The text Screaming Monkeys which is a collaborative writing, edited by M. Evelina Galang. This is a collaborative writing because of the diversity it is able to see different portions of this racialization. The main argument of the text might be summarized as the representation of Asian's in American society and how their racialization effected them in Hollywood mainly. In addition to that there are several movie examples that directly examplify the circumstances that most of the woman actress suffers from becoming an sexual objects in the movie or the warrior kind of heros. Therefore those theme's becomes the racial identification for them which is directed to the whole Asian Community.
Likewise the idea of Asians are only studying in the schools nothing more there are lots and lots of meme's created and as the writers suggested those movies help them to be constructed. Eventually it may lead people to think about the previous text we were discussing like the Colorblindness. When we think about Colorblindness and the application to the Asian community it creates a major picture that Asians are not like what we know as a stereotypically.
The representation of Asian's are not limited to that, it is also oftenly identified as childish, submissive,silent, eager to sex and tragically victimized. Eventhough they were looking weak and subhuman they were able to rise up for themselves because they were exposed to lots of issues like Filippinos were seen as Monkeys because of their jaws. The structure of their skulls and their jaws were leaning forward and this is another justification of that socially constructed identifications. A fillipino dance maybe? But remember this is their TRADITION, not because they are monkeys!
As the image shows that they were seen as savages, dog-eaters, inhuman; but the tribal link that was given in the text is more crucial that they were oftenly recognized as wild things. Likewise the examples of Negro Igorotos, barogos, .. those are representing being Asian is a being an Neanderthal. Another issue that concerned in the text is "Survival of the unfittest" which was cleverly putted in the text that is a big reference to the Social Darwinism in reverse. They were unfittest in the world but still they were existing and they are participating in their own culture and the world.
The video that explains how over&under representation takes place in movies;
Here is a good video of several people talking about the Asian American's and being "one"
The discussion questions
1 - According to the text we read being actress is not a job
like being a labor worker. Also Hollywood benchmarks were nearly definate for
Asian actresses. In that sense for what reason did they accept or want those
types of roles?
2 – What do you think about the distinction between
filliphinos in real life and in the movies? What are the differences and
similarities?
Work Cited:
http://www.spdbooks.org/Producte/1566891418/screaming-monkeys-critiques-of-asian-american-images.aspx
M. Evelina Galang, Screaming Monkeys Critiques of Asian American Images, 2003
Serhat
BAŞAK – Dilan ALGAN
Hi guys,
ReplyDeleteYour presentation provides a different perspective about discussing race and stereotypes related to certain groups I guess. When I was watching the clips that you showed, I thought that visual media is constantly used as a way to create negative frames of mind and stereotypes about cultural issues. The power of media cannot be underestimated in creating demand and perceptions. Even there are times when we enjoy what we see in movies without questioning. I realized that many people (including myself) don’t think in depth about the connotations of what is shown to them sometimes.
Media – especially mass media – has an enormous effect on our minds. Usually this effect occurs without our noticing it. Subconscious is an area where some kinds of techniques infiltrate easily. So, I think we – audiences - have the responsibility to judge what we see and we should use some close reading techniques of certain scenes (not just for lectures) for not being manipulated easily.
As we see in the blog that you have posted on “Screaming Monkeys", the girl in the video prefers to define herself as a “human being” rather than defining herself based on an ethnic identity. Also, there are many countries in Asia, which have huge differences in cultural, regional or sociological matters as the girl in the video mentions. So, defining somebody as “Asian” (even if she/he is from an Asian country) means ignoring the elements that compose his/her identity. However, in one part of the video, she talks about “dirty communists”, which I didn’t understand clearly. The scene was cut I guess and that part left me with questions. I’m not discussing the concept of North Korea and I don’t support what is going on there either but her definition about communists was irritating according to me. It’s an ideology that can be discussed with its rights and wrongs. (May be I misunderstood that part, I don’t know)
As we see in the next video on the blog, it’s a fact that many people whose ancestors come from an Asian country have the difficulty in expressing themselves which is among the most crucial needs of individuals. Media has an important impact in being misrepresented or being underrepresented of these groups. Moreover, some well-known Hollywood movies, such as “The Memoirs of a Geisha” created an adverse effect on combating some stereotypical definition about Asian women. Although, the main character depicts a woman who challenges the circumstances, she is considered as “exceptional” and the rest of the Asian women in the movie are condemned to represent prostitutes. Also the high rating of the movie confirms the possible impact of media over our thinking process I think.
Thanks for the presentation :)
Deniz
Hi Deniz--in the video, the girl is criticizing people who call her a "dirty commie" because they think she's from North Korea. "Dirty commie" is a derogatory term for a communist used in the USA that dates back to the early twentieth century and represents the USA's historic and current anti-communist politics.
DeleteThanks for the presentation, very interesting topic.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, I haven’t watched any of the films you showed clips from or those mentioned in the text but I have to say, it is ridiculous how far some of them go. Kind of makes me wonder how anyone could watch, say, Suzie Wong without bursting into laughter every 5 minutes or so. Or if it caused any sort of debate at the time of its release.
