I don't frequent a Japanese Hibachi restaurants. The kind of place where the chef makes a performance entertaining while cooking. Last time was 2002. My kid was young then and enjoyed the experience.

Fast forward to today. We were invited to join a group going to one. The performer seemed to be having an off day. Looked like he really didn't want to be there. His cooking was fine, but the performance was cringe inducing. A lot of sarcasm and mocking tone throughout. An example, stacked onion rings, set a blaze. He said in the driest tone possible, "oh, there's a fire, oh boy, big deal, what a joke".

The interesting part was what my kid said afterwards, "Didn't that performance seem dated and racist?"


Would you consider this racist?

quote:

Would you consider this racist?

No. "racist" seems to b used by many young people as a placeholder for displeasure with anyone they find themselves in disagreement.

The guy, from your description, reminds me of this.

I don’t consider cooking racist.

We went to one of those places when I was about 12 and a smart ass kid.
The fella was doing the typical show and he started tossing eggs in the air with the spatula and catching it on the spatula without breaking them.
I blurted out Oh, come on that’s easy. He looked at me at in a very Aisin accent blurted out, You think it’s easy? YOU TRY!
Tapped the spatula on the griddle a couple times, put an egg on that little tile section, and held his hands out for me to come around.
I went around the table picked up the egg put it on the spatula and flipped that thing up in the air full expecting it to break all over the place when it landed. Hot Damn, if I did not catch it on the spatula without it breaking.
His eyes got wide, he took his knife and spatula belt off, threw it on that little cart they roll to the table, and yells, “That’s it, I quit!!!!!” stormed off.
About 10 minute later a different guy came out did not say a word and started the show all over.
I did not say a single word!!

LOL Sigmonkey! That video clip is exactly how the chef acted.

The racist remark may have been due to the idea of a monkey & organ grinder.
As in, "Hey monkey, entertain me".

I've heard the same concept applied to Black singers, such as the "Ink Spots".