03/29/2021
Jay Leno apologizes for years of anti-Asian jokes
Comedian Jay Leno is apologizing for years of making anti-Asian jokes. In a joint statement with the Media Action Network for Asian Americans, the former host of "The Tonight Show" said, at the time, he thought the jokes were harmless. He said when they received complaints, they'd usually dismiss them as people who couldn't take a joke. He says they did that too many times, even when he knew in his heart he was wrong.
■Class discussion: Was Leno right to apologize for anti-Asian jokes? Is it always wrong to joke about an ethnic or racial group? Why or why not? Is it only OK to joke about your own ethnic group? Should a man or woman make jokes about the opposite sex, or would that be sexist? Could you only make jokes about lawyers if you were one? What can comedians joke about? Politics? Religion? Are all jokes aggressive in some way?