Rice Rockets
Have you guys noticed that there always seems to be at least one technically offensive term that people use to show that they’re not slaves to political correctness? Following on the heels of “nigga” and “fag hag”, the term I hear thrown around often by people who should know better now seems to be “rice rockets”. Now I know that those goofy-ass Honda Civics with extremely powerful engines and a spoiler on the back are primarily driven by young, asian men, but rice rockets?? If those cars were driven by young, black men, would you all be calling them “watermelon wagons”?
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on a related note, have you seen that chili’s ad where three ‘childhood friends’ tap dance while shouting in unison about chili’s buffalo wings? have we come far enough where it’s okay for black men to dance for chicken?
Comment by moira — August 14, 2003 @ 11:32 am
THis terms isn’t racist, it’s probably more related to xeno-phobic tendencies that have been coopeted by the cult of irony.
They’re called rice rockets not because of who drives them, but where they’re from – IE Japan. IN the US, most Honda drivers are white, not Asian. I myself drive a RR.
The term is meant to convey a sense of disbelief that I understand goes back to the 70’s, when “Made in Japan” was still synonymous with “inferior quality”. Back then, the accepted norm was Made in the US = powerful and fast and high quality.
It’s no more offensive than calling a van a “stabbin Cabin” due to the number of people who get they fuck on in Vans. It’s crass perhaps, but really it’s just silly. Since everyone knows J-cars are higher quality, noone could ever use it as an insult with a straight face.
Comment by Ross Angeles — August 14, 2003 @ 12:18 pm
YOu know what? J-Car sounds so much cooler.
Comment by Ross Angeles — August 14, 2003 @ 12:18 pm
Of course it’s racist. Whether it’s a reference to who makes the car or who drives it, referring to anything Asian as “rice ______” is an offensive slur. Would it be any less offensive to call Corona “beaner beer” in reference to its Mexican origins?
Comment by greg — August 14, 2003 @ 12:40 pm
I’m gonna have to come down firmly on the side of racist for this one. “Beaner Beer” is an exact replica of “Rice Rocket,” and they’re equally degrading, dismissive and reductive. I think as a culture (with the possible exception of tom; see the “love knows no color” christmas ornament story), we kind of blow off racism or stereotypes about Asians, and thus when glaring ones pop up — look, there’s the insanely driven straight-A asian kid again! — we ignore them or celebrate them.
In closing, I think it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world gives us our own derisive nicknames (assuming they haven’t already), something to do with how fat we are, probably. They could start calling Fords and Chevys “Fatty Wagons,” for example.
Comment by Brianotron — August 14, 2003 @ 1:18 pm
Well, you make good points, but I still have to disagree. Perhaps I should have been more clear – I think that the term at one time was somewhat crass and maybe even offensive, but not for the reasons you have laid out. Nowadays, thanks to the growing recognition that J-cars are better, and thanks to the modern cult of irony, the phrase Rice-Rocket has been pretty much neutered.
Pardon the following… it’s meant to make a point and not to celebrate the usage of actual offensive terms.
Besides, as opposed words like Fag, beaner, kike, etc, which are actually racists and intended to imply a wish for harm onto the person, there just isn’t another usage of the Word Rice, to the best of my knowledge, that is racist or confrontational. We don’t, nor have we ever, referred to Asians as Rice eaters, or Rice heads, or whatever.
The term Rice-Rocket was (in the past) derisive and reductive of the product, Japanese sport cars, and not of Japanese culture or the Japanese Race. It is closer in spirit to America’s weird national need to insult Canada. It isn’t like we have racist thoughts about Canadians, (though I’m surprised that “Freeze Fags” hasn’t been used. American assholes can’t wait to call someone a fag) it’s more like we have negative thoughts about other people, period, because Americans are, well, pretty xenophobic.
That’s not to say that American’s weren’t racist against Asians, just to say that this particular term isn’t one of the expressions of racism. Now, if we called Asian sports cars gookmobiles, slope rockets, or chink wagons, You would have a much stronger case for explicitly racist intentions. As it stands however, I think it’s just rooted in xenophobia brought on by a changing National culture during the 70’s, and of course, by the fear millions had of losing their jobs, a threat they attributed wrongly to Asians rather than to the US companies destroying their lives.
If anything, “Rice rocket” is closer in spirit and sentiment to “Freedom Fries”, an immature but hardly racist expression of anti-France sentiment. Which may one day end up being a reclaimed phrase, just like Rice Rocket. Mark my words.
Comment by Ross Angeles — August 14, 2003 @ 2:49 pm
No matter what though, I think that Fatty wagon would be hilarious. Hey, once we’re done discussing RR, let’s think up some hilarious ways to insult American cars with epithets.
Comment by Ross Angeles — August 14, 2003 @ 2:52 pm
We don’t, nor have we ever, referred to Asians as Rice eaters, or Rice heads, or whatever.
Are you kidding?? The Racial Slur Database lists Rice-Eater, Rice Cooker, Rice-Paddy, Rice-Picker, Rice Ball, and Rice Nigger as terms that specifically relate to Asians. Not to mention the terms Rice-King and Rice Chaser which refer to whites who date Asians. Even if it is “ironic” and socially acceptable, narrowing down anything that’s related to Asians as “rice” anything is demeaning and racist.
Comment by greg — August 14, 2003 @ 3:03 pm
well, I did say “To the best of my knowledge”. I stand corrected, and I see that rice is used, apparently, though I have to say I have never once heard it, so I hope I can be forgiven for not knowing. MY bad on this one.
Clearly the evidence is to the contrary that Rice can be used in a racist manner. Maybe we should ask actual Asians how they feel about the term.
