WARNING: This post contains graphic language, because there’s no point in sugar coating anything in regards to this subject.
2014 seems to be the year of scandals popping up out of nowhere for public figures, and we learned Degrassi isn’t immune to this after what went down yesterday.
A master post on tumblr (which can be viewed here) reveals a bunch of insensitive and offensive comments made by Andre Kim online. The tweets posted are from 2012, before he was on Degrassi, and show him providing rude commentary about females, “fat” people and liberal usage of the word “retard.”
There’s also video of him livestreaming League of Legends on Twitch, where he frequently uses the word “retard,” jokes about “getting raped” in the game, and in a direct quote, says “time to bring them out like a bunch of little niggers.”
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Damn. The response has been angry and swift by Degrassi fans, and Stephen Stohn had no choice to respond to all of this.
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Now what? There are people who think Andre should be fired immediately for this, and that if Degrassi doesn’t fire him it means they support derogatory and racist language.
The more I think about this situation, the more I think firing Andre would be the easy way out. For everyone…Andre, Degrassi AND fans.
Yesterday I kept seeing people say that Andre should know better because he’s 17-18 and in university. In a perfect world, that’d be true. Adults would behave like they’ve got some damn sense. When you get to be my age (I’m 31), you realize that being a legal adult and being in a more adult setting such as university or the workforce means little in terms of someone’s maturity. He’s still a kid. When you’re 20, you’re still a kid…older and maybe a little bit more mature than a 16-year-old, but to us older people you’re still a kid who doesn’t know shit about the world.
Honestly, it rubs me the wrong way that even with Andre’s deplorable comments we’d basically want to take some kid, crush him into nothing and walk around with his head on a stick. I want this kid to learn a lesson, not have his future obliterated.
But do not confuse that statement with me justifying his actions, believing he shouldn’t be punished or thinking people should just forgive and forget today. A very clear message needs to be sent that this type of behavior is not okay under any circumstances, ever.
And that’s why I lean toward Degrassi not necessarily needing to fire Andre. If they do, then so be it. But for over 30 years, Degrassi is a show that’s thrived on presenting real-life situations involving teenagers. The teens on this show are programmed to make mistakes and (hopefully) learn from them. Here we have a real-life scenario that presents an opportunity for Degrassi to provide a real-life learning lesson for its viewers, who are actively involved in this “plot.”
My question is, what exactly do we learn from the show just firing Andre, besides delivering social justice that everyone will forget about in a week?
*Degrassi comes out and says what Andre said is wrong, fire him, then their hands are washed free of the situation. But when companies do this, sometimes it feels like it’s a PR move and not because they’re making a statement about their values.
*Andre loses his job, but all he has to learn is to not post stupid shit online. Remember, “There is no reality, only perception.” People complain about Munro’s lack of tweeting and social media presence, but the smart ones know how to run a tight ship on their rep.
And most importantly, what do DEGRASSI FANS learn from all of this? Sure we’re outraged, and if Epitome fires him we’ll be happy and mindlessly move onto the next thing. But outside of the unspoken concept that if you say something rude and offensive publicly you could lose your job, where is the blunt, reflective message to a fandom who (past and future) won’t hesitate to say rude, hurtful and offensive things to EACH OTHER on a regular basis? Ironically, I spotted it even happening yesterday while people were discussing THIS very situation!!
When it comes down to it, Andre’s moronic behavior displays a lack of respect for others, and this fandom (as well as many other online fandoms) can be a breeding ground for the most pointlessly hateful behavior on Twitter and Tumblr.
This needs to become more than just fans being angry and demanding Andre be fired. It needs to become a situation about awareness, championed by Epitome challenging every viewer to self reflect on their own behavior, not just online, but in real life. There are so many layers to this that I’ll address below. The funny thing is 99% of this is common sense, but people still do it anyway.
*Andre made jokes about fat people, referred to a girl as a bitch and thumbed his nose down at feminism. It never, ever feels good when people make hateful comments about you, or a group you belong to. “Do unto others…” is a really simple concept. Also, I’m old school and don’t believe in referring to a female as a “bitch.” Ever.
