More villification of the Chinese....

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Most of you have heard by now the racist and xenophobic political ad by Michigan Republican Pete Hoekstra. Once again, villification of Asian people seems to be a conservative demagogue's tactic---let's start up the yellow peril hysteria once again.

But Lawrence O'donnell, the political commentator on MSNBC expressed a lot of what I was thinking when he questioned the actress's participation in this racist ad.

My first thought was, "Why would you even accept a part in this commercial which perpetuates a stereotype?" But O'donnell explains a lot more and articulates my sentiments. Is it worth it? Did the actress know what she was getting into and how this was going to come off? I'm not slamming her, but I just wonder how she now feels after doing something that perpetuates the stereotype of Asians being sneaky, under handed, and some sort of "yellow peril".

What's your take on all of this? Watch O'donnell's comments and let us know if you think he's correct.

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Comments

J said…
I run into Asian American peeps who sell out their race all the time. They're just not actors or actresses.

These people compromise themselves and compromise their heritage a little bit at a time, by not speaking out by against racism or by making self effacing racial jokes to kowtow to non-Asians. Or they say shit about other Asians.

So if in real life there are yellow lap dogs who sell their souls an ounce at a time, then doesn't it stand to reason that you would have an actor or actress who would degrade him or herself and her heritage on the big screen or boob tube?

I am, however, pleasantly surprised that a lot of non-Asians (Black and white) have spoken out against this ad for the racism in it. Who would have thought Bill O'Reilly would consider it "a bad idea?"
February 7, 2012 at 1:24 PM
Ben Efsaneyim said…
Wow. That was really strong stuff from O'Donnell.

Funnily enough I recently published a post on the very subject of ethical obligations in accepting demeaning and potentially harmful roles....

http://benefsanem.blogspot.com/2012/01/just-acting.html

I'm glad that there are non-Asians who get it, but also sad that non-Asians seem to get it more than some Asians.
February 8, 2012 at 1:18 AM
MojoRider said…
James, you're right--I've seen some of it too, people shucking and jiving just to fit in with the non-Asian crowd. There's self-deprecating humor and then there is humor that demeans oneself and one's heritage.

Oh yeah, it's great that there are other non-Asian groups, and even conservatives, who expressed their contempt for the ad too, but its' really astounding to see that there are some Asians who are ignorant, or maybe WILLFULLY ignorant, of how demeaning their conduct is to their own heritage.

Some people thought O'donnell was too harsh on the actress. I disagree. Go back and watch what he says; I don't think he's condescending at all. I think he understood the positions that actors are in, especially if you're not a star, which he stated, and I understand why an actor would take a role. I think the relevant point he was trying to make was that to stop these kind of dirty political ads, don't participate in it! Refuse to be a shill. Keep your dignity and integrity intact. And like he said, "there are things that I've done that I'm not proud of, but I've never done anything that I've been ashamed of." Which leads me into this....

Don't forget, Roger Fan had a great blog post about this very thing:

http://youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily.com/when-red-dawn-attacks/

"This situation is not unique, btw. I have encountered this before over the years on projects very similar with people of similar Hollywood status. I was younger back then so I felt like I had to say yes just to pay my dues. But the feeling was always the same when I went: shame. They invite you in for an asian need, you fulfill that asian expectation, and at the end, they shake your hand, tell you how amazing you were, say, “I owe you one”, and then kick you out of the clubhouse. At the end of the day, because of the role you’re brought in for, the perception of your potential is severely limited."
February 8, 2012 at 7:33 AM
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