THE DECEPTION IN POPULAR CULTURE

          The idea of the weak, effeminate Asian male still persists in today’s society, but in a more subtle form than in the mid-1800s.  This can be easily seen in portrayals of Asians and Asian Americans in mass media and mainstream entertainment.  Early depictions of Asians in American media often portrayed the Asian man as feminine or asexual.  Characters, such as Fu Manchu and Charlie Chan, fulfilled the curiosity of white Americans regarding those peculiar people from the “Far East.”  Both characters, played by white actors accentuated the inherent unattractiveness of Asian men.

          The character of Charlie Chan is depicted as a model Asian.  Chan is shown as asexual in his behavior and mannerisms.  In all of his movies, he never once is shown as a romantic lead, or having interest in a female.  Fu’s costumes, long-nails, and use of eyeliner reinforces and exaggerates the stereotype of Asian male femininity.  However, Fu Manchu is not shown as asexual, but rather homosexual.  Interestingly, conducting a search on the internet for "Asian men" a number of "Asian Gay Men" sites appear.  This contrasts the Asian woman's "Sex Pot" depiction for a search for "Asian Woman."  (hotbot.com)

    Although less obviously displayed, these stereotypical images of Asians still appear in today’s pop-culture.  This can be seen in the fact that there are no available romantic leading roles available for Asian actors.  Even Asian martial arts superstars do not have any romantic interests in modern action films.  Take for example Chow Yun Fat’s character in his first widely distributed American movie, “Replacement Killers.”  Despite having an attractive white leading female, Mira Sorvino, Chow’s character is not allowed any physical relations with her, reinforcing the image of the asexual Asian male.  In “Lethal Weapon 4,” the stereotype of the feminine Asian male is taken so far as to include homosexual taunts in one scene in which Mel Gibson’s character confronts Jet Li.

         The few exceptions in which an Asian male is cast as a romantic lead are Dean Cain (The New Adventures of Superman), Russell Wong (Vanishing Son) and Keanu Reeves (Speed).  It may be easy to counter the argument that Asians aren’t cast in romantic leads with these men. However, it’s essential to point out that all of these men are Eurasian, emphasizing whiteness as a privilege.  With the exception of Russell Wong, none of these actors appeared to have any Asian ancestry.

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