*He clearly uses the word “retard” a lot. There are A LOT of people out there (young people in particular) who don’t understand that term is considered offensive. This is one that people have to be active in telling people it’s not an appropriate word to use in casual conversation.
*Ahh yes…nigger. It’s 2014: this word shouldn’t still be in anyone’s vocabulary.
*FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK. This is a crucial point that I hope soaks into the young fans of this show. Even on my own timelines I see people acting a fool because they think they can say and do whatever they want online. “It’s my account, I can post whatever I want.” There’s this false idea that no one is watching what you do, and that’s just not true. Andre’s tweets were from 2012, when he didn’t have the eyes of a fanbase on him. There are millions of people who aren’t famous who engage in shitty online behavior on a daily basis. You think privacy settings make you slick, but Spinner Mason said it best: “There’s no such thing as privacy on the web,” and just like people are making judgments about Andre and his awful behavior, people (potentially those in a position of power) will be making judgments about yours in the future.
*TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT. As I said before, all of this comes down to a lack of respect. Andre thinking he’s being cute and funny, and in reality saying stupid shit that’s offensive and hurtful…the kind of stuff he (and many people) would never, EVER say to someone’s face. I don’t care how famous he is, if we’re going to hold him to a high behavioral standard, then as a fandom we’d damn well better be holding ourselves and each other to the same standard of basic respect for others. And I say that knowing you’ll be able to look online after tonight’s new episode, and there will be people going at each other over stupid Triles/Matlingsworth/Zaya bullshit and the like.
What should Degrassi do?
They know the seriousness of this, so they’ve gotta do more than just address it in 140 characters. They owe it to their young, primarily female fanbase to reinforce that the type of behavior Andre displayed is unacceptable, but also that people need to understand why beyond the threat of shame and/or punishment. Andre’s behavior is front and center here, but it does little if those of us watching this unfold don’t receive a blunt reminder that OUR actions and level of respect toward others is just as important. Too often people simply don’t think about what they’re saying or how it affects others before it comes flying out of their mouth.
If it were up to me, Andre would be delivering a live apology via one of Degrassi’s long-lost google hangout sessions (no edited bullshit)…get a few people from the fandom in there to sound off and let him have it. And if he’s to continue being a part of the show, his new job would be working tirelessly to repair the damage he’s done.
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Kary's Degrassi Blog 
Hadn’t head this but read the tweets on the link. WOW.
I won’t say what Degrassi should do about it. But even with it being before Degrassi it is amazing a struggling actor thought that was not going to come back to haunt them eventually.
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No I don’t agree with this at all. The things he said were offensive. He knew the things he was saying were offensive, in no way shape or form does anyone think the n-word isn’t offensive anymore. He is a professional public figure on a children’s show that sets examples for children. He willingly live streamed himself and willingly used offensive language. Especially with everything going on in America right now, someone else using the n-word isn’t something to just get over.
“time to bring them out like a bunch of little niggers.” He said this and he meant this, as he was killing people in the game, Kary you, myself and every other black Degrassi fan are a part of these “little niggers” that he has zero respect for. He has zero respect for the black audience & his black coworkers. He also has zero respect for any person with a mental disability by using the word retard in a negative way (in any way). And this coming from someone on a show that makes people with disabilities feel welcome and included. And 2014 was basically the year that took a stance against rape and “rape culture”, he has to be an idiot to still think its ok to make rape jokes. ESPECIALLY right after Degrassi did a whole rape story that his character was involved with!
You think he shouldn’t be fired, but how else can he be punished for his deplorable actions. This isn’t real high school so something like detention isn’t going to work. This is a job a business. Keeping him would reflect negatively on Epitome, TeenNick (which is under Nickelodeon), MTV and all the distributors. And you know if you make a company look bad you are messing with the money they aren’t gonna have that. How else will he truly learn that his actions aren’t tolerable if he doesn’t lose anything.
And let’s be honest his character isn’t really a huge factor on the show and his acting isn’t that great so why keep around an ignorant asshole if he isn’t the one bringing in the core audience. And with you being black and saying he shouldn’t be fired kind of gives people the ok to just accept what he did “Well Kary is black and he doesn’t think he did anything wrong so its ok” thats how people think and its sad i know. And using the defense that the fandom call each other worse things is dumb because they aren’t professional public figures with multiple networks behind them.
