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Asian stereotypes in US Hollywood films essay
Asian americans in hollywood film essay
Asian stereotypes in US Hollywood films essay
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Ellen Naruse
WRIT-016-303
Midterm Portfolio First Draft
The standard role of Asian Americans within popular culture has historically been limited to stereotypes. However, a group of young Asian Americans have broken through this “bamboo ceiling” and achieved incredible success in a variety of media. In film, Kal Penn and John Cho star as second-generation Asian Americans in Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle. YouTube made the success stories of Kevin Wu and Michelle Phan possible, allowing their videos to reach a global audience consisting of millions of people. The world of pop music was then introduced to Bruno Mars and Far East Movement; both garnered incredible attention and support from a transnational fan base. This newfound success
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for Asian Americans is a reflection on us as listeners and viewers. In the past obstacles for these Asian Americans were warped generalizations, in particular the “model minority” and “foreigner” stereotypes. Asian Americans were categorized as rule-following, obedient, and hard-working, or as strangers with unusual customs. In both cases, Asian masculinity was seen as subordinate to that of other races. However, our acceptance of this generation of Asian Americans, as their viewers and fans, suggests that the “model minority” and “foreigner” characterizations are no longer being used in our perception of these people. Asian American coolness represents the solution to the old, inaccurate stereotypes. Asian American coolness is characterized by the adoption of pre-existing models of masculinity. Kevin Wu, known by his online username KevJumba, demonstrates this best in his video AWKWARD. In the video, Wu contrasts the hypermasculinity of his African American friends with the stereotypical effeminate model minority of his father. While these representations risk reinforcing inaccurate stereotypes of masculinity, they emphasize the masculinity of Wu himself, who recognizes the absurdity of both stereotypes and finds a balance between the two extremes. Furthermore, Wu admits to discovering that the most popular Google search with his name is “Is kevjumba gay,” but responds in a manner that completely defies the lack of masculinity typically associated with Asian Americans (Wu). Not only does he then ridicule society’s stereotypical male traits by pretending to eat raw meat and lift weights, but he also requests that his fans change the most popular search to “Is kevjumba a heterosexual bear wrestler” (Wu). By challenging conventional ideas of hypermasculinity through humor, Wu reflects his own non-threatening masculinity and his self-confidence. Even more remarkable is the support shown by his fans, who managed to change the most popular search to one that validates his masculinity. Another adoption of normal standards of masculinity can be seen in Bruno Mars, a Filipino artist who achieved enormous success in American mainstream culture. Mars’ masculinity is conveyed through his songs, which focus primarily on girls and love. The smooth romanticism portrayed by Mars in his lyrics and music videos places Asian American males like himself in a better light. While stereotypes once characterized Asian males as unsuccessful with women and effeminate themselves, Mars and his music paint an entirely different picture, casting Asian American men as loving and desirable. Asian Americans now find success in unprecedented fields, reflecting their acceptance into mainstream culture. Kevin Wu is not the only Asian American to find success on YouTube; Michelle Phan’s makeup tutorials have earned her respect from an international fan base as well as top makeup brands such as L’Oreal and Lancôme, and that respect made it possible for Phan to launch her own makeup brand. Michelle’s support from women of all races reflects an appreciation for her talent without regards to her race, and her determination in creating her own brand goes completely against the submissive female model minority stereotype. Phan’s success and its implications are mirrored in music with Far East Movement’s ascent to the top of American pop music charts. Far East Movement’s success in the Western pop music world exemplifies the acceptance of the group and their music as mainstream and cool. For years, Asian American artists had failed to succeed in the American pop genre; many cited their ethnicity as an obstacle to their success. However, what may have given Far East Movement the ability to move up in the industry was their separation of race and success. The group succeeded through the quality of their music and never connected race to either success or failure in the business. The fact that their music is considered mainstream means that they can be considered popular, a term not ever attributed to the model minority and foreigner stereotypes. The success of Phan and Far East Movement in new fields has dismembered the previous expectations of Asian Americans and has brought heightened visibility to Asian American coolness in popular culture. Asian Americans have blurred the lines between intelligence and coolness, allowing nerd identity to be accepted as an element of Asian American cool.
