Never put it past Hollywood to find new ways to deny Asian American males leading roles. Having a white guy star as a role in a predominantly Oriental setting? Yes David Carradine in Kung Fu is pretty ridiculous but things were different back then right? It was the 1970’s and we’ve moved back petty prejudice and racism. Oh wait, no, I’m talking about now. 2009 when a black man can be president but a Japanese character (the main character in The King of Fighters) is being played by Sean Faris. Pardon me if this somewhat riles me but this seems to be yellowface tactics all over again.
For those unfamiliar with the term, “yellowface” is the act where Asian roles are given to white actors often accompanied by heavy makeup or poor accent work to give him “Oriental” characteristics. People have remarked that while blackface is considered taboo, yellowface is, remarkably enough, considered acceptable in Hollywood. “Remarkably” isn’t the word I’d use for it. The word is “shameful”. In the course of one discussion, I’ve even had someone tell me that the reason Asian actors aren’t accepted is because they are poorer actors. He claimed that scientifically speaking, the smaller eyes expresses a lower empathetically ability and intellectual stimulus. Of course, these are probably the same sciences that declared Caucasians has a larger brain mass than other races (not true, Asians actually has the claim to that), blacks made better stock servant types and Germans were the Aryan race. But no worries, he stated himself, he wasn’t racist. After all, he has many Asian friends and even an Asian girlfriend!
Face it, there’s no excuse beyond prejudice that anyone can justify the way Hollywood treats Asian American actors (especially the males). The door might as well read, “no dogs, no Chinese”.
It’s 2009 when America is supposedly more open minded, more equal, and more accepting. However, it’s sadly obvious that society is pulling the “I’m not racist, I have a black friend” tactic. Attention Hollywood, Asian Americans are your smallest audience and will continue to be until you treat them like human beings.
Addendum: It seems several of the Caucasians seem offended by this post's attitude towards Hollywood. Can we not turn this thread into a clusterfuckflamefest? If you feel slighted, either pm me or post your reasons here, civilly, and you will be responded to in kind.
What do you mean by Hollywood prejudice, I thought they just make what sells. It's no surprise the "typical audience" prefers white actors in the main roles. I was under the impression that crappy mainstream movies are only possible because there are enough people out there that will watch it to offset the cost.
On November 05 2009 00:23 Nytefish wrote: What do you mean by Hollywood prejudice, I thought they just make what sells. It's no surprise the "typical audience" prefers white actors in the main roles. I was under the impression that crappy mainstream movies are only possible because there are enough people out there that will watch it to offset the cost.
do you think it is alright if they put a white guy to roleplay Ryu in a Street Fighter movie?
Haha I got excited because I thought that the blog was going to be about you but unfortunately I was mistaken. Your blogs are like Rebel Heart's whenever he makes a new account. Here is the criteria:
1. Single train of thought Not only do your posts all come from the same topic, they also always point out the same concepts and in this case inequalities. If you are capable of continuously presenting the same argument despite the backlash, how in the world is anyone supposed to make a counter-argument? It's obvious that your preconceptions on the topic have retard-strength in comparison to any resistance that others might give to your words of wisdom. You will never waiver from the belligerent and accusatory stance you have on the issue, that much is clear. Speaking of which...
2. Same teary-eyed story every time Oh no, so you think that Asians don't get cast in enough roles? Have you checked, statistically, the percentage of actors that are Asian, and thus what the relationship should be to how many roles they get? Have you ever considered the fact that maybe just maybe the Asian actors you desire to see in cinema are not as good as you think they are? Even if they are, Hollywood is not a democracy where everyone can demand equal representation and rights such as being cast into an Asian role only as an Asian because it's somehow more fair. Hollywood doesn't give a fuck about a few Asian-American nerds who actually care enough about how many Asians are in a movie. Hollywood cares about making money, and the best way to do that is to market to the largest audience and profit. Butthurt Asian-Americans who think that there is a lack of Asians in cinema are not the target audience here, as you can imagine. The target audience is generally defined either by age group or region, and guess what, China is not in the US. In any state in the United States, there are more Caucasians than there are Asians. When you accept the fact that your desires will never be met by Hollywood because they want to make MONEY... Actually, you'll never accept that because you are stubborn and like to play the role of the offended and oppressed. Typical.
3. Using statistics to benefit only your side of the argument "Attention Hollywood, Asian Americans are your smallest audience and will continue to be until you treat them like human beings."
Let me rephrase this notice to Hollywood, so that I can show you what they would hear if they bothered to read your whining letter:
"Asians don't like going to movies so put more Asians in your movies please thanx"
And this will be Hollywood's response:
"We don't know how to market to Asians because of the cultural differences. We don't need to market to Asians because they are a minority. We don't want to include Asian actors in lead roles especially because it estranges the majority, and the majority will always be weighed more heavily than the minority. Also, this is America, and although we are all equal and free, we are also a Caucasian nation and therefore if you want movies with Asian lead actors maybe you should go back to China. Enjoy your steam-fried rice and kung fu story books or whatever it is you Asians like, because we don't care enough to figure it out. PEACE."
In other words, your statistic is a double-edged sword. Why the FUCK should Hollywood risk their time-tested formula of marketing to the majority or to a LARGE minority + some of the majority by selecting white and black lead actors? Because you want them to risk a multi-million dollar venture that may or may not get more Asian-Americans out of their homes and into the movie theaters, while potentially alienating a larger population? Oh wait, it is going to be a gradual process as well, spanning over multiple movies with Asian actors getting lead roles? GOOD LUCK.
If an asian was cast, you'd be bitching about typecasting.
Plus, just like DBZ and a ton of other anime and games, the character you're talking about is pretty clearly modeled after white dudes, even if he's supposed to be asian
Never put it past Hollywood to find new ways to deny Asian American males leading roles. Having a white guy star as a role in a predominantly Oriental setting? Yes David Carradine in Kung Fu is pretty ridiculous but things were different back then right? It was the 1970’s and we’ve moved back petty prejudice and racism. Oh wait, no, I’m talking about now. 2009 when a black man can be president but a Japanese character (the main character in The King of Fighters) is being played by Sean Faris. Pardon me if this somewhat riles me but this seems to be yellowface tactics all over again.
For those unfamiliar with the term, “yellowface” is the act where Asian roles are given to white actors often accompanied by heavy makeup or poor accent work to give him “Oriental” characteristics. People have remarked that while blackface is considered taboo, yellowface is, remarkably enough, considered acceptable in Hollywood. “Remarkably” isn’t the word I’d use for it. The word is “shameful”. In the course of one discussion, I’ve even had someone tell me that the reason Asian actors aren’t accepted is because they are poorer actors. He claimed that scientifically speaking, the smaller eyes expresses a lower empathetically ability and intellectual stimulus. Of course, these are probably the same sciences that declared Caucasians has a larger brain mass than other races (not true, Asians actually has the claim to that), blacks made better stock servant types and Germans were the Aryan race. But no worries, he stated himself, he wasn’t racist. After all, he has many Asian friends and even an Asian girlfriend!
Face it, there’s no excuse beyond prejudice that anyone can justify the way Hollywood treats Asian American actors (especially the males). The door might as well read, “no dogs, no Chinese”.