In a time where people of color, women, and rape victims are being oppressed he should have known better, or at the very least kept it off the internet.
FIRE ANDRE KIM!
*excuse all spelling and grammatical errors*
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*I am not against Epitome firing him.
*I am not against any kind of punishment for Andre.
*I thought is was pretty obvious, with me being black and all, that I’ve lost respect for Andre for his comments
*I said in my post many, many times that what he did is not and never will be okay. Anyone reading this who thinks I believe we should give him a pass or just “get over it” tells me they weren’t reading what I was saying.
The entire point of not firing Andre (I’m not talking about allowing him to continue playing his character…I’m talking about keeping him contractually obligated to Epitome) is to force him to confront what he did beyond apologizing in a tweet. They can trot his ass out in front of the public and force him to be confronted by the people he so casually disparaged.
You wanna know what happens if they fire Andre today? Nothing besides him disappearing from oblivion. Nothing is addressed, nothing is accomplished. It needs to be aggressively and REPEATEDLY driven it into Andre’s as well as these young fans’ heads that Andre’s behavior, the same EXACT behavior fans engage in with each other on a regular basis, is unacceptable.
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“And using the defense that the fandom call each other worse things is dumb because they aren’t professional public figures with multiple networks behind them.”
That’s not a “defense” for anything, I was pointing out the obvious: young people within the Degrassi fandom engage in the SAME behavior Andre did, and I don’t think it’s enough to simply send Andre packing and nothing else because of that silly mentality that “He’s famous, so something like that won’t happen to me.” It’s bullshit to believe just because fans aren’t famous, that what they say and do in a public forum (the internet) has little impact on others. These are the future CEOs and public figures of the world, after all.
Maybe I’m the only one who views Epitome just tweeting out that offensive remarks are unacceptable then letting Andre go to not face the public for his actions is just a quick and easy way to sweep a controversy under the rug, without actually dealing with anything.
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HE WAS NOT SPEAKING TO, OR ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE WHEN HE SAID NIGGER. Nigger today can mean any person. its 2014
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For sure I think the best thing to do would be to incorporate it into his character – maybe causing him to be expelled from Degrassi.
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I saw the website…I was pissed….I know it was posted a long time ago but I hope his character doesn’t return if there is a 15th season or for Season 14C…He said Asian girls seem to get fatter and fatter. He called a five-year old a bitch. He kept on calling people retards, that what I hate about this most! Everytime I hear that word, I want to kill the person who let it slip out of their mouth. I have friends that are called that. He was racist…I hope he gets fired! BTW nigger is a mean word referring to black people
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Error : 14C is 14B
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Actually…lots of people seem to think that the “n” word isn’t offensive anymore. I hear black guys use it in EVERY SENTENCE the utter. They obviously consider it a perfectly acceptable word. And it is the very definition of racism to say that one race should be allowed to do something (like using a certain word, or maybe sitting at the front of a bus or drinking from a water fountain) while another race can’t.
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THIS IS HOW ALL KIDS SPEAK TODAY!!
HE DIDNT SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE TOWARDS BLACK PPL HE JUST SAID NIGGER
* So he said the word nigger??? WHO CARES? Nigger today is synonymous with friend/dude/homeboy/idiot. Why must everyone cry for the use of a word????? like u said its 2014.. time to grow up and let go of what happened 100 years ago..
* He said retard.. EVERYONE KNOWS HOW HE INTENDED TO USE RETARD. He means to say ur doing something stupid. anyone who gives a FUK about this is a retard. MY MENTALLY HANDICAPPED BROTHER USES ‘RETARD’ AND LAUGHS ABOUT IT SO GROW UP.
*WHO CARES HE CALLED SOMEONE FAT???? BIG WHOOP
*WHO HASNT USED THE WORD BITCH??????????? PLEASE COME FORWARD
With all going on in Ferguson… Lord knows we need more peace, love and unity. But we also need to get our heads out of our ass.. This young man hasnt said anything directly offensive. He’s just using WORDS that people find offensive. Let him use the words he wants. WHO CARES
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Just because everyone’s doing it, it doesn’t make it okay!! If you make the argument that only context matters, then what Andre did is still fucked up because what he said was done in a derogatory manner.