I think the representation of Asian peoples in Hollywood is problematic in the sense that they are shown as being more similar than they are different amongst themselves (Simplified classification, anyone?). The presentation reminded me of a certain scene from Mad Men (Brilliant stuff, by the way): Don, the protagonist, is dining at a Chinese restaurant. The whole setting is as Chinese as it gets… except for the music, which is in Japanese. Now, I’m not entirely sure if it’s just a subtle criticism (“Americans just won’t notice it”) or a mistake on the producers’ part but it does tell a lot either way, about the way Americans define Asia.
“Define” indeed. The representations of cultures in mass media are often more influential than those cultures themselves, making the entire issue one to approach with care. The thing I’m not entirely sure about is, how did people see Hollywood back in 60s or 70s anyway? Now we look at it as a mass producer of entertainment and pay little attention to any message sent. The average Hollywood movie has but one purpose: to entertain. It would be even more problematic if Hollywood didn’t have this reputation back then and was taken more seriously than it is nowadays, but that’s for another discussion and I’m not particularly well-versed in the history of Hollywood.
To answer the first discussion question; from the standpoint of those involved in simplified classification, I believe the paycheck they receive every month is reason enough for being involved in it. I really don’t see any other reason here. Even the producers and writers, who get to decide how the representation will be, I’d say profit is the biggest reason. As much as influencing how the masses think about and see Asians, movie makers are also very likely to just go with the problematic ideas there already are. Why challenge them when you can just play along and make far more profit?
Truth be told, I wouldn’t mind doing just that for a few million bucks myself. What stereotype is there about us anyway? Rude, loud and eating kebab all day? Yeah, I can do that for a fat paycheck. While riding a camel. With a fez on.
Something like this:
http://s3.postimg.org/axnuwdd5v/Stereotype.png
I... actually want to do this now.
-Buğra Murat Altan
Can we have a whole semester devoted analyzing Med Men and American Culture please?
DeleteFirst of all, I really liked the presentation. Thank you for this great presentation. I really loved the scenes that you chose when you showed us the movies and Maroon 5’s song “She Will Be Loved”.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, it is clear to see that Asian-American women’s sexuality is used in Hollywood and they are shown as weak. In Suzie Wong movie, Suzie’s story is told. The main character who is Suzie, she is shown as childlike, submissive, silent but she is eager for sex. She is shown as traditional Asian woman and as “sexual” object. With her traditional clothes like Geisha, she represents her own culture. In the movie, she looks shy and she is the one who is coming to her lover.
For example, there are two terms which are “Lotus Blossom and Dragon Lady.” It shows that there are two different roles of Asian-American women. “Lotus Blossom” describes Asian American woman who is silent, modest and obedient. On the other hand, “Dragon Lady” describes strong and dominant women. It is generally thought as a stereotype. I think that Suzie Wong can be thought as “Lotus Blossom”.
In “Year of the Dragon”, female character is more confident that Suzie Wong and Bruce Willis can not compete with her thoughts. She is different than Suzie Wong and she can argue with men and speak her mind.
Moreover, I want to give an example of “Dragon Lady”. I think “O-Ren-Ishii” character from Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill “can be an example of “Dragon Lady”. She has a strong character and she looks as a “tough” woman. Personally I like this character so much and she is portrayed by Lucy Liu.
Finally, it is true that there is a stereotype about Asian-American women. It is possible to see in many movies.
-Ezgi Doğan
Hi Ezgi, do you think that O-Ren-ishii and her "Dragon Lady" qualities that get admired (her bad-assness) are examples of positive racism? (ie, racism that sounds like a compliment but is really based in racist stereotypes and single stories?)
DeleteGreat presentation on a very controversial topic. Thank you guys!
ReplyDeleteI realised I have never given a thought on how Asian women are represented in Hollywood movies. I focus on mostly how Blacks are shown since they are the ones that are more in sight. However, as we discussed how Asian women are depicted in the movies, the first thing I would have said would be “geisha”. Yes! Maybe I’m being rude but as I think of Asian women, geisha is the thing that comes to my mind. This is probably because of how media represent Asians; as being subservient, obedient, inferior, traditional and loyal to satisfy their men. There might be a custom of such women in Asian cultures but that does not mean all Asian women are like that. Today we live in a society where Asian women are no longer living according to their traditions, not in America. Therefore we should not judge them with the little knowledge we have.
I also observed such a judgement while I am watching the short clip of Hannah Cho, a friend of mine reacted to her by saying “Konnichiwa” and ridiculing her. Seconds later she talked about the very same issue, about how people come to her and expect her to be fully aware of her culture and language. It is very common that once people see Asians they immediately make fun of their apperance and immitate their culture. This is very much evident in our daily lives and social environment.
