Movies

The Hollywood movie industry is known for creating tons of movies that have entertained millions of people around the world. From comedies to romance to horror films, the Hollywood industry has made them all. They have also made movies that have angered and upset people due to the racial and stereotypical characters that are portrayed in their movies. Asian Americans are part of that racial group where script writers have chosen to represent the Asian American actors as inferior to the white lead actor.

In the 1984 movie, Sixteen Candles, an Asian American actor is used in the movie as a comic relief to the play the role of Long Duk Dong known as the “donger”. Some believe that this movie was one of the most offensive Asian stereotypes seen in a Hollywood movie. He is the typical foreign Asian character who all the cool kids at school pick on. His talks with an accent and says phrases such as, “oh, sexy girlfriend” and “what’s happenin’ hot stuff?” It is obvious to the viewers that he is unlike the rest of the characters in the movie and doesn’t fit in.

Movies such as Sixteen Candles are seen as racist because of the negative stereotypes that they continue to play on. Of course the movie’s main intention is to provide humor and comedy but there are certain limitations that are humorous and those that become offensive. Many critics believe that this character embodied all the horrible stereotypes that Asian Americans deal with on a daily basis. The nickname “donger” was Asian American males’ worst nightmare during this time, as many were called this at school. The character also sent out the message to the viewers that Asian Americans were very different from the rest of the society and should be treated as outcasts because they haven’t learned to assimilate. This of course is not true as many Asian Americans have assimilated with the American culture. Also the stereotype that all Asians are dorks/nerds and don’t have a social life were also played out in the movie.

Many people use what they see in movies as a standard stereotype of a certain racial class especially if most movies portray the same characteristics. Asian American males are most of the time portrayed in movies as the villain or as dorks. Asian American women are portrayed as the “dragon lady” or the “china doll”. They are usually never the lead roll and are always inferior to the white man. It is not just Asian Americans whose negative stereotypes are portrayed in films, but almost every racial class is seen lesser to the white man. I think that script writers should focus their attention less on the negative stereotypes of a racial class because what people see in movies they may apply to real life. This is where discrimination and racial prejudice can emerge especially those who do not know any Asian Americans and believe in the stereotypes that are seen in the movie. Movies are supposed to entertain us and not to make people feel upset and offended.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88591800

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