Asian American Male Actors in Hollywood...or the lack of

13

Comments

  • Reply 41 of 70
    tulkastulkas Posts: 3,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by vinea View Post




    In any case, that doesn't change my position. Rather than whine about it, make an indie version and tell the real story.



    And the result would be that there would be asians in my film. Great.



    And Hollywood continues its same pattern...
  • Reply 42 of 70
    brussellbrussell Posts: 9,812member
    IMO there's a big difference between what is perceived to be marketable by a bunch of marketers and what actually IS marketable.



    Minor example: There's a music book I wanted that was originally published in the UK. It was published in spiral-bound format so you could put it on your piano and it would stay open. When it was published in the US, there was a note on the publisher's site saying that it had been changed to standard book binding because that would be "appropriate for the US market." Well, bullshit. A music book like this should be published in spiral-bound no matter what.



    That's a silly example in comparison to the topic of this thread, but I think it's part of the same phenomenon, and it seems to happen all the time: Some marketing assholes think they know what the American public wants, and so refuse to do the right thing or innovate or do anything other than what's been done before.
  • Reply 43 of 70
    My God, who cares? If you want hispanic or asian actors, the watch Univision or some Asian network, or a bunch of asian-made movies. There's not a lick of a white person on those networks.
  • Reply 44 of 70
    vineavinea Posts: 5,585member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tulkas View Post


    And the result would be that there would be asians in my film. Great.



    And Hollywood continues its same pattern...



    boo hoo...poor you. Better to whine than do something. Whatever.
  • Reply 45 of 70
    tulkastulkas Posts: 3,757member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by vinea View Post


    boo hoo...poor you. Better to whine than do something. Whatever.



    Hence the discussion here. It is not realistically practical to just make your own movie. Sure, anyone can pick up a camera, but that doesn't magically create the massive budget to fund and promote it. If banks discriminated against a specific group, you would suggest opening your own bank? Does that really sound realistic to you?



    I am hardly whining, neither is the OP. It is an observation that Hollywood avoids asians. Whether this is due to a lack of quality asian actors, as you suggest, or because the financial risk of using asians is too great or because Americans prefer white and black leads, or because they prefer white and black characters they relate too, doesn't really matter. It is simply a fact...there aren't many asians characters (other than lame stereo-types) or leads. To come up with a silly solution like, "if you don't like it make your own movies" is a bit childish and not really worth your usually well thought out arguments.



    I am not saying the studios have to use asians or should or have a moral responsibility to use them. Nor am I saying that they are evil for avoiding them. The fact is they do avoid them, for whatever reasons. Fifty years ago, they took white actors and used make up to make them appear asian. Today they simply write them out of the script. No big deal and not the end of the world. Simply an observation. Perhaps I am more sensitive to it than you, but that is not unexpected.
  • Reply 46 of 70
    vineavinea Posts: 5,585member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tulkas View Post


    Hence the discussion here. It is not realistically practical to just make your own movie. Sure, anyone can pick up a camera, but that doesn't magically create the massive budget to fund and promote it. If banks discriminated against a specific group, you would suggest opening your own bank? Does that really sound realistic to you?



    There are numerous ways to support indie asian film makers if folks believe that the disparity in asian male leads requires faster correction. Just being aware of them and promoting them helps.



    Quote:

    I am hardly whining, neither is the OP. It is an observation that Hollywood avoids asians. Whether this is due to a lack of quality asian actors, as you suggest,



    No, I suggested no such thing. There are lots of quality asian actors. Of course, most of them are in asia...but even among asian-americans there are good actors and I'm sure some that are as good as well known caucasian and african-american actors that haven't been discovered yet or given the opportunity.



    And the OP was whining.



    Quote:

    or because the financial risk of using asians is too great or because Americans prefer white and black leads, or because they prefer white and black characters they relate too, doesn't really matter. It is simply a fact...there aren't many asians characters (other than lame stereo-types) or leads. To come up with a silly solution like, "if you don't like it make your own movies" is a bit childish and not really worth your usually well thought out arguments.



    Perhaps my position is because there is a success path shown by the african american community and individuals in the asian-american community. Doing well at Sundance gives one entry points into Hollywood in the form of advice and networking.



    Supporting good asian-american fledgling film makers so they have the opportunity to do well at Sundance will aid greatly in folks' desires. There, are, I'm sure, various asian-american community groups that folks could be involved with to sponsor film festivals, contests and scholarships in film.



    If folks believe that there is a fundamental need for strong asian male role models in US film then these are things folks can do.



