Secondly, a lot of Asian names are too long and difficult for people of other cultures to pronounce, and thus using shortened, one-syllable versions as nicknames is common. I know people called Rung, Nom, Low, etc. and it would be wrong to assume these are their given names. Similarly with the unfortunate ‘Cook Poo’, who obviously shortens her name to make it easier for her professor to pronounce.
I was surprised the show portrays Ted as so ignorant and insensitive. Sure, the first blunder one can forgive, but the jokes towards the end especially seem in bad taste. I agree the show is light hearted, and their jokes about Canada are seen in good humour by the (Canadian) Robin. I guess the writers of the show highlight these issues as a way of saying that they recognise and understand where racist remarks would come from, but by ridiculing the star of their show, they also show that they are in sympathy with students and job seekers from other cultures who encounter the obstacles that their names and cultural backgrounds cause.

For two. HOW is a) Sanjaya Malakar and b) Miley Cyrus offensive?

For Three. I understand your outrage, or lack thereof, on this issue, but really? I find you to be much more culturally ignorant.

It works both ways, I’m sorry.
Respect other cultures if you want them to respect you back.

To R Lew: If you truly Canadian Metis and also a fan of HIMYM and saw the “Duel-Citizenship” episode I must tell you that from direct personal experience all things Canadian must be sadly simplified when talking with 99.99% of Americans even without Rick Mercer and a camera. Even today literally when at a training class a MI native was tweaked when I did not assume he knew Ottawa was Canada’s capital and then made a bone ass comment when the Ottawa native and I made some off hand joke he took literally and so I followed with the Yes we have electricity and running water gag.

Of course I know “Metis is a mix of French Canadian and Cree”…since the Champoux side of my family is likely related to Louis Riel indirectly. But I am lucky when some of my American coworkers know that Quebec almost separated…and try having a conversation about our Prorogue Protests…seriously. I like my American cousins and coworkers, but as shows like Family Guy poke fun at…until they focus on valuable knowledge about the world over Reality TV…well you still have to simplify all things Canadian even for the NPR junkie’s. (sad, but true)

To happylittlegirl: Exactly…although some are quite dumb and ignorant about such things…the PC thought police fears and relative level of intelligence of the characters make any of their “Poo” jokes seem ridiculously stupid. But not exactly overly offensive as I suggest if the dumb things white people mispronounce in other languages is funny. True racism, bigotry, ignorance and elitism has no specific color or creed included or excluded. Besides I would like to fix the tangible equality stuff instead of focusing on the language which has done little then reinforce the underground ignorance fueled stuff. George Carlin has a great bit on this on how Euphamism and PC is a way of literally White Washing things to be called something else and still discriminated against.

Let’s let the light of Truth shine in and also remove the chip’s off our shoulders to solve problems rather than institutionalize having the fester and grow in the dark.

Agent J.

The prime evil to battle in this world is B.S. After that the rest is almost peanuts by comparison!

Actually, his friends kept laughing and making poo jokes. They’re just as ignorant as he is.