I want to conclude my response by linking a video to this subject. I really like Charlie’s Angels and enjoyed watching it very much. However, after this presentation I realized that I have never thought about how Lucy Liu is represented in the movie. She is depicted as “bad-ass chick” who knows how to fight and protect things. Although she is shown as a strong and a self-confident women, lots of feminine attributes are imposed on her. She is sexy, sassy and hot. She knows how to use her voice and body language to allure men especially. In this short clip from an episode of Charlie’s Angles, Lucy Lui acts as a ….. and while watching pay attention to how sheis talking and acting. A totally sexy woman with her leather dress, sharp glasses and long ruler. Is this image actually real? Or does it show a deceitful image of Asian woman?
Lucy Liu Short Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETegyBzAQnc
I want to point out here that both Asli and Ezgi have mentioned Lucy Liu's roles in Hollywood...I think this shows us how there are still fewer Asian American actresses in Hollywood than there are white women actresses. Why must it always be Lucy Liu playing Asian roles??
DeleteThank you Dilan and Serhat for his well-informed presentation.
ReplyDeleteAsians and Asian Americans confronted with racial profiling and stereotypes both in their social, economical life and portrayal of their ethnicity and race in the movies. In Screaming Monkeys this depiction of Asian women's in the movies is defined as following: women are basically subservient to men and recently women of Asia and other immigrant groups started to be 'exoticized'. Their intelligence is overlooked and they are underestimated as people having diverse cultures. Another stereotype in Hollywood is that if Asian and Asian American women are not subservient to men, they are characterized as demonic, deceitful and sex objects.
Then, the article goes on to criticize the situation of Philippines. On page 209, it is stated that in Philippines infant girls aren't drowned or their feet are not bounded to make them smaller and more beautiful. Nevertheless, sons are more favored and cherished. This statement shows how some general thoughts about cultures are wrong. Thinking that as a cultural tradition is an act of racial profiling and stereotypical thinking. It is just like imagining that in Egypt, when a new-born turns out to be a girl, she is buried alive; or imagining that in Turkey people ride on camels. (True story, people who have never seen Turkey think that).
Also another point gathered my attention. During the representation, Serhat and Dilan showed Bogabos with sharpened teeth and mentioned that they are labeled as savages because of their appearance. It is not moral; it is judging a book by its cover. When one thinks about being savage, it does not necessarily have to be about the physical attributions; it can be about the way that people acts towards each other. For example, colonials whom started the today's USA can be said to be savages as well because in my perspective, forcing Natives out of their homes and separating them from their families are the utmost savagery.
I want to give an example from our previous class poetry which is an important branch of art; just like movies. My presentation topic was Ethno poetics and my part was about Asian American poets. Genny Lim is an Asian American poet who wrote a poem called 'The Terrorist' as a critical view of not making discrimination according to race and ethnicity. Here is the most striking lines and most relevant quotations to our course by Genny Lim in the poem The Terrorist: ' Enemy is skin deep', ' The enemy lives within us, he is a Muslim, a Christian, a Buddhist, an Atheist, a Hindu, a Jew, he is our collective face, our human creation. The evolution, the devolution, the ripening of injustice.'
Bige Yılmaz
I love that you linked the material across semester, courses, and genres to contest the representation of savagery!
DeleteThank you Dilan and Serhat for your well-thought presentation.
ReplyDeleteStereotypes and misrepresentation of the ethnic groups have long been part of film history. Hollywood usually portrayed Asian women as submissive housewives and Geisha girls like in Suzie Wong movie or as dragon ladies. They are portrayed as women who are willing to obey people even though they do not agree with them. They are also represented as dragon ladies such as the TV serials named “Nikita” who is a spy and an assassin. It urges people that Asian women are more suitable to fighting than white women like they are born to fight.
Stereotyping characters are usually imposed on Asians. Hollywood is not fair and manipulates as well as brainwashes the public in its portrayal of Asians. Power of the media is so strong that these portrayals are not remaining as misrepresentation. I mean that people do not just watch these stereotypical movies but they also bring them into the real life. In fact, these movies reinforce misperceptions and lead people to discrimination and racism. Media becomes the very powerful tool of social constructions.
Then, why Asian actresses accept those types of role that humiliates their ethnicity and mislead people about them? Of course many Asian actors and actresses must have felt responsibility for the representations of their community in movies. Yet I think that they take those roles because they are afraid of being out casted. They may also take those roles to be recognized and advanced in their careers hoping they will be able to take good roles which their community is not stereotyped when they become famous and independent. By the way, did you come across “internalized oppression”? It means that oppressed or stereotyped (in this situation) groups come to accept and live stereotypes which was applied to them. They psychologically start to believe that they really are those stereotypes. It may also be the reason for many Asian actor and actresses to take those roles. After taking and experiencing stereotyped Asian character roles in the movies or being applied to them in real life regularly, they may be convinced that these roles actually reflect reality.
Burcu Karatekeli
Unfortunately, I missed your presentation therefore my comment will be generally based on this week’s texts, the videos you uploaded on the blog and your blog comment.
