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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
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 04:38:55 AM)
How pathetic and simple minded your anti-Jewish ravings are. Jewish people are not the reason for JJ's lack of success. Maybe his lack of a non-biased world view is. Most Jewish people are in love with Asian culture and sometimes they fall in love with Asian people. I know of numerous Asian and Jewish couples who are married in loving relationships. These are equal relationships among doctors, lawyers, and professionals. Jewish people are easy to hate because they are a loving and peaceful tribe. We are only prominent in America and Israel because we were murdered and driven out of Europe and the other countries of the Middle East. Places where we had been for centuries but were never accepted as full citizens. For example Egypt where we had helped build the civilization of Alexandria.However,we were forced out after the state of Israel was born. Once again people across the world have fallen into the abyss of putrid Anti-Semitism. It is even easy to sympathize with terrorism when its directed against those damn Jews. My name is Christian S. Whittemore. I'm a half Jew and i am married to a Chinese woman from Indonesia. Neither one of us are wealthy and control anything of value. She has also suffered from insidous stereotypes against people of her ethnic group in Indonesia.They are called the Jews of South East Asia. This is not meant as a compliment and it shows that hatred and bigotry are not confined to Western culture. The prejudice against her tribe is no different than the the stupidity professed against mine. Evil is still evil when it is cloaked inside the odiferous stench of prejudice.
Half Jewish (Loves Yisrael married to Chinese woman)
Sunday, July 07, 2002 at 10:29:52 (PDT)
A lot of you blame the media and Jews. I think media is only one factor out of many. White women and black men pairings on TV or the movie screen is still noticeably absent. Black men are overwhelmingly seen as rappers or basketball stars, while Asian men are in the kungfu shows. Depending on who you talk with and know, some people of other races see the rappers, basketball stars and kungfu movie stars in all sorts of views from favorable, bafoonery to avoidance. I know many white and Latina women who find Chow Yun Phat, Jet Li and Jackie Chan gorgeous, and all Asian men indirectly benefit from it.
Another factor is that the news seem to portray China is unfavorable light. Again, all Asians indirectly lose on this.
Media is only one factor in approaching women of another race. Main thing is persistence and open attitudes. I know for one thing, that Latina and white women are not into looks and images as Asian women are. Yes, I have seen many rich and ugly Asian guys with Latino and white women. I have rarely seen one with an Asian. Those guys never gave up despite some rejections they may get in the beginning.
The Asian male image is both good and bad depending on whom you meet. Then, again, it is like that for all races too. Stereotypes will never stop. We just have to live with them and overcome them.
If I want a Latino or white woman, I would not let the media images stop me. If it can help, I'll take it.
Not just another Jackie Chan
Saturday, July 06, 2002 at 14:44:12 (PDT)
Geoff DB,
My point on the matter of the Rodney King riots was not because of the attacks against Koreatown, but that it was a turning point in the improvement of black life in America IMHO. Sure Clinton played his part, but I honestly felt that was the point where White America had seen enough and didn't want to go through anything like that again. That Martin Luther King and his Gandhi method didn't quite cut it. (you'll pro'bly need to ask the east-indians/pakistanis living in england, I believe they're treated like crap =) I am disheartened a bit over the conflicts between blacks and koreans, but also at a loss and not sure what to think of it (I'd seen those riots while living in germany). I am at least aware of black opinion on this matter, as well as the korean perspective, but I don't feel I was ever a part of what was going on there (LA) to really care. Sure, early on I blindly sided with koreans. But later I at least read how blacks felt about it, even though I'm still siding with the koreans on this one :-) Perhaps just knowing what little koreans had after having their country leveled by war, with an economy as bad as some of the poorest african nations, and of course, japanese occupation for a few decades should "balance" things out a little better. But it's all silly to me, 'cause honestly how mad can people get over groceries?? Sure, we're all aware of black history here... A person would have to be stupid not to. So I avoid the obvious and the cliched (with exceptions of course : ). And no, I don't need to recite dates of historical events to know how blacks/indians/asians have been treated. Besides history was never my favorite subject. (BTW don't forget the 1921 tulsa race riot which was covered up so well until only recent times, free press? uh huh, yeah right)
