Comments on: White-out vs Yellowface http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html Fri, 16 May 2008 05:30:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: xina http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2159 xina Sun, 11 May 2008 20:41:15 +0000 http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2159 the more things change the more they stay the same. i just recently (yes way way way behind the times) rented "all american girl" from the library and watched it in horror. it was so blatantly racist and sexist and horrible. :( the more things change the more they stay the same. i just recently (yes way way way behind the times) rented “all american girl” from the library and watched it in horror. it was so blatantly racist and sexist and horrible. :(

]]> By: kt shorb http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2151 kt shorb Sun, 11 May 2008 05:25:35 +0000 http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2151 thanks for this post. and i'm so glad that your blog finally began showing up in my rss feed! thanks for this post. and i’m so glad that your blog finally began showing up in my rss feed!

]]> By: wei275 http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2146 wei275 Sat, 10 May 2008 18:32:52 +0000 http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2146 Sigh... Hollywood broke my heart with the movie "Forbidden Kingdom". They manage to get the 2 of the biggest icons in the Chinese entertainment world - Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and turned it into a piece of crap by casting the HERO of the movie with a white kid. They justified by saying that the movie is about a young man who goes on a "journey of discovery" and grows into a "man". These kinda movies just emphasize one theme- the white superiority. What's worse is that if an asian speaks against movies like "Forbidden Kingdom", "Kill Bill, "Bulletproof Monk", "Last Samurai", etc., we're "racist". Uh. Excuse me? Sigh… Hollywood broke my heart with the movie “Forbidden Kingdom”. They manage to get the 2 of the biggest icons in the Chinese entertainment world - Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and turned it into a piece of crap by casting the HERO of the movie with a white kid. They justified by saying that the movie is about a young man who goes on a “journey of discovery” and grows into a “man”. These kinda movies just emphasize one theme- the white superiority.

What’s worse is that if an asian speaks against movies like “Forbidden Kingdom”, “Kill Bill, “Bulletproof Monk”, “Last Samurai”, etc., we’re “racist”. Uh. Excuse me?

]]> By: Chris Savage http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2143 Chris Savage Sat, 10 May 2008 12:40:45 +0000 http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2143 This is the second movie Kevin Spacey has been in that they've significantly changed the race of the main character. His character in "Pay It Forward" was black (and much more disfigured) in the book. I adore Sandra Oh. But the star of Grey's, in my opinion, is Chandra Wilson who plays Miranda Bailey. That woman is an AMAZING actress. And cute as a button, too :D Great post. Love it. This is the second movie Kevin Spacey has been in that they’ve significantly changed the race of the main character. His character in “Pay It Forward” was black (and much more disfigured) in the book.

I adore Sandra Oh. But the star of Grey’s, in my opinion, is Chandra Wilson who plays Miranda Bailey. That woman is an AMAZING actress. And cute as a button, too :D

Great post. Love it.

]]> By: Jud http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2140 Jud Sat, 10 May 2008 08:42:18 +0000 http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2140 Hollywood is a strange place, because, ultimately, it's fucking cowardly. Asian men basically aren't allowed to headline shit because the cultural image of an Asian man is automatically asexual and meek, where all their stars must, for marketting reasons, be sexy and aggressive (and just a little dumb, but smartass). It's not that Hollywood itself is bad, they're just too chickenshit to step away from old prejudice because they've got an eye on their wallets at the end of the day. The culture creates the market. The only times they step outside the bullshit prejudiced mold, they make a big show of it. This goes for anything, not just race, but also gender, sexual orientation, whatever. They can't just break the mold, they have to point out and highlight that it's transgressive for the sake of it. It can't just be "this kid wants to be in ballet," it has to be "this BOY wants to be in ballet" and make it into a story about being a rebel. It can't just be "these people are in love," it has to be "these people are in love --- BUT THEY AREN'T THE SAME COLOR! OH NOES!" Every. Fucking. Time. They do this, and by highlighting this "lack of prejudice" in their choices, they're just creating the impression that this is made for shock value, that a fat girl can't really be a star, a gay couple can't really be in a love movie, and a boy can't do ballet. They reinforce rather than demolish the barriers by eliminating the personal story in the movie, shortening the whole thing to a hypothesis of equality they never actually seek to confirm. If they truly want equality, what you do is ignore that it's transgressive of taboos at all. If the movie or tv show suggests it's no big deal, the culture will respond with "no big deal." I can't tell you how stoked I was, the first time I saw an interracial couple on TV and they didn't have to deal with "the race issue" when they first got together. They weren't a one note thing. They were just two people who happened to be in a relationship, just like any other couple. And I thought to myself "finally. About time we got passed this bullshit every time." I'm still waiting for that normalization to happen in the media for: Gay couples Asian males in lead roles (esp. in "sex symbol" roles, double points if paired with non-Asian females) Female leads (in something other than a romantic comedy "how I got the guy" movie) Women heavier than 120 lbs Hollywood is a strange place, because, ultimately, it’s fucking cowardly.

Asian men basically aren’t allowed to headline shit because the cultural image of an Asian man is automatically asexual and meek, where all their stars must, for marketting reasons, be sexy and aggressive (and just a little dumb, but smartass).

It’s not that Hollywood itself is bad, they’re just too chickenshit to step away from old prejudice because they’ve got an eye on their wallets at the end of the day. The culture creates the market.

