Wendy Ho's Dad Chimes In

[Howard Smith]

Hello, I am Wendy Ho’s father – I really am, and as such, I cannot help but feel partially responsible for the angst she left behind in Frisco. After all, it was MY doing that she spent many of her formative years in the Royal Village Mobile Home Park on the outskirts of Toledo, Ohio (7519 Dorr Street – that’s with two Rs, not Os.)

It was last Sunday when I learned of Wendy’s “Racist Tour of America” and I promised myself that if it were still being blogged about after the holiday weekend, I would weigh-in. With respect to context: I’m an accountant in my mid-50s and have been married to Wendy’s mother for 32 years – the last 17 of which have found us living in northeast Kansas.

Honestly? I can’t believe it’s taken this long for this to become an issue, but up until now, I’ve written that off as my own lack of contemporary sophistication – what with my never having ventured west of Abilene. Unlike many others who’ve taken offense at something that has been said or done, I am NOT going to ask, “Where’s the outrage?” because if there’s anything life on this earth has taught me, it’s this: We ALL keep our outrage in our hip pockets. Access is easy, but more importantly, DISCRIMINATE.

Despite being the most liberal voice of our family, I love Wendy anyway. I recall a time last year when I chided her after reading “Hey Hillary, go make me a sandwich!” She was quick to ask me how people would feel about the statement, “Hey Barack, shine my shoes!” NOW I have to ask: Was Wendy using HER racism to combat MY sexism?

I commend the vast majority of the bloggers on this subject for being polite, thoughtful, logical, and for the most part, free of name-calling. (With the exception of “Tracey” who is convinced “beyond all shadow of a doubt” that my daughter is a “racist weasel hiding behind the get out of being called a racist ass free labels of parody and satire.” If I am guilty of wrenching this out of context, I would truly appreciate it if someone would point it out to me AND perhaps explain what the latter-half of her quote means.)

Mr. Freeman: your blog was outstanding – your questions, quite thought provoking. You might get me to agree that certain people are culturally ADVANTAGED, but culturally EMPOWERED I can only equate with lots of money – the kind one would NOT find in “dive-bar” entertainers (as another blogger so kindly put it.) Maybe that’s just the accountant in me though.

Mr. Snyder: (Yes, I saved the best for last – and admit it, you would have been quite disappointed had I not mentioned you.) I was wondering if you were planning on calling out Showtime’s “I Can’t Believe I’m Still Single” for having Wendy as a guest star earlier this year or Eric Schaeffer for referring to Wendy’s work as genius? Or how about "Nip/Tuck’s" Jennifer Coolidge whose character “Hot Coco” recently sang a song (“Yo Stink”) that was remarkably similar to Wendy Ho’s “Bitch, I Stole Your Purse?” If you are as fair-minded as I think you are (ANOTHER VICTORY, perhaps?) you will offer BOTH You-Tubes to your readers and ask for comments.

Finally, can a dad objectively describe what his daughter is all about? I doubt it, but I’d like to give it a try: Wendy is a wise, brave, strong-willed, hard-working, fun-loving woman who looks for the BEST in others. Like most (if not all) of us, she’s a sinner and a pilgrim wandering this planet in search of comfort and joy. That being said, I would be remiss if I did not add this: cross Wendy J. Smith, and you are likely to have her middle finger shoved in your face. (WENDY JO!) I’ll have to work on that with her…that and her grammar.

Sincerely…Howard Smith (Yep, my first name really does begin with HO…damn - and pardon the double post.)

[Kasey]

I'm not sure I understand...what are you suggesting here? What actions would you like us to take, or not take? Do you feel that the performances are racist or racially problematic? Also, feel free to edit this post to include the links to the videos you mention--there's no need to rely on anyone else to present them to the community.

[Mark Daniel Snyder]

Over on Wendy's blog - Mr. Smith and I had an exchange where I told him I thought that white performers had a responsibility to analyze if their audience is getting the satire or laughing at and perpetuating stereotypes.

Mr Smith responded:

" Wendy's Dad
Consider me among the uneducated as it has to do with white privilege - up until now. I was fascinated with the topic (pro and con) on Wikipedia (use with caution!)

Responsibility? I'll have to take that part under further advisement.

Wish I didn't have to admit my ignorance, but it's hard not to be cool with cool. (And thanks for stepping back marksnyder!) "

I commend Wendy's dad for engaging in this discussion and remaining open to learning about and exploring issues like white privilege for the first time. That's what QueerToday.com is ultimately about.

[Howard Smith]

Hi Kasey – thanks for responding.

I would suggest that more people take the even-handed approach that Mr. Carlo Baca did when addressing issues like this one. (Whom, by the way, I personally thanked via Facebook.)

You asked for my opinion as to whether or not I think that Wendy’s performance is racist or racially problematic. Much as Brian earlier opined “almost everything in this screwed up society is worrisome,” I think it reasonably follows that almost everything can be construed as racially problematic.

What about a racist performance then? Anyone care to discuss the 1974 movie “Blazing Saddles?” Outrageous comedy or racist – and may I throw in, insensitive to the gay culture? Which joke is more egregious, Wendy’s “Asian people have funny names,” or Mel Brook’s “Alright, we’ll take the n ____, and the c____, but not the Irish.” ?