It’s 2009 when America is supposedly more open minded, more equal, and more accepting. However, it’s sadly obvious that society is pulling the “I’m not racist, I have a black friend” tactic. Attention Hollywood, Asian Americans are your smallest audience and will continue to be until you treat them like human beings.
Hey fanatacist, your "if you don't like it here, go back to China" response is pretty good. I mean, I haven't heard that one before or anything. Especially not in so many words. By the way, if Asian flicks don't sell well, how'd you explain Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon? Or Enter the Dragon?
I'm also amused that you seem to imply there are no good Asian actors and I'm sorry that you feel offended as an open minded Caucasian by my contentions with Hollywood.
On November 05 2009 00:42 BlackJack wrote: cool post but you go over the top when you imply twice that asian actors are treated as sub-human.
Yah, to be honest, I do have to admit, I think some of the parts are perhaps a bit too much of an inciter.
On November 05 2009 00:55 Hawk wrote: If an asian was cast, you'd be bitching about typecasting.
Plus, just like DBZ and a ton of other anime and games, the character you're talking about is pretty clearly modeled after white dudes, even if he's supposed to be asian
Come now Hawk, you've accused people of strawman arguments before. Surely you recognize yours.
And you'd have to really stretch things to think Kyo Kusanangi looks more white than Caucasian.
Never put it past Hollywood to find new ways to deny Asian American males leading roles. Having a white guy star as a role in a predominantly Oriental setting? Yes David Carradine in Kung Fu is pretty ridiculous but things were different back then right? It was the 1970’s and we’ve moved back petty prejudice and racism. Oh wait, no, I’m talking about now. 2009 when a black man can be president but a Japanese character (the main character in The King of Fighters) is being played by Sean Faris. Pardon me if this somewhat riles me but this seems to be yellowface tactics all over again.
For those unfamiliar with the term, “yellowface” is the act where Asian roles are given to white actors often accompanied by heavy makeup or poor accent work to give him “Oriental” characteristics. People have remarked that while blackface is considered taboo, yellowface is, remarkably enough, considered acceptable in Hollywood. “Remarkably” isn’t the word I’d use for it. The word is “shameful”. In the course of one discussion, I’ve even had someone tell me that the reason Asian actors aren’t accepted is because they are poorer actors. He claimed that scientifically speaking, the smaller eyes expresses a lower empathetically ability and intellectual stimulus. Of course, these are probably the same sciences that declared Caucasians has a larger brain mass than other races (not true, Asians actually has the claim to that), blacks made better stock servant types and Germans were the Aryan race. But no worries, he stated himself, he wasn’t racist. After all, he has many Asian friends and even an Asian girlfriend!
Face it, there’s no excuse beyond prejudice that anyone can justify the way Hollywood treats Asian American actors (especially the males). The door might as well read, “no dogs, no Chinese”.
It’s 2009 when America is supposedly more open minded, more equal, and more accepting. However, it’s sadly obvious that society is pulling the “I’m not racist, I have a black friend” tactic. Attention Hollywood, Asian Americans are your smallest audience and will continue to be until you treat them like human beings.
On March 22 2006 00:02 KissBlade wrote: Girls from Russia > Asians. Sorry. It is true. =P Speaking as an Asian, all the Asian women, ESPECIALLY white washed ones all look pretty boring for me. (And the Fresh off the boat ones that're actually decent looking all think I'm white washed. T_T Oh the irony ...) I think aside from my current British fiancee, every other ex of mine has been Russian and they are by far the hottest women I've seen compared to any other race. Plus they're always so polite and civilized. =) (except the Russian Jews that's been in the US for like four generations)
OMG my post sounds so racist but whatever ... this thread begs for it anyway ...
Lol I guess you get to be subjective but hollywood doesn't
On March 22 2006 00:02 KissBlade wrote: Girls from Russia > Asians. Sorry. It is true. =P Speaking as an Asian, all the Asian women, ESPECIALLY white washed ones all look pretty boring for me. (And the Fresh off the boat ones that're actually decent looking all think I'm white washed. T_T Oh the irony ...) I think aside from my current British fiancee, every other ex of mine has been Russian and they are by far the hottest women I've seen compared to any other race. Plus they're always so polite and civilized. =) (except the Russian Jews that's been in the US for like four generations)
OMG my post sounds so racist but whatever ... this thread begs for it anyway ...
Lol I guess you get to be subjective but hollywood doesn't
2006 is a long time ago sir ... I am, however, touched that your memories of my posts arcs that far back!
I do however admit, those comments were wrong of me and in hindsight now, I do not agree with them in spirit.
On November 05 2009 00:23 Nytefish wrote: What do you mean by Hollywood prejudice, I thought they just make what sells. It's no surprise the "typical audience" prefers white actors in the main roles. I was under the impression that crappy mainstream movies are only possible because there are enough people out there that will watch it to offset the cost.
do you think it is alright if they put a white guy to roleplay Ryu in a Street Fighter movie?
From a purely economic viewpoint, yes, which is pretty much the only thing they care about.
On November 05 2009 00:23 Nytefish wrote: What do you mean by Hollywood prejudice, I thought they just make what sells. It's no surprise the "typical audience" prefers white actors in the main roles. I was under the impression that crappy mainstream movies are only possible because there are enough people out there that will watch it to offset the cost.
do you think it is alright if they put a white guy to roleplay Ryu in a Street Fighter movie?
From a purely economic viewpoint, yes, which is pretty much the only thing they care about.
You know, there's an awful lot of talk of "economic viewpoint" brought up as if if you put a white lead in a film, the flick will be an instant hit and putting an Asian lead = dud. However, that simply isn't true but if it makes people sleep better at night believing then not sure what to say ...
Unlike blacks asians are not good at acting. The perfect choice would be a black actor but the make-up takes too long and that's why they take a white guy.
On November 05 2009 01:25 underscore wrote: Unlike blacks asians are not good at acting. The perfect choice would be a black actor but the make-up takes too long and that's why they take a white guy.
i distinctly remember when i was in mock trial (which is basically acting) i portrayed an expert witness (a doctor). all the judges thought that I was a legitimate doctor, but my parents thought they were saying that just because I was asian.
On November 05 2009 01:07 KissBlade wrote: Hey fanatacist, your "if you don't like it here, go back to China" response is pretty good. I mean, I haven't heard that one before or anything. Especially not in so many words. By the way, if Asian flicks don't sell well, how'd you explain Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon? Or Enter the Dragon?
I'm sorry that you feel offended as an open minded Caucasian by my contentions with Hollywood.
On November 05 2009 00:55 Hawk wrote: If an asian was cast, you'd be bitching about typecasting.
Plus, just like DBZ and a ton of other anime and games, the character you're talking about is pretty clearly modeled after white dudes, even if he's supposed to be asian
Come now Hawk, you've accused people of strawman arguments before. Surely you recognize yours.
And you'd have to really stretch things to think Kyo Kusanangi looks more white than Caucasian.
