Race

The Joy Luck Wednesday One-Liners

20-something guy on cell: I'm sure she wants to castrate me. (pause) Remember her Asian friend, well… (pause) Yeah, I hit that. (pause, then uncontrollable laugh) I gots the yellow fever!

–59th St & 11th

Chinese brother to sister: All Asians get off at this stop. (looking out window) See? They're all Asian. (pause) Oh, wait, there's one English guy.

–Grand Street Stop, D Train

Overheard by: Justin W

Asian girl on cell: You know how people say all Asians look the same? Well, I realized something today. All white people look the same to me–I honestly can't tell them apart!

–Port Authority

20-something Asian girl on cell, in perfect American English: So, I just got welcomed to America for the second time today. Are my clothes that… (with disgust) Asian?

–Metro-North

Overheard by: RedShikari

Classified by Race

Yuppie #1: “I never put my race down on those forms. Why should I be
classified by race?”

Yuppie #2: “I feel the same way about putting my height down on my driver’s
license.”

And There’s Nothing Worth Stealing in There

During trailer for horror movie where young girl peeks in door of creepy house and says, ‘Hello?’…

Thugette: Why they be goin’ into some abandoned-ass house like that?
Thug: ‘Cause they white.

–Court Street cineplex, Brooklyn

Overheard by: MrStench

Sorry, You're the First Person of Color I've Ever Encountered

Older man to African American girl): Where are you from? Ghana?
Girl (astonished): Columbus, Ohio!

–Terminal 2, JFK

Overheard by: Generous Supply

Dr. King Must Have Been Dreaming

White guy on cell: Yo, shit nigga, this shit the bomb!
Black guy: If you close your eyes, he almost sounds like the real deal.

–Houston & Varick

Overheard by: Adam Nathan

Médico Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bong

Teen girl: Yeah, everyone says I’m really bohemian.
Teen guy: Wait, I thought you were Mexican.

–N train
Headline by: Hawley Smoot

Runners-Up:
· “Are you poor or just pretending to be poor?” – Eli!
· “Because Of The Whole ‘Dirty Sanchez’ Thing, Right?” – Bored Beyond Belief
· “Bohemia: Czechs think it’s a Kingdom, Mexicans think it’s a beer. Our scientists have traced this rift in Space-Time to a New York N-Train.” – Hawley Smoot
· “Breaking News: Uptown Lawmakers Unanimously Decide to Build Twenty-Foot-Tall Fence Along 14th St.” – Alex
· “Either way, the Republicans will want to deport her” – Russ Wall
· “Galileo! Galileo! Galileo! Figaro! Mexico!” – aileron
· “Mary Kate and Ashley overset the Tanning bed clock” – jojo
· “No I said I want to BE in Rent, not I can’t PAY my rent” – Riley Ray
· “Poncho Profiling” – Kaleena
· “Rhapsody in Brown” – hawaiianinny
· “The venn diagram just looks like one circle.” – Duckbill Oedipus
· “Understandable, since she smokes clove cigarettes outside of Chipotle on St. Mark’s” – chris
· “We use Pinatas to hide our weed” – Fudgie D Whale
· “Yes, I’m half Czech, but you’re all conformist.” – eyp

Click here to see the new Headline Contest

WEDNESDAY ONE-LINERS

Cab driver: Jersey, Jersey! What are you doing in New York? Do we go to Jersey? No!…unless we have to go to the Great Adventure.

–Taxi, 23rd & 7th

NY Post guy: Extra! Extra! Read all about it…Charlie Tuna, he’s dead! The Gorton’s Fisherman, he died too. Read it all today!

–Penn Station

Overheard by: Allison

Barker: Tonight only! Special deal! A free game for White people! All Caucasians, one free game!

–Coney Island

Overheard by: Drew

Black guy: ’bout time y’all write tickets downtown. I thought y’all only did that shit up in Harlem!

–4th & Bowery

Overheard by: Emily McCombs

Cabbie: …and those Asians, they are the worst of all. They can’t see. They have no peripheral vision. They’ve got rice in their eyes!

–Taxi, Sullivan Street

It Means You'll Need to Bring Me the Head Of a Dragon Before We Can Discuss This Further

Student: Am I passing your math class?
Teacher: No.
Student: But I only need your class to graduate! What can I do to pass?
Teacher: Excuse me. Just because I'm Chinese does not mean you can bargain for your grade like this is Chinatown.

–High School, Queens

Everything Old Is New Again

Chick: We could liquor him up and steal his soul.
Guy: Why would we want his soul?
Chick: Because black is the new black.

–140th & Broadway

Wednesday One-Liners Have a Crash Moment

Teen chick: You know, when I think about it, I really don’t know how she can be my sister. Our birthdays are exactly one month apart, and she’s light-skinned.

–B48 bus, Brooklyn

Overheard by: eefers

Kid to another: No, really. I’m telling you — Michael Jackson used to be black. I saw it on TV.

–B61 bus, Brooklyn

Lady to friend: Your black ass is going to melt just as fast as my white ass if there is a nuclear war.

–116th & Broadway

White girl to another: So, what’s your dream ethnicity?

–Q train, Canal St

Big black guy: I love Old Navy because it’s like GAP, but for black people.

–Old Navy, 6th Ave

Conductor: Next stop, Penn Station. Black power, motherfuckers.

–2 train, 42nd St

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