    The probability that folks can affect Hollywood in any other fashion seems remote.
  • Reply 47 of 70
    elronelron Posts: 126member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hmurchison View Post


    slight sea change



    oxymoronsayswhat
  • Reply 48 of 70
    j120387j120387 Posts: 56member
    check out the movie Shanghai Kiss. Its got a Asian American Lead actor. The movie is actually pretty good and funny. Go AZNs! hah.
  • Reply 49 of 70
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7358136.stm



    OK so they're both crossover, but hopefully it will stop some of the whining... temporarily...
  • Reply 50 of 70
    Yeah... but where are the Asians?
  • Reply 51 of 70
    floorjackfloorjack Posts: 2,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tonton View Post


    Yeah... but where are the Asians?



    Me love you long time.
  • Reply 52 of 70
    tontontonton Posts: 14,067
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by FloorJack View Post


    Me love you long time.



    You don't even begin to understand how offensive that is... but i know you well by now, and you couldn't give a shit anyway.
  • Reply 53 of 70
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tonton View Post


    You don't even begin to understand how offensive that is... but i know you well by now, and you couldn't give a shit anyway.



    "Me love you long time " and 16 Candles' "Long Duck Dong" have been blights on Asian culture for too long.



    Hollywood is simply a hostile place for Asian males. No one has made.



    Russel Wong ...nope

    BD Wong ...nope

    Sung Kang ...nope



    What's the deal?
  • Reply 54 of 70
    floorjackfloorjack Posts: 2,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tonton View Post


    You don't even begin to understand how offensive that is... but i know you well by now, and you couldn't give a shit anyway.



    Not about you that's right.



    What interesting is that your ignorant of your own hypocrisy. What a horrible state to live in! Someone posts a porn link and you reply "Yeah... but where are the Asians?" as in Asian porn. How offensive of you to objectify asian women as sex objects for western men! I post a well worn quote from a movie and I'm the bad guy.



    Ignorant Hypocrite!
  • Reply 55 of 70
    aizmovaizmov Posts: 989member
    What are you angry about?

    Asian Americans have some of the highest paying jobs in America, you should be thankful.







  • Reply 56 of 70
    hardeeharharhardeeharhar Posts: 4,841member
    why is the porn post still there?



    MODERATORS?
  • Reply 57 of 70
    aizmovaizmov Posts: 989member
    It is not just porn, but it is a reported phishing site!

    How do I know?

    Well...

    Let's just say I'm glad I'm using Firefox and I have phishing filter turned on.
  • Reply 58 of 70
    trajectorytrajectory Posts: 647member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by O-Mac View Post


    Are these crackers saying that they can't find ONE AAMale that's as talented or good-looking as Damon or Afleck or Stiller or Sandler or Ferrell? I just hope that these punks don't try to do a remake of Enter the Dragon and cast someone like Stifler in the lead. Because then a whole lot of cans of whoopass will have to be opened.



    Do you realize that using "cracker" to refer to white people is a derogatory term? You won't get any sympathy spouting that kind of bigotry.



    At any rate, why are you so surprised about this when in Asia, white people are often favored over Asians for TV shows, commercials and modeling jobs? Many of the Asian characters in cartoons have Caucasian features. Why?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hardeeharhar View Post


    angry much? being the smallest racial minority, what do you expect?



    Asians a small minority? Uh, count again.
  • Reply 59 of 70
    tontontonton Posts: 14,067
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by FloorJack View Post


    Not about you that's right.



    What interesting is that your ignorant of your own hypocrisy. What a horrible state to live in! Someone posts a porn link and you reply "Yeah... but where are the Asians?" as in Asian porn. How offensive of you to objectify asian women as sex objects for western men! I post a well worn quote from a movie and I'm the bad guy.



    Ignorant Hypocrite!



    It's one thing to admit to an Asian porn fetish. It's another to imply that all Asians are prostitutes. Once again, what is obviously a huge mountain of difference to people with a conscience is viewed as the same thing by some people without one.



    By the way, my wife is Chinese, and she has a Master's Degree in Finance. She's also damn sexy and wouldn't touch you if you paid her a million dollars.
  • Reply 60 of 70
    tontontonton Posts: 14,067
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Trajectory View Post


    Do you realize that using "cracker" to refer to white people is a derogatory term? You won't get any sympathy spouting that kind of bigotry.



    At any rate, why are you so surprised about this when in Asia, white people are often favored over Asians for TV shows, commercials and modeling jobs? Many of the Asian characters in cartoons have Caucasian features. Why?







    Asians a small minority? Uh, count again.



    In Hong Kong, there are three foreigners for whom film and television acting is their main profession. Two white guys and a Pakistani. (Incidentally, one of the white guys is a friend of mine, Brian Burrell, who was born in Utah and taught Cantonese by the Mormon Church, before he wisely stepped away from that cult.)



    Hardly is that "often favored".
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