Credit: Courtesy of Alexander L.

Perceptive reader Alexander sends along this picture of news station KXL-FM’s current message to the good people of Portland’s historic Chinatown. It’s around NW 3rd and Couch.

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  • Courtesy of Alexander L.

Alexander says:

“UHHH, is this entirely racist? YES! A mistake from one ignorant person happens, but this advert was green-lit by numerous decision makers no doubt, and now presides in a neighborhood already wrought with the stigma of Portland’s historic racist behavior.

THOUGHTS?”

I think it’s about the most-pointless billboard I’ve ever seen regardless of where it hangs, but especially stupid in this context.

What do you got, Blogtown?

I'm a news reporter for the Mercury. I've spent a lot of the last decade in journalism — covering tragedy and chicanery in the hills of southwest Missouri, politics in Washington, D.C., and other matters...

18 replies on “KXL: Keeping It Classy In Chinatown”

  2. I can’t fathom how the station that boasts Lars Larson–and Jim Villanucci, for heaven’s sake–would do something so obviously insensitive.

  3. Haha that’s a hilarious sign. Get over yourselves white people and just laugh. You all think it as you walk through “Chinatown” anyways.

  5. Wait, this blog is from someone whose paper sponsers amatuer porn contests, right?
    As much as I find the porn contest harmless, I feel the same way about this, even if they espose politics I don’t agree with.

  6. Appropriately racist, I would say, for an area of town that the city insists maintain some ridiculous theme park version of Chinese culture.

  7. What I find equally offensive are the comments on here from people who donot understand why this is offensive or deemed racist. Once again Asian culture is mocked and its “harmless and funny!” I show a harrassment video at work that depicts racism and harrassment to different groups of people ie African Americans, Jewish people, gay people etc and the staff watching get upset by what they see but when it comes to the Asian situation in the video people laugh out loud every single time. If this was a billboard in an all African American area with “ebonics” on the billboard no one on here would say it wasnt racist or harmless and we should hold that same respect and understanding of why these situations are harmful and offensive towards all types of people, and yes some commentors above, that includes Asian people.

  8. To provide this some possibly relevant context: The quote used on this billboard was made popular by a 2 Live Crew song called “Me So Horny,” sampled from a scene in “Full Metal Jacket” where a Vietnamese prostitute is propositioning two G.I.’s, offering her body for less than 5 dollars.

    The scene exists SPECIFICALLY to be dehumanizing.

  9. The sheer amount of people who had to be involved in conceiving and executing something so obviously horrible/ racist is staggering.

  10. Ah, Advertising people doing their job at its’ finest, eh?
    Having a japanese wife, I like to think I’m more aware of bias than your average bloke, but on the other hand, it isn’t just like whites own a monopoly on these types of jokes, bias, etc.
    Over in Japan and China they have plenty of things to say about us white people too.

  11. This is extremely offensive. It has no place anywhere. Many of the snarky comments above are witty, but that doesn’t change the racism.

    They should really remove it quickly., and they should seriously consider exactly how many dimwits (from the station marketing to the billboard wrap-ers) saw this and didn’t yell “Stop!”

  12. But then there is that old First Amendment thing…. You want to hear about racism towards asians? At the Library in the Hollywood District a black man was calling me out for having a ‘nip’ girlfriend. At Winco I had some fat white bastard yelling at me about my ‘chinc’ wife. Or at the old lesbian bar on Stark, being told my asian wife meant I like to oppress women – because obviously they are more subserviant than a white woman.
    That having been said, I find this advertising pretty tame really.

  13. Question for Alexander and Vanderhart:
    While you obviously are against this ‘advertising’ in Chinatown, where do you stand on R2Dtoo?
    You must be aware that this is a thorn in the side of the Chinese Community there?

  15. “You can be racist as hell and no one should call you out on it because that infringes on your right to be a worthless shithead” – First Amendment, Magnum Carter or something

  16. Did anyone at The Mercury hop on their bicycle (or skateboard or whatever) and confirm that his billboard is real before publicizing this? It seems black letters on a white background would be easy to prank.

  18. The billboard is clearly racist and offensive, and I just want to say this about the First Amendment: it’s there to prevent *the government* from interfering with people’s right of free speech. It’s a damn good thing, that amendment, and worth supporting, but it does not require the rest of us to sit still for this shite.

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