Asians on American TV | Asian American Poll

HOW THE TV NETS TREAT ASIANS
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:08:06 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Which U.S. TV network is most Asian-Friendly?
ABC | 24%
CBS | 28%
FOX | 27%
NBC | 21%

Which U.S. TV network is least Asian-Friendly?
ABC | 28%
CBS | 20%
FOX | 26%
NBC | 26%

This poll is closed to new input.
Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

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WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

AC Dropout,

When I mentioned journalism, I wasn't just referring to television alone, but also newspapers and magazines. We still don't have Asian writers and columnists comparable to Clarence Page, Mike Royko, Martin Peretz, Morton Kondracke, etc. I think the only one who comes close is Helen Xia (sp?).

As far as TV goes, I'd like to see an Asian host something like Crossfire, the Point, or Larry King. In other words, something really noteworthy.

I admit Amy Tan is not the greatest, but if there aren't more Asian-American novelists, I'm afraid she is going to look like the Asian American equivalent of Mark Twain. That's why we need more AA novelists.

The AA TV idea is not mine, but another poster's which aired several months ago on this forum and the mass media one. I would like to see soaps involving Asians and other races but maybe focusing on Asians. Maybe a sitcom like (but not exactly like) Margaret Cho's American Girl. And what about programs on the history of the various Asian nations? Or an adaptation of a great Chinese/Japanese/Korean/Indian/etc. classic?

Naki,

Hey, I enjoy your keen and kickass posts too!

I think one of the problems is that many Asian parents do not want their children to pursue the humanities since they are looked upon as "loser" occupations. (Hey, my folks were no different!) They still want their kid to be the doctor, engineer, lawyer, investment banker: saying that "my son/daughter is a writer" is almost tantamount to saying "s/he is a loser." Of course, I don't think white parents necessarily aspire to have their children write for People or Us magazine and other trash of that sort either--BUT, this may be what Asians need to do more in order to get their share of the media pie.

For instance, does anyone know why Sarah Hughes, rather than Michelle Kwan, is on the cover of Time magazine? (Michelle won the recent national championship, didn't she?)

TSJ,

It's true we Asians only make up about 3% of the nation, but if you look at it, how many times are Asians ever featured in a full year of People magazine or any other magazine? And in a positive light too?

To everyone,

If Jews concentrated ALL their efforts in law and medicine, they wouldn't have nearly as much power in the arts and media as they do now.

So get off your asses (or maybe get down on your asses) and write! Even if it's just Teenbeat.
Asian Dominatrix Tuesday, February 05, 2002 at 19:38:58 (PST)

Toi San Jai,

Hate to break the news to you. HK movie products come with 20 names once they are produced. Mandarin, Korean, English, Japanese, Malay, etc.

Hell most of the actors don't even speak the same language or dialects on the set.

Which is one reason I did not like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. They used their acutal voice for Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yoew in Mandarin. They should have used their contracted mandarin voices like they do all their other movies.

Wong or Huang. Tom(ai)to or Tomato. All the same when its a character base language system.

AC dropout Tuesday, February 05, 2002 at 14:15:11 (PST)

Joe:

That nurse was played by Corean American model Sung Hi Lee. She's done A LOT of nude stuff--check it out on the net. She was also pictured in Playboy's best of Asian women DVD and it is rumored she is bi. She does have a nice rack though! heehehehhehehe!!!
Sung Hi Lee fan!!! Tuesday, February 05, 2002 at 11:56:31 (PST)

Asian TV Network in *English Language*. I mentioned that a while ago. Scroll back. I've even thought of the name: "Pearl". Any investor interested?
Pearl TV is coming to your living room! Tuesday, February 05, 2002 at 11:04:46 (PST)

"Once Upon a Time in China 1 (1991) (aka Huang Fei-Hung) - "

Haha... don't try to translate the Cantonese name "Wong" into the Mandarin "Huang." His name in ping yum will always be Wong Fei Hung.
Toi San Jai Eric@KristinKreuk.net Tuesday, February 05, 2002 at 00:37:55 (PST)

Hot damn, didn't you guys see that Asian nurse on Nurse Betty. The guys in the movie might not have been looking her up and down but all the guys watching the movie were wishing she were in every scene. She's the hottest, sexiest, finest, and talented Asian woman I've ever seen on TV or in the movies. If casting agents are smart they'd hire her for a lot more roles.
Joe Monday, February 04, 2002 at 18:19:58 (PST)

To Asian Dominatrix: I agree with what you are saying; that it will help the situation when more AA's find their way into the arts "...rather than focusing all of our attention on the sciences." I believe what we are talking about is influencing American media, through the efforts of AA's, so in answer to TSJ's comment that we have no common language I would contend that the common language is English. We are trying to make our way in America and the necessary language is English. This tendency of Asian immigrants to cling to their ethnic enclaves and not assimilate only hurts them and perptuates the English-challenged stereotype that is so prevalent. I agree with you that more successful AA's should be somehow be convinced to take up the cause. How can they not see that it will benefit them and their offspring to do so? Last thing, I've enjoyed your many posts on various topics.
Naki Monday, February 04, 2002 at 16:53:38 (PST)

"1. We Asians need to enter journalism and other forms of art, literature, humanities, etc. rather than focusing all of our attention on the sciences."

-We already got that. By federal law all local broadcast news must have news casters that reflect the demographic of the area. In NYC and CA, I see a lot of asian in televised news.

"2. We need more Asian novelists to rewrite Asians...."

- If they are anything like Amy Tan. No thanks. She has a kid show on PBS call "Sha Gua" (Stupid). About a cat named "Sha Gua" in emperial china. The thing is so pandering to whites about ancient china it is not even funny. I rather have my kid watch Barney.

"4. We need more independent producers, Asian-American Spike Lees, if you will."

-Jet Li and Jacky Chan are active producers in the USA. But neither of them produces anything asian. Jet Li produces martial art flicks for cable with non-asian. Jacky's company does a saturday morning cartoon show, and promotes an informercial for an exercise machine.

Asian will find a place in entertainment here in the USA. But it won't look like the BET for a long time to come.

Anyways Asian come from so many economic, cultural, and social backgrounds. Many asians still have strong roots in asia (unlike blacks in the USA). It would be hard to come up with English speaking shows to cater to all the demographics for 1 cable station. That's why many asian just watch the Chinese, Korean, or Japanese channel.
AC dropout Monday, February 04, 2002 at 11:36:29 (PST)

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