Keywords: Mariah Carey, Fergie, 2 Live Crew, offensive language, Asian, slurs, entertainment, race, racism, racist
Recording artists as varied as Mariah Carey, Fergie and 2 Live Crew have made variations of the racial slur "Me love you long time" a prominent phrase. But is use of the phrase redefining a racial slur or characterizing Asian-American women in particular and women in general as sexual objects?
"Me love you long time"--how the phrase is typically quoted--was a line used by a Vietnamese prostitute in Stanley Kubrick's film "Full Metal Jacket." The phrase was then picked up by the rap group 2 Live Crew and used in the song "Me So Horny," reports MTV.
Carey and others have used different variations of the phrase over the years. Carey built a whole song around the phrase but corrected the grammar to change the connotation. Fergie used it but said she didn't realize it was a slur that came out of a sexual stereotype of Vietnamese prostitutes.
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Readers' Comments
You do realize that the movie came out in 1987? That was 21 years ago! High school kids and most college kids have never heard of or seen the movie. They have no idea where the line, "Me love you long time", originated. The joys of aging (and generation gaps) are surfacing again!
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