[Note: This is a comment I tried to post on HK Magazine in reply to Chip Tsao’s article on the Spratly Islands issue where the Philippine government has also laid its claim. My post was not published, and later my IP address was blocked. Supposedly, my post was suspected of being spam. How could it be when you have to be a registered user to post a comment? Maybe because I’m makulet hehe. http://hk-magazine.com/feature/war-home]
When does satire cross the line to racial insult? When the irony’s missing, which is the case in this sentence: “As a nation of servants, you don’t flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter.”
Instead of becoming a genuine criticism and commentary on a political issue, the other finer points of this article have been lost and its entirety degenerated into a racial insult from someone who now comes across as a racial asshole pretending to be a journalist. With that single sentence, he seemed to have conveniently forgotten his own people’s history and struggle with servitude.
I appreciate satire like any genuine writer should. I believe nothing is sacred enough to be spared from criticism and humour.
But true irreverence is an art (and not an easy one) that casts light on conclusions based on an in-depth study of society. In this art form, irony is militant, wit a deadly weapon.
Regrettably, Mr. Chip Tsao employed neither. Instead he summoned a myopic conclusion from the depths of his malnourished mind, laced it with some remarks he thought were funny, and added a dash of insult to his own government lest he be accused of not being satirical enough. Sad to say, the formula failed to produce the desired irony. He has missed the mark. Several, in fact.
Instead, his attempts of satire became the act of a bully. With a single sentence he lambasted the Filipino people, ridiculed their honour, rubbed salt on the wounds of separation from family of migrant workers earning an honest living, and spit on their sufferings as a nation.
He pounced on the Filipino people when he should have picked on the Philippine government. There lies the difference between satire and unadulterated BULLSHIT.
Sorry, but this is an epic fail in satire.
Leave a Reply