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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
A New Image for Asian Men?
he original flavor stereotype of Asian men may have its inspiration in Hollywood mockery of the first wave of Chinese immigrants in the Old West. Bonanza's gimpy Hop Sing was the only recurring image of Asian men for most of TV's formative decades. For variety's sake, Hollywood racked its brain and added the coolie, the waiter and the bucktoothed enemy soldier.
Corean soccer star Ahn Jung-hwan
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Fortunately, Hollywood is no longer a one-stop outlet for depictions of Asian men.
Pro sports's $30 billion estimated annual U.S. rake rivals the $35 billion pocketed by Hollywood. Driven by athletic excellence, pro sports allow no room for image jiggering to satisfy racial biases. The exploits of dashing Ahn Jung-hwan in the World Cup wasn't scripted for white American mass audiences. The straight-sets drubbing that a tall young Thai named Paradorn Srichaphan gave Andre Agassi at Wimbledon can't be left on the cutting-room floor. Ichiro's leadoff-hitting and base-stealing can't be imitated with wires and special effects.
Hi-tech and bio-tech -- whose estimated $400 billion annual revenues dwarf the media -- have spawned another set of images that clash with Hollywood's. How do Americans reconcile premiere AIDS researcher David Ho or Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang with Hollywood's Hop Sings and Long Duck Dongs?
Questions arise. Doubts are engendered.
Even modern culture -- commonly tarred by association -- isn't entirely subject to Hollywood's reflexive Asian-male undercutting. Classical music lovers are nourished by Yo-Yo Ma's gourmet cello notes and thrill to the daring rifts of Japan's iron chefs. Younger Americans surrender racial identities to a no-holds-barred universe created by manga artists. Linguists and speed readers frequently abandon Hollywood's relentless quest for the lowest common denominator in favor of films made for Asian sensibilities.
To the extent sports, culture and business enjoy a tighter relationship with reality than does Hollywood, they offer Asian men a fairer, more compelling stage. And these spheres too pack big audiences that take note of the yawning abyss that separates Hollywood's "original flavor" Asian men from the crispier, spicier variety in the real world.
Is America seeing the emergence of a new, improved Asian male image? If so, is it making life easier for Asian American men? Or just stimulating a more determined effort at undercutting?
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WHAT YOU SAY
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(Updated
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 04:38:55 AM)
I find it interesting that for so long White Hollywood has gotten away with playing to WHITE america. I am a WM and I am absolutly horrified by some movies releasedin even the last five years.
I was watching MTV Cribs the other day, and Jamie Kennedy (from Scream fame) mimiced a asain, in the way that makes you blush with embarassment for your culture. Nothing is equal yet, and I am not sure when it will be.
It saddens me, and site like this confuse me. On one hand you have all these wonderful interviews and what not, about equality, and bigotry, and how Asain women are mainly seen as only sex dolls, and then you devote a chunk of the site to 'Who is the most Beautiful".
Enough babble. White america needs to wake up and realize that we treat anyone who looks different or has a different culture than our own, with no respect. It needs to change.
Me
Tuesday, July 02, 2002 at 09:09:13 (PDT)
TO: Yonsei
"Bruce Lee had to be-- and was --ten times better"
You can add Hideo Nomo to this list. He just pitched a shut-out against the AZ D-Backs.
"white guilt now overcompensates by placing blacks in the spotlight 100% favorably, in every circumstance possible."
Yonsei, that's not true. Sounds like you're biased against African-Americans in general. While it's true that there certainly are fine examples of African-American actors and actresses, I'm sure many of them - indeed, even their accountants and families - would be surprised to know that white guilt has brought about a ponderance of positive roles for blacks in Hollywood. We're struggling for more positive roles just like any other minority group.
I am suprised to see how Americans refuse to tap into our hidden treasure - positive contributions of Asians in the United States. It never ceases to amaze me how our society fails to hold Hollywood producers and directors accountable for excluding positive contributions of Asian-Americans in cinema. It's mind boggling. It is in part racism.
