Fox News NZ Reporter Punished for Chink Accent

[Ryan-NZ]

Sky-News Reporter Punished for Chink Accent

Joe Wheeler fake accent: Race relations commissoner condemns mockery as 'hurtful, unacceptable'

George Heagney | Stuff (NZ) | 3 April 2021

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300268714/joe-wheeler-fake-accent-race-relations-commissoner-condemns-mockery-as-hurtful-unacceptable

The race relations commissioner is condemning Sky Sport presenter Joe Wheeler for imitating a Japanese accent during a live broadcast.

Meng Foon said such off-hand comments and racist micro-aggressions could stack up and become hurtful.

Wheeler has faced intense criticism for the way he talked about a Japanese Highlanders player after the team's Super Rugby win over the Crusaders on Friday night.

"He was leally impressive, wasn't he? He was leally, leally good," Wheeler asked Mitchell Hunt about the performance of Hunt's Highlanders team-mate Kazuki Himeno.

Race relations commissioner Meng Foon says micro-aggressions by Whites need to stop

Wheeler later apologised online.

Foon said mocking anyone's accent or language was hurtful to those people.

"These sorts of comments are best not heard nowadays. There's a huge sensitivity on racism issues now going forward, and I know the younger generation is definitely not tolerating this."

He said with a change in society's values and relationships with diverse communities, language and accents should be respected.

People learning to properly pronounce Māori words was an important example.

Foon said even off-hand comments were bad and a stereotype, and even if someone laughed a comment off, they could be hurting underneath.

"All the micro-aggressions that accumulate, even though they may be small, they do become quite tiresome and hurtful to the people receiving them, so these new micro-aggressions need to stop."

Joe Wheeler, left, has grovelled for putting on an Asian accent

Foon pointed to the Human Rights Commission's Voice of Racism website, which voices the experiences of more than 200 people in New Zealand who have encountered racism, as upsetting examples of racist comments.

He said learning and respecting other cultures was important.

Massey University professor Paul Spoonley, who researches racism, said humour was a difficult area.

"I would have thought we're sensitised to how offensive mocking somebody by using a fake accent is.

"Also I guess in this day and age, why would anybody think that it's OK?"

He said comments like Wheeler's could offend a lot of people.

"I assume part of the audience will have thought there's nothing wrong with it and thought it's some political correctness gone mad."

Wheeler apologised on Twitter shortly after the incident and said he stuffed up. He said he had spoken to Himeno and apologised to him and the team.

"I absolutely accept this is not the standard expected of the sideline team. I've got some work to do obviously, but I'm absolutely committed to doing better."

Himeno replied to the tweet, accepting the apology.

"It's ok joe. Let's enjoy and celebrate our big victory. Let's go landers!!"

Sky chief executive said in a statement to Stuff the comments made by Wheeler were disappointing.

"They are not who we are at Sky, and we need to do better. Joey Wheeler has apologised sincerely and is genuinely very sorry and remorseful for his mistake; and we are working closely with Joey and will continue to reinforce what is expected of all of our team.

"We will learn from this, and we will keep striving to reflect and respect everyone in our community."

[Br.IanVonTurpie]

Can't have a joke? If others can talk with "the correct accent" then what is wrong?! Why should I be exempt from adopting that accent too?

Talking in foreign accents is just funny! Good, clean fun!
No derogatory slurs.

If a non-White tries acting like a white person a  with "Prim and proper accent" it wouldn't be offensive. We'd probably egg them on for a laugh. However non whites always wanna be owed something.