I appreciate whenever a club, theater or venue at which I am performing goes out of their way to tell their customers that I will be there. Posters, flyers and, yes, especially the marquee. So it was with mixed feelings when I came across the website for The Ranch, the club where I will be performing tonight. (See picture above.)
My initial reaction wasn’t that I was offended. Instead, I wondered if I should be offended.
I’ll admit the image is something I created by remixing an old Mao poster, and it is the actual picture on the disc of my comedy album, Paul Ogata Stands Up: Live In Hong Kong. (It is on the physical disc, if you buy a CD at a live show.) But the text, “Crick Here Fo Ticket”? That’s all The Ranch’s doing.
In my act, I spend a chunk of time explaining how words only have the power we give to them. At a comedy show, especially, we should leave our issues and problems at the door and just have a good time. Much like in Hawaii, where people remove their footwear before coming in the house, leaving a pile of soiled, smelly slippers, sandals and shoes outside, the party is going on inside, unsullied by whatever the guests may have stepped in beforehand.
If you leave a Hawaii party early enough, you may be able to upgrade your footwear.
So in the spirit of leaving my slippers outside, I will not be offended and will be at The Ranch tonight to bring the funny as usual. And I will probably rip the owner a new asshole on stage about this whole mess. ROR.
If you use Asian stereotypes as humor in your shows, which perpetuates these stereotypes then you cannot be offended when they’re used, as in the case of this ad for your show. Just my opinion.
It’s like you didn’t even read this blog.
Do you know that the german army of ww2 had a helmet of a similar design? Also, ifit sells tickets, WTF.
Yeah, I do look a little Sgt. Schulz-esque. Like Vince from the Sham-Wow commercials says, those Germans always make good stuff.
Why is this on all the time? Is it because you want a reply all the time?
Why is what on? The internet? It’s always on. Unless you have AT&T WIreless. Then, not so much.