“Chinaman”, Defined as a Man From China, Is Now An Offensive Term — What?
How far is this insane, radically egalitarian “politically correct” atmosphere going to go? Case in point, from AOL Sports:
During today’s Masters broadcast, CBS announcer Bobby Clampett referred to Chinese golfer Liang Wen-Chong as “the chinaman.”
According to CBS spokeswoman LeslieAnne Wade, Clampett later apologized on the Masters webcast.
Clampett has been working Amen Corner the last two days, and his commentary can be heard both online and on DirecTV. He used the “chinaman” slur while describing Liang’s round and explaining that he will not make the cut.
There is no word yet on whether Clampett will be disciplined by CBS. Clampett’s slur comes three months after Golf Channel announcer Kelly Tilghman was suspended for two weeks for saying that if young players want to beat Tiger Woods, they should “lynch him in a back alley.”
There has also so far been no reaction from Augusta National, which is far from the world’s most politically correct organization but which is known for its insistence that television announcers not say anything controversial. CBS announcer Jim Nantz frequently talks about how much classier golf in general and Augusta National in particular are than other sports and other venues, and Nantz has even criticized Woods for cursing on the course. How does he feel about one of his colleagues using a slur?
Three times the author, Michael David Smith, refers to “Chinaman” as a slur.
But I’m a simple man, with a simple mind, so my question is: How is calling Liang Wen-Chong — a man from China — a slur? Let’s avoid a semantic debate and consult the authorities:
slur [slur]: a disparaging remark or a slight: quick to take offense at a slur.
So — in the mind of Michael David Smith — something about being a man, or being from China, is disparaging, or somehow a slight? I’m confused.
You know what? Enough of this — I’ll leave it up to you guys to decide.
April 13th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
“Chinaman” has been a slur for at least a couple hundred years now. Sorry you’re just catching up with the 19th century.
The phrase “snowball’s chance in hell” was originally “Chinaman’s chance in hell.”
April 14th, 2008 at 7:47 am
I’d have a softer soul if I didn’t know that the Chinese are pretty epic racists in their own right. If you’re not Chinese you’d have to promote 5 times to be allowed to report to the dust behind the boiler.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:39 am
American Man
Irish Man
French Man
British Man
Australian Man
China Man
ETC.
Jordan, your argument is weak, read above… if you’re insulted by having where your from combined with what you are (a man), then that tells me that you are not proud to be Chinese — that’s your own problem…
For this to be seen as a “slur” is blasphemy… moreover, a very simple mind should be able to decipher the difference between a “slur” and a designation… get over it…
August 8th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Rico you’re off base here. Chinaman has been used as a derogatory term unlike the term Irishman or Englishman. For instance if someone off the street said yo mama in a nasty way would you think that’s not an insult. I mean the words only really mean “your mother”, how can “your mother” be an insult after all its just the combination of your and mother. I think you get the picture, its the context not simply the combination of words. To some degree its nice that you don’t think its bad term. It seems to me that you may have never of heard it used in a bad way so you have no context for it. i have and its not a nice thing to hear.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:44 am
Chinaman is a slur, but many people don’t realize this. I usually don’t take offense at hearing the word, because I know the people who use aren’t using it in an insulting way. Many Chinese Americans don’t even realize that Chinaman is a slur and they often use the word themselves.
The origins of the word as a slur are probably from the racist context it was used in long ago.
Also, “China” isn’t an adjective. Rather than properly saying Chinese man, you’re somewhat disrespectfully shortening it.
Again, I’m sure this was just a small misunderstanding.
October 7th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Englishman, Irishman, Scotsman, Welshman, Frenchman, Dutchman… Chinaman? There is a reason why people say Chinaman instead of Chineseman.
November 12th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
b2g0rtb28r5vns2j