I’m a gamer. The word nigger is used LIBERALLY, and while I roll my eyes at someone doing it in the midst of a video game that STILL doesn’t mean they should say it. Andre should have to publicly come forward and accept the backlash he’s receiving, not hide behind a twitter apology and then escape our anger simply by being allowed to disappear if they fire him.
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@Aayize
Um, NO, like it or not, non-black people have no right to say that word. We have turned the word “nigga” into a term of endearment for US, so don’t even try it. That’s NOT Andre’s or any non-black person’s place to use it.
And don’t EVER mix up “nigga” with “nigger”, two totally different meanings behind them. Now, I agree that Andre should be given a second chance to truly apologize and redeem himself but don’t you EVER for a second think you have the right to use that word because you DON’T. At least not in my presence or any self-respecting, black person’s presence. Period.
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Aayize, your response is so problematic it frightens me. The n-word is an ugly word with a history steeped in bloodshed and hostility, a word used to justify discrimination against another human being based on the colour of his or her skin.
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@SetRobOff The N-word shouldn’t be used by anyone. Black or nonblack. Any self respecting black person wouldn’t use that word either. Just because some people changed the meaning of it and embraced this change, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s still a problematic word and was used to hurt other people. People who are still very much alive.
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By “we” when you say “we have turned the term into a term of endearment” do you mean thugs? Because EDUCATED black people who have real jobs and actually MATTER to society NEVER use that word.. Because they know that a word is either racist or it isn’t. There is no such thing as a word that is OK to be used by some people, but not others. (That is actually the very definition of racism…saying that one race can do something but another can’t.)
Know this…YOU are what is wrong with society. YOU are the reason why your life is and always will be a TOTAL failure. YOU are the reason why your mother is ashamed of giving birth to you. And because of your racist post…everyone in the world now knows it.
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I don’t use the n word in any way and I’m black. What makes me upset about what you said Aayize is that just because you feel it’s okay and just words a lot of other people don’t agree. Yes slavery was along time ago but I see nothing of what that has to do with his use of the n word at all.The word is negative, period. Saying this is how kids talk now is giving a pass at derogatory language.
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I would rather my head be in my ass than in the clouds.
This is why we are having a lot of the issues that we are having today. It’s 2014 and you still think that it’s okay to use a word with such loaded (negative) meaning. And the fact that you justify this by saying “we should let go of what happened 100 years ago” is belittling and insulting to those of us directly impacted by “what happened 100 years ago”. I’ll let go of what happened 100 years ago when African-Americans aren’t being disproportionately incarcerated and killed by law enforcement. I’ll let go of what happened 100 years ago when police that use illegal chokehold maneuvers and kill unarmed citizens are rightfully indicted for doing so. I’ll also let go of what happened 100 years ago when the criminal justice system “lets go” of the unfair treatment that it has historically imposed on black males.
You bring up Ferguson and miss the point entirely. We do need peace, love, and unity…but we also need for people like you to let go of the micro-aggressions that you’re displaying on this website.
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This guy was a small 3rd rate actor anyway.. Maybe they should do a social issue and kill him off like they did Cam and Adam. He could be the victim of a hate crime or be killed by a drunk driver. Problem is the cast would have a hard time acting like they were sad like they did with Cam and Adam.
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Nah, a death is too good to use on his character anyway. If anything they should let him disappear into the abyss like Tori did.
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How is what you are saying any less hurtful than what Andre Kim has said about others. Two wrongs never make a right. Rise above rather than rant.
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Real talk, Kary. I can rock with this. Not long ago, I too was aboard the “fire his ass” train but if he publically apologized and sat there and LISTENED to viewers get in his ass, that might be a good punishment.
Now, I can take this shit real personal and be really stubborn because this little motherfucker insulted MY people(black people) in addition to women and mentally disabled people…..and be well within my motherfucking rights. But my heart is too big, so that shit is beneath me.
I’m a major bitch when I get pissed off but I have a soft side, perhaps even a “sucker” side. The performing arts industry (acting, music etc.) is hard enough to get into(and stay into) and I would honestly feel bad about crushing this little boy’s career/dreams/future. I’ll be 26 in a month and I’m still trying to find my way; so I know what it’s like to have dreams and goals. Andre’s no different than anybody else where that’s concerned.
