My latest comment on the KDWB radio Hmong parody controversy.

http://www.minnpost.com/braublog/2011/04/14/27490/blue_cross_minnesota_suspends_kdwb_ads_over_hmong_song#comment_68574

This lame and yes offensive music parody attempt basically "died on the vine" before some "activist" discovered it. (Hint! If you want to do a Hmong parody song start with Rod Steward's "Forever Young", not the Eric Clapton song.)

The protests and publicity might get the "activists" some "news time" but judging from "bar talk" conversations I have people, at least over here in Minneapolis hadn't thought about the Hmong lately before this brewhaha. 

The huge numbers of refugee immigrants in the Twin Cities area tends to go "under the radar" but most people sense that this is costing Minnesota a lot of money. This is backed up by a Census report that states that Minnesota has the highest percentage welfare costs in the US. http://www.startribune.com/politics/blogs/112933714.html

Most people tend to think of this in terms of the "Gary,Indiana" welfare magnet idea but our own "lying eyes" also show the refugee immigrant" part of it. These protests of the lame KDWB parody refocused the public perception of the "burden" on the Hmong. (and also other refugee immigrant groups overrepresented here like the Somalis.)

I grew up near the Hmong concentration on the Eastside of St. Paul I still own my late parents house over there. I have observed the Hmong evolution since the beginning.

First the positive. A lot of young Hmong have nice cars. The "welfare Caddilac is a myth, if for no other reason than vehicle titles are check and poor neighbors tend to report the "relatives" nice wheels if you are on public assistance. 

The young Hmong have the nice "wheels" because they have good jobs. Good for them!
They generally came from small families and grew up in the US. They have the new immigrant drive to succeed. We should embrace and help them.

On the other hand if you drive by the subsidized housing project just East of Phalen Lake there are plenty of very large family "broods" there. An advanced degree social scientist might not be able to discern that this is a recipe for long-term welfare dependency but the average Minnesotan sure can.

So far the the two ad withdraws from KDWB are Health Partners and Blue Cross. This was basically "public image" advertising. The withdrawal of the ads might be construed as political advocacy, which is prohibited under the tax code with non-profits, which Minnesota health insurance agencies have. 

The lame KDWB parody was first off "lame" but it never said it applied to "ALL HMONG". Conceivably these withdraws could be construed by the IRS as "political advocacy". If it got to court it would come out that a disproportional but not all Hmong "fit the parody".

I recall back in the day all the lefties I know celebrated the Larry Flint vs Jerry Falwell satire that was affirmed the US Supreme Court. That satire was not based on factual information of Jerry Falwell's birth.