Comments

1. ren wrote:

   Goddamn you Long Duk Dong, goddamn you. I had to put up with Long Duk Dong shit for years in middle school and it wasn’t even until high school that I finally watched Sixteen Candles and realized where it was all coming from. Gedde Watanabe holds my scorn forever. And also for Turner Broadcasting for running Sixteen Candles on repeat every week for the past 10 years. Stop already.

   This is certainly a diverse list. But when it comes to using crappy stereotypes I’m going to unscientifically claim the crown for the Asians. If you think you’ve been crapped on more in the cinematic world we can debate it to see who gets the revered “crapped on” distinction.

   Every film of Fu Manchu and all his little evil yellow henchmen
   Every Charlie Chan film
   Anna May Wong in Daughter of the Dragon
   Ming from Flash Gordon
   Suzy Wong — “oh mishter, me good gul weally”
   Nancy Kwan from Tamahine
   Eiko Ando in The Barbarian and the Geisha
   Every Asian that was in Year of the Dragon
   John Wayne as Genghis Kahn in The Conqueror — “me think tartar woman is for me!”
   Lotus Blossom from Teahouse of the August Moon
   Miss Saigon
   Very fucking incarnation of Madame Butterfly
   Tai-Pan
   Asians as depicted in Menace II Society and Do the Right Thing
   The Asian Clerk from Falling Down
   China Gate… dear god, all of it
   Every Asian woman in Sayonara
   All the samurai who had to get shot down and sacrificially die in hordes to leave Tom Cruise as the last true samurai of Japan

   And that’s just hitting on the films where Asians are “represented”. We haven’t gotten into the films where Asians are just set pieces or invisible.

   Posted 31 Jan 2007 at 10:11 am ¶

2. Sizwe_X wrote:

   Nice list ren, but I’m surprised you forgot “Short Round” of Temple of Doom fame. Fucking A, hearing, “Indy! Indy!”, “Hang on wady, we goin’ fo’ a wide!”, and “No time fo’ luv, Docta Jones!” throughout school made the killing rage rise up in me. Thanks, Hollywood!

   Posted 31 Jan 2007 at 12:00 pm ¶

3. Jay wrote:

   Speaking of Short Round, does anybody remember Jonathan Ke Quan’s role in the Goonies? Does anybody remember the Goonies?

   He was gadget guy, but I don’t remember him being all that much of a stereotype in there.

   Posted 31 Jan 2007 at 12:28 pm ¶

4. ren wrote:

   Hahah, ah Short Round. He was better in the Goonies for sure. For some reason all I can remember about that film is Chunk and a Butterfinger.

   After discussing this post with some other Asians I have, to my horror and regret, forgot to mention a beloved Asian character. The “Me so horny, me love you long time, American GI… five dollah” girl from Full Metal Jacket. Now why didn’t her career ever take off? Thank you for crushing the self-esteem of many a Asian women in a mere 62 seconds of screen time.

   Does anybody find it weird how we the Asian world as depicted by Hollywood can simultaneously be full of sexually promiscuous insatiable Asian women and Asian guys that can’t get any? What a wacky people those Asians.

   Posted 31 Jan 2007 at 1:13 pm ¶

5. Gandalf Mantooth wrote:

   Watanabe has tried to make amends, hasn’t he?

   Though Hiro in Heroes gets mad love I don’t see him as much more than Duk Dong with super powers.

   Posted 31 Jan 2007 at 2:43 pm ¶

6. berrybrowne wrote:

   to me real progress will be when “groups offended” includes all racial groups. i was offended/irrritated during breakfast at tiffany’s, 16 candles, aladdin, and speedy gonzales, even though i’m not asian, latino or arab american. let’s all get irate together!

   Posted 31 Jan 2007 at 3:09 pm ¶

7. Lyonside wrote:

   Berrybrowne:

   Nothing to add here but
   *applause* *applause**applause*

   Posted 31 Jan 2007 at 4:44 pm ¶

8. this justin wrote:

   My friend and I were just talking about this and how more often than not, these amazingly racist portrayals are “awarded” with accolades like Golden Globes and Oscars.

   Posted 31 Jan 2007 at 5:16 pm ¶

9. Sewere wrote:

   I swear I wanted to throw something at the TV when I saw Flavor Flav… And almost everytime Carlos Mencia does his “wetback” shtick, I get the distinct feeling he’s trying to pull a Latino version of Chris Rock’s “Black People vs. N*%*s” crap.

   I’m not even going to go near his hideously Anti-Arab “blow them with a nuclear weapon” racist jokes. Idiot.

   Posted 31 Jan 2007 at 9:48 pm ¶

10. Jay wrote:

    Oh yes, I remember another Gedde Watanabe gem: he was in Weird Al’s movie UHF (Weird Al had a movie?!), and played a Japanese Karate Dojo instructor and all the fun stuff that entails (the movie features, among others, the wonderful Michael Richards, and yes, that was sarcasm). By the way, he actually saves the day.

    The only redeeming moment was in that Wheel of Fish segment where he taunted the contestant for not getting the right answer.

    I do have thoughts on Masi Oka, but need to coherently gather them.