Comment by Ross Angeles — August 14, 2003 @ 3:37 pm
Has anybody else seen one of these “rice rockets” driven by a young, asian male with a “got Rice?” sticker on it? I have.
Comment by Mona — August 14, 2003 @ 7:39 pm
So, I really don’t like the term either, and I realize that it’s not quite the same, but this whole argument kind of reminds me of the “pussy” debate here a while back. Both terms are meant to be derogatory. And, both terms could be considerd offensive. And, perhaps both terms are used to show that we’re not “slaves to political correctness.”
Comment by Mona — August 14, 2003 @ 7:43 pm
“rice rocket” reminds me of the term “rice-dick” that derrogatorily refers to the myth that all asian men have tiny penises (and thus compensate for that tiny penis by driving a souped up little japanese car).
i think it’s racist and offensive and should not be defended or rationalized. i’m in full agreement that the politically correct moevement has gone too far in some cases, but this is not one of them
you are wrong ross.
if you hear an asian man refer to his car as a “rice rocket” that’s okay- but only in the sense that it’s okay for african-americans to refer to each other as “niggas.” it’s still not okay for any white man to refer to anyone with terms that have racist origins.
Comment by tom — August 14, 2003 @ 8:07 pm
The Honda racing motorcycles were called Rice Rockets back in the early 80’s
Comment by Rook — August 14, 2003 @ 9:35 pm
OT
when I first saw the phrase “stabbin cabin” in this thread I thought it had to be some serial killer reference.
strange.
Comment by prospect — August 15, 2003 @ 4:49 am
You have to go all the way back to Harley Davidson.
With the development of the 4 cylinder superbikes in the ’60s and 70’s. Even the little Honda 400-4 could outdo a Harley till 90 mph. or so. Harley riders had to find a perjorative term to sneer with. So they called them rice-burners or rice-grinders because of the high-pitched scream of the japanese bikes as they walked away from the Harleys when the light turned green.
After that, rice has always been something to be proud of.
Comment by Gordon — August 28, 2003 @ 12:42 pm
ya know what why do they call them rice rockets i also think that is offensive and racist to the japanese culture why dont we just call them japanese imports which is what they are i mean i give hella props to japan if it werent for them we wouldnt have these beautiful machines and what do most of us do we turn around and be racist to them by calling them “rice rockets” come on now people there called japanese imports SPREAD THE WORD thats what there called not “rice rockets”
Comment by ryan — June 22, 2004 @ 1:58 am
First of all the “Rice” refers to Japan and the “Rocket” refers to a MOTORCYCLE, not I repeat NOT a car. If you where to mount a rocket, it would look just like you where on a bike. You can’t stradle a car like a bike or a rocket. Hell, bucket seats will stradle YOU.
Comment by Mike — August 11, 2004 @ 7:37 pm
Greg, lighten up on the studied, one-sided PC outrage, will you? In the USA, there are many nicknames for foreign cars based on their country or region of origin, not just Asian ones.
For example, a “champagne burner” is a nickname for a Renault, Citroen or Peugeot, a “pasta machine” refers to a Fiat, Alfa Romeo or a Ferrari and a “beer brewer” is a BMW, Mercedes or Audi. “Limeymobiles” are Jaguars, Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. In the Balkans, American pickup trucks have been tabbed as “farmers’ limousines.”
Ford can mean “Fix or Repair Daily, “Found on Road Dead,” “Frequently Occurring Rust and Deterioriation” or “First On Race Day.” Fiat can mean “Fix It Again Tony” or “Fix It Alla Time,” Failure In Automotive Technology,” “Failed Italian Attempt at Transportation,” and
“Forever In Automotive Trouble.”
Also, in many parts of Eastern Europe, Volkswagens are still jokingly termed “Hitler’s Revenge” or “Virtually Worthless.” Question: What do you call shock absorbers on a Yugo? Answer: Passengers.
Toyota – “Too Often Yanks Overrate This Automobile”
Mazda – “Most Always Zooming Dangerously Along”
BMW – “Bavarian Money Waster”
Honda – “Had One, Never Did Again”
Hyundai – “Hope You Understand Nothing’s Drivable and Inexpensive”
Infiniti – “It Never Found Its Niche, It’s Truly Inconsequential”
Oldsmobile – “Old Ladies Driving Slowly Make Others Behind Infuriatingly Late Everyday”
And, as a side note, Asians who date or marry Caucasians are sometimes derisively labeled by other Asians as “bananas” or “Twinkies” (meaning yellow on the outside, white on the inside.)
Comment by Mikester — August 25, 2004 @ 8:58 am
u r all gay
Comment by playa 2 — October 14, 2004 @ 9:25 pm
u r all gayu r all gay<– racial slur! :0! o no… jus stop bitching an get on with ur lives. u ever noticed that there is rarely ne white people that bitch about someone bein “racist”. we (as in white people) don use our race to make excuses for a reason someone doesnt like us. “crotch rocket” whos gonna find a reason to bitch about that one? cmon u guys can prolly think up sumthin pretty creative. maybe it offends gay people!or not… hmm who knows. ya well thsi site jus kinda pissed me off. cuz for me the term “rice rocket” refers to a racing appearance/mods on a japanese car. do really think americans would really give a shit if someone said look at that “applepie mobile!” fuck no. and in the U.S. we almost every race so wouldnt that offend every race? or am i bein to sensitive? in japan when we say rice rocket arent we hurting the white guy who works in the factories feelings to? maybe ill cry for him tonight… i will! hey atleast they didnt say sumthin about u not bein able to drive very good or uhh being blinded if u put a string across the windsheild…. seriously sometimes i back off when i see a asian driving..but thats jus me i care if someone cant see me an hits me.. but ya i love all u guys too! adios niggas!
Comment by playa 2 — October 14, 2004 @ 9:26 pm