Once again you make evident your propensity to take any insult or disagreement as a direct assault to your race, thus making me a racist. I love many Asian movies, mostly Korean ones (I have not seen many Chinese films), for example Oldboy, 3 Iron, and Tae Guk Gi. I have a large appreciation for Asian cinematography, and thus for Asian actors (the main actors in Tae Guk Gi and Oldboy played beautifully). I was excited when a Korean actor/musician (Rain) was cast in a movie (the results of this are not relevant to my point in this paragraph). Of course this doesn't make me not a racist in your eyes, because I'm playing the "I watched this Asian movie once and I liked it" card, but that's your bias against your opponents because you clearly have the absolute truth on the matter, right? Also, I'm not offended by your subject matter, but by what I know your ignorant approach is to the subject in conversation, and your manner of describing the issue as if it is a murder in your family.
The "if you don't like it here, go back to China" statement would undoubtedly be a capitalist Hollywood's response to the position you have taken. We are talking about movies filmed in Hollywood for American audiences without the guiding hand of Bruce Lee there, and without the cultural influx and fascination that America had with Asian fighting movies starting in the 1950's to the 1980's, and I guess continued by actors such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li in the 1990's and to a lesser extent Tony Jaa currently (now that the other stars have gotten old). However the movies you listed, Crouching Tiger... and Enter the Dragon, were clearly done in a Asian style (or is in entirely in an Asian language... Clearly not directly marketed to American audiences in its conception). Movies that are filmed in Hollywood on or with martial arts nowadays, such as Jackie Chan's later movies, are clearly a departure from the cultural Asian orientation that was so present in titles in the third quarter of the 20th century. Hollywood movies that star Asians are just flashy Asian things and misconceptions about Asian culture packed into a Americanized movie. Although many of these movies had success (although clearly not all), it was obviously due to the cultural background of the actors - Jackie Chan and his earlier works, Jet Li's works, etc. - something that is largely missing from many Asian actors that we see in Hollywood cinema right now. The average American likes 2 kinds of Asians in movies - Jackie Chan/Jet Li/Chow Yun Fat [[for extra lols, check this out for evidence of how discriminatory America inherently is to Asian actors]]/Big Name, and those really old-school kung fu movies made in Asia (but their appreciation for this class of movies is almost demeaning in nature).
What does this mean to your argument? It means that it is not enough simply to have Asian actors in movies in order to please or be accepted by an American audience: depressingly, it must predominantly be a kung fu movie for it to have an impact, it must have actors with an evident or previously known cultural background from his previous works, and and the movie has to have a strong foundation in Asian culture or the misconceptions of it that are commonly held by Americans. I honestly don't know what is the more obscene display of racism - the lack of appreciation for Asian actors in Hollywood movies, or the fact that for an Asian actor or movie to be given any status or fame it has to be due to so many pre-requisites. This however does not support your argument - you want more Asian actors, as if that somehow helps the current situation. Maybe you hope that eventually the American audience will grow into a comfortable position with Asian actors being common as lead roles in Hollywood movies. This gradual change however will take a lot of time, and thus a lot of initial dollars spent will not be returned as revenue, and thus Hollywood's interest in investing in this process is low. Let me summarize: your motives are short-sighted and are effectively a part of a myopic pipe-dream, oblivious to the perspectives of those who must spend and risk losing money providing you with the results that you desire.
On November 05 2009 00:23 Nytefish wrote: What do you mean by Hollywood prejudice, I thought they just make what sells. It's no surprise the "typical audience" prefers white actors in the main roles. I was under the impression that crappy mainstream movies are only possible because there are enough people out there that will watch it to offset the cost.
do you think it is alright if they put a white guy to roleplay Ryu in a Street Fighter movie?
From a purely economic viewpoint, yes, which is pretty much the only thing they care about.
You know, there's an awful lot of talk of "economic viewpoint" brought up as if if you put a white lead in a film, the flick will be an instant hit and putting an Asian lead = dud. However, that simply isn't true but if it makes people sleep better at night believing then not sure what to say ...
Hello. Were you to post this initially, perhaps we'd have an actual discussion. However, at the moment I must actually head out and wouldn't be able to provide a fitting thoughtful response in time. I will do so when time allows. You do present good counter points but I find some of them flawed or at the very least disagreeable. Think of this until then, based upon your argument, how do you think African Americans are allowed in the main roles? Are you saying Asian Americans are simply inferior actors as a whole and thus will never achieve those status or that they simply haven't paid their dues?
This guy is playing the Prince of Persia in the upcoming video-game based movie. He's doing it in a British accent. Not yellowface, but another example of Hollywood white-washing
On November 05 2009 01:25 underscore wrote: Unlike blacks asians are not good at acting. The perfect choice would be a black actor but the make-up takes too long and that's why they take a white guy.
lol
On November 05 2009 02:20 Hawk wrote:
Those eyes sure don't look too asian?
Kyo Kusanagi from King of Fighters is obviously supposed to be Japanese though. His last name is fucking Kusanagi for god's sake.
Hello. Were you to post this initially, perhaps we'd have an actual discussion. However, at the moment I must actually head out and wouldn't be able to provide a fitting thoughtful response in time. I will do so when time allows. You do present good counter points but I find some of them flawed or at the very least disagreeable. Think of this until then, based upon your argument, how do you think African Americans are allowed in the main roles? Are you saying Asian Americans are simply inferior actors as a whole and thus will never achieve those status or that they simply haven't paid their dues?
First I would like to say that I don't appreciate the connotation of your second question - it makes it seem that
1. You still see me as a racist, something that I would not find acceptable of a person that I am discussing such a subject with, 2. You are accusing me of inferring that point of view through my writing, as if my first paragraph truly was all a lie in order to soften you up for my argument or save face by denying racism.
As a person who is attuned to fine arts that rely heavily on the vocal department (acting), I would expect that you know a real conversation that actors try to mimic have both an intellectual and emotional foundation. By filling your questions with such an inherently accusatory tone, it sets me up to make an equally offensive response, which in your case is beneficial because you are defending racial equality. I'm not sure if you are aware of this effect and thus do it intentionally or because it is your manner of debating, but I don't think it is appropriate if you truly want a respectful discussion on the questions you have asked. However, given the generally positive tone of your response I will try to not think about that as I answer.
- how do you think African Americans are allowed in the main roles?
African Americans are allowed in the main roles for the following reasons:
1. There are many established African American actors that have filmed movies in the past that do not depart from the American cultural scene, which means they are not expected to fill a certain role (same reason why some actors are always villains or soccer moms, except on a grander scale) as opposed to an Asian actor's near-necessity to fill an Asian cultural background (considering the fact that they are not representative of American-born Asians, which sometimes includes themselves, this is almost funny). NOTE: I don't mean that Morgan Freeman for example, or Samuel Jackson, isn't generally expected to have a certain type of character in a movie. That is certainly false. I mean that black actors as a WHOLE don't have the same restraining pre-requisites as Asian American actors. Of course there are some - movies like Friday and Barber Shop are representative of that. However it is important to note that the characters portrayed in those movies are representative of a larger population of the market, and some of the stereotypes portrayed are actually accepted by African Americans (as evidenced by some of the movies being cultural hits), although obviously not entirely (as with any stereotype or generalization, especially in terrible movies). 2. These actors became established actors over time due to the presence of African American actors in cinema for over a century, reaching back to nearly the beginnings of cinematography. Of course due to the racial climate against blacks in the United States in the early 20th century (which is unarguably worse than the current climate against Asians on the grand scale in the US today), this presence was limited for almost the entirety of the first half of the century with a few exceptions, but this pre-existing foundation was enough to boost the potential for a positive environment towards African American actors after Americans became more tolerant, and continued to grow with the increasing acceptance of African American culture up to modern times. 3. There is a longer history of African Americans on television in general, as well as in pop culture, back from the 1950's and 1960's and especially in the 70's and 80's with sitcoms and the music scene. This is also due to the increasing acceptance of African American actors.and culture in general. 4. There is a larger market for African American male roles. A larger target audience, and a larger level of audience acceptance in many cases. Notable examples are Samuel Jackson in movies like Pulp Fiction, Morgan Freeman, Whittaker, Marlon Wayans (and his family oftentimes), Denzel Washington, Dave Chappelle, and many many more.
