Changing Representation in Hollywood.
I recently saw the film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings by Marvel studios. The movie was fantastic, a thoroughly enjoyable superhero movie that provided a little break from the world only in the way a well filmed movie can. However, Shang-Chi is different from the other action films we are accustomed to, and this is because the lead actor, and character, is Asian.
When we began reading Interior Chinatown, my thoughts immediately went to this movie. This wasn’t because there was any core similarity between the two, but Shang-Chi is quite literally one of the first steps in breaking down the barrier for the many talented Asian actors and actresses in Hollywood. During the last in class discussion, my group named only two other films along with Shang-Chi that have shown this gradual shift in American Cinema, those two being Parasite, and Crazy Rich Asians.
But why is it important to have a wide variety of actors and actresses from different races and ethnic backgrounds? This question is explored and developed throughout Interior Chinatown. Willis struggles to achieve his dream role of “Kung Fu Guy”, but an underlying issue to this struggle is his dream is to be Kung Fu Guy. Wu has been pigeonholed into playing a generic Asian guy on Black and White (244-245), a background role that drives the inferiority complex he grapples with throughout his time there. This mistreatment he experiences is put on full display by the industry he works in, the entertainment industry has only recently opened up to the possibility of placing minority actors and actresses in leading roles that are separate from their race. For example, Jamie Foxx was outstanding in Django Unchained, his role however, was that of a freed slave. The necessary change is to have generic roles, such as a CEO in office sitcoms, or maybe a high profile politician in a political drama, be filled by actors who aren’t white. If the mold of placing non-white actors in mostly roles relevant to their real life race can be broken, then representation for all in Western Cinema will be improved. This is touched on by page 159 where Wu’s father made it to the role of Kung Fu Guy, but sees no change in how he is treated, still expected to play the Asian male his role corners him with. Even after achieving a “starring role” his dad is not simply an actor, he is still an Asian actor.
In the past decade, representation for all races has been stepping up in Hollywood, but it’s time for this gradual shift to stop being so incremental, with movies like Shang-Chi, it cannot be once a year that a film comes out that places a non-white actor in a racially unrelated lead role. It is time for all actors and actresses to be seen as that, actors and actresses, race not influencing any decision regarding casting or role allocation.
You pointed out a main theme in the novel. Along with the financial struggles of Asians, he also points out why Asians feel like they cannot assimilate into America. Yu shows that Asian Americans will always be lumped into a category. They were lumped into “Asiatics” along with Native Americans simply because Christopher Colombus had mistaken the Native Americans as Indians (236). All Asians, no matter the merit or character, will be categorized as “Generic Asian Man” (248). An example earlier in the novel was when Allen had gotten beaten up for looking Japanese, when in reality, he is Taiwanese. Yu shows that to the general American, they do not see an individual person or even different cultures, they see “Asian”. Part of Asians in America’s struggle is that they cannot assimilate well. Willis has a “Dream of going from Generic Asian Man to just plain Generic Man” (210). Older Brother points out that Asians have been here longer than the Dutch, Irish, and Germans, but Asians are not seen as American while those other ethnic groups are. You point out a good point in how there are not many Asian leads that are separated from racial roles. This lack of racially independent leads starring Asians plays into the point that Yu is making. Many Americans do not see Asian-Americans as Americans, so therefore, they cannot separate race from Asian-Americans. I do believe that we are in the right direction by having more lead Asians starring in roles that are independent from race. Though we want an instant change, most change happens incrementally.
ReplyDeleteThis is very insightful! I think it's very important to look at the way the media we consume reflects our beliefs and values. Shang-Chi is a great movie with a mostly Asian cast, but when we look at the bigger picture, say, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we find a shocking lack of representation for minority groups. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is filled with many, many white characters and stories. A few people of color have made it into the "big leagues" of this major franchise (most notably Black Panther, which has an all-black leading cast) but the vast majority of roles go to white people sharing their stories. To critique the Marvel universe for a minute, one could argue that the role of Shang-Chi itself is still a glorification of the Kung Fu Guy trope and contributes further into the model minority stereotype. When Willis originally describes the role of Kung Fu Guy, he talks about how this is a role that so many young Asian boys around him idolize this role and the potential to finally stand out (Yu 12). Shang-Chi is not the first Asian character in the franchise, but he is the first Asian lead, and his story is still about kicking ass and cool fighting tricks. It's great to have representation for young people to look up to, but at the end of the day we as a society (and especially Hollywood) need to work towards more diversity in our representation of minority groups, not just feeding into pre-established stereotypes with a little more subtlety.
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