Buzz Bissinger On Some Jeremy Lin Jokes: ‘Doesn’t Rise To Level Of Calling Him A Gook Or A Kike’

video

by James Crugnale | 1:56 pm, February 19th, 2012

» 14 comments

In a discussion about the allegedly racially insensitive media incidents involving Jeremy Lin on CNN’s Reliable Sources, Vanity Fair/Daily Beast columnist Buzz Bissinger said he wasn’t offended by that much of it. “‘Chink in the armor‘ is definitely offensive,” Bissinger observed. “I will not say what the penalty should or should not be. It’s hard to believe it got in but ESPN does this all the time. They do offensive things and then try to backtrack. I think some of the other stuff, frankly, is not that big a deal. The fortune cookie thing didn’t bother me…I don’t think it rises to the level of calling him a gook or a kike. People are having fun with it.”

Bissinger disputed that there was anything offensive about racial stereotyping made at Lin’s expense. “I made a spoof of it,” he added. “I said what I wrote was going to be offensive. It probably was. It was about Michael Vick and Jeremy Lin opening a restaurant together. You know, this stuff is going to happen, and I think in a sense we have to get over it. It certainly hasn’t hindered Jeremy Lin’s popularity.”

Kurtz did not directly address Bissinger’s use of derogatory terms and moved on in the discussion.

Watch below via CNN:

(h/t Deadspin)

Howard Kurtz responded to our original headline which did not include the word ‘Some’:

I’ve got to blow the whistle on a misleading headline. Buzz Bissinger didn’t say that “Jeremy Lin Jokes” don’t rise to the level of those other ethnic slurs, because that indicates he’s defending all the jokes, including the worst stuff. As your own story points out, in his interview with me on Reliable Sources, Buzz said ESPN’s “Chink” headline was “definitely offensive” and criticized the network for it. He said some other jokes, including the fortune cookie one, were “not that big a deal.” In a story that dealt in part with a horrible headline that prompted ESPN to fire the staffer involved, your own headline-writer should have been more careful.

Editor’s note: This post has been edited since it’s original posting – Jon Nicosia

Buzz Bissinger, CNN, Howard Kurtz, Jeremy Lin, Racial Slur, Racial Slurs, Reliable Sources

Hout Bosques

Jeremy Lin is a KIKE? Well that certainly explains everything.
Anonymous

what an idiot. Can we all just agree that racial epitaphs are sooooooo 20th century. It’s not about political correctness it’s about class and tact.
Anonymous

Well, I think ‘chink’ does rise to that level and denying it does is beyond ridiculous. I will say though that suspending the anchor who simply read what was in front of him (which is his job) was a little over the top.
Anonymous

So he seems to think that a little bit of racism is not a whole lot of racism, so lets not make a big deal of this lil itty bitty thing!
Charles Ulysses Feney

It’s not like calling him a kike, because the Chinese aren’t the chosen ones!

Kike – A racial slur for a Jewish person. Originates from the word ‘keikl’, in Yiddish, which means ‘circle’, the reason being that the first Jewish immigrants in America, who were unable to sign their names, signed with a circle instead of a cross because their Rabbis forbid them from making a cross or even an x..
Anonymous

I understand why this man is angry. You would be mad too if your mom named you Buzz.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1144285521 Laura Anderson

So well said!
Anonymous

Those despicable pretend humans who can see only the color of one’s skin make a big brouhaha
about this immensely talented fully AMERICAN young man, because they fear that anyone but an African American basketball player deserves recognition as GREAT.

Have they forgotten Yao Ming?

Where were they when a real true rarity, a BLACK hockey player proved to be one of the best?

These yahooes are fond of calling everyone a racist, but they should just look in the mirror.
Anonymous

Lin’s going to bringing out the bigotry in a lot of sports and media writers, so idiots making excuses will be inevitable. Don’t stereotype people and you’ll be fine.

Kudos for ESPN for setting quick action. They sent a CLEAR message to their sports writers, and while a bit extreme, they had to send a clear and decisive message. No bigotry, no stereotyping.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_HDF7I43FCC3HHEJJEHPNYFHOMI Foster

bissinger is a hardcore racist, nothing more. he will burn in hell anyway.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_HDF7I43FCC3HHEJJEHPNYFHOMI Foster

screw that kike bissinger
http://profile.yahoo.com/VFYVV5UUHVSQZCDZOX77DNOBX4 Jing C

These sportswriters are all paid over six to seven figure salaries each year, and it’s sad that they can’t come up with anything original to say. Mr. Federico said that he used the term” CH*** in the armor” over a hundred time and never thought it was offensive to be used in a headline about Jeremy Lin. He was fired for stupidity and not for blatant racism. I mean can’t they come up with analogies and puns without using racial stereotypes or racial slurs. Don’t talk about Chinese food, use funny accents or derogatory comments about eyes or male anatomy. You can do over a thousand puns with his name alone. On top of that use his Harvard status for nerdy jokes.

Why in the world would CNN interview Buzz Bissinger,a racist columnist of German descent whose grandfather was probably a SS officer in Hitler’s army, about his sensitivity on Jeremy Lin’s racial comments and slurs. WTF, and they let him say racial slurs on air. I mean he probably came up with 3 offensive comments during his 3 minute segment alone talking about Michael Vick and J Lin.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/XPCSX3ZYV3JDPLBBYRPC7NLLSA Ryan

I missed the point where Buzz Bissinger was Asian and thus the topic of a slur, so his opinion is invalidated in this.
Anonymous

I remember years ago back in Jersey, we’d get take out from “the chinks” every Friday nite.
AND
Get our dress shirts done also at “the chinks”.
Datz da way it wuz back in da day.