Notably, in Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle, Harold and Kumar force viewers to reconsider the model minority stereotype. Harold is clearly meant to represent the effeminate model minority; he is a type-A man with a steady job and a boss who asserts his racial dominance by forcing Harold to do extra work for him. However, from the beginning, his marijuana use contradicts that “model” stereotype. As the movie progresses, he drifts further and further away from that generalization as he hits a police officer in the face, escapes from jail and steals a car. His masculinity is defined as he finally stands up to his Caucasian boss and makes out with a pretty girl on an elevator. Kumar also acts in opposition to expectations associated with his race. Ignoring his obvious talent in medicine, Kumar refuses to become a doctor and refuses the racial stereotype associated with that career choice. Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle reflects the destruction of the conventional beliefs about Asian American males in favor of a new, bold, cool Asian American masculinity. While Harold and Kumar are both highly intelligent, they do not let their intelligence box them in to stereotypical roles in life. They represent a generation of Asian Americans who have brought together nerd identity and cool identity, stereotypes once thought to be mutually exclusive (Eglash). The adoption of a cool nerd identity allows intelligence to be a prominent quality of Asian American
coolness. Some may argue that the conventional stereotypes of Asian Americans continue to exist. Much of the humor in both Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle and AWKWARD is rooted in narrow stereotypes of Asian masculinity. Harold begins the movie exactly as the stereotype would predict, and Kumar is constantly fighting the stereotypical expectations of his father. Kevin Wu’s father often plays the stereotypical Asian father in his videos; in My Dad is Asian Ep. 1, he practices tai chi in the front yard and beats Kevin for getting a B on his report card (Wu). It is also worth considering the fact that these actors, bloggers, and musicians are consciously choosing to behave in a way that rejects stereotypes and labels still associated with them. Possibly, Far East Movement sees their way to success as acting less Asian and more “white” in order to appeal to popular culture. While both claims are worth considering, significant changes must have occurred in the perception of Asian Americans in media in order to them to now achieve success in mainstream culture more easily than ever before. Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle and AWKWARD both create funny moments through exaggeration, which they accomplish by using sweeping generalizations of Asian Americans. The fact that audiences find these jokes funny is proof that the stereotype fails to be taken seriously anymore. Moreover, while the original motivation of these Asian American artists may have been to reject an “uncool” stereotype, the result of their actions is a new and improved perspective that eradicates that generalization. Even if Far East Movement portrays itself to be “white” to avoid being the model minority, fans associate that appearance with the Asian American group members and disregard the stereotype. The fans’ expectations of Asian Americans change and therefore the old stereotypes no longer have any effect. There is no place for stereotypes of the past in current popular culture, where Asian American coolness prevails. The recent success of Asian Americans in mainstream popular culture is not a sudden breakthrough, but rather a gradual breakdown of stereotypes and generalizations that have made it difficult for Asian Americans to be described as “cool.” While the achievements of past Asian American actors, musicians, and comedians should not be ignored, this generation of accepted Asian American entertainers reflects the accumulation of years of progress and a shift from intolerance to respect. Moreover, this shift in audience perspective will impact other minority groups that, in years past, have found only limited, stereotypical roles available to them in American pop culture. From there, one can only hope to see the acceptance and respect of a diverse American culture expand outside the realm of iTunes and YouTube videos, and into our everyday lives.
Throughout the history of history of television, the creators of the show are trying to always portray certain people a certain way. In television show “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” Curtis Payne, the father, and Ella Payne, the mother are portrayed based on their negative racial stereotypes of African Americans, the traditional gender roles, as well as the time period when the show takes place.
The culture and society of the American South can be categorized into a variety of groups through stereotypes from outsiders, politicians, music and among other things. To help depict the American South, literature and films that we have watched in class such as Mandingo, Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Color Purple, Gods Little Acre, Tomorrow, Jezebel, The Littlest Rebel and with special focus on O Brother Where Art Thou will help capture and reflect southern culture to those not accustomed to the ways of southern society.
The term “hillbilly” is a stereotype for people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas in the USA. Because a stereotypical expression, “hillbilly” includes images of being violent and backward, many Americans feel offensive when they hear the word.
In conclusion, I have learned that the use of mass communication that accurately depicts cultural and political issues can ultimately raise awareness. During my mission here on earth, I hope that my productions can to be different and somehow help the development of society as Lee has. Using the skills that Lee has obtained, he has accurately showed modern society that life is not all picture perfect. Despite all of the controversy and his downplay of stereotypical Hollywood setting and characters, Lee still stands strong toward the movement of cultures as a whole to a better understanding of life itself. This understanding can influence others to move toward change and innovative ways of promoting equality.
helping. Television is making the shows out to seem like one race is better than another. For
...en in this film have any strong masculine qualities. They cannot take charge, they are easily intimidated, and they are never assertive with their beliefs and restrictions giving the impression to the movie viewers that Asian Americans are docile beings and Asian Americans are obstacles easily overcame.
Racial stereotypes, the automatic and mental pictures that people hold about members of a certain race. Stereotypes can be found for any race or ethnicity and are typically generalized to a whole group of people, rather than to one individual and their differences. Although racism itself is not as common in today’s world, racial stereotypes do exist and are very common. The popular sitcom, The Office, addresses the serious issue of racial stereotypes by Michael Scott to its audience with different races of characters.
