|
|
|
|
|
GOLDSEA |
ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Asian Men Deliberately Excluded from Star Wars?
ow that the fifth installment of the Star Wars saga has hit theatres, it's official: Asian men have no place in George Lucas's vision of the future. An Asian female Jedi was glimpsed in the most recent installment, but not one single Asian male has been spotted in any of the five movies.
The absence is all the more remarkable given that Star Wars borrows its themes and fight scenes so obviously from samurai and kung-fu flicks. On a purely demographic level, it's difficult to imagine a distant future in which Asians will not be the preponderance of humanity. Even on a mundane economic level, Asians account for at least a third of today's global box office and video revenues.
The utter absence of Asian men in the latest installment is even more glaring in light of the promises Lucas made in response to Asian protests over the omission of Asian actors coupled with suspicious attachment of Asian cultural traits to unsavory alien grotesqueries in The Phantom Menace. Lucas had even hinted that images of Bruce Lee would be used in the installment now known as The Clone Wars.
In The Phantom Menace Lucas used Asian martial artists both to choreograph and perform the kendo-inspired light-saber sequences. But as if wishing to take back the decision, in The Clone Wars Lucas's PR machine made a point of showing that the fight sequences were choreographed by a white man and performed by the actors themselves. That explains why they were so leaden and lackluster, but raises the question why?
Could it be that George Lucas wants to avoid calling attention to his large debt to Asian action films?
Is Lucas afraid that including an Asian man will invite critical focus on the new movie's sub-par swordfight sequences?
Is Lucus slyly inviting viewers to see wizened little Master Yoda as a winking representation of Asian men?
Despite his avowed interest in Chinese and Japanese martial arts, culture, literature and films, is Lucas a closet racist after all?
This interactive article is closed to new input.
Discussions posted during the past year remain available for browsing.
CONTACT US
|
ADVERTISING INFO
© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.
|
|
|
|
WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:55:59 PM)
he's a jew. jews own hollywood and couldn't give a rats azz about anybody else.
"Asian Men Deliberately Excluded from Star Wars?"
try "Asian Men Deliberately Excluded from Hollywood."
Dezz
Thursday, June 20, 2002 at 15:33:12 (PDT)
TO: villageidiot
"japanese-american 442nd regiment in the european theater being one of the most highly decorated in all of WWII."
My dear friend, if Hollywood produce movies that tell the truth about Asian-Americans' contribution during WWII, and current economic and scientific contributions here in the USA, then they won't be able to villify them in movies like the 2001 Pearl Harbor and other films. It disrupts their formula. The foreignness attributed to Asian-Americans here in the USA will not be able to be used as effectively in American society by politicians, cinema producers and other racists.
If Hollywood tells the truth about Asian-Americans, then certain members in American society won't be able to race bait as much.
Geoff DB
GeoffDB02@aol.com
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 22:23:17 (PDT)
ok, since there are no boards dedicated to john woo and that starwars is on the front page, sorry if this might be off topic. but has anybody seen 'windtalkers?' is this yet another incidence where a prominent asian director selling out to the hollywood tripe? roger ebert's review hinted at woo's callousness of portraying the japanese side, but no doubt little will the audiences who have never known about the navajo language used in the pacific theater know of the japanese-american 442nd regiment in the european theater being one of the most highly decorated in all of WWII. so why is it that native americans are finally given the acknowledgement they deserve while asian americans are still glossed over as "the enemy?"
villageidiot
Sunday, June 16, 2002 at 16:23:02 (PDT)
I don't know if Lucas is a racist. I am surprised that Star Wars could ever be an AA topic. From the beginning it was clear that they created Star Wars in the mode of fantasy movies rather than in the mode of sci-fi. I think it's very positive that AM actors abstain from kitsch. -A future without Asians wouldn't interest me, either.
rare stuff
Saturday, June 15, 2002 at 17:37:01 (PDT)
hmm, village idiot, you are correct, I am easily amused.
However I cannot distill any more meaning from your post, it's short so I guess that's all you had to say. Heh.
Superman
Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 19:35:07 (PDT)
How many Asian guys developed the special effects software though?
DC2NYC
Thursday, June 13, 2002 at 10:04:44 (PDT)
"he's just another passerby, and on for 2 seconds at the most"
obviously you have low standards and are very easily amused.
villageidiot
Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 11:05:04 (PDT)
"They won't acknowledge when obvious organized elements conspire to undermine US national security."
oh boy, you ain't president chimp's "HAND-maiden" monkey are ya? i think the preztel prez is calling you for a tick grooming session.
"I doubt there are many asian male actors who fit the parts."
hey whitebread looser, check you facts, lucas obviously stole ideas from kurosawa, including no less the code of the jedi is the same as that of the samurai.
villageidiot
Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 11:03:52 (PDT)
Yoda Fan,
Otaku you are. Episode 1 and 2 sucked. Jet Li would make the action scene so much better. In Episode 1 Dark Maul was a hack of a martial artist. The guy kept throwing the same side kick all through the scene. Hell I could do better. I know somethings wrong with a movie when I can choreograph a martial art scenes better.
And in Episode 2. Something is definitely wrong when a muppet has the best action scene.
Theme's are ancient? Yeah like how to squeeze money out of desperate fans with subpar material.
AC Dropout
Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 10:10:17 (PDT)
NEWEST COMMENTS |
EARLIER COMMENTS
|