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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?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:55:58 PM)
Chow Yun-fat should be one of the members of the Jedi Council. He can be dressed up in a warrior's outfit. Have a commanding, powerful, yet charming aura. Serene when not in combat. Intensely focused in combat, moving through the battlefield efficiently and seemingly effortless. Known as one of the best martial artists in the strictist sense. From a planet much like a Star Wars-modern version of 17th century Japan.
Since he speaks English with an accent, he doesn't need to have much dialogue. Anyway, for an alien not from Earth (much less an English-speaking country), why the need to speak English in a perfectly American way?
AM Jedi
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 23:47:55 (PDT)
Okay there is no asian male on the movie. So what, they're not even Human.
Did you forget:
A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away !!!
Daganisoraan
scrye_@hotmail.com
Tuesday, July 09, 2002 at 17:07:08 (PDT)
AC Dropout,
your list of Asian actors looks one-sided. There's no such actor like Jimmy Wang Yu nowadays.
rare stuff
Wednesday, July 03, 2002 at 15:01:50 (PDT)
"That's like making a show about the NBA and having no black guys, 1 token white guy and 299 asian guys."
Hahahaha that is such a funny example. I'm rolling on the floor.
A little exaggeration going on maybe, ya think?? but still funny.
Kboy
Tuesday, July 02, 2002 at 23:21:15 (PDT)
huu76,
Is there a freakin' reason why every time you have an issue with the white man you have to bring the black man into your argument? I mean.....DAMN!
It's like you can't confront white men with an argument on it's true merit without first and foremost injuring the already vulnerable, fragile positive image of African-American men.
Sounds like every time you don't get a positive image of Asian guys you always have to bash positive African-American images. Are you sick? Are you people nuts? Have you gone crazy or something? Huh?...
I thought this was a pro-Asian discussion. This is nothing less than black male bashing.
Don't you have any creative, constructive ideas of your own to express? Name one black Hollywood producer holding back Asians. Name one black Hollywood director holding back Asians. Name one predominately black casting agency holding back Asians. I doubt if you can name many because blacks barely exist in the management circles of the entertainment industry. We're still trying to penetrate the market.
huu76, you need to do some serious soul searching, man. I mean it. You and your cohorts are wrong. Dead wrong! You consistenly make arguments to white men at the expense of black men. As a member of a protected race, I feel a great sense of anger towards you right now.
I'm a strong proponent of ethnic role balance and fair treatment of Asian-Americans in film and television, but your constant black male bashing is a major turn-off. It's very frightening to listen to and read about.
Geoff DB
GeoffDB02@aol.com
Tuesday, July 02, 2002 at 22:55:40 (PDT)
Huu76:
What about Principal Kwan, an AM, on the WB show Smallville?
TV Watcher
Tuesday, July 02, 2002 at 05:56:25 (PDT)
Jay Laga'aia who played an important role as the Princess' head of security is Samoan. While Temuera Morrison and his on screen son who both played the bounty hunter Fetts are both Maori from New Zealand. Even the Polynesians are better represented than the Asian males in Star Wars.
Get over it Hollywood
Monday, July 01, 2002 at 14:56:01 (PDT)
Desslar,
Actually, we do have reason to complain (if we had time to waste) about tv.
Shows like L.A. Law, The Firm, Ally McBeal and other crap dramas always have a black lawyer/doctor, yet you'll hardly ever see an AM in it. YOu'll of course always see the token asian chick who's sole purpose is to show how willing AFs are to abandon us.
I'm sure there are no such things as AM lawyers/doctors/engineers/professors/ accountants/financiers/economists/ architects (you know, stuff that requires brain power).
That's like making a show about the NBA and having no black guys, 1 token white guy and 299 asian guys. Well, someday, but not yet.
huu76
Sunday, June 30, 2002 at 23:47:41 (PDT)
Desslar,
What about the asians that play major roles in SciFi TV series.
Andromedia
Enterprise
Voyager
Earth Final Conflict
Jackie Chan may seem out of place. But Chow Yun Fat could fit the bill.
Actually Lucas paid close to scale to all the actors. I don't think Jackie Chan or Chow Yun Fat would work for scale.
AC Dropout
Friday, June 28, 2002 at 14:56:30 (PDT)
Making cracks about Jews doesn't make this argument any more convincing.
Anyway, Attack of the Clones did include a Jay Laga'aia, Eric Wong, and Hassani Shapi, so you can't say there were no Asian characters. Yes, I did waste my time looking that up.
If we are talking about the major roles, then it's obvious that Lucas wants to use people with at least some name value. There are, unfortunately, relatively few Asian actors who have strong recognition. The presence of an action/comedy star like Jackie Chan would certainly seem out of place in Star Wars.
At any rate, this is science fiction, not real life. If the film were set in LA and there were no Asian characters then I think there would be cause to complain.
Desslar
Tuesday, June 25, 2002 at 08:12:26 (PDT)
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