Many of these same things cannot be said of Asian Actors simply due to their history.
- Are you saying Asian Americans are simply inferior actors as a whole and thus will never achieve those status or that they simply haven't paid their dues?
As I just said, it's a matter of history and the level of acceptance, as well as the target market. Asian Americans are not necessarily inferior actors as a whole in terms of ability, but that is arguable simply due to the different perceptions of what ability in acting means. Like any art, as in music for example, everyone has their own tastes - which is partially why Americans are more geared towards white and sometimes black actors, and why Asian audiences (in Asia) are more geared to Asian actors. So, like music, acting needs to fit certain standards in order to garner success in a region, and some of those standards are indeed unjust or racist. Some of those standards are merely a reflection of the populace - a ragtime band right now would never be a #1 billboard hit, and perhaps by the same token an Asian American actor can never be the most successful or most popular actor in America. It's just a matter of market demographics.
I don't think they will never achieve the status of being commonly used as lead actors in movies that are not geared towards martial arts or action. I just think that simply fielding more Asian Actors, disregarding the social climate, is not the solution. I also think that it will be a while before American-born Asian actors with no martial arts background can be top-10 grossing actors in America. I don't believe in "paying dues" - I think the notion of having to fulfill a racial stereotype or honoring the history of your background in cinema before being considered an established actor is stupid. I'm Russian, don't you think I'm tired of seeing the stereotypical Russian actor playing a stereotypical Russian role in a movie (gangster with an ugly face and leather jacket, speaking broken English)? Or when American actors try to portray Russians, which puts a whole new level of stereotyping into the mix? I almost cried whenever I heard the kid in Star Trek talk, his accent was the kind of demeaning accent that people take when trying to imitate Russian immigrants, I'm sure you can relate. Him being 17 and a math/physics genius is just one example of the subliminal stereotyping. It's just as bad as 'yellowface' is to you, except in some ways it is better (not actually having to put on special make up to look like the the target character), and in some ways it is worse (most Americans don't even realize that they are being spoon-fed lies and racism BECAUSE Russians are Caucasians and can easily be played by a white actor to a satisfactory level for the audience).
On November 05 2009 01:25 underscore wrote: Unlike blacks asians are not good at acting. The perfect choice would be a black actor but the make-up takes too long and that's why they take a white guy.
do you think it is alright if they put a white guy to roleplay Ryu in a Street Fighter movie?
I remember when I was a little kid I saw the street fighter movie for the first time and when I saw some chinese dude play Ryu I was shocked going "WTF?! He doesnt look ANYTHING like ryu.. why is he asian?"
On November 05 2009 02:38 fanatacist wrote: I don't think they will never achieve the status of being commonly used as lead actors in movies that are not geared towards martial arts or action. I just think that simply fielding more Asian Actors, disregarding the social climate, is not the solution. I also think that it will be a while before American-born Asian actors with no martial arts background can be top-10 grossing actors in America. I don't believe in "paying dues" - I think the notion of having to fulfill a racial stereotype or honoring the history of your background in cinema before being considered an established actor is stupid. I'm Russian, don't you think I'm tired of seeing the stereotypical Russian actor playing a stereotypical Russian role in a movie (gangster with an ugly face and leather jacket, speaking broken English)? Or when American actors try to portray Russians, which puts a whole new level of stereotyping into the mix? I almost cried whenever I heard the kid in Star Trek talk, his accent was the kind of demeaning accent that people take when trying to imitate Russian immigrants, I'm sure you can relate. Him being 17 and a math/physics genius is just one example of the subliminal stereotyping. It's just as bad as 'yellowface' is to you, except in some ways it is better (not actually having to put on special make up to look like the the target character), and in some ways it is worse (most Americans don't even realize that they are being spoon-fed lies and racism BECAUSE Russians are Caucasians and can easily be played by a white actor to a satisfactory level for the audience).
Not that I disagree with your points at all, and this is slightly off-topic I guess, but the kid from Star Trek is actually a Russian immigrant, granted he apparently came to America around 6 months old (source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0947338/bio ). Apparently you feel that he portrayed Russians poorly (and I personally have no idea, so I'm not disagreeing with you), so I'm just curious what you believe the cause of that to be? Personally I would think someone of Russian descent, especially someone with parents such as his, would be at least somewhat in touch with Russian culture and heritage and to have a somewhat accurate idea of how to sound Russian. So do you think that the problem may have been with his upbringing as a result of him being in America (thus causing him to lose many of his Russian traits), or do you think that the problem came from Hollywood's end, and that maybe they (or maybe even he himself) put pressure on the actor to portray what you feel to be an inaccurate stereotype?
This is an honest question, I'm not trying to disagree or put you into a difficult position here. I agree with a lot of what you've said in this thread and I think that you have some interesting points, so I was just curious what you thought about this particular subject if you don't mind sharing.
On November 05 2009 01:25 underscore wrote: Unlike blacks asians are not good at acting. The perfect choice would be a black actor but the make-up takes too long and that's why they take a white guy.
lol
On November 05 2009 02:20 Hawk wrote:
Those eyes sure don't look too asian?
Kyo Kusanagi from King of Fighters is obviously supposed to be Japanese though. His last name is fucking Kusanagi for god's sake.
And the artists obviously borrowed features from caucasians in their rendition of the dude?
The thing is, I generally find that in Japanese manga style art, there are little to no differences in how Caucasians and Asians are drawn when it comes to facial structure. Much of the time, the differences are only really portrayed in hair colour or facial hair or something like that. Due to this I really can't say if the artists borrowed Caucasian features when drawing their characters. It's not like visual arts always strive to be realistic.
On November 05 2009 01:25 underscore wrote: Unlike blacks asians are not good at acting. The perfect choice would be a black actor but the make-up takes too long and that's why they take a white guy.
lol
On November 05 2009 02:20 Hawk wrote:
Those eyes sure don't look too asian?
Kyo Kusanagi from King of Fighters is obviously supposed to be Japanese though. His last name is fucking Kusanagi for god's sake.
And the artists obviously borrowed features from caucasians in their rendition of the dude?
The thing is, I generally find that in Japanese manga style art, there are little to no differences in how Caucasians and Asians are drawn when it comes to facial structure. Much of the time, the differences are only really portrayed in hair colour or facial hair or something like that. Due to this I really can't say if the artists borrowed Caucasian features when drawing their characters. It's not like visual arts always strive to be realistic.