Just like any other racial stereotypes, Asian Stereotypes have been and always will be around in our society. The fact that Asians are allowed to be portrayed stereotypically in Media shows the lack of voices of this minority group. Asian stereotypes are taken lightly by others, and yet heavily by the Asian population. Whether one likes it or not, Asian stereotype does not disappear eternally. As individuals of intellectual specie, we have to acknowledge the power of a racial stereotype and the possibilities of it remaining to be an eternal issue. To allocate such problem to another perspective, we must aim to become aware of them, by viewing these Asian Stereotypical films of what your average American watches on TV or at the movies. Although when Asian characters seem harmless (Jackie Chan in “Rush Hour” series) or humorous...
The film being analysed is the Breakfast Club, directed by John Hughes. Trapped in Saturday detention are 5 stereotyped teens. Claire, the princess, Andrew, the jock, John, the criminal, Brian, the brain, and Allison, the basket case. At 7 am, they had nothing to say, but by 4 pm; they had uncovered everything to each other. The students bond together when faced with the their principal, and realise that they have more in common than they think, including a hatred for adult society. They begin to see each other as equal people and even though they were stereotyped they would always be The Breakfast Club. The Breakfast Club highlights a variety of pressures that are placed upon teenagers through out high school. One of the most challenging aspects of screenwriting is creating characters that an audience can identify with, relate to, and be entertained by.
Lee, Josephine D.. Performing Asian America race and ethnicity on the contemporary stage. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1997. Print.
Between 1990 and 1999, the Asian population rose 43% (Census, 2000). However, Asian Americans are still portrayed in a simplistic manner by the American media, which in turn, promotes stereotyping. I have researched various types of mass media in the United States, such as music, films, television and magazines. I will focus on several examples where Asian Americans are portrayed in a negative way. Furthermore, I will give examples of musicians, and independent films that prove Asian Americans have potential in what they can contribute to in the American media.
When you think about the culture in the United States (U.S.), it is considered to be very diverse. There are many different cultures and religions in the country, which increases the diversity. Asians are a significant part of U.S. culture as they have been around for years. However when compared to how other U.S. citizens are treated, Asian Americans are treated significantly worse. “Asian Americans, like other people of color, continually find themselves set apart, excluded and stigmatized-whether during the 19th century anti-Chinese campaign in California, after the 1922 Supreme Court decision (Ozawa v. United States) that declared Asians ineligible for U.S. citizenship, or by a YouTube video that went viral on the Internet in 2011 in which a UCLA student complained bitterly about Asians in the library” (Healey, p.330). Many Asian Americans have been treated poorly because of how they are perceived within the society. It may be because of a jealousy against their strong academic achievement or because of the many jobs that they have “taken away” from the American population. In Wu Franks Article, Yellow, he claims that when someone refers to someone as an American, it is automatically assumed that they are White, however when someone is thought of as a minority they are thought of as Black. Asian Americans neither fit into the Black or White category, therefore feel as if there is no place within society for them to fall into. Wu’s article in comparison to the documentary Vincent Who?, explains how Asian Americans have been treated in America in the past, and how those stigmas have not changed as much. The documentary Vincent Who?, goes to describing murder of Vincent Chin, who was brutally attacked and murdered outside of a ...
The number of Asian American communities is growing in the U.S. population, however, these groups of people are often marginalized and misrepresented in mainstream media. In today’s mainstream media, there is a visible lack of Asian American representation on film. Asian actors, when given roles in film and television, are rarely cast for central roles and form about only 3% of prime-time characters (Ramasubramanian, 2011). Not only is the number for casting Asian and Asian Americans low, the roles of these characters are often portrayed in the stereotypical ideology which has been present for decades. But why are Asians portrayed the way they are? Why has Hollywood maintained its representational practices when it comes to the portraying Asians? Why do these portrayals persist in the presence of a growing Asian population and racial diversity? What is the significance of the Asian American segment for Hollywood? To what extent does the consideration of the Asian American market influence the way Hollywood portray Asians? These are the questions that surface when watching films, and in the lens of an Asian American, many Asians and Asian American do not fit the mold created by Hollywood. First, I will introduce the range of common film representation of Asians. This literature review will focus on the negative and positive light of Asian representation , the structure of Hollywood film industry and its effect on representing Asian race, the social acceptance of Asian stereotypes, and Asian American’s social identity theories.
Although we have taken monumental strides in the past fifty years towards racial equality and diversity, it is still commonly argued that popular culture lacks some sort of racial representation. In the United States, the people who live here are vastly diverse when it comes to race and culture, yet in the media people of color get marginalized and stereotyped everyday in film, music, and etc.
Lionel Higgins (Tyler James Williams) portrays an African American male that is outcasted by his fellow peers. At a prestigious university such as Winchester University you would think the Black Student Union would bring together all African Americans but sadly Lionel is not included. Lionel is an undeclared past philosophy major who is still trying to find his niche. What sets Lionel Higgins apart from other peers and classmates is his sexuality. He is a homosexual that has not found his voice and has not figured out what he stands for. That is, until a blackface Halloween party erupts on campus and he walks in on the party first hand. The party portrayed stereotypical black people personas such as ratchet females with long nails, males