The Sports Illustrated model, a half Thai, angered people after she complained about the 'oriental dressing' option for her salad and then insisted that she's not offended by the term 'oriental.'
- Sep 14, 2016
AceShowbiz - Chrissy Teigen landed in hot water earlier this week thanks to salad dressing. A number of Twitter users lashed out at the 30-year-old model after she took to Twitter on Monday night, September 12 to comment on the "oriental dressing" option on her flight.
"I really really really really clearly am not a PC type of gal but I'm a little weirded out at the oriental dressing option on my flight," wrote Teigen, who's a half-Thai. "Like if you're over 50 you can call me oriental to my face but this is a new menu and I'm not a rug."
I really really really really clearly am not a PC type of gal but I'm a little weirded out at the oriental dressing option on my flight
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) September 13, 2016
When a fan asked her if she's offended by the term "oriental," Teigen said she's not but she did find the word "weird." "Not offensive, really. Just weird. Old school. Just say Asian," she explained, prompting other users to criticize her for not being offended.
Teigen said in other tweets that while she personally had no problem with the word, she agreed that people should stop using it. "Them saying 'oriental' makes no impact on me. I know that, most of the time, their intention is not to hurt," she wrote. "It's not a slur, though. It's just a bit of forgivable ignorance... For instance, you can call my mother Siamese. Thailand was Siam. But yeah. A little weird now."
It's not a slur, though. It's just a bit of forgivable ignorance. https://t.co/SGFEPLvwrQ
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) September 13, 2016
I honestly hear you but I disagree. If someone called me oriental, I would not be offended. At most, I would sigh. https://t.co/VtzcdvQ0Bu
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) September 13, 2016
The debate continued with Teigen insisting that she still didn't find by the term "oriental" offensive. "I honestly hear you but I disagree. If someone called me oriental, I would not be offended. At most, I would sigh," she said at one point. "Ignorance without malice isn't something I can be offended by."
Her remarks, however, only angered the other Twitter users even more. They thought that Teigen tolerated others' ignorance and that's another way of maintaining the status quo and perpetuating racism.
The arguments didn't end until Tuesday morning, September 13. In her last tweets, Teigen reminded everyone that the whole thing "began from me preferring my salad dressing not being called 'oriental.' " She added, "I think our miscommunication here is the fact we have different definitions of the word 'offensive.' Do I think saying 'oriental' is inappropriate? Yes. Laughable and ignorant. Am I OFFENDED when I hear it? No."
Do I think saying "oriental" is inappropriate? Yes. Laughable and ignorant. Am I OFFENDED when I hear it? No.
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) September 13, 2016
