So … remember that distasteful photo that surfaced of Miley Cyrus, her 20-year old manfriend Justin Gaston and friends making an offensive gesture against Asians by mockingly slanting their eyes? Yeah, that one. Anyways, it turns out that an apology just isn’t enough for one SoCal woman who has filed a class action lawsuit, on behalf of 1 million Asian Pacific Islanders who live in Los Angeles, against Miley to the tune of $4 billion! Heh. I bet Miley is *really* sorry now she thought it was funny to make “goofy” and horribly offensive faces with her pals:
A Los Angeles woman has filed a class action suit against Miley Cyrus, claiming she mocked Asians in a recent photo by slanting her eyes. Price tag: $4 billion. Lucie J. Kim claims to represent more than 1 million Asian Pacific Islanders who live in L.A. County. Kim claims when Cyrus posed for the photo, she “knew or should have known that her image would be publicly disseminated via the media, which Cyrus knew focused on her private life, specifically TMZ.” Kim says in the suit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, that each Asian Pacific Islander is entitled to the minimum damages for a civil rights violation — $4,000. Add it up — $4 billion! Kim says Miley’s “just a kid” defense doesn’t fly. She says it’s like Paris Hilton claiming to be just a kid. Ouch. Miley’s peeps could not immediately be reached for comment.
Oh man. While I think that this action on the part of Ms. Kim seems a bit like overkill, I cannot fault her for expressing her outrage in this manner. Do I really believe that she will be successful in her endeavor? No. But I think she will be able to get her point across. If Miley didn’t really learn her lesson before, something tells me that she might get a clue now.
In other related news, the amazing comic Margaret Cho has opted out of filing a lawsuit against Miley Cyrus for her offensive behavior and has, instead, decided to pen a song about the whole incident:
Despite one bratty apology and one forreal apology over the offensive Asian photo, people are still mad at Miley Cyrus, including Margaret Cho. But rather than join the ridiculous billion-dollar class-action lawsuit against Miles, Cho has decided to express her feelings lyrically. The comedian took to her blog to pen [a] little rhyming ditty:
After the jump, check out the full lyrics to Margaret‘s song about Miley …
Miley Cyrus made some chinky eyes
Standing behind an Asian guy
I don’t know if this should fly
As if there wasn’t enough to despise…
I wasn’t necessarily a fan of
Her, her dad, or Hannah Montana
I tend to prefer the songs of Rihanna
Racism against Asians is simply bananas!
Oh Miley!
Chinky eyes make you look wily
prejudice isn’t thought of so highly
it doesn’t make us all smiley
Why is there nothing that Asians can do?
To make fun of other races as easily as you
Why isn’t racism against Asians taboo?
Why are we always so racially screwed!
All you have to do is pull at your face
To make your eyelids resemble our race
This kind of joke has no proper place
Miley Cyrus is a disgrace!
Margaret Cho rules the world. It seems like the ire that Miley kicked up with her behavior is still rubbing people the wrong way. Again, I can’t blame them in the least. What sort of song would YOU pen for Miley Cyrus about this or any other topic?
[Photo credit: X17; Source, Source]
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that is crap that they would sue you for that! I WOULD SUE THEM BACK!!! (if i could)
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christ, that asian broad needs to lighten up
A little overkill the whole suing thing but, still….LOL LOL!!!
This has OMFG MILEY I WANT YOUR MONEY, I KNOW THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT LEAST ONCE IN MY LIFE BEFORE BUT YOU HAVE MONEY THEREFORE I’M GOING TO MAKE IT 100 TIMES WORSE written all over it.
Damn scroungers.
I am glad to see that there are asian who are not offended here I really wouldn’t be on team Miley if I knew she intentionaly did this to offend a race!! Everyone just lighten up!!
People take the word “racist” WAAAYYYY too out of hand. Racism is hating someone for the color of their skin. Miley slanting her eyes is not merely suggesting she hates Asians. I’m not a fan of Miley at all, but good grief, shes SIXTEEN! Getting upset over something is a choice, and whoever is offended by this photo chose to be that way. I can’t tell you HOW many kids I have seen slant their eyes to pretend they were asian. They’re not even necessarily making fun of asians, asians’ eyes just really are intriguing because they are different! If the person who is suing miley goes after people who slant their eyes to look l ike their asian, then she has A LLOOOTTTT of people to hunt down. Good luck with that.
Like 99% of all other people can’t say they’ve never made a “racist” gesture or said anything “racist” about anyone.
This is really stupid. She made a face in a picture, she said sorry, the end.
talk about the most harsh punishment ever – this is just so stupid on so many levels. as pretty much every point i would make has already been said, i’ll just say – so what if people found the picture offensive? does that entitle them to financial compensation?
that would be no, it does not. and if anyone genuinely believes that the asian community of los angeles deserves a four billion dollar band aid for their hurt feelings out of the pocket of a sixteen year old girl, then i am astounded. if four billion has to go somewhere, it should go to feed starving people in developing countries, or to help victims of natural disasters or even to cure diseases. THOSE people are too busy thinking about where their next meal is coming from to have even the time to be offended by the silly antics of a sixteen year old child and her friends.