I didn't say they strive to be realistic. But it's completely obvious that facial features are borrowed from other races, seeing as you don't see any asians wide and bright eyed.
On November 05 2009 02:38 fanatacist wrote: I don't think they will never achieve the status of being commonly used as lead actors in movies that are not geared towards martial arts or action. I just think that simply fielding more Asian Actors, disregarding the social climate, is not the solution. I also think that it will be a while before American-born Asian actors with no martial arts background can be top-10 grossing actors in America. I don't believe in "paying dues" - I think the notion of having to fulfill a racial stereotype or honoring the history of your background in cinema before being considered an established actor is stupid. I'm Russian, don't you think I'm tired of seeing the stereotypical Russian actor playing a stereotypical Russian role in a movie (gangster with an ugly face and leather jacket, speaking broken English)? Or when American actors try to portray Russians, which puts a whole new level of stereotyping into the mix? I almost cried whenever I heard the kid in Star Trek talk, his accent was the kind of demeaning accent that people take when trying to imitate Russian immigrants, I'm sure you can relate. Him being 17 and a math/physics genius is just one example of the subliminal stereotyping. It's just as bad as 'yellowface' is to you, except in some ways it is better (not actually having to put on special make up to look like the the target character), and in some ways it is worse (most Americans don't even realize that they are being spoon-fed lies and racism BECAUSE Russians are Caucasians and can easily be played by a white actor to a satisfactory level for the audience).
Not that I disagree with your points at all, and this is slightly off-topic I guess, but the kid from Star Trek is actually a Russian immigrant, granted he apparently came to America around 6 months old (source: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0947338/bio ). Apparently you feel that he portrayed Russians poorly (and I personally have no idea, so I'm not disagreeing with you), so I'm just curious what you believe the cause of that to be? Personally I would think someone of Russian descent, especially someone with parents such as his, would be at least somewhat in touch with Russian culture and heritage and to have a somewhat accurate idea of how to sound Russian. So do you think that the problem may have been with his upbringing as a result of him being in America (thus causing him to lose many of his Russian traits), or do you think that the problem came from Hollywood's end, and that maybe they (or maybe even he himself) put pressure on the actor to portray what you feel to be an inaccurate stereotype?
This is an honest question, I'm not trying to disagree or put you into a difficult position here. I agree with a lot of what you've said in this thread and I think that you have some interesting points, so I was just curious what you thought about this particular subject if you don't mind sharing.
Yes, looking at his name I knew he was Russian or at least born to Russian parents. It was clear from his accent that it was forced, so I knew he wasn't raised in Russia. Even being knowledgeable in Russian culture or being of that descent does not mean your Russian is actually that pervasive that it affects your English speech. What I am trying to say is that he TRIED to portray a Russian accent when it was completely unnecessary in absolute terms. It was clearly added for comedic value, making the age question that came up later more funny than if he was John Doe from America (because he is a Russian immigrant, he must therefore have gone through a rigorous physics educational program in the Motherland at a young age, right?). I think the problem therefore lies in both Hollywood and this actor in particular and his clearly forced play. Not that it's his fault - he got chosen for a role due to his last name and paper stats (born in Russia, raised by Russians), and he had to fill the role that Hollywood scripted him. The role itself, due to the aforementioned question and unnecessarily heavy accent, is demeaning in a way, even though he is lauded for his intelligence. The actor forcing a Russian accent when he himself clearly does not have one is a more direct factor, but like I said really isn't his fault. This also ties in with the fact that he was chosen for a Russian role because he has a Russian last name and some minor biographical history, like how Asian actors are forced into Asian kung fu roles with Asian stereotypes even if they are American-born.
I don't think I'm THAT sensitive lol. This is just a conversation, and you asked an interesting question that wasn't accusatory or inflammatory, you're not stepping any toes haha. No need to approach with a precautionary message - I only took it out a bit on KissBlade because I wanted to point out that he was being accusatory in his tone, and that was no longer necessary because he made it clear he wanted an open and serious discussion (although I understand his continuing of the tone that we both set with our first responses to each other).
EDIT: Just want to expound on the fact that just because he has Russian parents, it doesn't mean that he can accurately represent a Russian accent - he might be able to pull off a TYPICAL Russian accent that Americans want to hear better than non-Eastern European actors, but that never does the original variation on the dialect any justice. When my parents talk, they have quirks that are not part of a typical Russian accent, such as the one he portrayed - he basically said English phrases in a funny voice, whereas most Russians who are actual immigrants not only have accents but also differences in phrase structure, conjugation, and word choice. For example, the word "accurate" in Russian is closest to the word "akuratno," which actually means "careful." Mistakes like that in conversation are what makes Russian immigrants immigrants, and not just people speaking with a funny voice. Of course there are more general ones that he could have employed in his speech, but he didn't - the script was written by some American writer, hoping to extract a few laughs at the expense of a stereotype. He wrote it in perfect English, and then had some kid read it with a forced accent. Therefore it would be impossible to tell if this kid actually spoke any Russian or not, because for example I lack an accent (almost) in both English and Russian. However my forced accent will never be as good as my parents' real one, and it's not because I am a terrible actor or because I am not good at imitating at least generally what they sound like - it's because of the lingual tendencies that I'd never have the presence of mind to include in conversation. This is all regardless of the fact that I still find the stereotyping somewhat offensive.
On November 05 2009 01:25 underscore wrote: Unlike blacks asians are not good at acting. The perfect choice would be a black actor but the make-up takes too long and that's why they take a white guy.
lol
On November 05 2009 02:20 Hawk wrote:
Those eyes sure don't look too asian?
Kyo Kusanagi from King of Fighters is obviously supposed to be Japanese though. His last name is fucking Kusanagi for god's sake.
And the artists obviously borrowed features from caucasians in their rendition of the dude?
The thing is, I generally find that in Japanese manga style art, there are little to no differences in how Caucasians and Asians are drawn when it comes to facial structure. Much of the time, the differences are only really portrayed in hair colour or facial hair or something like that. Due to this I really can't say if the artists borrowed Caucasian features when drawing their characters. It's not like visual arts always strive to be realistic.
I didn't say they strive to be realistic. But it's completely obvious that facial features are borrowed from other races, seeing as you don't see any asians wide and bright eyed.
See, as far as anime and manga go, I don't necessarily think the writers/drawers exactly try to mimic the western cultures. I've been trying to search on sources confirming/denying this theory, but there wasn't much I found. Thus, unless someone can provide a legit source, I'm against the belief that asians try to mimic caucasians, although it's not impossible and note, I say "mimic" as in completely center the theme around them.
The main reason I believe otherwise is because, sure there are many blonde haired, blue eyed depictions of characters in japanese anime and manga, but the eyes aren't in any one particular shape. You do have the overly huge shapes that look like bells, but you also do have the slantedness pop up pretty often. In addition, you have besides the normal hair colors, pink, blue, gray, white, orange, and so many other weird discrepencies like extremely childish looking (lolicon) characters.
I do think asians borrow much from the western culture, but not necessarily center it around them. Rather, they take ideas from all over and just make an explosion of varieties showing in many different instances, not just the one from a quote within this quote with kusanagi or w/e. I'm not necessarily saying you're wrong either, Hawk about the fact that there are borrowed features from Caucasian evident in the blond hair/blue eyed combo that comes up often.
