Women are more developed creatures than men since they have one more hole

[Brian]

Senior Officials Struck by Foot-in-Mouth Disease

The head of a state-run think tank has sparked controversy with an offensive remark about women. Korea Information Society Development Institute chief Suk Ho-ick was delivering a lecture on the Korean IT industry at a breakfast meeting with 30 business figures at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul on Wednesday. Talking about the importance of the female workforce as a growth potential for the 21st century, he said, “Women are more developed creatures than men since they have one more hole.”

Women's studies scholar Min Ga-young of Hongik University said the KISDI head’s remarks demonstrated a pervasive view among men of women not as equals but as sex object. Suk on Thursday said he had no intention to denigrate women and was merely emphasizing the important role of women in the future.

Meanwhile, Gwangmyeong Mayor Lee Hyo-seon has invited censure again with offensive remarks about African-Americans. Lee was forced to give up his membership in the Grand National Party after he made derogatory remarks about Jeolla Province last July. On Monday, Lee made the faux pas at a luncheon with a visiting delegation from the Washington branch of the presidential Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification. “When I visited Washington D.C., I saw niggers swarm all around the city," he said. "How can you live in such a scary place? I was so afraid that I didn’t come out of my hotel at night.”

The delegation were in the Korean city to form a twin relationship with the Gwangmyeong branch of the unification council. The mayor on Thursday said he made the remark “because my guide warned me not to go out at night since there were many African-Americans in Washington. I don’t exactly remember whether I used the word “nigger.” He promised to apologize to the delegation as soon as they arrive back in Washington

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200705/200705180020.html

[Samuel]

Wow. How could he make such a remark about women in public? How could the guy use such a derogatory word about blacks? He needs a cultural lesson. Imagine if a white American went to Japan and said something negative about Koreans. It would be all over the Korean press, yet I haven't read anything about this comment. I guess there is no room between the articles on Dokdo and the other articles on Dokdo.

[AlexMokpo]

HAHAHAHAHAHA 
That was the most incredibly hilarious thing I've ever read.  I think it's that Koreans aren't AWARE that those are necessarily derrogatory words.  Their text-books still (STILL, even though they're 2007 editions) use the word "Indian" for Native Americans...so I wouldn't doubt if they also use Nigger and whatnot.  They're just not culturally sensitive to anywhere but their own country.  They also call themselves by "gook"  (including my co-teacher, who knows it's considered derrogatory, but just doesn't care that his email is gookone@*** ). 

I think the real cultural oddity is US.  US, who decide "oh, this word is bad, we'll invent a new one" every few years for every visible minority grouping.  The rest of the world just can't keep up, or finds such it a rediculous notion to update political-correct-ness of words regularily.  And really, it IS kinda retarded.  THey also still use the word retard.  And they don't see anything wrong with that.  They were never taught it as a bad word, so it's not.  So why are we so offended?  Just laugh it up and be like "Uhh, next time, say blah-blah instead" 

As for the extra hole...  TOTALLY more evolved!  Think about it... 
(Hahhahaa, I have NO idea what he meant, but something makes me wonder if that translates into normalness in Korean...maybe it's like reference to some cultural metaphor or something).

[Jessica]

I think the real cultural oddity is US. 

Yep, stupid Americans.

C'mon, Alex, I expect better than that from you.

(And if at some point you would like to talk about clinical definitions of people with special needs, let me know. There is a big difference between saying, "that's retarded" as a pejorative  and the clinical diagnosis of someone with mental retardation. But I'm guessing you already knew that.)

And since it has come up, even with everything with the FTA, I get a lot more insulting comments about being from the US from other foreigners than I EVER have from a Korean.

[Brian]

I agree Jessica . . . I had never even heard of Canada until I came here . . .

but actually, when I first read what Alex wrote, I thought he wrote US as in "us," the 3rd person plural personal pronoun.  I thought his point was about political correctness, and not about the United States. 

[Arsalan]

I do think he just meant to emphasize "us" and not meant it as "United States."  You should be able to tell from the grammar.

Anyway, politicians should be aware, and sensitive to racial issues--among other things.  It's part of their job, he doesn't need to believe it (if he's that much of an oaf), but if he wants to at least appear intelligent, he should avoid stupid comments like the ones he made.

Jessica, you shouldn't feel insulted unless you believe in the policies people are condemning.  If you're getting comments about Americans in general, then I understand your frustration.  A few of my students keep asking me if I "like" the U.S.--which is always a preposterous question.  I think it is meant as a reference to American foreign policies, but when people are feeling particularly stupid and/or hateful, they don't bother discerning one thing from another.

[Arsalan]

This is what people hate:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxti7MduVjU

[Jessica]

You are right, and I'm sorry I overreacted. A few weeks ago someone decided to vent about how backwards the US special education system was because many states still use the clinical definition of Mental Retardation, and I jumped to conclusions. Not appropriate on my part, and I'm sorry.

And Arsalan, if people were saying "Wow, I hate the political stance of the US!!" that would be one thing. What happens much more often is general slams on all people from the US. Which in the past 9 months has gotten really, really old.

[Samuel]

What a horrible incident. I wonder when the U.S will leave Iraq. The situation is getting worse and worse. There is growing animosity against the U.S for exactly the reasons the video shows.