SHOULD I give a fuck? LOL No, I really shouldn’t; I have no obligation to. Fuck him. But I CHOOSE to give a fuck. I’m all about seeing people redeem themselves, better themselves and succeed, especially young men and women of color. Don’t misread that….I don’t think young white men and women are any less deserving of success; I will NEVER imply such a thing and yes, everything I’m saying in this post would still stand if Andre was white. I’m just saying it’s harder out there for POCs in many ways. It’s ironic that I’m saying all of this when Andre made some extremely disgusting comments towards women, certain races and the rape subject.
But how Kary suggested it gets dealt with is pretty reasonable. Andre needs to publically apologize, throw himself at viewers’ mercy, get a nice, thorough verbal ass-whooping and then apologize all over again. He better be licking some fucking toes, metaphorically speaking.
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I agree Andre should pubicly apologize, but I disagree about letting people angrily go at him for an hour or more. I say this because that won’t and never slove anything, but cause more choas.
Now if they do make a public apology with fans involved then I think it should be similar to what Dave did in “Cry Me A River Pt. 2” where Dave pubicly apologize to Adam and the whole school and they had a cool and level headed discussion about it.
If there is an live public apology it should be held in that manner. But in the end even if and after Andre apologizes people just for the heck of it are still gonna find some reason to hate on him for anything that he does.
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I was sick to my stomach and outraged beyond belief when I saw and especially heard the video. I was all for firing him. After what you wrote Kary, I do think that would be an easy way out. I do like the idea of a hangout and actually hear what he has to say. I’m not certain it would be necessary for the fandom to lay into him, they might use the same language he did. That would not get anything solved. Hear what he has to say then leave it up to Epitome as to what they want to do with him. I really wouldn’t like to see his entire acting career ruined because of his stupidity, but good heavens think before you speak and letting something like this go out on a live stream one was bound to find it.
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This is not surprising in the slightest. I know Andre in real life and he has always been misogynistic, racist, ableist, and all around a nasty person. He will not apologize sincerely. He has had many people politely call him out and try to explain why what he’s doing is offensive, but he has never listened and has always responded with more slurs. I have so many screenshots of his Facebook tirades just in case I ever needed them.
I would fire him because he won’t learn. I’ve watched way too many people try to get him to listen to reason. But mostly I’m just glad he’s gotten exposed for what he really is.
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Ive been close friends with Andre for years now…he is one of the kindest guys I know. He treats others with respect, and is known for his care, approachability, and ability to make others smile. He’s a good man. When I saw the video, I was disappointed in him. However, I know who he is, and I understand the idiotic mentality that he was swept in during the heat of the game with his friends. Doesn’t excuse anything…but I understand.
You saying “allowing him to escape by firing him” breaks my heart. He is a kid, and all of a sudden, his entire life and dream is being crushed in front of him because of words he said when he was a sixteen year old. Firing him would not be any kind of escape, it would destroy his life. Does Andre Kim deserve that? Not at all. What Andre Kim deserves is time and patience. I’ve been in contact with him throughout all this, and he is going through a time of great pain, sadness, fear, and most importantly, reflection. He needs to be given the opprotuntiy to apologize in a much larger scale. He understands what he did was terrible and so wrong. He’s not a bad person; he feels great remorse and regret for what he said. He needs to show his fans that he accepts all the criticism that has come his way, and he needs to be given the chance to show people he is making the active effort in positively changing who he is.
Today was his 18th birthday, probably the worst birthday he’s ever had. In fear for his entire future because of his actions as a young child. Very, very unfortunate. I can’t sleep thinking about him it upsets me so much. I plead for the Degrassi community to give him a chance and let him prove himself.
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By saying he “escapes by getting fired” in my eyes doesn’t mean I think he’s getting off with a slap on the wrist, or that losing one’s job isn’t a big deal. Escape in this context refers to escaping facing the very open and public fanbase and addressing them directly, something I feel is absolutely crucial for him to do in this situation. I agree 100% that he doesn’t need to have his future crushed, and I also agree that he needs to apologize on a larger scale and openly come face to face with all of the criticism.