    Posted 31 Jan 2007 at 10:39 pm ¶

11. merq wrote:

    berrybrowne:

    Unfortunately, that’s what we’re faced with in today’s America. I can’t count the number of times people react in shock when I object to hearing racist comments about non-blacks.

    The other day, a (white) co-worker actually spent a good 10 minutes trying to ascertain whether or not I had any Jewish roots when I got mad at his “Jew = tightwad” rhetoric.

    That’s what you get when you worry more about being “offensive” than racist. If a man yells “nigger” in the forest with no one around, is he still racist?

    Sewere:
    Forget Mencia. Seriously.

    Posted 31 Jan 2007 at 11:02 pm ¶

12. kim wrote:

    I don’t know about the Mexicans/mice thing. I find it kind of unfunny and appalling, as they scurrilous animal( vermin) is not introduced with any other breakdown of groups offended.

    Merq: yeah. gotcha.

    Posted 01 Feb 2007 at 1:53 am ¶

13. justin wrote:

    I’m going to break from the we all need to get irate together sentiment and say that Polynesians in America need to stand up for themselves.
    Ren, what is Tamahine? Did Nancy Kwan play a Maori woman named Tama, was Tama-tu the sequel, should someone tell Tama Iti?
    People in NZ really care that Indians are Asians cause England tells us so, most Nzer’s would laugh at the way America treats Polynesians. If I were smarter I would make a super cool joke about the ‘strategic essentialism’.

    Posted 01 Feb 2007 at 12:15 pm ¶

14. Colin wrote:

    merq: You’re amazingly, stupendously right-on.

    “Political correctness” has been the greatest
    single device to shut down actual race discussion in American history, and it’s in full effect on college campus, the term is.

    People of all types and stripes will act out the most shocking and sad of stereotypes and call their critics “politically correct” and act indignant in defense of their racist words and actions, even here in the halls of the enlightened.

    Posted 01 Feb 2007 at 9:33 pm ¶

15. tmk wrote:

    ren:

    Thanks for an amazing list!! However, you must also not forget all the extras in various movies/tv/commercials who are just as bad– ah those silent and mysterious Asians!

    Posted 03 Feb 2007 at 8:06 am ¶

16. gatamala wrote:

    ”Speaking of Short Round, does anybody remember Jonathan Ke Quan’s role in the Goonies? Does anybody remember the Goonies?

    He was gadget guy, but I don’t remember him being all that much of a stereotype in there. ”

    ….his name was……”Data”……

    Posted 05 Feb 2007 at 4:22 pm ¶

17. liberty wrote:

    I noticed that you missed a rather blantant jab, complete with racial slurs, at Eastern Euopeans in Sixteen Candles. While the obviously offensive “Long Duk Dong” character is often noted, the “oily bohunk” husband-to-be of Samantha’s sister seems to go unnoticed. This racial epithet is used multiple times to desribe the fiance and his, very stereotypical, family. It seems that the cultural understanding of “who is white” has grown since 1984!

    Posted 01 Oct 2007 at 12:58 pm ¶

18. Sopey-Dopey wrote:

    Oh yeah, you also missed another blantant jab; this one towards African Americans in Sixteen Candles. While Samantha and her friend are walking in the hall at school, Samnatha says she wants “a black one;” her friend says ” a black guy!?” Samantha meant a black Trans-Am (80’s folks) I’m not black; however, I’m Mexican, Fillipino and German (quite a wonderful mix, I may say) but, whenever I see any stereotype towards any race and/or culture (even white)..I get a bit offended, but that’s unfortunately our culture in this county.

    Posted 21 Oct 2007 at 3:26 pm ¶

19. Geny wrote:

    Oh and of course who can forget the ever-so-funny and endearing “buddy” movies; Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon…Jackie Chan, since when do you need help kickin a$$??? Chris Tucker should’ve been shot…Owen Wilson, no comment, not since Starsky and Hutch…so much racism, so little time…

    Posted 25 Oct 2007 at 5:39 pm ¶

20. Melody wrote:

    Sopey-Dopey, I noticed that too. What made the jab toward African Americans in Sixteen Candles worse is how they allowed Molly Ringwold to respond to her ignorant friend’s shock and dismay. If I remember correctly, Molly says “No, no, no. A black Trans-Am with a pink guy inside.” As if to backtrack from previous insult. Backtracking is the worst!!!

    Posted 02 Feb 2008 at 5:10 am ¶

21. Emmeaki wrote:

    Jonathan Ke Quan’s character in Goonies was “Data” and he was always inventing different gadgets–yes he was the stereotypical nerdy, math/science whiz kid.

    Posted 31 Aug 2008 at 1:25 am ¶

22. Tadakatsu Honda wrote:

    Good job on this dude.

    Posted 03 Oct 2008 at 10:58 pm ¶

23. Daena wrote:

    What I don’t understand is how openly offended people get about these racial slurs, yet Hollywood keeps spewing them out like uncontrollable diarrhea.

    Sorry for that mental image.

    Posted 02 Nov 2008 at 7:15 pm ¶

24. anti-stereotype wrote:

    And speaking of racist stereotypes….

    http://www.reelbadarabs.com/

    Posted 17 Sep 2009 at 5:14 pm ¶