Yellowface Puppet on YouTube
by Guest Contributor Angry Asian Man, originally published on Angry Asian Man
What the hell is this?
Seriously, what is this? This video, and more like it, can be found on this YouTube channel which is apparently part of CBS’s Mobile programming. And there are twelve more videos in this idiotic “Farnfucious” series. I know it’s just a puppet, but damn.
I cannot believe someone would deem this appropriate material to post as part of a major broadcast network’s online content. I actually originally found them on CBS’ main YouTube channel, but they were taken down pretty quickly.
Does it still count as yellowface when you dress up a white puppet character like an old Asian man? That’s got to be a first. It’s ridiculous. Once again, someone thinks racial caricatures mocking Asians are funny. That’s racist! (Thanks, Andrew.)
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Myles wrote:
I couldn’t even understand what the point of that was. It was like a. . . really poorly put together joke that just didn’t know when to end itself.
But then, cbs is often seen as being a station for older, white people. Maybe I’m just missing a part of this joke because I’m out of the loop
Posted 11 Sep 2008 at 6:59 am ¶
Celeste wrote:
Umm…that wasn’t even funny. There’s some racist stuff out there that I laugh at. I like to think that I laugh at the racism, not at the group being mocked (at least I hope that’s what I’m laughing at). It seems like they think that you could read the dictionary in the guise of a rascist Asian stereotype and it’s automatically funny.
Posted 11 Sep 2008 at 7:50 am ¶
Reiter wrote:
I guess the execs at CBS apparently think it’s funny to dole out tired old Chinaman stereotypes, in puppet format, no less. You know, because old fogies can identify with the puppets of their younger years, before the age of interwebz and CGI special effects. CBS should stick to Matlock and JAG reruns. What, you mean ageism isn’t appropriate? Well, whodathunkit?
Posted 11 Sep 2008 at 7:59 am ¶
thesciencegirl wrote:
Oh. My. Goodness. This is part of CBS programming?! Where do I direct my angry email?
I’m not even gonna click over to the youtube page; I know the comments will be filled with racist crap, just like on all youtube videos. You could post a video of paint drying, and within 1 page of comments, the racism and misogyny would be flying.
Posted 11 Sep 2008 at 8:07 am ¶
lxy wrote:
Next on “Farnfucious,” a special guest appearance by the Spanish basketball and tennis teams.
It’s MustSee TV!
Posted 11 Sep 2008 at 8:20 am ¶
Thea Lim wrote:
It’s interesting how they make the video look old-timey. What is it, like nostalgia for the good old days when yellowface was ok? Everything retro is in, including racism?
It makes me think they’re saying “Haha, weren’t people back then funny, they were so uninformed, what a social faux pas, can you believe they created caricatures like this? We’re are sooooo beyond that. We are demonstrating it by creating this racist video!” Sorta a new take on the famous New Yorker Obamas cover.
Um, yeah. You’re not beyond that.
Posted 11 Sep 2008 at 9:00 am ¶
sly wrote:
I can’t say I see anything racist here…”Yellowface” puppet? Are you saying the puppet didn’t look asian enough? Really, we’re calling racism now based on the realism of hand puppets? Seems like its just a Confucius puppet to me. If there’s more here, I’d appreciate some help understanding this.
Posted 11 Sep 2008 at 9:46 am ¶
Latoya Peterson wrote:
@Sly – if you follow the links, the puppet is a regular part of a show. He generally matches up to a white description, and does a lot of impersonations of white celebrities. That’s why AAM called it a yellowface puppet.
Posted 11 Sep 2008 at 10:28 am ¶
Lyonside wrote:
Sly: on the offchance you’re not joking:
1. Making fun of Confucious (Farn?), considered a religious leader to some people, and a secular saint to others.
2. Using fu-manchu stereotyped appearance and an “accent” Mickey Rooney would envy?
The use of a white-appearing puppet I’m neutral on – I mean, imagine if they had tried to make the puppet Asian in appearance? Would have looked like a 3-D WWII propoganda poster.
3. Plus, Asians and Asian-Americans, as well as non-Asian people, have identified the clip as perpetuating stereotypes, in line with anti-Asian images and stereotypes. This is racism. Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean that it isn’t real.
Would an AmosNAndy puppet series be racist against blacks in your book, or would that have just been puppets making fun of two notorious/popular white radio performers who performed in verbal blackface ?
Posted 11 Sep 2008 at 10:31 am ¶
drispe wrote:
Julie Chen obviously has zero influence on Les Moonves.
Posted 11 Sep 2008 at 12:08 pm ¶
Eric Daniels wrote:
Am I surprised that Americans always think that mocking the Asian voice is funny nope that is just buisness as usual in the good ole U.S.A. Asian – Americans are fair game because they are both the…
1. model minority
2. won’t complain about such treatment
We shouldn’t be that surprised since this country has sterotyped Asian- Americans since they first came to these shores with every racial and sexual slur.Since CBS is doing what they have done since radio in the 30’s.
Posted 11 Sep 2008 at 4:22 pm ¶
Foreign Exchange Chart wrote:
I enjoyed coming upon your article.
Posted 21 Sep 2008 at 8:12 am ¶