nip/tuck promo’s super sexy asian sweatshop
by Guest Contributor Angry Asian Man, originally published at Angry Asian Man
What the hell is up with all the Asian imagery in this promo for the upcoming sixth season of Nip/Tuck? If you’re not familiar with the show, it’s about a duo of plastic surgeons and the sometimes grotesque surgeries they perform.
Many thanks to Daniela, who spotted this and points out the “short black wigs, cheongsam-inspired red dresses, heavily made-up eyelids and chopsticks-in-hair who are sewing, assembly-line style, the ‘perfect body.’”
Basically, a super-sexualized Asian sweatshop. It all adds up. Most of the women in the promo aren’t even Asian — they’re just made to look like they are. The woman in white at the head of the table is certainly Asian.
Make no mistake — they’re definitely trying to evoke a stereotypical sweatshop, where the “China Doll” labor is submissive, identical and disposable. That’s racist! And tasteless, considering the thousands who toil away in actual sweatshops.
If you feel like letting the network know how you feel about this commercial, you can email FX at user@fxnetworks.com (the generic contact listed on the website). Chances are, they could probably care less. But it’s a start.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
FilthyGrandeur wrote:
i had not seen this promo before, so thanks for posting…
i think most of the promos for this show are pretty awful, but this one seems to reach to new heights with the Asian sweatshop imagery–it also seems to romanticize the sweatshop, despite the awful reality of them.
i’m glad this show is ending (well, not till 2011, but still).
Posted 04 Sep 2009 at 12:29 pm ¶
malted_tea wrote:
Interesting. I saw it less as being a sweatshop and more of the use of the idealized Asian female body type.
The way those two guys looked at the lady once her tuck is done at the end is exactly like how I saw foreign men – of all creeds – ogling at Japanese women (and girls, eww) when I was in Tokyo a few weeks ago.
Go hang out at any Starbucks with a terrace to see what I mean.
To turn an entire culture into a fetish is indescribably disturbing.
Posted 04 Sep 2009 at 12:35 pm ¶
maus wrote:
The entire show is a sleazy and slightly uncomfortable drama that alternates slowly (sometimes rapidly) between you accepting and hating all the main characters.
All of their promos (and many of their background plotlines) involve the hyperidealization of body image, and the show focuses on how the most “perfect” people can’t avoid internal ugliness. While I understand the disgust towards the tasteless portrayals, it seems like a bit’s being read into the comment
“Make no mistake — they’re definitely trying to evoke a stereotypical sweatshop, where the “China Doll” labor is submissive, identical and disposable.”
The show definitely has its own problems and conflicts, but I see it as more exploitative of women and the beauty industry than anything more specific.
Posted 04 Sep 2009 at 5:07 pm ¶
Quirky Black Girl wrote:
not to mention the hip hop inspired track by Timbaland playing. Black and Asian appropriation for a show essentially about and for white folks.
Posted 04 Sep 2009 at 7:21 pm ¶
F. wrote:
Note that the woman representing the “perfect body” is NOT Asian herself. Just the minions working in the sweatshop were characterized as Asian.
We should do a post on how even though Asian women are often the targets of fetishists and obviously are treated in a more positive sexual light than their male counterparts in Western media, Asian women are still not considered the epitome of beauty and sexuality (white women are).
And I say that as an Asian woman myself. We are really not considered as sexually attractive and treasured and idealized by the mainstream as many (including Asian males) might assume.
Posted 04 Sep 2009 at 8:19 pm ¶
ashlynn wrote:
Wait- how do you know that the “perfect body” herself isn’t Asian?
Honestly, I don’t know about this one. I’m a Nip/Tuck fan, and when I see promos there’s usually some sort of attachment and theme that at least parallels with the show. Also, I have found that in the plotlines, it may all seems glamorous if you’re not looking carefully, but it truly is a gruesome world, and IMO the show exposes that , though obviously still working within plot line confines to keep the plot interesting…
Posted 04 Sep 2009 at 10:00 pm ¶
nemogbr wrote:
Interesting post. Stopped watching this show after Season 1. It got boring pretty quickly.
How does the Asian woman stereotype differ to the fetish regarding Scandinavian women (The Blonde nymphomaniacs)?
Posted 05 Sep 2009 at 9:50 am ¶
Yuko (emma_zero) wrote:
This video is offensive in many levels. I am surprised there aren’t many more comments here protesting and expressing disgust.
As I don’t watch this show and am not aware of what the actual concept of the show is (I’m giving it a benefit of the doubt by saying this), the imagery shown here is not just offensive toward Asian women in sweatshop. It’s offensive as any image of slavery of women and young girls as sexual objects is offensive.
I am wondering if the portrayal of women as sexual objects in general is so abundant that we have grown accustomed to it to that point that we don’t feel anything about it anymore. Or do we not pay attention to hidden messages in this because the image of Asian women here is wrapped in a rather sterile inhuman imagery and the visual is industrial and plastic? Or are we even pleased that Asian women are considered sexy so we are willing to let this particular portrayal stay on air? Or what’s worse, do we think that sure, women are sexual objects and it’s alright?
I don’t watch the show so can’t say much about the show itself, but this promo video certainly failed to entice me.
Posted 08 Sep 2009 at 11:16 am ¶