Just wanted to make this huge post with my 2cent analysis because I have a self-righteous indignation about having my voice heard
Nah, I agree, it's like a big mix of everything. It's not totally based on caucasians, but stuff is borrowed to show variety. I saw that pop up on a couple anime forums, but it was a bunch of nobodies talking, so take it as you will. But logically, it's easy to reason that they're emulating some stuff on other people.
On November 05 2009 01:25 underscore wrote: Unlike blacks asians are not good at acting. The perfect choice would be a black actor but the make-up takes too long and that's why they take a white guy.
lol
On November 05 2009 02:20 Hawk wrote:
Those eyes sure don't look too asian?
Kyo Kusanagi from King of Fighters is obviously supposed to be Japanese though. His last name is fucking Kusanagi for god's sake.
And the artists obviously borrowed features from caucasians in their rendition of the dude?
The thing is, I generally find that in Japanese manga style art, there are little to no differences in how Caucasians and Asians are drawn when it comes to facial structure. Much of the time, the differences are only really portrayed in hair colour or facial hair or something like that. Due to this I really can't say if the artists borrowed Caucasian features when drawing their characters. It's not like visual arts always strive to be realistic.
I didn't say they strive to be realistic. But it's completely obvious that facial features are borrowed from other races, seeing as you don't see any asians wide and bright eyed.
I don't see any Caucasians with sparkly eyes that cover a quarter of their face. I don't find it obvious at all because the extent of how sharp the shape of Asians really aren't as close as how many people exaggerate, and one of my ex girlfriends had really big eyes naturally. There are differences, but it's not as big as you think. The facial features are not "obviously" borrowed from other races, and I still maintain that I don't think the correlation is as big as you claim despite that the Japanese have strived to be a part of the West when with Asians, and at the same time try to push forward their Eastern characteristics when with the Westerners for a very long time.
On November 05 2009 01:25 underscore wrote: Unlike blacks asians are not good at acting. The perfect choice would be a black actor but the make-up takes too long and that's why they take a white guy.
lol
On November 05 2009 02:20 Hawk wrote:
Those eyes sure don't look too asian?
Kyo Kusanagi from King of Fighters is obviously supposed to be Japanese though. His last name is fucking Kusanagi for god's sake.
And the artists obviously borrowed features from caucasians in their rendition of the dude?
The thing is, I generally find that in Japanese manga style art, there are little to no differences in how Caucasians and Asians are drawn when it comes to facial structure. Much of the time, the differences are only really portrayed in hair colour or facial hair or something like that. Due to this I really can't say if the artists borrowed Caucasian features when drawing their characters. It's not like visual arts always strive to be realistic.
I didn't say they strive to be realistic. But it's completely obvious that facial features are borrowed from other races, seeing as you don't see any asians wide and bright eyed.
I don't see any Caucasians with sparkly eyes that cover a quarter of their face.
I agree. I totally hated that white kid in the Jet Li/Jackie Chan movie Forbidden Kingdom. I mean, this movie had two of the most popular chinese actors and yet they take a backseat to this lil white kid. The movie is supposed to take place in mythical ancient China, wtf's a white kid doing in ancient china??
If anything, I say the blame resides in the asian movie business people. I'm guessing the chinese guys want to sell to the US/international market so they cast caucasian people.
The "not white enough" is not only Korea, it's the entire fuckin Asia, and I have experience of it. The whiter you look the richer (beauty, educated...) you seem. Dark skin is related to poor sort of, that's why everybody there do skin whitening not mentioning south east Asia.
White is the colour which produces the greatest transcedental impression on my mind. Anything can be made dark by being soiled in nature. But to be white, and to be kept white, requires a strict cleanness which places the object in self-sufficient solitude above nature. The impressions evoked by whiteness- purity, delicacy, modesty, and a sensuous vulnerability - are not arbitrary. Because whiteness makes our feelings gentle, and our sensations enjoyable, it ought be embraced by civilized people.
it's only slightly relevant but this was a really great moltke post
First off, I'd like to thank the serious responses to this thread regardless of whether or not I agree with them I do appreciate them for thought value.
On November 05 2009 02:38 fanatacist wrote:
~~~
I'd also like to think we probably got off to a bad start so let me clear off that any accusation of you being a racist was wrong of me and I apologize for them in tone and meaning. For obvious reasons, I've felt myself attacked on multiple fronts for my post so my temper overrode my judgment. Unfortunately I have to be brief as I arrived home at midnight and have work tomorrow. =(
Regarding African Americans allowed main roles, I do feel it's part because they were particularly more active (though occasionally to the side of whining) in their own political battles that brought them to where they were. After all, as you said, it took the better part of a century to get African Americans to where they are socially in society. While my own post here not do much on it's own, it's still one more voice than not.
In response to your second paragraph, I agree with you on point. However, the difference is, you believe that such a thing will naturally occur where I believe it won't happen until something pushes it to happen. I also sympathize with you because most of my friends are actually predominantly Russian (lol, actually to the point where I would've been very much favorable deposed towards you if I knew you were Russian) and know all about the "oh you just get drunk and violent all the time, etc etc". I should also point out that the reason I am especially upset is for the same reason you are, in that most Americans simply think these things are acceptable, just like "oh Asian guys can't get any because they're all quiet, insecure nerds, etc etc."
Will respond to more posts when I can borrow time at work =\.
The situation is actually pretty simple in my perspective.
Hollywood has discriminated against Asians over the years. The American perspective is skewed to view Asian actors as only being a "Charlie Chan" or "Fu Man Chu" character. Because of the negative perception, American audiences react poorly to an Asian male lead character. Therefore, Hollywood refuses to risk casting an Asian male lead. That is how the cycle continues. Never under estimate the power of Hollywood representation, during our childhood we all build an image of subjects/objects based on how they are represented on the big screen or silver screen.
Things have nothing to do with acting ability or demographic. Everything lies with public perception of Asian-Americans, something must be done in order to reverse stereotypes and break the cycle. We have had some successful Asian male actors. An example being, Suze Hakawa. He was Japanese-american and was just as popular as Charlie Chaplin during the silent movie era.
On November 05 2009 15:19 itzme_petey wrote: Things have nothing to do with acting ability or demographic.
Public perception certainly plays in, but if you don't think that the ability of an individual actor or the demographics don't play in, I really don't know what to say.
While maybe not in movies, asian characters are becoming more prominent on TV. BSG, Dollhouse, Heroes, Flashforward, Lost, and I'm sure others have asian characters in main roles.
^Does this Jap chick have small eyes? This girl has freakin wide eyes more then most Caucasian girls.
lol she probably had surgery. double eyelid surgery is one of the most popular plastic surgeries in east asia along with increasing the height of the bridge of the nose.
say what you want, but how many american cartoons try to make their eyes look slanted/small ? There are caucasians with small eyes/single eyelid but majority has double eyelids and thats what their cartoons/comics usually portray.
sure there are some east asians with double eyelids / wider eyes, but majority/very large proportion do not. Yet in all their media they strive to portray this - including different eye/hair color which is mostly a causasian trait. (Some south asians have different eye color too though, but its not as prevalent as in caucasians).
