Boston Radio Host Who Used Ethnic Slur Actually Meant to Be Sexist, Not Racist

By Dustin Rowles | Social Media | March 23, 2023

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Massachusetts is one of the most progressive states in the nation. It’s also one of the more racist states. To understand that contradiction, one need only listen to Boston sports radio. There is something about Boston sports teams that brings out the worst in Massachusetts residents, and by that, I mean: Their inner racist. It’s those sports fans who have made 5 of the last 7 governors of Massachusetts Republicans, despite the fact that it has the most liberals in the United States.

If you want to make it make sense, look no further than WEEI Radio’s The Greg Hill Show, where the hosts — trying to fill time, which is always what gets radio hosts in Boston in trouble — decided to rank their top 5 “nips,” by which they meant those little bottles of liquor that you get in hotel minibars. While ranking “nips,” one of the hosts, producer Chris Curtis interjected with, “I’d probably go Mina Kimes.” Mima Kimes is a sports journalist for ESPN. She’s also Korean on her mother’s side. Many people may not realize this — and I didn’t until today — but “nips” is a racial slur for a Japanese person.

Watch Chris Curtis make the joke and everyone else ignore it, save for producer Chris Scheim, who chuckled in what I hope is a disbelieving way:

LISTEN FOR YOURSELF. Chris Curtis(@_ChrisCurtis) now claims he meant to say Mila Kunis(@MilaKunisv) rather than Mina Kimes(@minakimes) Huh? ðŸ™ƒ
Only in #Boston. pic.twitter.com/JUcJuoLTeh
— Jonathan Choe Journalist (Seattle) (@choeshow) March 23, 2023

That’s bad. Do you know what’s worse? When Chris Curtis was called out for making the racist slur, WEEI’s corporate tried to cover his ass by suggesting that he meant to say Mila Kunis instead of Mina Kimes. In other words, he didn’t mean to make a racist joke, he meant to make a sexist reference to Kunis’ nipples.

For several hours, Mina Kimes, who probably understands the culture more than anyone, changed her Twitter avatar to Mila Kunis.