ReplyDeleteWe all know that TV plays a very important role to change and shape people’s mind. I also have never think about Asians profile on TV. When it is said racism, African-Americans immediately come to my mind as almost everyone. However, the clearest stereotype about Asian women is being geisha. I think everybody knows about it because no matter what type of a movie it is, if it is a movie about Asians, there are geishas in it.
Americans have some ideas/stereotypes on their minds about Asians and reflect them to us/everybody through Hollywood movies. For example, being a geisha or sex object is a very negative racial profile tagged on Asian women. Moreover, it is very interesting because Filipinos are seen as monkeys. I have watched that dance video on the blog. Yes, it is most probably because of their dance which reminds monkey to people and the structure of their skulls as mentioned on the blog. But it is not humane.
Of course, there are stereotypes about each nation. For example, black people are generally represented as rude people, potential rapists in the American movies. They generally degraded in many aspects. You may think that it is interesting but I think that there are also stereotypes about white Americans. They all are considered as enemy of people who belong to other racist. It is a stereotype and generalization about people.
Pınar ILGAR
As I understood from the article "In Screaming Monkeys” and the presentation, the role of women in Hollywood Movies is stereotyped and movies generally represents Asian women eager to sex, obedient and silent. Suddenly one question came up my mind: What are my expectations and perceptions of Asian or Asian- American women in Hollywood movies? I think the term “orientalism” mostly represents Asian culture because they have different traditions&culture. That’s why they are cast as exotic, feminine, sensual and portrayed either as a submissive China Doll or a seductive Dragon Lady. Hence, when I watch this kind of movie I expect that the representation must be like I said above. Maybe It can understood as a racist perspective but actually I don’t. For example the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha” the woman who represents Geisha must be seductive and feminine.
ReplyDeleteIn a broader sense, the image of the orient could refer exotic or mystique people. To look at with a racist approach, the word “orientalism” a kind of label that Western people found. For example: Asian = oriental & Blacks=Negro. This kind of classification maybe creates racialization and at the same time contradiction because the most people expect that Asian actresses should represent their culture when they cast about being geisha or dragon lady and it can be acceptable and should not think through racism. In addition, the text argues about being actresses is not job for them, it is a kind of labor work they had to participate because they have to represent their cultural with this way.
Also, I think people have some stereotypes about geisha and with this sense it can understood as a racist approach or stereotype . They think that geisha as a prostitute because they wear white make-up, kimonos and entertain men but the actual word means that they are artists like good dancers, musicians and conversationalist and I found them very beautiful like supermodels. :)
Otientalism is indeed a powerful word and concept that applies directly to this subject...do you know that Edward Said invented the term to talk about how the West represents *this* part of the world (Turkey, the Ottoman Empire, the Arab World, etc) and then it later expanded to discussion of "the Orient" in general....
DeleteI think that TV and the media such as literature are good ways for the society to keep the stereotypes alive by telling/showing the same, endless, story...oh 'single story' once again !
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to the Asian woman, she is either subject to men or demoniac. I watched once Margaret Cho talking about her experience as an Asian-American and especially her childhood, I found it pretty interesting because she explained that growing up, she had few Asian models to rely on, Asian women being underrepresented in the medias. What I found pretty funny is that she explained how angry she felt when she found out, around the age of 5, that she was not white.
To answer the first question, it's pretty obvious to me that money rules here !
Even if we speak about minority groups as homogeneous wholes we shouldn't forget about individuality and the very fact that some people prefer satisfying their own interests before the community ones' (not blaming, just observing).
When you say "money rules" are you talking about the Hollywood movie industry and the drive for profit which leads to keeping certain people in stereotyped roles because that's what sells?
DeleteActually I was thinking about the people accepting to play roles that, they well know, will help spreading and reinforcing the stereotypes. But it is also valid for the Hollywood industry, definitely !
DeleteFirst of all thank you for Serhat and Dilan for their presentation. It was an interesting topic that made us focus on Asian Americans in Hollywood that I haven't thought about it before. As looking in closer to their roles and the conditions they are in as minorities in the U.S. they are mostly represented in extreme roles either they are weak, eager for sex, silent, ready to serve the men, childish and submissive or the other way round they are represented as wild women like Dragon Lady strong, and dangerous.
ReplyDeleteIn both clips we watched in the class showed weaknesses but in different levels. In "Lotus Blossom" she wearing her traditional cloths and being so oppressive is a stereotype about the culture and especially undervaluing the women. On the other hand in " Dragon Lady" we see a stronger women with a career but being insulted by a white American men that even though she came to that point by herself he tells her " to be clever " so being clever is to keep silent for all the humiliating.
It is possible to see these stereotypes in the Hollywood movies but today, in the new generation films it can be seen that these stereotypes are not so obvious and that Asian American's have a noticeable plays n Hollywood. In previous times Hollywood, although representing them in a bad way, was an opportunity because of the conditions they were living in, and the income fact obviously.
