10.19.2007

asian nerd stereotype in "zits"



This is today's edition of the comic strip Zits, by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman. Yes, that is indeed a four-eyed, bowl-haircut guy named "Nguyen" lugging that giant backpack, presumably filled with books. Whaaaaat?

Ah, which stereotype shall exploit today? The nerdy, straight-A Asian overachiever will do nicely. And make no mistake, the cartoonists want to clearly distinguish that this character is Asian. Thus, they've named him Nguyen. That's racist!

By the way, this comic strip is syndicated in over 1,500 newspapers nationwide. Greaaaaat. If you're not a fan of this particular strip, let them know how you feel by emailing King Features Sydicate at zits@kingfeatures.com.

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