Height of the bridge of the nose is also a indo-european, as with the wider eyes. Majority of people belonging to the indo-european ethnic group (caucasians, middle eastern, south asians) have these facial features, but mongoloids (east asians) commonly do not. However this surgery is extremely popular, and most anime/manga characters are portrayed with this feature too.
On November 05 2009 15:19 itzme_petey wrote: The situation is actually pretty simple in my perspective.
Hollywood has discriminated against Asians over the years. The American perspective is skewed to view Asian actors as only being a "Charlie Chan" or "Fu Man Chu" character. Because of the negative perception, American audiences react poorly to an Asian male lead character. Therefore, Hollywood refuses to risk casting an Asian male lead. That is how the cycle continues. Never under estimate the power of Hollywood representation, during our childhood we all build an image of subjects/objects based on how they are represented on the big screen or silver screen.
Things have nothing to do with acting ability or demographic. Everything lies with public perception of Asian-Americans, something must be done in order to reverse stereotypes and break the cycle. We have had some successful Asian male actors. An example being, Suze Hakawa. He was Japanese-american and was just as popular as Charlie Chaplin during the silent movie era.
are you going to say that the American Music Industry has discriminated Asians over the years too? Utada hikaru, BoA, WonderGirls and many other asian artists who are megastar in their home countries have utterly failed to make any impact at all in the American music scene.
But guess what, the number one song in the US for 2 weeks was by a person of south asian origin, Jay Sean.
Last year MIA who is also of south asian origin had her single #4 on the Billboard charts. Think about the number of east asians and their prevalence in media. how many east asian people do you see in commericals? they are interchangable with white people hahaha. Still these south asian artists were able to succeed. Because they made good music.
Regarding African Americans allowed main roles, I do feel it's part because they were particularly more active (though occasionally to the side of whining) in their own political battles that brought them to where they were. After all, as you said, it took the better part of a century to get African Americans to where they are socially in society. While my own post here not do much on it's own, it's still one more voice than not. \.
i thought i'd just chime in on this. imo it's because black people are seen as american. even if the actor is jamaican, british, haitian, etc, any random person on the street will assume that a black guy is an american until they start speaking in an obviously non-american accent. also, you'd never hear a corporate executive in hollywood say "well, go back to africa then" if black people complained about there not being enough black people in cinema (though that probably happened on a regular basis 50 years ago!) however, most random people on the street will assume than an asian is non-american and will generally complement you on how great your english is and ask you where you're from and give you blank looks when you say "from san jose" or something. asians probably won't be seen as "american" for a long time, if ever.
man fuck hollwood, fuck racist negros, fuck whity tidies, god it pisses me off sometimes.................................seriously. WHY MAN? WHY A WHITE GOKU? WHY? AND SERIOUSLY WHY THE FUCK IS ANG FROM THE LAST AIRBENDER MOVIE WHITE? especially when in both the cartoon and the movie that OBVIOUSLY the setting is most likely somewhere in asia. EVEN the monk's style and all the characters have asian looks and cultural attached to them. FUCK whoever's directing that movie needs to grow something in between his skull, IF HE CAN"T FUCKN GROW A BRAIN, GROW A TUMOR TO FILL UP THE VOID.
AND WHY THE FUCK IS ALL THE ASIANS ALL LAB-GEEK ANTAGONISTS? look at x-men orginal wolverine, that 1 asian guy that ended up dying who was a LAB GEEK... FUCK HOLLYWOOD. Also for the movie Jennifer's body WHY THE FUCK IS THAT ASIAN GIRL PORTRAIT AS A FUCKEN GEEK? STOP STEREOTYPING FUCKKK. AND WHY IS THE 2 twin ROBOTS FROM TRANSFORMERS 2 TALK LIKE RETARDED GANGSTERS? WHY MAN WHY FUCK , stop the stereotypes GOD...
<<<<KILL YOURSELF ASAP RETARDED DIRECTORS>>>> ps: you have no idea how glad i am that in the movie the last samurai the characters were somewhat good, and asians weren't portrayed as idiotic lab geeks. i'm asian and it pisses me off like FOOOOOK.
On November 07 2009 13:40 YPang wrote: man fuck hollwood, fuck racist negros, fuck whity tidies, god it pisses me off sometimes.................................seriously. WHY MAN? WHY A WHITE GOKU? WHY? AND SERIOUSLY WHY THE FUCK IS ANG FROM THE LAST AIRBENDER MOVIE WHITE? especially when in both the cartoon and the movie that OBVIOUSLY the setting is most likely somewhere in asia. EVEN the monk's style and all the characters have asian looks and cultural attached to them. FUCK whoever's directing that movie needs to grow something in between his skull, IF HE CAN"T FUCKN GROW A BRAIN, GROW A TUMOR TO FILL UP THE VOID.
AND WHY THE FUCK IS ALL THE ASIANS ALL LAB-GEEK ANTAGONISTS? look at x-men orginal wolverine, that 1 asian guy that ended up dying who was a LAB GEEK... FUCK HOLLYWOOD. Also for the movie Jennifer's body WHY THE FUCK IS THAT ASIAN GIRL PORTRAIT AS A FUCKEN GEEK? STOP STEREOTYPING FUCKKK. AND WHY IS THE 2 twin ROBOTS FROM TRANSFORMERS 2 TALK LIKE RETARDED GANGSTERS? WHY MAN WHY FUCK , stop the stereotypes GOD...
<<<<KILL YOURSELF ASAP RETARDED DIRECTORS>>>> ps: you have no idea how glad i am that in the movie the last samurai the characters were somewhat good, and asians weren't portrayed as idiotic lab geeks. i'm asian and it pisses me off like FOOOOOK.
On November 07 2009 13:40 YPang wrote: man fuck hollwood, fuck racist negros, fuck whity tidies, god it pisses me off sometimes.................................seriously. WHY MAN? WHY A WHITE GOKU? WHY? AND SERIOUSLY WHY THE FUCK IS ANG FROM THE LAST AIRBENDER MOVIE WHITE? especially when in both the cartoon and the movie that OBVIOUSLY the setting is most likely somewhere in asia. EVEN the monk's style and all the characters have asian looks and cultural attached to them. FUCK whoever's directing that movie needs to grow something in between his skull, IF HE CAN"T FUCKN GROW A BRAIN, GROW A TUMOR TO FILL UP THE VOID.
AND WHY THE FUCK IS ALL THE ASIANS ALL LAB-GEEK ANTAGONISTS? look at x-men orginal wolverine, that 1 asian guy that ended up dying who was a LAB GEEK... FUCK HOLLYWOOD. Also for the movie Jennifer's body WHY THE FUCK IS THAT ASIAN GIRL PORTRAIT AS A FUCKEN GEEK? STOP STEREOTYPING FUCKKK. AND WHY IS THE 2 twin ROBOTS FROM TRANSFORMERS 2 TALK LIKE RETARDED GANGSTERS? WHY MAN WHY FUCK , stop the stereotypes GOD...