Rabia Betul Kubilay
Thank you Dilan and Serhat for your well informed and fluent presentation.
ReplyDeleteSreaming Monkeys by M. Evelina Galang has two parts and the first part of the document was about Asian women in the film and the clips that we watched during the class have showed us the two sides of the Asian women in the films. In the first clip the Asian woman was showed as a symbol of a women body and the woman was using her sexuality towards man and also Asian woman as always coming towards the man. Her coming towards her all the time no matter what happens is I think humiliating not only Asian woman speculation but also the notion of the woman in the society. In the second clip that we have watched, we seen again an Asian woman but she was stronger than the first one. She objects toward man and she in a way show her self-confident when she tries to get up and leave the restaurant. Also when he tried to protect her she squirms as if she is trying to tell him that she do not need his protection. The usage of sexuality and themes are relevant in the Asian cultures and also the Filliphinos. The Filliphinos called the survival of the unfittest.
The second part of the document and also the presentation about Filliphinos calling as savages, dogeaters and monkeys because of their way of living and also their appearance. M. Evelina Galang pointed out that there were some Native Tribes before and they were; Negritos, Bagabos, Igorots and Moros. M. Eveline Galang by giving those examples and giving the background information trying to tell to the people that neither can Filliphinos be monkeys or savages nor Asian women in the movies can be used as objects to favour sexuality.
Gözde İPEK
Thank you for your efforts and presentation.
ReplyDeleteI think that I never noticed the differ in American movies that has acted by not 'European' artists. We saw two different stereotypes, one confident and one 'bruised'. Both of the two ladies were pushed to be who they were by the society. In my opinion, no matter how shy Asian girls are, they're disguised. One can't know whether the shyness comes from within or comes from society.
AND, as you all know, Lucy Lui was an angel of Charlie. She was strong, confident etc. But her name was 'Alex' instead of a normal girl name or a chineese, asian name. It was just Alex. A manly name. I am saying manly because of the stereotypes. Are there anyone whom heard a woman named Alex?
Since she was 'manlike', her name was Alex.
Since it's another 'game' of Hollywood. , her name was Alex.
What would happen if she was not manlike? Would her name remain the same or was it changed as Alexia or sth.
Kardelen İpek
Alex is a very common girl's name in the USA. It's usually short for Alexandra.
DeleteGreat topic you have there guys!
ReplyDeleteI, myself, am crazy about Asian culture as many of you know. So, instead of simply analyzing how American movies show Asians, I want to start comparing American movies with how Asian series show Asians.
However, first things first, let's clear this Filipino misunderstandings:(Girls, help me out on this!) Do you really think these people look like monkeys??
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pGR1ptIKGAU/Tz8u5vml6uI/AAAAAAAAGls/jywwMU3ZAHM/s1600/Bench+Dingdong+Dantes+(2).jpg
http://www.pinoystop.com/images/thumbnails/278/278-xian-lim-biography-400x252.png
If they are, they are the sweetest monkeys I have ever seen!
Anyway, I just wanted to share my two favorite actors from Philippines with you.
In American movies, that I've watched (since I didn't watch any of the movies which are mentioned in the text), Asian Americans are mostly good at fighting and/or studying, especially if they are men. For women, as it is also mentioned in the text, they look sexy but shy, "submissive, silent, eager to sex and tragically victimized" as Serhat and Dilan say it. Even in Teen Wolf(I know this is way too teeny but bear with me) there is this new girl, Kira who is from Japan. Arden Cho who appears in the role of Kira, is an American whose grandparents are from South Korea. So what the hell TV?? Anyway... She is good at studying, great at swordplay and is definitely not shy! Then we learn that she is actually a Kitsune, a Japanese fox (Fox? Really?) Foxes are generally the symbol of cunning and trickery. It is also used to describe "a sexually attractive woman." So we can say that making her an Asian and a fox at the same time, they almost get the whole stereotypical image of Asian women (well done, sir!). In Asian series, women are sometimes just like American movies; submissive, shy, silent and tragically victimized. However, most of the time, they are simple humans. They are strong. They have great careers (yet still in need of a man at some point in the movie(it is sad but in many romantic comedies, but I think it is same for many woman characters in the movies in America, S. Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Philippines and Turkey as well). They do not always know how to fight. They flunk out of universities. They become cops as well as gangsters. If they are gangsters and the main characters, then there must be some kind of kind, good side of them which will make them a better person in the end (mostly thanks to love of a woman). They are mostly just like any other series that you watch in your own country. I personally believe that Asian series are similar to Turkish ones. They are always so melodramatic and loooonnng.
What I am trying to say is that in American movies, when we see a behavior (stereotypical one), we know it is more important than seeing it in any Asian movie because when Hollywood shows it, everyone in the earth will see it (okay that was an exaggeration but you know what I mean) and the people, who do not know anything about these different cultures, will mindlessly assume that it is how they really are and act.
As a question to think about, what do you think about Turkish people’s perception of Asian people? (Because I know there are lots of stupid and funny things) Do we have stereotypes for Asian people? What kinds of?
