Discussion: Zinke Says ‘Konnichiwa’ To Japanese-American Senator

Same here. Thanks.

I thought “pendejo” was translated as “stable genius”. :joy:

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As I huge movie buff (or “cinemaphile” if I want to get pretentious) I can say that 2017 saw the release of two landmark American horror movies: “Get Out” and “Mother!” both genre breaking works of genius.

Of the two “Get Out” is the bigger genius, and by far the most important. It puts the horror genre into the service of social commentary.

I have not seen it specifically called out elsewhere, but the maid’s monologue in the movie is a masterpiece of psychological horror - Betty Gabriel should have been nominated for a supporting actress role at the Academy Awards.

And absolutely Jordan Peele deserved the Oscar for his screenplay - I had hoped the movie would win best picture.

(Also often not mentioned - Get Out has some really funny parts.)

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Her entire question was about Japanese-American heritage. She wasn’t asking a question about Yellowstone Park and he just threw in a “hey, you look Japanese to me, so watch this.” She was arguing for money that would support preserving the history of Japanese American internment. Certainly, he didn’t have to say anything. If he didn’t think so much of himself, he would not have. One could read his comment as an attempt to say I have enough respect for your culture, and that part of American history that I am showing some respect. Or maybe I am just sucking up to you.

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The best way to do that would be to answer her question. Period.

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The commentary has different levels to it. The “dating white folks” experience is just one, there is also the reflection on the nature of slavery as a separate one.

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Maybe. He is a person who thinks a lot of himself, so my take is that he is showing off, not denigrating her.

Her question was entirely about her own Japanese heritage. She called attention to it, not him.

I think Zinke is a horses ass, but this story is seeking outrage out of context.

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Damn, that is relaxing.

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I guess I’m surprised anyone’s defending Zinke. I’d like to celebrate the Senator a little more though.

Hanabusa then corrected Zinke, saying she thought it was still morning— “I think it’s still ‘ohayo gozaimasu,’ but that‘s OK,” she said, referencing the phrase for “good morning.”

I think the kids now call that “good shade.” We would have said she clowned him pretty hard. It’s like little white boys had been thoughtlessly saying that to her since she was in third grade or something.

Pwnd.

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I thought she was fantastic, but now I want to rewatch that scene specifically. Thanks for pointing out a parallel I hadn’t really explored.

Also, yes, Get Out is at times hilarious as hell.

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I think that is what amps up the offense. She related a painful personal story and then asked a pointed question about whether funding for these sites would be restored since the president had “zeroed them out”. Zimkes response? “oh hi”

You can parse his command of Japanese and try and argue it’s not really racist-racist if you want, but the plain truth is the secretary of the interior showed distain for congress and indifference to the sites he is charged with stewarding. That is news. That is a scandal.

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It’s High German. Now act surprised.

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Thanks for sharing! That was awesome!

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As I said, I did not get that from the entirety of his response. Your impression obviously differs!

Thanks.

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I’ll act a little surprised. I grew up around some old-style germans who would have had their lackeys horsewhip a lout like this.

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Zinke means “prong” in German, and is related to the word zinc - Paracelsus called zinc “zinken”, or “pronged” possibly for the shape of the metal crystals.

That was a lovely burn, couched as a language lesson for someone who could only have been speaking in Japanese to an English-speaking fourth-generation resident of Hawaii because she’d agreed to let him practice some phrases for his upcoming $40,000 trip to Japan on DOI business.

For those American’s who aren’t classy elected officials and who are “konnichiwa’d” by His Majesty Secretary Zinke, I recommend that you reply to him with a phrase from his own cultural background;

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I watched another horror movie last night. I, Tonya, black, funny, sad and shocking. Poor Harding. She never had a chance with that crazy mother of hers.

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Actually, pendejo would translate to include people who describe themselves in flattering terms.

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These assholes just go out of their way to be the biggest assholes they can. It’s like the asshole Olympics.

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