Other actions? Honestly, it wasn’t my intent to spur any action other than what was clearly asked for.

[Kasey]

I'm not sure what was clearly asked for--so maybe someone else can clue me in? To be honest, I'm not really sure how open you are to addressing the work at hand, and not just because she's your kid. Passing the buck is not an effective strategy for building a better world. We've got to call racism where we see it, and not say that one bad deed allows another. I haven't seen Blazing Saddles (though I know my dad loves the movie) but if it's racist, if it's anti-gay, then that doesn't mean that it's okay for another work to be anti-gay or racist. It means the problem is everywhere and that it's got to be addressed. I know that I want Wendy Ho to take responsibility for the effect her work has on people, for the culture she helps build in those bars on those nights. And sure, I agree with Brian--there ARE a lot of problems, especially if you dig deep enough. The thing here, though, is that you don't have to dig very deep to recognize that there is something wrong with perpetuating racial stereotypes. It's difficult to justify performing alongside Shirley Q. Liquor, since it's fairly obvious that Shirley Q. is racist, so why would your daughter be there? A quick buck, at the expense of Black folks? Or a quick laugh at their expense?

Not everyone has to be a humanitarian. It's fine to make work that's not intended to help make a better world. However, it's not okay to carelessly spread racist ideas and hide behind the "it's just a joke" veneer. I know that if I messed up and did something racist, I would hope someone would point out my mistake, so that I could stop doing it. I think you, me, and Wendy would all agree that pervasive racism is bad. The difference between us is that I am trying to speak up against it, Wendy is creating work that, accidentally or otherwise, seems to perpetuate it, and you're trying to remind me that it's not that bad, since it's bad all over. We can all do better.

[Howard Smith]

No I am not in any way implying that one bad deed allows another. Merely that we use similar objective standards in determining what constitutes a bad deed.

[Howard Smith]

Oh, and as for addressing the work at hand -- racism, outrageous comedy, or other?
Wendy Ho's Gospel Act and songs like "Bitch I stole...": 100 % outrageous comedy.
Blazing Saddles (seen at least a dozen times): 100% outrageous comedy.
Dave Chappelle (episodes I've seen): 100% outrageous comedy.
Wanda Sykes (wishing Rush Limbaugh's kidney failure): 100% outrageous comedy.
David Letterman (on Sarah Palin's daughter at the Yankee game): Other (stupid.)
Don Imus (nappy-headed hoes): Other (extremely stupid.)

I hope that by not offering a more complete list does not get me accused of passing the buck (again). Also, please note as to the above list, the scores I've given are as to how much I feel they fit the category NOT the quality of their work. I'm not trying to put my kid in the same category with the others who got 100%. But I like to think that neither God nor I are through with her yet.

[Kasey]

How is Don Imus NOT racist? If you explain that, maybe I can better understand your line of reasoning.

[Mark Daniel Snyder]

Howard, I think your list does draw a distinction between satire and run of the mill stereotype comedy. It should be noted, as it has been, that Dave Chappelle quit his act because he saw that the white people did not get that it was satire, and he found that it ended up perpetuating stereotypes rather than dissecting them. He said he saw that they were laughing not with his commentary on race but actually AT the caricature. That, is I think what we are suggesting Wendy Ho take a look at. Is her comedy making people laugh at the satire, or simply that she's a white girl saying she's acting black. From what I've seen in her facebook comments and in person at her show, the effect I see her comedy having on the audience is one that reinforces their biases towards people of another class, and people of color, and anyone theywould describe as "ghetto." Then, these white gay guys run around telling each other, "bitch I stole yo' purse, you stupid ho," etc. This becomes problematic real fast. (I haven't seen Blazing Saddles)

[Howard Smith]

Kasey: What!? Please explain to me why he IS! Me & the missus used to watch 15-20 minutes of his show in the mornings for laughs. Does he exclude children cancer-sufferers of color on his ranch? You want to know the people Don Imus REALLY looks down on? OVERWEIGHT. I'm telling ya dude, if you tip the scale 10 pounds too much you are A BIG FAT PIG.

Mark: First-name basis! Now THERE'S a victory we should ALL appreciate!!!! As I said, me & God aren't through with Ms. WJS yet. (I'm aware that DC gave up his satire and why. A truly noble act. Know what would be nobler? If he gave up the money he made from doing it - damn, there's that accountant again!)

BOTH you swell guys: YOU NEED TO WATCH BLAZING SADDLES! (Also try "My Favorite Year" with Peter O'Toole, really! I KNOW you'll thank me for it!)

[Carlo Baca]

If anyone is interested in watching it, you can find Blazing Saddles on Youtube. I have seen the movie and will again tonight before I comment on this discussion sometime tomorrow (very busy tonight).

I will say that I'm glad Mr. Smith is willing to engage with us in this discussion considering its complexity and the fact that it involves his daughter. As we've all seen with the related posts (and the mere fact that we're continuing this discussion) these issues run the gambit of emotions for us all. Therefore, we should do our best to be thoughtful and judicious with how we say things in our posts so that we're respectful of the feelings and opinions of others.

I think we should also be careful with our assumptions about what should or shouldn't be known since we don't all come from the same background and may not share in the same knowledge and/or perspectives. That's all I wanted to say for now..