Ezgi ULUSOY
And Turkish people are technically Asian, too....just sayin.
DeleteAlso, I love Teen Wolf.
First of all thanks to Dilan and Serhat for their informative and enlightened presentation. First part of the presentation has a different perspective about race. It is interesting because being actress is a job in the public eye, so it is a bit irritating that this kind of racism can be made so easily. Asians are shown as tragic victims like they are eager for sex and they are shown as childish characters in Hollywood films. In the second part of the presentation they mentioned about Filipinos. Americans call them as monkeys and survival of the unfittest. It is very irritating and disgraces them to call as “monkeys”. In any case no one deserves to be called with the word like “monkeys”. For male Filipinos; Americans used them for labor force. Americans expected them to accept the subhuman conditions for both their lives and working conditions. On the other hand female Filipinos immigrated mostly as nurses. However, Americans have hesitations about their knowledges even they are educated.
ReplyDeleteÖzge BAŞAK
It is clear to see how patriarchy effected Asian women especially in Hollywood. They are innocent little cute sex toys that need to be protected. But I really wonder why especially the asian women? What might have happened to men when they create this asian chick image in their minds? And I think it's very ironic that they are either shy, innocent or sexy, looking tough but still under patriarchy. Tough in their sweet 'girly way'. In the second clip we watched, the woman tells the white man to fuck off and creates a tough image but 3 minutes later she is under him for protection from the shootings. (Why?!) I would kill to see an Asian woman protecting and saving a white man who will be portrayed as vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteAbout the filiphinos, I can say that it's not new. We almost always judge each other of appearance and culture and religion and so many other factors. For some reason we really like to marginalize and alienate. Of course they are not WASPs, they look indigenous so why not call them monkey, supporting the argument with scientific racism and the skull size? Sounds like a great plan of a messed up humanity.
I am sorry for missing your presentation Serhat&Dilan I am sure that it was a good presentation. My comment will be based on your blogs and videos and they are very informative. So, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI think media is one of the biggest tool for shaping a society as you wish. Because it is too accessible for everyone and seeing certain things day after day makes them natural for us. This why media is so powerful because it naturalize things that are normally not/ should not natural. We have been studying racism in America for years and we see that media has significiant effect on people's decisions, judgements for each other for example we learned that after 9/11, as a result of media representations almost all men with dark skin color and beard are seen as terrorist and some people who are not even muslims were killed and the biggest factor in that was media. However, through media not just Muslims or African-Americans are being depicted in certain way to impose some streotypes about other cultures, ethnic groups or countries in America, also genders are being represented in certain ways to both shaping their own society as they want and constructing certain images for other cultures for many years. And I think Hollywood industry (which is a very capitalist)is the best way to do all these as its products are seen by billions of people. Especially women have been given many roles through movies, tv series, ads etc. And many country has certain images that have been assossiated with them in American products. For example, if they talk about Arabs or Arabs countries, the scene almost always has bunch of women who give belly dance. When it comes to Asian women, generally belly dancers turn into geishas. They do what they always do picking one image from one country and generalize it. I think they do it for undermine, simplfy other cultures. And they did it very successfully because the image is so well imposed/naturalized in our minds that we accept it without noticing offensive side of it. Similar to many people when they say Asian women, the first thing comes to my mind is geishas. Actually, this image is so generalized that we directly associated it with all Asian women not even with specific country in Asia as if they are all same. So, yes Asian women are badly represented in movies but it is not just Asian women. Media does this for almost each country, each ethnic group, and also for each gender I think.
Very nice presentation with an unfamiliar subject to me… Before preparing for the class, I had no idea about the representation of Asian women in Hollywood movies and that is why I am pretty much amazed how things are different in real life and in visual media.
ReplyDeleteBy looking at the US history, we can say that the Chinese were the first Asians to arrive in the United States in large numbers and they were selling goods in NY City and working in railroads. Then Japanese people followed them and around 1860 they immigrated to California and Hawaii in order to work in agriculture. The immigration of Chinese people regulated with the laws according to the US’s need for working people especially in railroads. The US let more Chinese people in when there is a demand for more labor force and it set up quotas when there is no need for more immigrant workers (Chinese Exclusion Act). These are the important stuff that we need to know in order to compare what Asians faced in their real life and how they are represented or imposed to some stereotypes. The movies that our friends mentioned in their presentation are the good examples of how Hollywood represents Asian women: as childish, eager to have sex, obedient to men… That is what we see when we watch a movie but the reality is different; they work in sweatshops, railroads, farms.
I really felt insulted about the representation of Asian women as highly dependent to men and then I tried to find out an example of the representation of an Asian man. I remember watching “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and how Hollywood portrayed a Japanese man in Tiffany’s apartment. He was always making problems when he heard a voice coming from the apartment because he had certain rules to follow like working on something and going to bed early and he was always threatening her with calling to police when she disturbs him. Is this true for every Japanese men or just a stereotype about them? I guess the second option makes more sense.