"I never said nor implied that blacks and whites are in cahoots to keep the Asian man down. I don't even think that"
Yonsei, can't tell you how many times I've heard Asians tell me and other blacks "Asian-Americans have more in common with whites than with blacks". However, when certain issues are discussed, then all of a sudden these types of statements are withheld. It's very frustrating to deal with, especially as a young black man who has tried to reach out to Asians only to have my hand either slapped away or pissed on. I'm not lying to you. Now, keep in mind, I'm not talking about rude blacks who disrespect Asians or lawless black thugs to victimize Asians. I'm talking about open-minded, reasonable black people who like Asian-Americans. We get treated very rudely.
Yonsei, I am anxious to see more Asians in film and TV. It's got to come soon. When I go see a movie or watch a TV show I always look for ethnic role balance.
This past Sunday's episode of "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" featured Asian-Americans as laundry workers. That would have been OK had they balanced the characters with an Asian-American assistant district atttorney or police detective or criminal psychiatrist or something. It was disappointing to watch.
Yonsei, I understand the point you're trying to make, OK? Believe me, I'm not against you. I'm not your enemy.
Geoff DB
GeoffDB02@aol.com
Monday, July 01, 2002 at 22:57:20 (PDT)
There has always been a conspiracy to marginalize AM. What's funny is when the media tries to portray AM as short and all the other guys (white, black, Hispanic, etc) as tall.
The average man in the USA is 5'9 (the media says that this is the average height and they're probably lying about this, but let's assume for the sake of this argument that this is the truth). The average woman in the USA is 5'4 (again the media). The average AM is 5'8 (not the media, but the truth). How is it possible for the AM to be portrayed as too short for most women in terms of dating?
Look at Tom Cruise. He's actually 5'7 (there are millions upon millions of AM taller than him), yet the media passes him off as the mecca of manhood. What about Arnold Schwartzenneger? The media pretends that he's 6'2, yet Arnold is really only 5'10.
Here's the truth: White, Black, and Hispanic guys always add at least two inches to their actual height (aka the two inch rule) so they can lie to all the women that they meet. AM don't lie about height, but when everyone else fibs, it makes us seem shorter than we really are.
So when a WM says that he's 6 feet tall, he's really 5'10 (or less). In fact, if any white, black, or Hispanic guy yaks about his height, just subtract two inches. They add two inches to break some psychological barrier and pretend to the world that they're taller than they really are. Idiots!
One more thing: if the White, Black, and Hispanic guys lie about their height, they're also lying about the size of their loins!
Seattle Sodo Mojo
Monday, July 01, 2002 at 18:41:23 (PDT)
Yonsei,
I largely agree with your post. Well stated, indeed. One huge disagreement though.
You wrote,
"What I was trying to say is that generalized white guilt now overcompensates by placing blacks in the spotlight 100% favorably, in every circumstance possible. Think of Morgan Freeman, Samuel Jackson, Denzel-- they are partenered in every major film with some white star, even anachronistically (in medieval European settings, the Old West, etc.)."
Absolutely incorrect reasoning. This is NOT due to white guilt.
These remarkable gentlemen have helped to revolutionalize screen actors roles in Hollywood. Not just for african-americans, but for americans in general.
Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Charles Dutton, Samuel L. Jackson and others of their calliber are extremely intelligent, talented, high achievers who overwhelmingly influence their movie-going audiences to understand and to truly accept the roles the directors cast to them portray.
There's only one reason why Denzel won the 2002 Oscar for Best Actor - he was brilliant in Training Day. Denzel quintessentially exuded his character in that movie. There was not an ounce of white guilt or political correctness associated with that prestigious award. Yes, there are Asian actors and actresses who could accomplish the same if given the chance.
Again, I do largely agree with your post. Hollywood does need to do a much better job of casting and portraying Asian men in balance.
Political Observer
Monday, July 01, 2002 at 10:51:04 (PDT)
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