I'm surprised by all the hullabaloo surrounding this. Have these complainers never read the Gothamist before? It's clearly an anti-racist outlet with an irreverent tone.

This is a blog that has an Asian-American editor and helped break the
story about a Papa John's worker who referred to a customer as "Lady Chinky Eyes."

Even as a casual reader of the Gothamist, I would have never taken their wordplay as anything other than it was: a playful indictment of the race-based coverage of Jeremy Lin.

I'm sorry to hear that Mr. Yakas' attempt at satire went over the heads of some readers, but it's pretty clear that's all that it was.

I suppose that not everyone who might stumble on the story via Google is aware of the blog's track-record, so I understand that the editors did what they felt they had to by taking it out. But for me, it wasn't necessary at all. In context, the intent was clear.

 I am glad gothamist columnists post under their real names.  I'm sure Ben Yakas will have an easy time getting a real journalist job when its time to graduate from Gothamist since his anti-asian writings are out in the internet for all to see.

Some of you so-called "columnists" need to be re-educated. Do we have to repeat history in every color?

The original author acted in a very niggardly manner.

I think that the fact that the writer thought using "chink" in a positive context was an OK use of the word goes to show that may be a lot of people don't get what exactly is offensive about calling someone a chink.  And for today's younger Asian generations, many of them also can never know or understand the depth of hurt that is felt when you have been called a chink for most of your life and not in any sort of positive way.  We are told to be careful of using words like chink, nigger and jap, because we know they are seriously hurtful to many people even if they do not seem hurtful to you, your friends or people that use them as terms of endearment.  This is what cultural sensitivity is.  Understanding how you harm people even when you do not think you are being harmful.

Is the editor Jen Chung some self hating asian that doesn't mind this asshole Yakas continously refering to Lin as chink?

Couldn't even read the rest after that awful first line.  Did he really just call Lin a chink in shining armor?  Putting it in quotes doesn't make it OK.  I don't care what his intentions are or what other folks' intentions are, but these microaggressive, casually-racist comments disguised as irony or humor is just so tired.  

Ben and I talked about the ESPN.com headline a lot when it happened on Saturday.  I truly believe this was intended to be ironic/humorous/snarky comment rather than microaggressive or casually racist—and it fell very flat. 

Believe me, as someone who has had "CHINK" (and "GOOK") scrawled on her high school locker, I'm pretty sensitive about it. And when I get into the office tomorrow, I'll take it up with Ben and our team further.  

I give the writer the benefit of the doubt based on what you say, however, it should be understood that ethnic humor is not cool when attempted by those who are not of the ethnicity being made fun of, at least not to a public readership. If the trust and comfort level between you and your friends of other ethnicities allows you to make jokes about each others' ethnicity, that's great -- have fun with it. There's too much hate and misunderstanding in this country perpetrated by opportunists who'll seize on stereotypes to bolster their agendas, though, to do this publicly.

-An Asian-American woman who likes ethnic humor.

There's always a chance to offend especially when ethnicity is involved and I don't know if there really is a cool way to do it.  For instance, I imagine that a lot of people don't think much of Jeremy's Chinkballa88 Xanga handle as a 15 year-old as offensive since he's Taiwanese and also he was just a teenager, but I could imagine someone like my father taking total offense to someone degrading themselves by calling themselves a chink with so much history of the word being used in such a derogatory and degrading fashion.  When someone like Wang Lee Hom refers to his music style as "chinked out" I just want to say to him "you disgrace me."

Agree that ethnic humor is rarely done well and best left unattempted. Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle who again are speaking to and as members of their own community. Also Russell Peters who grew up immersed or in close proximity to the cultures he's poked fun at.

I appreciate the intent of those who identify with hip-hop culture who've reclaimed "chink" to take the sting out of it, but its use would need to be much more widespread, by those using it as an epithet and by those reclaiming it, to have the effect that use of the N-word by hip-hop artists has had. And differences in Asian and Black histories and circumstances don't allow for it.

I meant to say: Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and Russell Peters are the few who can pull it off.

^^^ so much failsauce here ^^^

argh that should be directed towards dennis "the menace" chin

I've instructed the editors to correct this.  See my comment above.  -Jake

learn english before you comment, don't you know that it's okay if its in quotes, it means they didn't say it at all.

for example, i can say i heard someone said you're a "douchebag".

/sarcasm

LMFAO, 'chink in shinning armour'.  what a retard.

We need to get over the hype and follow him for the full season to measure his impact.  He looks good but whether he's a franchise player is up in the air.

did you ever follow his college career?

Now can he keep it up or not?

I like turtles.