People set up some certain stereotypes without considering that every person has his/her own personality and they put them into the same group by ignoring the differences between nations, races, or ethnicities. Not all Asians are the same, nationalities have their own culture and people have their own personalities, and that is why labeling them as if they are all the same is not the right thing to do.
To answer one of the questions on the blog: “According to the text we read being actress is not a job like being a labor worker. Also Hollywood benchmarks were nearly definate for Asian actresses. In that sense for what reason did they accept or want those types of roles?” The reason why they accept those types of roles is of course a money issue. Why would someone not want to make more money? When the money is on the table, some people accept whatever they are told to do and it is one of reasons that we still have to deal with the stereotypes.
-Tansu Özakman
And remember that the "Asian" man played in Breakfast at Tiffany's was actually a very famous white actor--Mickey Rooney--dressed in "yellow face" and exaggerating all the stereotypes of Asianess...
DeleteAfter going through the most of the immigrants’ history and issues that immigrants faced in the United States, it can be said that racial and ethnic background of minorities living in US are the factors that shape their profiles in America. For example; by comparing original Asian films with the Hollywood films that involve Asian actors/actresses who represent their culture, traditions and values, it is easy to refer them as childish, submissive,silent, eager to sex and tragically victimised. As the text referred also to Filippinos and their racial profile, for instance, the Filippino women are represented as “nurses” because their only job was being a nurse. It is also can be inferred that the worst thing is the “place of women in society” because they suffer double abuse if they are a part of minority or racialized group. First abuse is their being oppressed by dominance of patriarchy and the second one is being victim of racial profiling which is best described by Margaret Fuller in the text entitled “Selection from Woman in the Nineteenth Century (1845)” as the reducement of women's social status makes them nothing less than slaves. “Being actress is not a job like being a labor worker.” is very good phrase that also reminded me Pamela Robertson’s identification of female actresses, in the text entitled “A Kinda Comedy That Imitates Me; Mae West’s Identification with the Faminist Camp”, as “Female performers were culturally coded as prostitutes, and working-class women who wanted to attend these events often functioned as "charity girls," exchanging sexual favors for male attention, gifts, and a good time.”
ReplyDeleteHasan, your references to the articles from Prof. Mansbridge's class are interesting, but how are you linking them to the representation of Asian women? Or, another way to ask that question: where do you see the intersection of race and gender here? Because those articles are about white women...
DeleteIn our courses, so many times we analyzed the representation of African American women in movies, especially in Hollywood films. In this sense, it was a new approach for me to analyze the representation of Asian women in films. As we see in the text that we were supposed to read and the video that we watched on Tuesday, I think all of us agree that in “The World of Suize Wong”, the female character is represented as sexy, childish, sassy and open to be dominated by a man. Thus, it is obvious that bias-based approach is adopted to Asian women in this film, but can we say that all Asian women are represented in the same way in media?
ReplyDeleteIn TV show “Lost”, for instance, as viewers we observe the relationship between Chinese couple Jin and Sun who is obviously dominated by her husband. At this point, can we say that this weakness of Sun- it is later revealed that she cheats on her husband - is because of her being Chinese woman? I am not sure. Of course, gender gap and expectations are different from culture to culture and in this situation we see this cultural difference. However I do not think specific representation is tried to be created through Sun character in the show.
Cristina Yang, is kind a “counter-argument” for Asian woman stereotypes. In “Grey’s Anatomy”, Yang is portrayed as powerful, ambitious, successful and independent woman. She disrupts the pattern that is created for representation of Asian women in films. Thus, it would be wrong to say that in “all” films, Asian women are represented as in “The World of Suize Wong”.
Yasemin ÖZTEMÜR
Yes, Christina Yang is a fascinating character. But does she also represent some elements of the "Dragon Lady" stereotype because she is cold, aggressive, sometimes mean to those who work beneath her and she's emotionally unavailable?
DeleteI want to thank Dilan and Serhat for your presentation.
ReplyDeleteDiscrimination occurs in visual medium. Movies are one of the contemporary ways spreading such false images that offends millions of people.
According to Jessica Hagedorn, one of the reasons why the representation of Asian American in Hollywood movies is problematic is the result of “losing all sense of self”(206). This means, Asian women are both objectified and reflected as submissive, almost turning into slaves for their men or they are portrayed as tough and ruthless women who lack their female characteristics. This twist is very confusing and offensive that distorts our conception of Asian women. Today, we still witness strong and merciless Asian women in Hollywood movies and TV series. For instance, in "Arrow" there is a Chinese mob that commit assassins and the head the group is a women called Chien Na Wei. She is a very fierce character and she fights to death. So, we can observe that the strong Asian women are still being portrayed.