<<<<KILL YOURSELF ASAP RETARDED DIRECTORS>>>> ps: you have no idea how glad i am that in the movie the last samurai the characters were somewhat good, and asians weren't portrayed as idiotic lab geeks. i'm asian and it pisses me off like FOOOOOK.
ps: you have no idea how glad i am that in the movie the last samurai the characters were somewhat good, and asians weren't portrayed as idiotic lab geeks. i'm asian and it pisses me off like FOOOOOK.
^Does this Jap chick have small eyes? This girl has freakin wide eyes more then most Caucasian girls.
Hawk is right though. I don't want to burst ur bubble but have ur ever heard of single to double asian eyelid surgery; she is had it by the way; let me phrase it in your language since you like youtube (which shows the full spectrum of surgeries): + Show Spoiler +
I just attribute it to a greater need or ability of adaptation to the predominant aesthetic trends. I am pretty sure that if the world media was dominated by say, polar bears, some Japanese would be trying to look like polar bears. I also know of some Japanese that do their best to look and act black too since the world wide rise of hip-hop/rap. + Show Spoiler +
On November 07 2009 13:40 YPang wrote: man fuck hollwood, fuck racist negros, fuck whity tidies, god it pisses me off sometimes.................................seriously. WHY MAN? WHY A WHITE GOKU? WHY? AND SERIOUSLY WHY THE FUCK IS ANG FROM THE LAST AIRBENDER MOVIE WHITE? especially when in both the cartoon and the movie that OBVIOUSLY the setting is most likely somewhere in asia. EVEN the monk's style and all the characters have asian looks and cultural attached to them. FUCK whoever's directing that movie needs to grow something in between his skull, IF HE CAN"T FUCKN GROW A BRAIN, GROW A TUMOR TO FILL UP THE VOID.
AND WHY THE FUCK IS ALL THE ASIANS ALL LAB-GEEK ANTAGONISTS? look at x-men orginal wolverine, that 1 asian guy that ended up dying who was a LAB GEEK... FUCK HOLLYWOOD. Also for the movie Jennifer's body WHY THE FUCK IS THAT ASIAN GIRL PORTRAIT AS A FUCKEN GEEK? STOP STEREOTYPING FUCKKK. AND WHY IS THE 2 twin ROBOTS FROM TRANSFORMERS 2 TALK LIKE RETARDED GANGSTERS? WHY MAN WHY FUCK , stop the stereotypes GOD...
<<<<KILL YOURSELF ASAP RETARDED DIRECTORS>>>> ps: you have no idea how glad i am that in the movie the last samurai the characters were somewhat good, and asians weren't portrayed as idiotic lab geeks. i'm asian and it pisses me off like FOOOOOK.
Problem is man, it's like criticizing Nepalese movies for their portrayal of Caucasians or not using enough white Caucasian actors. China and other Asian nations need to start raising the bar in their own movie making and do it they way they prefer to be portrayed. Do you understand what I am getting at? I would love to see more decent films come of China, Korea and Japan. This is gradually happening and hopefully the future will bring more.
Can any of the Asians explain to me why the fuck Asians were always like 35% of the earth's population (if not even more), yet I cannot remember a single good Asian actor, single good Asian movie* apart from few Japanese animes**, nor in general I dont remember a single Asian invention, apart from paper (which was sorta reinvented in Egypt?) and instant soups***
It's not that I dont like Asians or something, I sometimes I eat chicken at the local restaurant, but seriously, guys, I dont remember a single interesting thing you have made. Even in broodwar - iccup was made by non-korean players, nearly all the map making tools were made by non-asian players, damn even the only person who did not behave like a wooden doll in front of the camera is the infamous australian Wink-Toss...
*Maybe that movie by Akira Kurosawa wasnt that bad, but it was made on the basis of Shakespear; I also enjoyed "master of the flying guilotine" and sorta enjoyed "story of ricky" **most characters in anime are white XD ***I cannot eat them, because they make me sick
btw. All the recommended Korean movies I have seen were damn awful; maybe it's just me, but I like some plot not: "nothing happening for 2/3 of the film so I can fast forward the sights of a city/river/etc. and wait for the 2minutes of graphic violence, which is then followed with more static sights of a city". Seriously that spring, summer, autumn, winter movie is the best example...
On November 08 2009 03:39 closed wrote: Can any of the Asians explain to me why the fuck Asians were always like 35% of the earth's population (if not even more), yet I cannot remember a single good Asian actor, single good Asian movie* apart from few Japanese animes**, nor in general I dont remember a single Asian invention, apart from paper (which was sorta reinvented in Egypt?) and instant soups***
It's not that I dont like Asians or something, I sometimes I eat chicken at the local restaurant, but seriously, guys, I dont remember a single interesting thing you have made. Even in broodwar - iccup was made by non-korean players, nearly all the map making tools were made by non-asian players, damn even the only person who did not behave like a wooden doll in front of the camera is the infamous australian Wink-Toss...
*Maybe that movie by Akira Kurosawa wasnt that bad, but it was made on the basis of Shakespear; I also enjoyed "master of the flying guilotine" and sorta enjoyed "story of ricky" **most characters in anime are white XD ***I cannot eat them, because they make me sick
btw. All the recommended Korean movies I have seen were damn awful; maybe it's just me, but I like some plot not: "nothing happening for 2/3 of the film so I can fast forward the sights of a city/river/etc. and wait for the 2minutes of graphic violence, which is then followed with more static sights of a city". Seriously that spring, summer, autumn, winter movie is the best example...
Acting is all about expressing emotions and in many Asian cultures one is taught from an early age in life not to show emotions publicly... maybe that has something to do with it. Probably not, just an opinion to your question. Maybe the fact that masks and mask like make-up were very important in traditional acting in countries like Japan and China is telling too.
TBH i think the logically reason is that the majority of the movie goers and TV watchers are white people, and they'll find themselves harder to relate to an asian main character. Plus hollywood is afraid of portraying another race that compete with the dominance of whites, especially now that black's are coming stronger and stronger.
On November 08 2009 07:17 YPang wrote: TBH i think the logically reason is that the majority of the movie goers and TV watchers are white people, and they'll find themselves harder to relate to an asian main character. Plus hollywood is afraid of portraying another race that compete with the dominance of whites, especially now that black's are coming stronger and stronger.
Those are some fairly strong claims. I actually disagree with most of that and would like to see some citations.
The only thing I'm disagreeing with the KOF movie is the LACK OF BOOBIES FROM MAI SHIRANUI!!!!!!!!
And I see this sucking big time like the Street Fighter 4 were Chun-Li was a freaking Caucasian.. Give it up OP, all Fighting games that turn to movies suck (even mortal kombat imho)
With regards to Hollywood not getting any Asian-Male Actors for a lead role.. Who cares? The dude from The Fast and The Furious Tokyo Drift has his share of moments..
Anyway, lets just wait for another 10 to 20 years and maybe some Asian Dude will have an establish acting career..
I also forgot, we had a Movie about the Battle of Bataan were the Co-Star is our very own Cesar Montano and I had my panties in a bunch "AT FUCKING LAST, FILIPINO's Unite" but the movie suck so bad that I started sleeping in the cinema..
I don't know about you, but race doesn't really matter much when it comes to movies.. as long as it doesn't suck I'm happy about it..
EPT
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