Posted on 11/21/2007 7:12:33 PM PST by buccaneer81
Parody song angers Latino group 'Bunch of Mexicans' not meant to be racist, WNCI DJ says Wednesday, November 21, 2007 2:58 AM By Sherri Williams THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The Ohio Hispanic Coalition is considering a boycott of WNCI (97.9 FM) and its advertisers after the station aired a parody song called Bunch of Mexicans, which the coalition considers offensive.
The song, which aired on the station's "Morning Zoo" show yesterday, depicts 14 Latino immigrants riding in a van, working as landscapers and evading immigration officials.
Set to the tune of David Bowie's 1970s hit Young Americans, the song includes lines such as, "It sucks to be a bunch of Mexicans" and "Feel bad for the bunch of Mexicans."
"Enough is enough," said Jose Mas, chairman of the Ohio Hispanic Coalition. "The same station would not dream of broadcasting something like that about the African-American community, and we are not going to take it either."
The song, written and performed by Dave Kaelin, half of the Morning Zoo team Dave & Jimmy, was not intended to be racist, Kaelin said. Instead, it is meant as a satirical look at how Americans benefit from immigrant labor while also complaining about it, he said.
"The premise is we fat lazy Americans are going 'snap, snap' to all of these hard-working people who are working hard under the radar," Kaelin said.
Lines such as "They cooked my burger, working hard 'cause the rest of us don't wanna" and "Watchin' out for the INS so you and I can save on lawn care" illustrate his intentions, Kaelin said.
He said he wrote the song last year and has played it occasionally, though he has only heard a few complaints. The song is played when immigration issues are discussed; yesterday it followed a discussion of an increase of Spanish surnames in the U.S.
Mas said the coalition received complaints about the song after yesterday's airing from people who believe the stereotypes in the song denigrate Latinos.
Lynaa Gudino of Newark heard the song while she was driving to work and found it offensive.
"They were pretty much breaking it down to the point where their entire life is a joke, like it is something to laugh at," Gudino said.
Ohio Hispanic Coalition leaders hope to talk to station managers about the song and get an on-air apology. If they don't get one, the coalition is considering asking the station's advertisers to withdraw their support of the station.
Kaelin said he may play the song again when the topic of immigration comes up, but he welcomes the opportunity to talk about the song.
WNCI Program Director Michael McCoy believes the song is not offensive and highlights the work ethic of Mexican immigrants.
"These guys are busting their butts for low pay," he said. "That is the spirit of the song."
sherri.williams@ dispatch.com
Are you white and nerdy?
Yup. Seven years, 300 posts and 6000 replies later, I'm outed.
I dated a girl from western PA for a while. What a mistake that was.
And by an FR "double-agent" no less. :)
LOL! Peace, bro. ;-)
WNCI has posted an apology on their website and have removed the song.
(http://www.wnci.com/main.html)
Doesn’t anyone have the guts to stand up to the Overly Sensitive and Perpetually Offended anymore?
Good. The last thing we need are stupid juvenile songs instigating and inflaming racial divisions in this country. (even if they are funny)
Glad to see Senor Mas knows that much English, and didn't "need" an interpreter.
OTOH, Senor Mas, it must really suck to be you, and "have" to say, "no Mas!"
Glad to hear the People said, "No mas de Mas"
I wonder how they would react to “Pancho Lopez”?
The irony is that when you actually read the words, you’d think you were reading the talking points from pro-immigration activists.
“depicts 14 Latino immigrants riding in a van, working as landscapers and evading immigration officials.”
“Feel bad for the bunch of Mexicans.”
Isn’t this exactly the picture that the activists paint?
Mexican is not a race. Why is that so hard to understand?
You're right. Insulting nationalities should be totally acceptable.
Generally it is acceptable and has gone on forever. Ever heard a polish joke? I just don’t understand people whose self esteem rests on group identification instead of themselves. Folks like this are destined to always be unhappy and offended.
Dave is backpeddling like a circus clown.
I hold about the same amount of esteem for “morning zoo” DJ’s as I do for illegal aliens. Possibly less.
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