White-Owned 'Hip-Hop' Restaurant In Iowa Incites Outrage
Critics have accused the Restaurant's owners of co-opting black hip-hop and food culture, as well as being insensitive to Asian people.
In Des Moines, Iowa, a breakfast restaurant called "Me So Hungry" will be opening up sometime in August. The eatery will have a menu featuring Southern and soul food fare, and a '90s hip-hop theme, with co-owner Sarah Cattoordescribing it as "a really fun place and all the [1990s] music will be family friendly."
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However, people have accused Cattoor and fellow owner Ryan Greening of not only appropriation but being insensitive to Asian people. Although some people have attempted to defend the name of the restaurant by saying it is in reference to 2 Live Crew's "Me So Horny," the song and its main samples come from the stereotypical "me so horny" line from a Vietnamese sex worker in the movie Full Metal Jacket.
However, both Cattoor and Greening have responded to the criticism, telling HuffPost "We have been fans of hip-hop music along with other genres for all of our lives and look forward to opening Me So Hungry."
"We welcome all varying views, and in fact you will likely find our views run very counter to many of the [racist] views we are being claimed to have," they continued. "We encourage people to join us for breakfast and open up a productive dialogue about any issue."
H/T: huffingtonpost.com