A lot of older movies, considered classics, are somewhat ruined in effect now because of a negative Asian portrayal. A beautiful animated film like Lady and the Tramp becomes uncomfortable when the sneaky siamese cats with buckteeth arrive. Another is Breakfast at Tiffany's with Holly's bucktoothed Asian neighbor played by white actor, Mickey Rooney.
For The Joy Luck Club, I thought its basic premise was to show that modern Asian(or Chinese, actually) women struggle with relationships/hardships like any other woman, and to enlighten non-Chinese to a different type of cultural/familial background. It was like a conglomerate of various stories for that purpose, not necessarily meant to define that all Asian men were inclined to be a jerk or that all Asian women were bound to face relationship troubles/lifestyle opposition because of their culture and gender.
I like this movie. Whenever I watched it, which has been several times, I always cried at certain parts, but happy towards the end when the women found someone they were comfortable with or were able to work it out with their partners. Mostly, however, I was glad that the mothers and daughters were able to bridge a connection between American culture and Chinese heritage and discover their own self-worth and respect.
But I can't think of any recent movie or tv program I've seen that positively, accurately details the lives of a group of Asian-American men, however.
By your generalization, I think Asian guys (or anyone, really, regardless of race) should be more optimistic when asking for a date from someone of another race. I'm a white girl, but no Asian boy ever asked me out. In fact, I don't think any talked to me in high school, but once in middle school. Is it because I pretty much resembled dorky Sara from The Maxx and not blonde, buxom Julie, eh?
We all stereotype each other no matter what color our skin is, including people of our own race, and sometimes we even believe the stereotypes pointed at us. That doesn't always mean everyone follows or believes those judgements to the letter.
(stopping here. I've made my post too big and I'm tired of writing, hehe)
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I'll buy you flowers... like no other girl did before.
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eewilson
14 years ago
"For The Joy Luck Club, I thought its basic premise was to show that modern Asian(or Chinese, actually) women struggle with relationships/hardships like any other woman, and to enlighten non-Chinese to a different type of cultural/familial background."
I agree that most of the men were portrayed poorly in the film. But I related it more to four women who had extremely bad circumstances in their old country, and became friends for exactly that reason in America. They could relate to one another. Because all of these women had their baggage, it seemed that their American-born daughters fall into the same traps. (Although not as extreme, for sure.) I'm not saying this is a perfect explanation, but I took it as a more "anti-men" movie than specifically anti-Asian men. The most tender scene, I thought, was between June and her father. He was amazing.
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