Rockets Center Yao Ming Says Fruitcakes are Garbage

When did we have to be PC over fruitcakes (no pun intended). They are garbage. I only give (regift) fruitcakes to people I really don't like.

 

Classic!

 

Nice.

 

I think you didn't get what I meant.
He could've easily said that in English.
See?

 

Goes to show that Yao is more than an NBA professional basketball player. He is the foreign ambassador and a major representative the China and other asian countries.

 

I do. Ever tasted them? A really good one?

 

I eat fruitcakes and I am under 70.

 

He is kidding. Chinese also likes fruitcake. But probably he still does not know how to make a real American joke yet.

 

According to Johnny Carson, “The worst gift is a fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other”, and now we all know where that fruitcake is.

 

Garbage food in Chinese means something with non-nutrition, especially instant noodle.

 

Original word is Junk food (translates into Chinese) -> La Ji (translates back into English) -> Garbage food.

This is what happens when you keep retranslating a word.

Anyway, IMO a kind of lame joke from Yao. Although I do find it funny because I think fruitcakes sucks personally.

 

guys, if you actually visit the link that comes with the video, you will understand what this is all about.

"Regift the Fruitcake is a Facebook application that is tracking the world’s most viral fruitcakes. Six celebrities are passing along six fruitcakes to raise money for their charities. If you’re lucky enough to be regifted one of the celebrities’ fruitcakes, you’ll have the opportunity to donate to their charity and the privilege of deciding which of your ten friends will get it next. The only way to receive a regifted fruitcake is through this application.

WIth this application, users will be able to track the fruitcake’s journey, watch celebrity videos, donate with PayPal, and ultimately receive and regift the fruity brick of hope. The more times the fruitcake is regifted, the more money it will raise for the charities. PayPal has already donated $20,000 to each charity to start the fundraising effort.

By giving the gift no one wants, you’re giving the gift everyone needs."

 

I think it's just a joke and someone wrote the script for Yao.

 

Man, when did the "everybody hates fruitcakes as it's the most uselless/popular gift given during the holidays" joke do out of style? Like 2/3 of the people in this thread didn't get it. Used to be all the rage back in the mid 90s. They used it a lot on shows like The Simpsons and Animaniacs.

 

Fruit cakes, cheese logs etc used to be the "classy" gift you gave to colleagues in the office/clients etc at christmas. It cost like 10 bucks and was a safe neutral gift you gave to someone you didn't know very well and didn't put much thought into

On Christmas day of course, you'd open it up and be like "WTF" especially if you're a kid. So since the 50s fruitcakes became a generic joke about Christmas presents, like the ugly tie you buy for your dad.

That was a more genteel polite era. These days people dont really even exchange gifts with ppl at work, and you're not even allowed to talk about christmas at work. If you're under a certain age you dont get the joke

bottom line, whoever does PR for Yao's foundation and produced the video is saying: fruitcakes are lame but this foundation isn't. go donate

 

ROFL, thats pretty funny.

 

That's awesome.

 

thanks man, good explanation. I am too yang to know this sh!!t. lol

 

It was a lame joke. I think there are somethings like fruit cakes in chinese food that seem pretty popular.

I agree the American version of the fruit cake is pretty bad but if you have a good English plum pudding that has been soaking in rum for a year that's pretty good.

 

I think many people will interpret this negatively. I don't understand why Yao would call it "garbage", and ask Americans for $$.

After reading the responses, I kind of understand the joke, but I think a lot of people will feel insulted, and not get the joke.