I'm not about to tell others what to be offended by (or not), but to me that joke was playing on the cliche of lazy stereotyping (Asians are good at math) to set up the follow up joke regarding the use of slave labour and how everyone is complicit in it because they desire the latest gadgets / toys.
It was a joke intended to make the (mostly rich) audience feel uncomfortable and as far as I can tell worked. Some of the reporting since seems to be the backlash against being made to feel guilty.
But you're not after a debate, just stirring as usual.
I think you have to look at the comedian and the overall style.
Ali G makes himself the brunt of the gag, I'm saying stupid shit because i think I'm black but as I'm not I get it wrong by buying into stereotypes. I'm the idiot.
His asian joke was whats known as swerve humour. You think I'm going to say something outrageous but swerve I said something else.
Chris Rock however plays the Ain't i so clever pointing shit out to you folks humour.
The overall intention was say hey the only part the Asians played in the Oscars this year was behind the scenes, I'm going to point this out to you in a deliberately offensive manner (Deliberate stereotype), you guys can't complain because you rich american's benefit from sweatshop electronics (another stereotype but this time i believe he means it).
He fell into lazy stereotyping three time. Sweatshops, the Chinese are good at maths and that lots of accountants are Jewish. By the way there are Chinese Jews,Google The Kaifeng Jews. I'm sure he didn't know this at the time and just thought calling a Chinese child a Jewish name would be amusing. (Although I'll be honest i only found this out a couple of weeks ago and thanks to BBC 1).
Maybe those in the audience can't complain but did he forget the Oscars are broadcast globally to those who can complain and are directly offended at the stereotyping as it affects them daily.
Jumping to conclusions about my motives again. I'm surprised Urbanists aren't all millionaires considering everyone thinks they are a mind reader.
We pointed out in somewhere else that Oscars diversity wasn't just about black but asian and latino under-representation too if you remember. Urban discussed it before the Oscars and even said how the Asians had it worse than black actors. I was part of that discussion before Chris Rock's joke so no I'm not just stirring it up after the party.
Oscars diversity and inclusion was a high profile issue, chose to highlight 'black lives' throughout and yet when it came to including other groups to the topic made one token offensive mention. Maybe if other bits had been included in the show it could have been waved past but as it was there only mention. Nope just not good enough.
