4 ms·

Calling her "Chairman Pao" is racist, but moreso, reductive.

spinlock 11y ago
that's a stretch. if the intent is to create a sarcastic nick-name that compares the ceo to a dictator, "chairman pao" is going to be a front-runner not because pao and mao are both chinese but because pao and mao are only 1 letter different from each other.
- stefantalpalaru 11y ago
  You can't really reason with people once they labeled something as "racist". Convincing them that they are wrong would imply that they can't differentiate between what's racist and what's not and that's something that would affect their core beliefs.
- jrs99 11y ago
  Regardless of the intention, they ARE both chinese. So is it really a stretch to see a racist element to this nick name? It is racist by default. I'm not saying that it is a greatly offensive nickname or even unfunny, but for someone to call it racist is not at all a stretch.
  - oldmanjay 11y ago
    Is it racist to acknowledge that Ellen Pao is of Chinese ancestry? I don't get how but I don't get a lot of the modern sensitivities.
    - jrs99 11y ago
      Certainly if you want to denigrate someone and you bring up their gender or ethnicity, it can be sexist or racist.
      - Khaine 11y ago
        but they aren't denigrating her because she is Chinese. They are denigrating her because they perceive her to be a terrible CEO, and Chairman Pao is a easy way to belittle what they see as her 'authoritarian' ways
  - pvnick 11y ago
    Give it a rest
go1dfish 11y ago
Even Pao admits it's likely because her name rhymes well. Reddit has ALWAYS loved irreverent and even incredibly offensive puns. Redditors would be calling her Chairman Pao even if she was well loved just for humor value. https://www.reddit.com/r/yishansucks https://www.reddit.com/r/yishansucks
aeze 11y ago
how is it racist?
sergiotapia 11y ago
It's not racist, calm down Tumblr.
generic_user 11y ago
Calling someone you disagree with racist is itself racist. People call her Charmin Pao because she moved to limit free speech, increase dictatorial control, fire those who disagree with her and generally seems like dictator in here own special little way.
bruceb 11y ago
yes only those of Chinese decent are compared to Mao. https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0SO8xk4bqBVDMEA3XBXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0b2lhbmhrBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjA0ODZfMQRzZWMDcGl2cw--?p=obama+chairman+mao&fr=chr-greentree_ff&fr2=piv-web https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0SO8xk4b...
- jrs99 11y ago
  calling obama a monkey is different from calling george w. bush a monkey regardless of intention.
venomsnake 11y ago
Also funny which trumps both even if true.
LGBT_2000 11y ago
Don't know why people are downvoting this. It's racist. Period. End of discussion.

that's a stretch. if the intent is to create a sarcastic nick-name that compares the ceo to a dictator, "chairman pao" is going to be a front-runner not because pao and mao are both chinese but because pao and mao are only 1 letter different from each other.

stefantalpalaru 11y ago
You can't really reason with people once they labeled something as "racist". Convincing them that they are wrong would imply that they can't differentiate between what's racist and what's not and that's something that would affect their core beliefs.
jrs99 11y ago
Regardless of the intention, they ARE both chinese. So is it really a stretch to see a racist element to this nick name? It is racist by default. I'm not saying that it is a greatly offensive nickname or even unfunny, but for someone to call it racist is not at all a stretch.
- oldmanjay 11y ago
  Is it racist to acknowledge that Ellen Pao is of Chinese ancestry? I don't get how but I don't get a lot of the modern sensitivities.
  - jrs99 11y ago
    Certainly if you want to denigrate someone and you bring up their gender or ethnicity, it can be sexist or racist.
    - Khaine 11y ago
      but they aren't denigrating her because she is Chinese. They are denigrating her because they perceive her to be a terrible CEO, and Chairman Pao is a easy way to belittle what they see as her 'authoritarian' ways
- pvnick 11y ago
  Give it a rest

go1dfish 11y ago

Even Pao admits it's likely because her name rhymes well. Reddit has ALWAYS loved irreverent and even incredibly offensive puns. Redditors would be calling her Chairman Pao even if she was well loved just for humor value. https://www.reddit.com/r/yishansucks https://www.reddit.com/r/yishansucks

aeze 11y ago

how is it racist?

sergiotapia 11y ago

It's not racist, calm down Tumblr.

generic_user 11y ago

Calling someone you disagree with racist is itself racist. People call her Charmin Pao because she moved to limit free speech, increase dictatorial control, fire those who disagree with her and generally seems like dictator in here own special little way.

bruceb 11y ago

yes only those of Chinese decent are compared to Mao. https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0SO8xk4bqBVDMEA3XBXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0b2lhbmhrBGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjA0ODZfMQRzZWMDcGl2cw--?p=obama+chairman+mao&fr=chr-greentree_ff&fr2=piv-web https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0SO8xk4b...

jrs99 11y ago
calling obama a monkey is different from calling george w. bush a monkey regardless of intention.

venomsnake 11y ago

Also funny which trumps both even if true.

LGBT_2000 11y ago

Don't know why people are downvoting this. It's racist. Period. End of discussion.