Jay Leno Faces Backlash from Korean Media for Making a “Racist Dog Meat Joke”

This wasn’t the first time Jay Leno made a joke about Koreans and dog meat.

The news of Jay Leno‘s past joke about dog meat has surfaced in Korean media, stirring criticism toward the American comedian for “being racist toward Koreans“.

According to Variety‘s recent report, Jay Leno, who was a guest judge on America’s Got Talent last April, saw Simon Cowell’s photo of his dog and joked that it “resembled the food you see in Korean restaurants“.

Although this clip didn’t make it on air, Korean media, as well as various Asian American organizations, are demanding that NBC cut ties with Jay Leno for spreading false perceptions of Asians as uncivilized foreigners.

According to Asian American organizations, this wasn’t the first time Jay Leno made a joke related to Koreans and dog meat.

Back in 2002, when he was the host of The Tonight Show, he made a joke on a South Korean Olympic short-track skater named Kim Dong Sung, who was disqualified from the 1,500-meter speedskating final.

He was so mad that he kicked the dog, and then ate him.

– Jay Leno

Both NBC and Jay Leno declined to comment on the matter.

Source: Dispatch