OMG that was NOT RACIST PHOTO AT ALL!
Right ok i bet there’s millions of people who have done that, what are you gonna sue all them too?
Yes i know, its Miley Cyrus she should be setting an example she cant be doing these things in the public eye but for goodness sake she just turned 16 and she’s getting sued for all that money.
Ugh see what people do for money its sick!
She isnt racist. Her friend was sitting righ by her and he was an asian/american im sure if it was sooooooooooo bad he would have said!!!!
Are you serious??? This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Who said that she was even making fun of asians?? Why doesnt someone talk to the asian that was in the picture?? Was he offended? Get over it!! Are you really going to take a 16 year old personally?? Come on.
and truth be told, she doesnt need to be an exmaple for anyone. Little kids that watch hannah montana need to have exmaples within their parents, not some character on the disney Channel.
Where can I get MY share of 4 billion dollars?
This is ridiculous, squinting eyes as a joke is not racism, and if any of you sheltered “outraged” butt plugs had ever met a real racist you’d know that. Chances are, you all have way worse personality traits then making fun of a stereotype (which is hardly offensive, BTW, as asians undebatably have thinner eyes), and so you act outraged at little things to deflect attention over what anal retentive mushheads you are. Find something meaningful to do with your life. Word up. Miley’s cool with me.
P.S. – Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Things just won’t be over with an apology.
She must be glad she only got sued 4 billion(which is a lot)
and yes,it is making fun of other races,whichever they are.
When I was in Singapore,even the primary kids are taught not to make fun of other races.
That was indeed a good education.But it is a sad thing there is none in my country.(in Europe)
Talking about racism,making fun of other races is a serious offence in Singapore.
You may even be jailed or get a penalty of something very serious.
Miley should be very Glad she isn’t there aming fun of asians.
If they are going to charge money,I really think $4 billion is not enough.
Think about other billions of asians out there.
How they will feel when you see other races making fun of them?
This is racism…Why must there be making fun of other races when God creates us together?
The whole story is absurd,don’t you see it’s a stupid joke,I believe there are more important things to talk about!!! I ‘m asian,I don’t feel hurt by these pictures,I do know what racism is,and I don’t believe that kids joking around is part of that!
Oh yeah,and if most of us would spend more time with all types of people we would know that joking about stereotypes is more of a release sometimes…
Why is it that every variation on the HUMAN race can claim racism at the slightest hint EXCEPT CAUCASIAN?
Why is it OK for some to say/do things (e.g. the same “race”), but not others?
Should everyone work on the premise that if something is offensive, it is offensive no matter who it comes from?
debho, I would hate for you to think that I am “jumping all over” these kids for having fun. I understand very much what you mean and see the context of this situation. I grew up in an area without a lot of diversity too, and I applaud a school for doing a performance that encompasses many different races and allows kids to participate and enact these different cultures. My issue (if you can even call it that, more something that I found a little off-putting) is that this had to be done with make up. As I stated before, if you needed to represent children from Africa, would you have used make up to portray that culture? There are many people from other countries who are not of the local ethnicity. A school play can portray ethnicity through dress, mannerisms, etc. But why does it need to be shown through an attempt to recreate a genetic, more surface aspect of the culture?
Even writing this, I realize how ridiculous it is to nitpick such a thing. I understand that in context this was not offensive to the Asian family and I’m glad that this show could bring a community together. But I don’t understand how the idea of kids using make up to portray the Asian race supports your idea that this Miley situation is completely harmless either. If anything, I think it just speaks to the Orientalist hegemony that prevails in Western culture, where it’s fine to do things that point out how different Asians are but doesn’t think it has any consequence since it’s not outrightly mean-spirited. This whole Miley thing is innocent. Yes. I believe so and I don’t think she deserves any of this backlash. But the importance here is understanding. Though the photos were not intended to offend anyone and many are not offended by it, there has to be some kind of understanding that it may offend some people, in which case a simple apology would be sufficient. I strongly hope that one day there can be equality and racial barriers can be broken down so that race is not such a sensitive issue. But the key to that is dialogue to work through it and understand the implications for all parties, not to simply brush it off, especially when you are in the public eye.
please show me one kid growing up that does not make that face. we all did it. and if you say you never pulled your eyes back your a liar. everyone does it. asians get offended over nothing just like some black people think everythings racial. dont believe me? watch some movies, listen to how they talk and what simple things offend them. god forbid someone make a face just cause it resembles your race doenst mean anything. in elementary school we put sparkle dots on our forehead. …..is that racist against indians? no. its kids its what we grow up with. and since there was an asian kid in the picture with them…he obviously wasnt offended. grow up america.