Famous radio host Bill Handel has recently sparked controversy after making a series of derogatory comments about Koreans on his show.
Handel, also an attorney, was recognized for his achievements as a professional broadcaster and was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009.
The Burbank-based Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) officially demanded an apology from the radio station KFI (AM 640) and iHeartRadio, the internet radio station that airs Handel’s program, on December 11. They also called for the suspension of Handel’s show.
According to MANAA, on October 3, Hendel, during his show, commented on a children’s book featuring a dog, asking, “Is it translated into Korean?” Then he added, “Don’t use too much ketchup.”
This comment is believed to have been a derogatory reference to the issue of dog meat consumption in Korea, likening it to a hot dog with ketchup.
MANAA has confirmed that Handel’s racially insensitive comments have continued for seven months on his broadcasts. On his September 25 show, he reportedly referred to Korea and China as countries that consume dog meat, further fueling the controversy.
Handel’s criticism of South Korea over its dog-eating culture didn’t stop there. On September 16, he made another reference to South Korea and China when he addressed President-elect Donald Trump’s comments about Haitian immigrants eating dogs and cats during TV presidential debate.
He said “I’m putting up on Instagram @BillHandelShow, a recipe for dog meat soup, this is legitimate by the way…Now, what’s kinda weird is Korean and Chinese. I’m trying for the life of me to look at Haitian recipe for dogs and cats and I cannot find one!”
Apart from the culture of eating dog meat, he also made racist comments aimed at Koreans.
In August, while he was discussing an online accommodation-sharing service Airbnb, he aimed at Koreans, referring to them as “tourists who speak no English and are completely, totally obnoxious. There’s nothing like them. You know, I don’t want to mention names in terms of obnoxious people at all.”
In response to the racial slur, MANAA has formally demanded that Bill Handel be taken off the air, Asian online media outlet ASAM News reported on December 11.
MANAA president Gao Aoki tried to meet with iHeartRadio executives and KFI officials to lodge a formal complaint, but received only a short email response saying that they were “grateful for the feedback,” the outlet reported.
The Korea Daily also attempted to reach out to the station by phone and email for comment on Handel’s derogatory remarks, but as of 5 p.m. on December 12, we had not received a response.
Handel’s racist jokes about Koreans and Korea have also sparked controversy in the past.
In 2011, during a call with a Filipina caller who had a dispute with her Korean landlord, Handel disparagingly remarked that “Koreans don’t like Filipinos unless you cook them dog meat,” and that “Korean landlords don’t care about their tenants.”
Handel has also been criticized for his discriminatory comments against Muslims, Armenians, and other ethnic groups. In 2009, he was criticized for saying that the U.S. government should sell the city of Glendale, which has a large Armenian population, to get rid of Armenians.
Meanwhile, Bill Handel currently hosts his show, “The Bill Handel Show,” on KFI (AM 640) every Monday through Friday. He also hosts a legal advice program, “Handel on the Law,” every Saturday. MANAA is a nonprofit organization that monitors media coverage of Asians in the United States.
BY. KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