I was a little skiddish on the matter of black actors/actresses, as I'd seen quite a few compliments for black/asian actor in nearby posts. As if it was a prerequisite of sorts, to speak on the same level? I don't know. So I had intentionally omitted any possible assessment of their skills. But somehow assuming they were good actors wasn't enough? As if they needed to be reaffirmed of such. Myself personally, I've never cared for hollywood folks enough to judge them. But I did somehow suspect that you would think that I felt those black actors were only in hollywood because they were black, when I wrote my post. That somehow they weren't qualified? But how should I assess black actors in the way they are portrayed currently? How can I truly be unbiased, taking into account the roles they are given? Am I supposed to think they are the best thing on the planet, as they are shown in the movies to be. Or should they put a white guy, a jew, a black, a mexican, and an asian in the same role of playing a chinese laundryman before I decide who's the best? (I'm joking) I really don't know, nor do I care, so I'll just be indifferent instead. I guess my point regarding black talent was that they were given ample opportunities in hollywood, almost always in the best possible light, put on pedestals, or shown as "rock stars" if you don't mind the term. We don't live in a bubble or a vacuum: Because along with these opportunities comes a person's ability to develop their skills, while others are cast to the gutter to rot. So many of the black actors have at least been given the chance to become good at what they do. Although it's only been in recent years. Do I hold any of this against blacks? Why should I? And also, why should I even watch another movie from Hollywood unless they start cleaning up their act w/r to asians. Hell, I only realized I was asian a few years ago, LoL ;)
And yet, it would seem like I left something unaddressed if I didn't say that many black actors were good or great. Geoff, I'm not big on compliments, and I always suspect something sinister in the air when someone does compliment me or someone of my race, especially when "kissing up", so I've just spared you from the same and treated you the same way I would want to be treated, So I refrained from mentioning their abilities in any way and addressed what was beyond the control of the black actors/actresses in question. Does that make any sense? Damn this is complicated =P
Whatever, I could never make any sense of the Oscars anyways.
BTW think Jackie Chan is the coolest person in hollywood, even though he's not a great actor, he has broken just about every bone in his body and then some. Well, that's where my respects lie, so I guess now you know how I feel about the rest of the hollywood premodonnas, hehehe.
kimchi u.y.a.
Friday, July 05, 2002 at 21:44:52 (PDT)
Hi all,
I have read all your points and the point I agree most with is that of 'marketing', asians are too small a community in US and so are negligible when it comes to Hollywood.
Not only Jews but 'any' type of hollywood director would want to maximise profits. It only happens that alot of Jewish people are in power in Hollywood.
However what I don't get is films like 'crouching tiger hidden dragon' doing so well when it's made up of all asian cast and director.
When the film didn't do so well in Asian countries but did well in western countries. The reason being that martial arts, romantic swordfighting theme has been done millions of times in Asia. It just goes to so that films with all asian casts can succeed.
JJ
JJ
Friday, July 05, 2002 at 17:55:01 (PDT)
Maxdacat
Always nice to hear from insecure WM. Or maybe you're a troublemaking AF?
How does Arnold lie about his height? Read the latest issue of US Weekly about how Hollywood celebrities lie about their height. Even the dumbest WM or AF is literate enough to read a magazine like US Weekly. BTW, US Weekly was apparently smart enought to point out that Arnold's PR people fib about his height. Unfortunately, Arnie's handlers aren't smart enough to realize that most former and current pro bodybuilders are short and on steroids.
So you still don't think White, Black, and Hispanic guys lie about their height? Ironically enough, pro basketball players are notorious for adding 2 inches to their height. Charles Barkley, a guy who's retired and doesn't need to lie about his height, still lies about his height. He says he's 6'6, but he's really 6'4 and everyone in basketball knows it.
And about the conspiracy regarding the marginalization of Asian guys (and there is a conspiracy), the media seems to lowball Seattle Mariners baseball star Ichiro Suzuki on his height. The media claims that Ichiro is between 5'7 and 5'9. Ichiro's real height is 5'11. Ichiro's black teammate Mike Cameron (the guy who hit 4 home runs in a game earlier this year) is listed at 6'2. Ichiro's white teammate Bret Boone is listed at 5'10. And Ichiro's Hispanic teammate Edgar Martinez is also listed at 5'10.
Anyone who has seen Ichiro standing side-by-side with his teammates knows that Ichiro is at least the same height or an inch shorter than Cameron; and is at least an inch or two taller than both Boone and Martinez. Are Cameron, Boone, and Martinez lying about their height? Or is the media chopping off 2 inches from Ichiro's height to make it seem as if he's the smallest guy on the team?
So here's the deal, Maxdacat: do you have any conspiracy theories as to why White, Black, and Hispanic guys lie about their height?
Seattle Sodo Mojo
Friday, July 05, 2002 at 10:35:56 (PDT)
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