Donegan called it in another post...he wins the grand prize of not a damn thing. :-)
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from yahoo
Asian-American Media Group Protests Fox's 'Banzai'
By Ben Berkowitz
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An Asian-American media group on Thursday
protested the Fox network's airing of \"Banzai,\" a parody of a Japanese
game show, saying it demeans and stereotypes Asian people.
Outside a network presentation in Hollywood, about 20 members of the
Media Action Network for Asian Americans carried signs and shouted
into bullhorns, protesting the show.
The program, which debuted to strong ratings last Sunday, features an
off-screen announcer speaking in a clipped parody of a Japanese
accent, fake Japanese language graphics, and a karate-chopping
middle-aged Asian host known as Mr. Banzai.
The show first ran on Channel 4 in Britain.
\"It's just all the backward images of Asian-American people,\" Guy
Aoki, co-founder of the group, which monitors the depiction of Asian
Americans in media, told Reuters.
This is like an Asian minstrel show,\" Aoki said. \"Can you imagine the
black version of Banzai?\"
The protest came as Fox's senior executives prepared to make a
presentation at the Television Critics Association summer tour for
press, during which they preview their new fall lineups.
The demonstrators were confined to an area on the sidewalk in front of
the hotel where the tour is taking place.
One of those senior executives, Gail Berman, the president of
entertainment for Fox Broadcasting, was a creator of the ABC 1994
sitcom \"All-American Girl,\" the first broadcast show with a
predominantly Asian cast, starring Margaret Cho (news).
\"We've received an entire range of comments on the show, both pro and
con,\" Fox spokesman Scott Grogin told Reuters. \"It's a satire, a
parody of Japanese game shows. It's very tongue-in-cheek and should
not be viewed as anything but.\"
Carrying a sign that read, \"Fox puts profit before people,\" Aoki said
his group held two meetings with the network about \"Banzai,\" asking
that it not be aired, but said Fox executives declined to address
their concerns.
He said that Fox indicated if Banzai comes back for a second season,
they may add a disclaimer at the beginning of the show.
But Aoki said a disclaimer was not enough to assuage his group's
concerns. They want the show to be canceled and for Fox to apologize
for airing it in the first place.
Fox is a unit of News Corp. Ltd.