The only times they step outside the bullshit prejudiced mold, they make a big show of it. This goes for anything, not just race, but also gender, sexual orientation, whatever. They can’t just break the mold, they have to point out and highlight that it’s transgressive for the sake of it. It can’t just be “this kid wants to be in ballet,” it has to be “this BOY wants to be in ballet” and make it into a story about being a rebel. It can’t just be “these people are in love,” it has to be “these people are in love — BUT THEY AREN’T THE SAME COLOR! OH NOES!”

Every. Fucking. Time. They do this, and by highlighting this “lack of prejudice” in their choices, they’re just creating the impression that this is made for shock value, that a fat girl can’t really be a star, a gay couple can’t really be in a love movie, and a boy can’t do ballet. They reinforce rather than demolish the barriers by eliminating the personal story in the movie, shortening the whole thing to a hypothesis of equality they never actually seek to confirm.

If they truly want equality, what you do is ignore that it’s transgressive of taboos at all. If the movie or tv show suggests it’s no big deal, the culture will respond with “no big deal.”

I can’t tell you how stoked I was, the first time I saw an interracial couple on TV and they didn’t have to deal with “the race issue” when they first got together. They weren’t a one note thing. They were just two people who happened to be in a relationship, just like any other couple. And I thought to myself “finally. About time we got passed this bullshit every time.”

I’m still waiting for that normalization to happen in the media for:
Gay couples
Asian males in lead roles (esp. in “sex symbol” roles, double points if paired with non-Asian females)
Female leads (in something other than a romantic comedy “how I got the guy” movie)
Women heavier than 120 lbs

]]> By: lisa http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2111 lisa Wed, 07 May 2008 18:21:03 +0000 http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2111 i feel the same way about seeing toni colette in every part that calls for a fat chick. that size 10 skanch has probably never seen the inside of a lane bryant! i'm surprised they allow "jon and kate plus 8" to air. 9 out of 10 of the characters are of asian descent! i guess TPTB decided that was our asian allowance, and therefore no asians may appear anywhere else! i feel the same way about seeing toni colette in every part that calls for a fat chick. that size 10 skanch has probably never seen the inside of a lane bryant!

i’m surprised they allow “jon and kate plus 8″ to air. 9 out of 10 of the characters are of asian descent! i guess TPTB decided that was our asian allowance, and therefore no asians may appear anywhere else!

]]> By: James http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2102 James Wed, 07 May 2008 02:46:57 +0000 http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2102 What is better - a hugely misogynistic and vaguely homophobic movie with a few mildly funny but unoriginal social comments on racial profiling and racism, or no movie at all? I saw Harold & Kumar last night and spent half of the movie put off by the bigotry and the other half of the movie falling in and out of sleep. What is better - a hugely misogynistic and vaguely homophobic movie with a few mildly funny but unoriginal social comments on racial profiling and racism, or no movie at all?

I saw Harold & Kumar last night and spent half of the movie put off by the bigotry and the other half of the movie falling in and out of sleep.

]]> By: Lesley http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2101 Lesley Wed, 07 May 2008 01:03:26 +0000 http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2101 I had no idea 21 was based on a story about Asian-American kids! And I think John Cho is sooo fucking hot and adorable. I've had a big crush on him for years. I had no idea 21 was based on a story about Asian-American kids!

And I think John Cho is sooo fucking hot and adorable. I’ve had a big crush on him for years.

]]> By: scargosun http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2096 scargosun Tue, 06 May 2008 19:40:41 +0000 http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2096 Wow. I had no idea. I guess I will not be seeing it either after hearing that. I agree about Sandra Oh as well. She is amazing. Wow. I had no idea. I guess I will not be seeing it either after hearing that. I agree about Sandra Oh as well. She is amazing.

]]> By: Jenna http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2094 Jenna Tue, 06 May 2008 18:59:02 +0000 http://www.margaretcho.com/blog/2008/05/05/white-out-vs-yellowface.html#comment-2094 Ugh. I had a casual interest in this movie, solely BECAUSE of the Asians that were playing in it. Now I am equally disgusted and I am glad that I didn't go see it yet. I agree whole-heartedly that Hollywood has major race issues. Asian can only play "Asian roles." That drives me nuts. I watch enough Asian movies and tv shows to know that they can be better actors than most of the crappy American one's (there are great actors, just not all of them are) and I think that it's time Hollywood realized that we would LIKE to see a film about strong Asian-American people. Or just people who happen to be Asian. I would have RUN to the theater, had this stuck with the original story without replacing the characters with white actors. But instead, I will boycott it right along with you. Whether or not he's been type-casted, I AM running to the theater to see Rain/Jung Ji-Hoon/Bi in Speed Racer this week. Thanks Margaret for getting my blood running. Ugh. I had a casual interest in this movie, solely BECAUSE of the Asians that were playing in it. Now I am equally disgusted and I am glad that I didn’t go see it yet. I agree whole-heartedly that Hollywood has major race issues. Asian can only play “Asian roles.” That drives me nuts. I watch enough Asian movies and tv shows to know that they can be better actors than most of the crappy American one’s (there are great actors, just not all of them are) and I think that it’s time Hollywood realized that we would LIKE to see a film about strong Asian-American people. Or just people who happen to be Asian. I would have RUN to the theater, had this stuck with the original story without replacing the characters with white actors. But instead, I will boycott it right along with you. Whether or not he’s been type-casted, I AM running to the theater to see Rain/Jung Ji-Hoon/Bi in Speed Racer this week. Thanks Margaret for getting my blood running.

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