2008 Woodie Awards
Tsunami song is a disgrace
Nika Megino
Issue date: 3/4/05 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
There is a thin line between humor and ignorance.
The broadcast of "The Tsunami Song," a tune which mocks the victims of the tsunami in Asia, on a popular New York hip-hop radio station earlier this year is an example of pure ignorance and insolence.
"The Tsunami Song" aired on a morning show hosted by Miss Jones of Hot-97 in New York. Containing offensive lyrics and recorded by ignorant employees of the radio station, "The Tsunami Song" brought on quite some controversy.
Detailed lyrics of the victims' struggles were found to be extremely offensive and to many listeners, myself included, and are nothing but insensitive. The lyrics were recorded to the famous tune "We are the World."
The tune does not only contain offensive content toward tsunami victims but also includes distinct racial slurs as well.
Some of the distasteful lyrics are as follows: "All at once you could hear the screaming ch*nks and no one was safe from the wave / There were Africans drowning, little Chinamen swept away / You could hear god laughing / ... So now you're screwed / It's the tsunami / You better run / Go find your mommy / I just saw her float by, a tree went through her head / and now the children will be sold to child slavery..."
Rick Del Gado, the producer of the morning-show, created the song and has already been fired along with Todd Lynn, another member of the morning show, who said on air that he would start "shooting Asians."
The tune can be found on the Internet along with the introduction of the clip where listeners are able to hear Lynn's remark. An attack against Miss Info, another radio personality who was a part of the morning-show who so happened to be Asian, can also be heard in the introduction.
Apparently, in the introduction, Miss Info had decided not to take part the broadcasting of "The Tsunami Song," due to the fact that she found it offensive. Her choice to not take part in the broadcasting sparked a heated argument between her and Jones and Lynn.
What kind of humor can be found in the mockery of the victims of a natural disaster that brought so much tragedy? No one heard of a song that mocked the victims of the terrorist attacks against the United States in 2001.
Jones was suspended for a few weeks but is now back on the air. Miss Info has refused to work with Jones. Hot-97 has issued apologies and pledged a million dollars to the tsunami relief. Jones and other members of the radio station had to contribute to the relief as well.
The station should have known better from the outset. An offensive song that ridicules victims should not be the reason you contribute to the tsunami relief as a part of a pathetic apology. It's plain and simple, the song should never have been aired nor should it have ever been created.
The broadcast of "The Tsunami Song," a tune which mocks the victims of the tsunami in Asia, on a popular New York hip-hop radio station earlier this year is an example of pure ignorance and insolence.
"The Tsunami Song" aired on a morning show hosted by Miss Jones of Hot-97 in New York. Containing offensive lyrics and recorded by ignorant employees of the radio station, "The Tsunami Song" brought on quite some controversy.
Detailed lyrics of the victims' struggles were found to be extremely offensive and to many listeners, myself included, and are nothing but insensitive. The lyrics were recorded to the famous tune "We are the World."
The tune does not only contain offensive content toward tsunami victims but also includes distinct racial slurs as well.
Some of the distasteful lyrics are as follows: "All at once you could hear the screaming ch*nks and no one was safe from the wave / There were Africans drowning, little Chinamen swept away / You could hear god laughing / ... So now you're screwed / It's the tsunami / You better run / Go find your mommy / I just saw her float by, a tree went through her head / and now the children will be sold to child slavery..."
Rick Del Gado, the producer of the morning-show, created the song and has already been fired along with Todd Lynn, another member of the morning show, who said on air that he would start "shooting Asians."
The tune can be found on the Internet along with the introduction of the clip where listeners are able to hear Lynn's remark. An attack against Miss Info, another radio personality who was a part of the morning-show who so happened to be Asian, can also be heard in the introduction.
Apparently, in the introduction, Miss Info had decided not to take part the broadcasting of "The Tsunami Song," due to the fact that she found it offensive. Her choice to not take part in the broadcasting sparked a heated argument between her and Jones and Lynn.
What kind of humor can be found in the mockery of the victims of a natural disaster that brought so much tragedy? No one heard of a song that mocked the victims of the terrorist attacks against the United States in 2001.
Jones was suspended for a few weeks but is now back on the air. Miss Info has refused to work with Jones. Hot-97 has issued apologies and pledged a million dollars to the tsunami relief. Jones and other members of the radio station had to contribute to the relief as well.
The station should have known better from the outset. An offensive song that ridicules victims should not be the reason you contribute to the tsunami relief as a part of a pathetic apology. It's plain and simple, the song should never have been aired nor should it have ever been created.