January 30, 2015
@Zap2it /Twitter
This image accompanied a tweet promoting the new sitcom, provoking backlash on social media. It has since been deleted.
ABC's upcoming sitcom "Fresh Off the Boat" received backlash on social media after it tweeted an offensive promotional graphic for the show on Thursday.
The tweet, which has since been deleted from the show's account, read, "The world is full of different hats. Watch the 2 Episode Premiere of #FreshOffTheBoat Wednesday!"
The image featured caricatures of different races and ethnicities accompanied by the phrase, "We're all a little #FreshOffTheBoat." An Asian figure sported a pointy bamboo hat, while a Latino figure with a curly mustache wore a sombrero.
Eddie Huang, whose memoir the sitcom is based on, expressed his outrage about the promo on his Twitter account.
@originalspin @whoismims @FreshOffABC don't excuse them. we can't straddle a fence forever. this is plain offensive and ridiculous
— RICH HOMIE HUANG (@MrEddieHuang) January 29, 2015
.@originalspin @whoismims @FreshOffABC the root cause is hiring people who have NEVER LIVED THESE LIVES and paying them to represent us
— RICH HOMIE HUANG (@MrEddieHuang) January 29, 2015
Wall Street Journal columnist Jeff Yang's son Hudson stars in the series. Yang was also displeased with the tweet.
@whoismims @MrEddieHuang Wow that ad is awful
— Jeff Yang (@originalspin) January 29, 2015
Others have commented on the fact that the phrase "fresh off the boat," typically shortened to the acronym "fob," is a loaded term. While some may view it as a slang term, others see it as a racial slur.
There is a show called "fresh off the boat"...ummm isn't Fob a racial slur?
— MÄSØN (@FirstGentleman) January 30, 2015
"Fresh Off the Boat" premieres Feb. 4. ABC's website describes the show as follows:
It’s the '90s and 12 year old, hip-hop loving Eddie just moved to suburban Orlando from DC’s Chinatown with his parents. It’s culture shock for his immigrant family in this comedy about pursuing the American Dream.
See the trailer below.
