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GOLDSEA |
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)
Although Apolo might be an asian american, I don't think people think of him as asian at all, unless it is pointed out to them. Look at Keanu Reeves and Tommy Chong (of cheech and chong)... They are generally not percieved as asians at all. It does nothing for whatever image there is of asian males because if anything they tend to be classified as "other" rather than asian, not that anyone actually gives it any thought.
As for Apolo giving asians a more positive image here in the states... No complaints here, it's all good. But even half-asians often "feel a bit funny" about the whole thing until both the asian and white parts are "on the level" so to speak. Cutting the asian guy off at the knees to benefit a half-asian (or less asian) isn't exactly gonna achieve anything positive for asians of whatever mix here in America... this is the usual divisive practice used to weaken minorities. So blacks, asians, hispanics, etc. that are part white are the only "acceptable" minorities? and of course the whiter, the better, uh?
It's gonna take a little more than a bunch of Apolo Ohnos to correct whatever problems Americans have with asians, and in particular asian males.
kimchi devil
Tuesday, August 27, 2002 at 00:29:25 (PDT)
This might not be related, but guys like Yo-yo and Ming Tsai kind of take the AM image a few steps back. They're the epitome of the AM artsy wuss image. Atleast Ming looks like he can lay you out if he needs to.
huu76
Monday, August 26, 2002 at 22:37:35 (PDT)
I'm glad we both like short track. From your post you acknowledge that kim dong sung did foul and commit an illegal move. But your arugment is that the rules are never fully enforced and the "same" judges went the extra mile to DQ kim when they shouldn't have.
Just because the "rules" aren't always enforced does not mean the athletes should be able to get away with what they do.
If you watched the lakers/kings series, the rules weren't always enforced and both sides still played without a lot of complaints.
In regard to kim/ohno's 1500, the rules need to be enforced even more because that was the final race, which made it more important.
And you said that koreans are piss off at ohno because he accentuate the foul by raising his arms up. What is he supposed to do when kim made the illegal move that blocked his path, just shut up and not do anything. Ohno needed to "accentuate" in order to get the judges attention. If no foul was made and Ohno "accentuated" his arms for no reasons, then I would understand why koreans are pissed off, and it would have been justified. But in this case kim made a foul, he made a foul and it's that simple.
why wasn't it neccesary for Ohno to accentuate?
Crazy-Laos Boy
Monday, August 26, 2002 at 13:35:36 (PDT)
Geoff DB,
you wrote
"Just seems like Asian guys need a strong Asian American male executive, producer, director or writer who can introduce and nurture this image to the American public."
They had one. In the person of Scott Sassa former president of NBC. He could have made stronger arguments for television shows featuring average asian guys. His position was that america was not ready for it. As much as I hate to agree with him Geoff, would most people in a mainstream audience enthusiastically watch a show featuring successful asian guys or would society only accept a lessor role featuring down and out asian guys in order to balance out the perceived success of asian men? My unfortunate guess is that it would provoke animosity and jealousy.
I would honestly like to hear some suggestions from asians out there. I'm not a jealous person and I don't feel threatened by intelligent and assertive asian guys.
What can the average joe like me do to promote this new asian male image. I don't like to hear asian guys talk about how they get overlooked and mistreated. Aside from being open mined what can we do to support the asian male image you feel is needful?
Suggestions/comments?
Political Observer
Monday, August 26, 2002 at 11:18:17 (PDT)
It seems to me that the AM media image keeps on going forwards and backwards over the course of time with no real forward progress being made.
For example: the Detectives on Hawaii Five-O or Mark Chang on Speed buggy. Back in the late '60s/early 70s, AMs were shown as capable equals with their white counterparts. Then in the early 80s, the stock "Japanese Tourist/Businessman" became the standard. In the early 90s, Russell Wong had a prime role in the show "Vanishing Son." Last time we saw him recently, he was playing the Monkey King in that HORRRRRIBLE NBC miniseries with Bai Ling and Greg.
Many Asian males recently have gotten good "recurring character" roles involving characters who have a lot of POTENTIAL that is largely UNDEVELOPED by the writers and producers of these shows. One strong example is that of Detective Matt Sung on the recently (and unfortunately) cancelled "Dark Angel."
Back and forth, back and forth. When does it just go forth without turning back???
In my opinion, those who write and produce the shows need to make an effort to present an even ethnic distribution of heroes and villains, sidekicks and lackeys, good guys and bad guys, principal roles and bit parts. What I mean is that for every negative character shown of a certain ethnic background, there should be a positive character of the same ethnic background shown as well, with the same number of lines and the same amount of screen time during the show/movie/etc. Yeah, this sounds very contrived and forced, but you know what, it's FAIR!!!
Hank Lewis
Monday, August 26, 2002 at 10:24:36 (PDT)
[Posts generally about the Asian image in the media have been omitted. Re-read the intro to the left if you don't know what this page is about. --Ed]
Sammi:
"Maybe I'm just a dreamer, but I think that people will be more open to sitcom about a middle class AA family now-a-days!"
I think it's worth a try. Maybe it would bomb; maybe it would catch on. One thing is for sure though - we won't know until Hollywood takes a chance.
Just seems like Asian guys need a strong Asian American male executive, producer, director or writer who can introduce and nurture this image to the American public. We need to hear a message about and justification for why it's important to learn more about Asian male image.
White people get the bulk of attention because they're the majority. African-Americans - while certainly not on par politically or socio-economically with whites and Asians - do tend to get more entertainment time because we make arguments to Hollywood power brokers for diversity. Latinos are still marganilized even though they are the nation's largest ethnic group. This leaves Asian Americans being marginalized more.
Geoff DB
GeoffDB02@aol.com
Sunday, August 25, 2002 at 21:05:53 (PDT)
Crazy-Laos
Technically it was a foul, but the problem is that the rules of short track skating are not fully enforced all the time, enforcement of the rules are dependent on the situation.. Hypothetically, if a race was judged twice by the very same judges any foul that could have occured could be called and not called, the decision is completely dependant on the judges whim that day, and that decision if legitimate according to the rules of short track.
Oh and the reason why most koreans are pissed off at Ohno is that it wasn't necessary for him to accentuate the foul by raising his arms up in the air like that.
Ohno is a fmps
Sunday, August 25, 2002 at 19:06:59 (PDT)
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