Another problem the representation arises from the question that why Asian characters have to be dramatic in different aspects. I believe this stems from, as Hagedorn argues, the stereotype that Asian women are not treated fairly in their Native lands (209). The Hollywood film producers use such misconceptions in order to form a sensation that would attract audience. Therefore, stereotypes become profit sources for the greedy Hollywood producers and the Asian women artists take role in such movies for the same reason. This is very annoying and I believe it is very difficult for me to watch movies that women are nothing but toys of men. This is degrading from the racial dimension that white males are craved and desired by the Asian women. However, white men are also being objectified. Therefore, it works in two ways. Whenever, a racial group is tried to being suppressed, the dominant one is also affected by its mistreatment.
Hacer Bahar
Having spent a year in Japan and experiencing their culture I can confidently say that almost all of the stereotypes about Asians (Japanese and Korean people mostly, in this case) are actually true, such as "childish, submissive,silent" and super hard working etc. UNTIL you actually get to see them at their worst. My favorite quote from my favorite comedian, Daniel Tosh is the following "It's not a stereotype if it is always true" (here's a link to it http://www.cc.com/video-clips/z5yo5x/stand-up-daniel-tosh--uncensored---personal-line-of-decency).
ReplyDeleteAsians are hardworking, they are shy, they are the most silent people on earth and will look submissive to you if you are a loud voiced European, but the most timid Japanese person I have known occasionally turned into a sexual predator. He, when alone by himself, was just a normal guy, sometimes overly shy. But when he went out to drink with a group, he found his voice and then some. Point I am trying to make is that most of these stereotypes (specially the ones that are not meant to be directly hurtful) are in fact accurate because anyone with eyes in front of their face can observe these stereotypes first hand. What we need to consider is that these stereotypes are in a "National" level, it applies to countries in a generalized sense. People should remember you cannot distill it down to every single individual living in that country and that you will meet with all kinds of people with all kinds of characteristics.
I personally don't mind most of the stereotypes against Asians (granted I am not an Asian, or technically I am?) because as an observer I don't find them hurtful, instead I think they are helpful in a sense. It keeps you from making a blunder when you meet someone that you have no idea about. It helps you take a stance that proves fruitful in these first impression meeting. If you have no idea about Japanese people and meet some, you %100 will come out as bashful, loud, and perhaps even hurtful. I realize the threat they cause in general but if stereotypes such as these exist, I believe they do for a reason.
Remember Chimamanda: stereotypes aren't a problem because they are wrong, they are are problem because they are incomplete. However based in reality stereotypes might be, when they become endlessly circulated and disseminated through the power of culture (and, as we have seen here in particular, visual culture), they turn into a a single story of what it means to be Asian. This is, of course, very damaging and limiting for real Asian and Asian American people who would like to see the range of their individuality expressed in culture in same way it is for many white people (mostly men).
DeleteThank you Dilan and Serhat for your informative presentation.
ReplyDeleteIt was really interesting to see all the different ways that Asians are stereotyped in Hollywood. But we should already be aware that the entertainment industry does this for every idea it wants to portray, whatever social or political ideology it aims to impose on the viewers. So we shouldn't make judgements and assumptions about a particular culture, gender, sexuality, or religion solely based images we see in content created for marketing purposes. We need to realize that this is Hollywood. The entertainment industry decides on what an actor or actress should be like, they decide what an ideal women should behave like, what it means to be masculine or a “man”, what homosexuals are like, how Latinos talk, how African Americans walk. They decide who are the good guys, and who are the enemies. They will distort and exaggerate anything to make things look more interesting and extreme. So, it is not surprising that Asians are also victims of stereotyping, as well. Asian men sometimes are heroes in film, like when we think of successful actors like Jackie Chan, Jeti-li, Bruce Lee, etc. We love these characters, but they are also stereotypes because they only play in specific genre films that involve Martial Arts fights or Asian gangsters. Asian women, for instance, are often fetishized, either turned into sexual objects or depicted as very traditional housewives. They are made to appear conservative and yet very sexually eager at the same time as we can see in the clips shown in the presentation. However, a lot of actors playing these roles are part of an under-represented group which is why I doubt that they get much say about their roles. It could be their only way of gradually being more involved and visible. Yes I do think it is morally wrong to willingly sell out and represent a ridiculous image of one's own culture, but where there are big dollar signs, corruption and selling out is inevitable, just like it is in any other field. Actors also need to make a living, and it is still just a job like others. The industry has its capitalist commercial driven standards, and for the actors, its a “take it or leave it” situation a lot of times. People who have already worked so hard to become part of the industry will stop at nothing, as long as they fulfil their dreams. I'm sure this is why a lot of actresses will allow their bodies to be objectified in film, even though they may prefer not to. If conforming to a stereotypical role is the only way actors can land the job, become successful, be recognized, win an Oscar, or just earn enough to get by, then who is going to say no? I condemn the exploitative entertainment industry but I don't think it is fair to blame actors for accepting roles. However, it is great that we are able to analyse and criticize such aspects of the media to become aware of stereotyping, and therefore be able to distinguish the line between image and reality.
-Sera
The one word that comes to mind here is: POWER. Who has it, who doesn't. The power of $$....
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