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For a moment, Gothamist thought we were just imagining that the dreary grey weather made it seem like a slow news day, but then the cover of the Post confirmed it: There main story is about how some random, sort of shriveled up princess made insulting remarks to black patrons of Da Silvano, and then the other story is about the American Idol finale tonight (on Fox, natch)! Gothamist doesn't quite understand what Princess Michael of Kent meant when she barked the withering "You need to go back to the colonies!" which tale of two cities fittingly calls it "most hilarious, non-sensical, allegedly racist comment of all time" (totc also calls it the "best Revolutionary War allegory to ever make the cover of a New York tabloid"), but we suppose if the inbreeding is going to rear it's ugly, skin fold-y neck somewhere, it's going to be at Da Silvano.
Also, for some reason, this time around, Gothamist misses Ruben and Clay, and we barely watch American Idol! But we do know what off-key is, and we're talking to you, Diana DeGarmo.
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Jen, you should go get me some us coolie hats and egg rolls.
Don't make you feel good? Well, I guess then now you know how it feels to be black and to be the recipient of a racist statement.
I think a good motto for life is: Don't be so sensitive to retarded and nonsensical comments by minor British royalty.
Why do people pretend to be so thinskinned about racial/ist remarks? Seriously, I'm much more offended about the INSANE unemployment rate for black men (in brooklyn specifically) than I could ever be over a t-shirt or a loudmouth brit.
Royals live in a pathetic conservative bubble, which is why they seldom venture below 59th street when they stay in New York. I think that the cover story is good, because it shatters the illusion that royal is good; every little girl wants to wed a Prince and get a title. Royal is often sad. Stagnant gene pools and all that. The journalist Taki once wrote about how Princess Margaret was weekending in Mustique when he was there, and, apparently, she was there with two studly black men. After he published the piece in The Spectator, he recieved incredible backlash from higher ups. Apparently this was info to be kept on the down low. Can you imagine? In this day and age, royals have this antiquated racist outlook. The New York Post did this melting pot of a city proud. We need to know these things.
Aren't these "colonies" a reference to the West Indies?
Stabilo, I'm not sure what you're talking about - I think the story is interesting, but I was surprised that it made the cover when there are budget issues and crime issues... The woman seemed crazy - not someone to take seriously - I think the fact that it happened at Da Silvano made it cover material. I think the black diners had a right to be pissed off - who the hell did this woman think she was to yell at them - the thing to do, if another table is loud, is to ask the server, not be a jerk as well.
And while I have not been subject to the discrimination than a black man or woman has been through, I hear remarks about coolie hats, egg rolls, being communist, slanty eyes, etc., to this day.
Princess Michael is a joke. She's the Sylvia Miles of the royal family - will attend the opening of an envelope. The British tabloids will love this!
aside from iraq, what other us colonies are there that she is suggesting they "go back" to? bushwick?
I think it's somewhat ridiculous for the offended parties to complain about how disappointed they are that this society hasn't advanced as far as they hoped/thought when some foreigner shoots her mouth off and the American restauranteur immediately comes over to shut her up.
Okay, Jen, you pose a reasonable question. Why would an ultra-Conservative tab dedicate their frontpage to a small (if very offensive) racial incident. The answer is that Murdoch was engaged in a pretty high-profile war with the royals over pics of Prince Wills gf that he published in the (British) News of the World. Murdoch is known to use his entire media outlet to settle disputes. It's just another example of synergy, really.
Murdoch is well-known for his race-baiting tactics, it sells papers and makes more news when the racial tension builds up.
what the hell is a coolie hat?
Aren't such idiocies unworthy of amplification?
pjh, you know what Google is? Go there and type in the words "coolie hat" and read all about it.
In cyberspace, there is no excuse for ignorance.
thanks for the news flash stabilo....i was simply pointing out that there may be a generation or more folks out there who are completely unaware of certain racial sterotypes...slurs..etc...having grown up in ny i was happy to know that i had gotten this far without knowing what one was...ignorance i'm happy to have....i should have amplified my comment...
thanks for the news flash stabilo....i was simply pointing out that there may be a generation or more folks out there who are completely unaware of certain racial sterotypes...slurs..etc...having grown up in ny i was happy to know that i had gotten this far without knowing what one was...the kind of ignorance i'm happy to have....i should have amplified my comment...
Unless she's just completely nuts, there's some piece of dialog missing here. There must have been more remarks exchanged after she slammed her hand down on the table, and the "colonies" remark was a reference to whatever was said. Without knowing what those remarks might have been, it's impossible to place her final remark in context, and to say it's racist is a leap.
I think Young's party is just pissed off that this relic slammed her hand down on their table and barked at them. And they're entitled to be pissed off. But that's it.
In the context of the conversation I agree with Moegolden above that Princess Michael was referring to the West Indies.
Princess Michael and her husband have never been respectable people - it's a good thing something like this happens to remind everyone why democracy is better than a monarchy any day.
what is a coolie?
what is a coolie?