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Jess, I would love to see those screen shots. ANDRE KIM SHOULD BE FIRED!!!!!
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I really, really would. But exposing someone you know personally is really hard. Especially since I also know all of his friends too.
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Jess, do it anonymously.
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it all boils down to two things. 1. does his contract include an ethics clause for actions committed before the contract was signed or just during the contract? 2. Is there evidence of this behavior while under contract?
This is all that matters because of course what he said was inappropriate, disrespectful and unkind. That is not the issue because in no sense is what he did ok, but would you want every little stupid thing you ever said as a kid affect your entire career future?
Firing someone because of a possible ratings disaster and because people are up in arms demanding it is wrongful termination unless his contract stipulates that are allowed to fire him for this type of infraction.
Furthermore let us all be wary of what we say whether face to face, in a text, or on the internet for all the world to see for years to come. Let us not bully, or berate, name-call, or even simply be rude. It is never called for including saying hurtful things about Andre Kim in retalliation for his words. Calling him nasty or not being able to get a sentence out with out an expletive is also poor use of language. I hope none of your bosses have grounds to fire any of you for the words you say for the internet for the world to see.
My philosophy is that what I say (whether truth or my opinion) may be offensive and that is fine. If I can not stand by it then don’t say it; but I should not be offensive myself. In other words, I can tell you my opinion on this subject and you can agree or disagree; be offended or not but notice how this entire post was written without any offensive language or name-calling to anyone. You can stumble over the truth that I deliver, but you will never stumble over me. Kim was offensive, let us be better and not say offensive things towards him.
That is a piece of advice for all of you who like to leave comments on Kary’s blog . I have read many and you should be happy I do not demand that Kary blocks you from his site for things that I have read over the past year that I have found offensive.
So before anyone demands anything of Kim or Degrassi, take a look at your own media/social network history to see if you have ever been unkind to anyone whether a group or an individual.
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After pondering this for a bit, I’ve got some feelings.
If Kim was an adult, I would absolutely want him fired. BUT he was 16 when he posted/said these things. That doesn’t make his use of inflammatory language any less wrong of course.
However, despite the very troubling response from Aayize above, she (?) does have a point: this is how many teenagers today talk. I work as a tutor, and many of my students casually throw around homophobic, sexist, and racist language like it’s no big deal, because in their opinion, “they’re just words”. They just don’t “get” why I bristle when they make rape jokes and throw the n-word around. Teens today are so used to concealing their identities online, so used to having the freedom to say what they want on the Internet without having to answer to anyone, and their stupidity and ignorance is put out there for their peers to see. They become so accustomed to seeing such language in their feeds that they become desensitized to it. They don’t understand what the big deal is because all of their friends use it. And this is a HUGE problem.
We’ve had anti-bullying movements, we’ve had It Gets Better. There needs to be a movement that specifically targets the casual use of hateful speech to educate kids about the history of such words and the power they have.
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Agree wholeheartedly with this post. I just had to comment because I keep seeing comments here and elsewhere on social media from people who think it’s reasonable to say that using the n-word isn’t okay because he’s not black, but it’s okay for black people to use it. I’m black, and I am steadfastly against using the word, I don’t care who you are. I do not under any circumstances think it’s okay, whether you use the -er version or the -a version. I will never be convinced otherwise. Bury the fucking word already. I acknowledge that the version he used and the context he used it in is unacceptable and it truly horrified me – but the fact that black people continue to this day in 2014 to say “oh YOU can’t say that, you’re not black” makes me cringe and I can’t believe this is still a thing.
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Exactly. I completely agree. I think that’s one of the only racial slurs where some from the targeted group are okay with it being used within that group or by those deemed “okay” by said group. It makes no sense. There are people still living today that remembered how painful that word was to hear and I can only imagine how they feel to hear it being used so casually by other black people. Changing how it means doesn’t change the history behind the word. Make up another word. Or better yet just call them your “friend” or “pal” instead.
