...but was it *really*?

Tweeters with little grasp of context are trying to get the satirical Colbert Report cancelled for being racist.

The hashtag #CancelCobert trended yesterday in a knee-jerk reaction to Stephen Colbert’s allegedly offensive quote: ‘I am willing to show #Asian community I care by introducing the Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation for Sensitivity to Orientals or Whatever.

It came from a segment on Colbert’s satirical US show that was actually mocking American Football team the Washington Redskins for trying to quell over the controversy over its name by setting up a foundation for native Americans.

In his well-established as a wilfully ignorant host, Colbert made jokes on his Comedy Central show such as: ‘Folks, the PC Police continue to hammer the Washington Redskins over their so-called ‘offensive’ name. Though, if you’ve seen them play recently, their name is the least offensive thing on the field.’

He then made the point that the foundation would do little to address the fundamental issue over the Redskins’ un-PC name using techniques of satire and sarcasm apparently wasted on the twittersphere.

He said: “My show has frequently come under attack for having a so-called offensive mascot, my beloved character Ching Chong Ding Dong….Offensive or not — NOT — Ching Chong is part of the unique heritage of the Colbert Nation that cannot change.’

Then he added he would make amends with the ‘Ching Chong Ding Dong’ line, which was tweeted by Comedy Central’s official Colbert Report Twitter feed, and immediately attracted the righteous ire of the online community with posters branding the line ‘blatant racism’ and the short of jokes that justified ‘internment camps, atom bombs [and] napalm.’

Colbert himself jumped, tongue-in-cheek, on the bandwagon, saying: ‘#CancelCobert – I agree! Just saw @ColbertReport tweet. I share your rage.’

Ching Chong Ding Dong is a character Colbert has previously used to mock right-wing broadcaster Rush Limbaugh’s derogatory attempts at a Chinese accent.

Published: 28 Mar 2014