowed to tell Asian jokes? I actually think it’s funny when people try to imitate other races. To me, his routine was funny because a lot of it is true. If I was to analyze and critique his routine, I would say that he got the accents wrong. But seriously, what can you expect from a guy who isn’t Asian? And that’s what makes it funny to me. He doesn’t say anything that is offensive to me, but I’m only one person. If you don’t like his routine, don’t watch it. If you like it; watch it. But to call someone a racist and have them justify their existence by prefacing their race, takes us back to the 60’s where race was the first thing people look at. Opinions are like butt holes. Everyone has one. One can’t change the world, but they can choose what they participate in.

    The kid is funny. I hope he makes a ton of $$. To appease those of you who feel that the only thing that will justify this comment is my race.. I’m Thai/Italian (1st Generation American)… and I look Latino (which I hope doesn’t lose me Asian points). And to Matt… Just remember, the mic you talk in, the clothes you wear, the car you drive in, the video game you play, and the girl you wanna date…. WE MADE IT!!!! 😛 Keep doing what you are doing kid..

  36. Graham says:

    Tony you’re ignorant and obviously WHITE.

  37. Tony says:

    You obviously didn’t read my WHOLE posting GRAHAM!!! Either that, or you don’t know where THAI PEOPLE are from. There is a country in ASIA called THAILAND.. It’s a pretty cool place.

    Ignorance is Bliss.. Keep on being happy GRAHAM..

  38. Tony says:

    …and if you are SO offended GRAHAM.. What are you doing on a website called alllooksame.com?

  39. chris r says:

    Cut the billshut made a perfectly valid point, though it needs a correction – Russel Peters is from Canada, not India. In fact he’s from a suburb of Toronto, a city which (like NYC and Sydney Australia) is often cited as the most ethnically diverse city in the world. As such, he was exposed to a wide variety of people of every race, culture and ethnicity, and that’s reflected in his comedy, just as it is in Matt Pavich’s comedy. I suspect that the reason people find Peters’ bits so hilarious is because a) he is an equal-opportunity comedian, targeting every racial, cultural and ethic stereotype including those that apply to himself, and b) because he himself is non-white. In Matt Pavich’s case, we see here one bit by an apparently “white guy” on Asian stereotypes and people immediately accuse him of being a racist. I’ve never seen his act – in fact I hadn’t heard of him before I stumbled on this post – but I have seen Russel Peters, and from this clip and the comments by Pavich, I’m willing to bet that the two have much in common comedically. If that’s even a word. Just because a comedian tells jokes that touch on race, or gender, or sexual orientation, doesn’t mean they’re racist, sexist, or homophobic.

  40. chris r says:

    Also, white people have this stereotype about Asians (and blacks, and anyone else who isn’t white) that they “all look the same”, just as non-white people have a stereotype about whites that they “we all look alike to you”. In fact neither stereotype is entirely true. That’s why they’re stereotypes. And from stereotypes come jokes.

  41. kevin says:

    I actually laughed really hard when I saw this. I’m not Chinese, but Korean and a lot of young kids get fucked up haircuts over here. It’s true a lot of us do look pretty similar. I gotta say though, this whole “we’re all Asian” bullshit is pretty irritating. My culture is not the same as Japan’s, in fact most people hate Japanese here. There are so many black comedians that make fun of white people and its funny, why can’t it be funny to make fun of Asians. Stop being pussies, you make me angry to call myself “Asian”.

  42. Somphet says:

    I thought the first half was funny after that, it was boring. That accent at the end was just so uh….but pretty funny and I’m Southeast Asian by the way.

  43. Ricky T. says:

    I thought it was pretty funny… and Im Chinese. People are just too sensitive. Just make fun of them back, not that hard. Oh wait it is, because white people are so boring. You can’t make fun of anything they eat because its not that interesting. Hell we don’t even know what white people eat. Stereotypes are funny because they are stupid. Like how black people like fried chicken and watermelons. Who doesnt like fried chicken and watermelons? Everyone needs to stop being a little bitch and just laugh with at it.

  44. Junko says:

    I didn’t even finish it. Someone up there commented on Russell Peters and said that if it’s his joke, everyone will feel fine cuz he’s brown. Not entirely true! Russell Peters’s joke never targets at any race in any real offensive manner, the stereotype he chooses are all minor to people and he doesn’t focus his whole talk basing on one group in particular. Even when he talked about the Chinese, he had divided Chinese people up in region and identity so the others who these stereotypes don’t apply will not feel offended.
    This guy however, he joked about the Asians and their cultures the whole video through, what’s more, he made extremely untrue and racism comment, such as Asians all look alike so they went and dyed their hair weird, because they are so stupid they can’t recognize among themselves. Or that they all have funny accent and they can’t become Americans even if they try a million years. AND the most stunning thing he commented was that Chinese people can never succeed cuz they have too many people. That’s all bullshit!
    I don’t really care what you personally think about these Matt, but please don’t spread untrue racist comments around the Nation, it’s really bad influence. AND I have to tell you, Asians can definitely recognize other Asians even if they have the same hair cuts and dress the same. I don’t think this applies to you WHITE, cuz I can go around North America and find hundreds of people who looks just like you as well.
    Your view of the world are too narrow, you need to get out more. Go to China, Japan or Korea, but you need to get moving before you get in trouble. See the world, and then come back and tell us jokes, at least then, it will be more truthful.

  45. circe says:

    chrisr: “Russel Peters is from Canada, not India.”

    I think the point that cut the …. was trying to make is that Russel Peters is of Indian ethnicity, which is true.

  46. chrisr says:

    @circe, yes you are probably right, but I thought he/she mentioning Russel Peters raised an interesting point about the 2 comedians being raised in similar ethnically diverse cities, so I had to mention that he’s from suburb of Toronto.