I'm No Racist
I've been under fire of late for my use of the phrase "the Mandarin Oriental." In the wake of the ugly Michael Richards and Mel Gibson outbursts, I thought it important that I get out in front of this brewing controversy.
When I say "the Mandarin Oriental," I AM NOT insulting someone of Asian descent by referring to him or her as a small orange canned in syrup. I am actually referring to one of my favorite places to stay when traveling — the Mandarin Oriental, a hotel group with locations around the world.
I hope that clears things up! If not, I apologize to anyone who was offended.
Hello from the UK, Percy. Brilliant stuff. I have always found it odd that people in the U.S. are so troubled by the term "Oriental." Europeans do not seem to care. I travel to San Francisco quite often and my favorite place to stay there is the Mandarin Oriental, but I have yet to seen anyone protesting the name of the hotel. I know you are just kidding here, but it would be a riot if you or your readers could point to an instance of someone in the States actually complaining of the hotel's name.