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Jones, are you saying that Kim is a first rate actor and is to valuable to leave the show? I stand by my statement that he is easily replaceable. …..I’m a follower of history. Kim is displaying the kind of prima donna behavior of a Shannen Doherty in the old days from Beverly Hills 90210. Difference is Shannen was 1 hell of an actress and they tried to shield her from the publics anger. ……Everyone from the beginning of this franchise has been a good Degrassi Ambassador for the show. You wouldn’t see Annie Clark, Munro Chambers, Alicia Josipovic, etc. spouting off in public or their Facebook pages like this. ….Kim has the potential to hurt the Degrassi name brand. Similar to what Ray Rice, and his video assault on his wife, has done to the NFL. …I bet there are cast members that cringe if they have to do scenes with Kim. Again if he was a talented actor he might get a reprimand or slap on the wrist and told to knock it off. He is a D lister who was just lucky to make the show. He is expendable and I think he is on his way out.
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A lot of people think they’re safe behind “freedom of speech” and all that so they don’t consider other people’s feelings. At the same time, just because someone hasn’t said something online or for all of us to hear it doesn’t mean they never said something inappropriate or hurtful about someone or a group of individuals. More and more people are forgetting if it’s on the internet, chances are it’s not going to go away. It is true that depending on how long you’ve been in the entertainment industry and how valuable you are deemed, people will be more likely to throw their morals to the side even when it’s abusers or killers.
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I don’t care what type of actor he is. I don’t care how old he is. I don’t care what type of profession he is in. He is a HUMAN BEING. That is why it is WRONG for us to speak derogatorily about him JUST AS IT WAS WRONG FOR HIM TO SPEAK DEROGATORILY ABOUT OTHERS. My first point was simply speaking to the legality of the situation. One cannot be fired sir simply not being liked. My second point was the hypocrisy of all of us who are outraged at his insensitivity to lower ourselves to his standard when we speak of him. I am a woman of a cultural background whose people were put to death and tortured throughout history. I have friends and family who are mentally handicapped, and what Kim said of those groups is inexcusable. That is because those “groups” are made up of people.
If being mentally handicapped does not make one worth less but still worth being treated right, than why is acting like an idiot (as Kim acted) make him worth less and not worth being treated right by us who blog about him on the internet?
Putting him down and calling him names is exactly what he did to others. The only difference is that those who are talking about him do so while declaring that they know better. Those who do so are more despicable than Andre Kim. Again, LET’S be BETTER than Kim and not lower ourselves to his standard.
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Jess – maybe there is a way for you to share with me privately? I won’t share the screenshots online. I swear on Spinner Mason! Just remember – anyone that would judge you negatively for sharing is not a good person! You deserve better!
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As a fellow gamer, this language is EXTREMELY common and means pretty much nothing. He’s yelling profanities because he just got his ass rekt by someone in a video game. Most of the time people don’t actually hate >instert whatever slur was used here< they just say that stuff while playing games and get angry. Every other freaking Twitch streamer uses this language. Hell, professional Dota players (if you don't know, they win millions), use this language all the time while streaming and guess what? They still get sponsorships, they don't get kicked from the tournament, and they don't get kicked off the team. Holy fuck people, he's not being sexist at all. There is a HUGE stigma about being a woman in the gaming community (I am one of those women) and he is poking fun and making jokes about it (saying how the people watching his stream will jerk off to her voice etc). He clearly doesn't hate women because he is playing with one… People are too damned sensitive. He doesn't deserve to be fired, but maybe should be more careful in the future of what he says on stream because people will cry about it.
If you think he's bad, go to twitch.com and watch other gamers stream. Prepare your tissue boxes because apparently you will cry a whole lot about it.
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People should be punished for being jackasses. Period. It teaches the lesson “don’t be a jackass.” Anyway I stopped watching a long time ago, but saw this on another site and then came here… lol
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First things first, I’m old like Kary (a few years older, actually T_T), and share a lot of the same feelings as he does on this matter.
I am also a gamer (MMO).
I also work in a high school.
On a daily basis, whether it’s gaming or at work, it’s sad to say that this is the kind of language that has become commonplace among youth. There are some days I will literally cringe while sitting at my desk when I hear the words coming out of the mouths of some of these kids.
Last night while gaming, some random guy (who’s skill level was questionable, but that’s neither here nor there) called me a “retard”. I left group. I don’t need to listen to that.
