Just learned about this new song by Randy Newman, "Korean Parents," that comes out next month. Some of the lyrics go like this:
Some Jewish kids still trying
Some white kids trying too
But millions of real American kids don’t have a clue
Right here on the lot
We got the answer
A product guaranteed to satisfy …
Korean parents for sale
You say you need a little discipline
Someone to whip you into shape
They’ll be strict but they’ll be fair
Look at the numbers
That’s all I ask
Who’s at the head of every class?
You really think they’re smarter than you are
They just work their asses off
Their parents make them do it …
Apparently, Newman is bracing himself for an onslaught of vitriol from pissed-off Koreans ... because, as a Jewish guy, what right does he have to talk shit about the way Koreans raise their kids? Especially vis-a-vis rigid discipline and high standards of achievement.
Personally, I am not offended by this song; in fact, I am highly fond of Randy Newman's work -- his 1974 album, Good Old Boys, in particular -- which provides sharp commentary on black/white race relations in the South. I also remember Newman's hit, Short People, from the mid-seventies (am I dating myself?!), which raised the hackles of many an altitudinally challenged person back then. Funny, because the song was meant to be tongue-in-cheek and was really about accepting all people as they are.
What do you think? Will this song piss you off when it comes out? Are you already pissed off?
