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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.]
huu76:
You know huu76, you might find this hard to believe, but I'm often perplexed by how Hollywood mischaracterizes and adversely portrays Asians in film and television.
We never used any racial slurs in my house. My mom never used them nor did she condone it amongst my siblings.
When I was a little boy there were two recently immigrated Asian families who lived right next door to us. I used to peer over their fense and watch them cultivate their gardens, sun bake their food and kill ducks for their meals. The black and Asian kids would play together; we'd fist fight and argue; and make up the following day as though nothing happened. To this day, I can get into a heated argument with an Asian and still maintain a sober perspective of Asian Americans.
So, when I see how Asians are either excluded or portrayed as nerdy, disloyal and sneaky it causes me to stop and say wow, that's not like the Asians who I grew up with.
"1) Legislation that forces representation in the media that reflect societal trends/demographics"
Yea, this is probably not workable. It would lead to government censorship and bureaucracy. Although, it wouldn't hurt to have some politicians criticize Hollywood moguls and ask them very loudly what's going on and why are certain minorities so misrepresented. It could create public awareness and cause the entertainment industry to take notice.
Perhaps if Asian American social and civic groups chastise the industry and spark a debate that would create awareness, too. A healthy debate is what's needed to begin a constructive dialogue.
"2) Leave the status quo as is."
Nah! That's letting them get away with ethnic exclusion. Asian markets portraying white/blacks both in negative light? Don't think that would work.
In order for Hollywood to make movies they have to create conflicts: good/evil, hometown heroes/foreign enemies, beautiful leading men and women/undesirable characters who are expendable, whites/blacks, Americans/Asians. You see, when a formula wins Hollywood must repeat it so long as it makes money (enter Rush Hour 3).
"3) Suddenly everything becoming all politically correct and everyone portrayed positively (or again, as the current status quo)"
I actually deplore political correctness unless it's for a practical purpose or in order to simply maintain peace absent alternative constructive means. Cinema is meant to entertain, but also to enlighten, to challenge, to redeem and to promote socio-political agendas. We need this freedom. Movies change people for better and, yet sometimes, for worse. That's why it's so important to tell the story accurately and proportionally.
Geoff DB
GeoffDB02@aol.com
Sunday, July 28, 2002 at 22:40:11 (PDT)
Geoff,
I have 3 recommendations/scenarios. None of which I believe will realistically happen.
1) Legislation that forces representation in the media that reflect societal trends/demographics. If one group doesn't like something, then it gives them incentive to improve it. From a legal and PC view, I know this will never happen, even though I think this is the most fair.
2) Leave the status quo as is. This will result in overseas markets (Asia)to eventually do the same to North America (to a much higher degree than what they may be doing right now) and portray Whites/Blacks in a negative light. In the end, we'll have media outlets bashing ethnic groups like crazy.
3) Suddenly everything becoming all politically correct and everyone portrayed positively (or again, as the current status quo). This will result in the largest (eventually) minority group to be pissed off at everyone else because they may feel they're being treated unfairly since the rest are getting overrepresentation. That minority group, by the way, would be whites.
As you can see, I don't have a solution that would be fair to all, and that would even have a chance of actually coming about.
Observer,
I don't think Lucas is racist, maybe ignorant, but not racist like KKK.
I have to give him credit that atleast Jango Fett was Asian/Pacific Islander. He may be a bad guy, but you have to agree that the Fett's are the coolest bad guys in Star Wars.
huu76
Friday, July 26, 2002 at 19:00:13 (PDT)
Political Observer,
Thanks for the compliment about what I wrote. Perhaps things will be settled with a Samurai movie or something. I wrote a screenplay about the Samurai. A literary agency said that it has potential, but I have to rewrite it for them to reconsider to represent it. Unfortunately, I haven't had much time for a rewrite as I am in the process of writing another screenplay about three American brothers. But I will eventually do so.
Thanks for those people who have an understanding about these kinds of topics.
Ray
Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 17:52:43 (PDT)
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