Eddie Griffin and New Movie Woe(s)

[AKA2D '91]

April 3, 2003 -- Bin Laden joke steams Sikhs


SIKHS have their turbans in a twist over Eddie Griffin's new stand-up comedy movie, "Dysfunktional Family," in which he calls a Sikh man "bin Laden."

In coming attractions now running in theaters, Griffin rants, "I can't understand why they can't find Osama bin Laden, 6-foot-6 with a nappy beard and a towel on his head. But they can find my cousin, 4-foot-11 in Compton! . . . Who the [bleep] they got hunting this mother[bleeper]? Gomer Pyle?"

At the end of the trailer, Griffin is shown outside yelling at an elderly Sikh walking past him. "Bin Laden! I knew you was around here! Gonna getcha! Told you I'd find him myself."

The Sikhs are a Hindu sect founded 500 years ago in the Punjab region of India, who believe in abolishing the caste system. Not surprisingly, many Sikhs - who wear turbans and have long beards - aren't amused by Griffin's schtick, especially in the wake of increased hate crime attacks on Sikh-Americans since 9/11.

Preetmoyan Singh, director of the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force, wrote to distributor Miramax asking to meet with a studio representative to discuss his concerns.

"While we recognize the place of humorists to diffuse tensions in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, we believe visual depictions linking Sikh-Americans with the perpetrators of violent terrorist acts do not serve that purpose," Singh wrote Miramax last month.

"This scene making the connection between Sikhs and the world's most prominent terrorist reinforces the common misperception and stereotype that Sikhs are extremists and terrorists."

Miramax declined to meet with Singh to discuss the movie, which opens tomorrow. But a studio spokesman insists Griffin is an equal-opportunity offender.

"He laughs at everyone's expense," the spokesman said. "Including his own, his mother's and his dysfunctional family. People will come to this film to laugh."

It's likely that Sikhs won't be the only group to take offense at "Dysfunktional Family." In one bit, Griffin vows he could find bin Laden with "five Bloods, five Crips, four Mexicans and three rednecks."

[ClassyLady]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
But a studio spokesman insists Griffin is an equal-opportunity offender.

I saw the movie this weekend and thought that it was very funny. Eddie Griffin is offensive to everybody and does not discriminate. He talked about his familiy worse than anybody else. Actually, I am glad that I'm not related to any comdians because I would not like all of my business in the street like that.

[crunkone]

I also saw the movie, and it had me rolling!! I knew that there would be some kind of reaction from the things that he said, but you can't please everybody.

[abaici]

I am not a huge Griffen fan. After he made a joke about the Middle Passage, I was too thru!

[Bamboozled]

Some of you may recall from previous posts just how much I DESPISE Eddie Griffin. He's just the grossest of the gross to me. I most definitely won't be seeing his movie. Please know that my utter dislike of him in no way biases my opinion.

Originally posted by crunkone
I also saw the movie, and it had me rolling!! I knew that there would be some kind of reaction from the things that he said, but you can't please everybody.

This quote really bothers me. No, you can't please everybody, but you can be sensitive to other's cultures and beliefs. I hope you remember your very words the next time you dare to be offended when someone makes a derogatory comment to you. Let's see if your tune changes.

I agree that his "joke" about the Sikh being Osama Bin Laden is appalling. Specifically, this part:

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
At the end of the trailer, Griffin is shown outside yelling at an elderly Sikh walking past him. "Bin Laden! I knew you was around here! Gonna getcha! Told you I'd find him myself."

They showed part of it on the commercial and I was not amused. I was actually shocked that he thought that he would be able to get away with it. I'm sorry, I can't get with the whole "he's an equal-opportunity offender" defense. Does that make it right? Does that make him any less of an a$$hole than a white person who says something derogatory about a black person? It's one thing to make jokes about the differences between cultures, but to link an entire culture to terrorism just because they choose to wear their traditional garb is just ignorant. Eddie Griffin gets a great big for his supposed joke.