The first thing I saw related to this whole AndreGate was his anti-feminist tweet. I sighed and shook my head.
The problem is firing Andre, while it may be the right choice for Epitome and it’s affiliates (assuming that’s the course of action they take), does not solve the greater problem at hand. Andre is a symptom of the problem as a whole. Epitome can, and in my opinion should, use this situation to educate the younger Degrassi fans as a whole on why exactly this is not okay. In my opinion, that would be the best case scenario here, whether he gets fired or not. Choosing to not use this opportunity to do some good,- again, in my opinion- would truly be a shame.
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Is anyone not guilty of this in they’re private lives?it was before he was on the show,you can’t tell me everyone is not derogatory in they’re own private lives,be it race gender or sexual orientation,he’s an actor, they are not the person they portray on television.Some obsessed fan had to have searched for this,just trying to say he’s not the only one who will be guilty of this, and damn sure he won’t be the last,lay off the guy I’m sure he feels bad but he can’t take it back,he’s human,good character I’m Asian,African, and white, I looked like a native American,I hear derogatory comments all the time dont bother me,people need to learn there is more to life than what’s in their perfect bubble!
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I agree, I don’t think he should be fired for something he said at 16 years old. I do not condone his words at all, even took some offense to them, but it was 2012 and he was a young and foolish boy. At 16 years old, I remember boys in school ALWAYS using terms like that – trust me, it was an always thing – and I think hearing other people say it just rubbed off on others who I knew at first didn’t say things like that. Then, naturally, always hearing those words in an every day environment just set THEIR mind for that type of language. Next thing I knew, I was used to hearing cuss terms like breathing by my fellow friends and classmates. I’m just saying, back then and even today it’s a common thing. At least where I live.
I know for a fact that I also said things that today make me go, “God, what was I thinking?!” And today, if my future was jeopardized by one of those things said years ago as a young and naive teenager, it would crush my heart to bits. I think Andre should face proper punishment, but I do agree that firing him would be “washing their hands clean of the situation”. Maybe bringing this into a future episode with Winston doing something similar with a message by the actor at the end of the episode by bringing up harsh and uncalled for language may be a good thing. Maybe? I know Andre has at least posted a message on Twitter apologizing for what he said and that it was wrong of him to do so.
Also, my brother is a gamer and I often hear him say things that make my parents arch their eyebrow, but I know my brother doesn’t mean any of it. He’s just so into the game that I think half the time he doesn’t know what he’s saying. I don’t condone it, but I know that’s just how some gamers are and just because my brother says those things, it doesn’t make him a bad guy and I know the person he is.
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The N-word shouldn’t be used by anyone – yes including black people. It’s being turned into a more “acceptable” term where only some people are allowed to say it but not others because of history. I don’t care how it’s changed, it shouldn’t be used by anyone period. Additionally, maybe this will serve as a wakeup call for fandoms to think before they type or talk because your words and actions can come back and haunt you. I would like to think since it’s been some time since those posts that he’s matured some. For me, I wasn’t the same person two years ago. Heck, I’ve changed a lot since I was a teenager. Meeting new people, having new personal experiences, and seeing different world events had a positive effect on me. It’s easy for some people to judge others but they don’t take the time to judge themselves and wonder if the words they typed or spoke out in anger, as a joke, or “joke”) could’ve hurt someone else’s feelings or were inappropriate. If he said these things currently, I would’ve been more bothered by it but again it wasn’t current so I just don’t see him being fired as the answer. If he was talking about killing people or something moreso on those lines, there’d probably be more damage done by keeping him as a cast. He should at the very least apologize. Again, this should be used as a lesson in how to behave online and offline instead of a free for all to bash him.
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Ok Karl, while I understand what your saying I feel like a public apology won’t do anything. If anything it will teach Kim that “It doesn’t matter what I do as long as I say I’m sorry”
I believe that actions speak louder than words, and in this case action is the primary way to solve the problem. Firing him will teach him that harmful language does have consequences instead of just plopping him in front of a webcam to. make him deliver some half-assed apology that he probably doesn’t mean. And besides firing him from one show will wreck his while future? That’s a little overboard in my honest opinion.
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