Friday, October 14, 2016


City Councilwoman Says 'Wheely Wheely Good' Food Truck is Racist

East Asians are not allowed to make fun of themselves



Wheely Wheely Good was at a recent catering gig when the owners of the truck encountered the Democratic legislator.

“She approached our truck while we were working and started to argue with my partner and me,” recalls Wheely Wheely Good co-owner Alanna Li. “She told us, ‘Your truck’s name is super-racist.’ She used those words,” according to Philadelphia Magazine.

Li says that Gym also took umbrage at the Asian caricatures painted on the truck, as well as the typeface used in the design. Li says the caricatures are cartoon versions of her and her partner, Bailin Chen.

Gym took the issue to social media, tweeting a photo of her daughter holding a sign that read “RACISM SUCKS! AND SO DOES THIS” with an arrow pointing at the truck.

Li and Chen claim that Gym threatened to make it difficult for the company in the city if they didn't change thier name and design.

The coverage of the food truck has led to the Republican City Committee headquarters hiring Wheely Wheely Good to cater a presidential debate watch event next week.

SOURCE


13 comments:

Anonymous said...


Another Democrat has decided what is racist and in the process performs a racist act when they think they are protesting racism. There's no fixing this kind of stupid.

Anonymous said...

Actually, the name is kind of ingenious.

Brian from Virginia said...

This reminds me of another news story. The Korean-American pop band 'The Slants' cannot trademark their band's name because the US Trademark office considers 'The Slants' to be racist.

Anonymous said...

The progressive world view is that the most everyone is racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. except them so they find those qualities in the most innocent things. I would pity them if they we not so pathetic and serious.


MDH

Anonymous said...

Brian from Virginia,

The Federal Court of Appeals held that the Slants CAN copyright the name saying that the term was protected free speech.

The decision can be found here: http://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/tam.pdf

The USPTO wanted to appeal to the Supreme Court and Simon Tam, the leader of the band agreed saying it was an important free speech issue. Going to the Supreme Court will mean that the PTO will either retain its ability to decide what is "disparaging," or whether that discretion will be stricken for all cases.

On September 29, 2016, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in this term.

See http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/lee-v-tam/ for coverage.

To be clear, in this case, the PTO was following the letter of the law under the Lanham Act passed in 1946 which specifically prohibits trademarking "disparaging" names. The reason I bring this up is to show that this is not a new case of sudden political correctness.

The fascinating part about the name "the Slants" is that the band chose the name to combat racist stereotypes of people of Asian descent. They are effectively mocking those who would judge them and their abilities on the basis of their looks.

The PTO, for its part, has suspended the approval or denial of any trademarks that would have fallen under the "disparaging" test for trademarks until the SCOTUS issues its opinion.

Anonymous said...

But, but, but, they're Asian! The name is clever and self-deprecating. Calling all comedians, be very, very careful out there.

Anonymous said...

Anin 2:27,

That aspect of the name is part of the pleadings to the courts. Tam argued that the Lanham Act was outlawing satire being used in commercial speech.

Professor Eugene Volokh, who is a lawyer on the case gives a summary of the Federal Court of Appeals and why the 3 dissenting judges got the case wrong. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2016/09/29/supreme-court-will-hear-slants-trademark-case-which-is-directly-relevant-to-the-redskins-controversy/?utm_term=.8bb7ead66cb4

juvenile rosella, the bird that changes colours, said...

2:47am Yes, the name is ingenious; it has two meanings.

This sentence says it all though, "Li and Chen claim that Gym threatened to make it difficult for the company in the city if they didn't change their name and design."

Lefties are power loving bullies by nature, and the current anti-racism trend is only fad excuse that lefties use to bully others. The trends and excuses may evolve and change, and with them the lefties change their clothes and dress themselves in whatever image is in fad at the time that enables them to bully others.

Anonymous said...

What a sad society we have become. Since the inception of the Greens and other minor parties Australia has lost the plot. I am not suggesting that a dominance of one party in both house is a good thing or a bad thing but the media preoccupation with minor parties along with how the media is basically socialist in Australia, especially the ABC and SBS who are publically funded is a bridge to far. If we are truly democratic then more needs to be done to voice the majority opinion which I believe is not being heard by any media at the moment. We have a society where unions are indulging in thuggery, teachers from preps to university are positioning themselves as the arbitrators of education in direct confrontation with the parents and mainstream society. In Victoria we have a Premier who is so pro union that it doesn't matter if the state has to pay billions to cater to union demands that public opinion is irrelevant. What a sad society we have inherited thanks to union thuggery.

Jb Colorado, USA said...

Sad when you can't make fun of yourself. Damn PCs!!!!

Jb, Colorado, USA

Stymphalian Bird the man eating bird witha brass beak and shoots his feathers said...

Nothing wrong with the sign the little fellows look cute

Anonymous said...

1:45AM

Government is not the issue, and society is just an apparition. There are only individuals, and the collective of them. Individuals make Australia what it is.


Jack Cohen said...

Helen Gym, like the rest of the Democrats in the Kenney Administration and his lapdog City Council are all closet Communists. Period. The owners of the truck were ASIAN!!! Helen Gym needs to be voted OUT of office. She's a cancer on the city!