Netflix’s new comedy special “Schulz Saves America” is facing backlash for running “dangerous” and “racist” jokes targeting Asian people and for calling the coronavirus the “Asian parasite.”
Offensive jokes: The show sees YouTuber and stand-up comedian Andrew Schulz recap the chaos that happened in 2020. In the first episode, the 37-year-old online personality accused China of spreading the virus, according to Seth Simons’ newsletter post, Humorism.
- “Don’t tell America what to wear. Tell China not to infect,” Schulz said in the episode. “I mean, let’s be honest: next to squatting to smoke a cigarette, slinging viruses is their favorite thing to do. They make everything over there: bubonic plague, SARS, bird flu, corona, 15-second dance videos. I mean, Chinese viruses have killed almost as many people as Chinese dictators.”
- Schulz continued to defend his joke by claiming he was not referring to the Chinese people, but the Chinese government.
- “I love the Chinese,” the Netflix comedy special star said. “I love Asians in general… Asians are the best. I mean, Jeremy Lin, Jet Li, Squirtle, Mickey Rooney, the list is oolong. These are the people I wonton my team. But the Chinese government, though? F**k ‘em.”
- Simons stated that Schulz continued to blame China, lump it together with the rest of Asia, and when he got to the second episode, he likened Woody Allen’s Korea-born wife, Soon-Yi Previn, to a virus carrier.
- “Maybe that Woody is a pedophile,” Schulz said. “But to be fair to him, he married her and they’re still together. So that begs the question: is she the cure? Asia, you might’ve given us one virus, but you solved another.”
congratulations to Netflix on releasing a comedy special that calls coronavirus “the Asian parasite” in the first minute and equates “lockdown loyalists” to lockdown protestors in the second
— Seth Simons (@sasimons) December 17, 2020
Trump’s same sentiment: Schulz’s comments in his Netflix special reflects the same anti-Asian sentiment Donald Trump expressed in the past few months amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Schulz refers to the virus as the “Asian parasite” and the “Wuhanic Plague” in the Netflix special.
- In comparison, Trump called the pandemic the “Chinese virus,” “Kung Flu” and various others throughout his campaign.
- In September, the national coalition Stop AAPI Hate published a report stating as many as 2,583 Asian Americans experienced anti-Asian discrimination amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Online backlash: Many social media users called out the Netflix special for allowing the jokes to pass through, including author Jessica Valenti who also slammed the streaming platform for Schulz’s show.
It is baffling that this kind of racism – which we know leads to real life violence against Asian people – was approved by @netflix
— Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) December 18, 2020
Here’s what other people are saying:
The anti-Asian, anti-Chinese rhetoric in this “comedy” special is what makes me afraid to walk outside and take the subway. Anyway, Netflix gave this YouTube person a comedy special to encourage Sinophobia? https://t.co/kEphZCwFyk
— Jen Chung (@jenchung) December 18, 2020
Baffling to me that @netflix canceled @hasanminhaj’s Patriot Act but has plenty of money to fund that racist and xenophobic “edgy” comedy of Schulz Saves America. Super fucking gross.
— EightK (@eightk) December 20, 2020
Hey @netflix just got the email that our subscription is going up. Are you charging more for xenophobia and racism? I’m quite willing to cancel if you can’t do the right thing.
— Black Lives Matter (@ElizKing) December 18, 2020
@netflix what the f??? This is dangerous and grotesque. It’s not even funny.
— Yup Ydown (@YupYdown) December 18, 2020
Or @aliwong @ronnychieng @funnyasiandude9 @kenjeong who all have Netflix specials
— david w. zhou (@dvwz) December 18, 2020
Going to be rewatching Patriot Act instead of this dangerous, hateful show.
— Mia Kalei (@miakalei) December 18, 2020
Wow, disgusted that @netflix would endorse this rhetoric. Not just dog whistles but full on foghorns of racism and xenophobia
— dar dar binx (@sticky_griffin) December 18, 2020
There have also been users who support Schulz’s special:
1. If you actually paid attention, he was making a joke about the Chinese government.
2. I see nothing wrong with the comparisons. You’re just trying to pretend like there’s something wrong.
— Chris Rembert (@ChrisRembert2) December 19, 2020
If you haven’t seen @andrewschulz‘s Schultz Saves America on Netflix, it is brilliant. He shouts what most of us have been thinking/saying for a long time. Keeping up with all the quips and references was a challenge with how fast they were coming. Hilarious!
— Shawn Paul (@shawn_the_pilot) December 19, 2020
Ok I’m 5 mins into Schultz saves America and it’s fucking awsome, I can allready see it will take multiple views to get all the jokes. Schultz is a genius…
— John Nixon (@ogbebaba) December 20, 2020
Featured Image Screenshot via Netflix Is A Joke
