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"People in Japan worship white people." Fascinating GitS Roundtable
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King Gilga
Member
Were they ever?
travisbickle
Member
I'm not calling you racist but the dude in the gif is not Sam Okyere, it's another celebrity.
OG Shaka Zulu
Member
I love this interview. Nothin but facts fam.
Well if you makes you feel better, SNK dropped Terry as their company face in favor of Kyo.
Capcom vs SNK logically was supposed to be Ryu vs Terry, but that's not the case.
Impossible. I was told there can only be One.
Rumblebones
Banned
People do the same shit with the "too street" quote an author of several Bond books made about Idris Elba possibly playing the new Bond. Said author was suggesting another black actor instead, most of GAF ignored that bit and just went with the "too street" shit and continue to run it into the fucking ground.
capitalCORN
Member
My bad then. Just did a cursory google search. Do you know his name?
TheBryanJZX90
Member
Damn shitty take
Whether the artist intends it or not, if you ask a Japanese person on the street what they think a stylized character's nationality is, they'll say Japanese unless it's explicitly not. People fill in characters with their cultural default. That's why westerners see stylized anime characters named Mikasa Sakamoto or whatever as white.
It's because whatever culture (Japanese, American, etc) see stylized characters as whatever is the cultural norm in their media. White people are the default in America, Japanese people are the default in Japan.That's because the audience (not just japan, everybody in the world) has been conditioned to accept that "Anime styled people = Japanese", it's accepting the convention of the medium, not because they are instantly recognizable as Asian.
Contrast an average shonen protagonist with the characters from tokyo godfathers, were the characters are very visually asian, hell here's a screenshot example:
They look nothing like the usual Anime people that we have come to accept the pact that they're "japanese".
That's what I was saying.
That's how white supremacy works in non-European or non-American countries, people are indoctrinated into thinking they're of a lesser ethnicity, and that the anglo-white race is the superior race, it's not even a secret, it's very common, and it's very pervasive in most parts of the world. It's very hard to explain to someone that lives in Europe or NA.
I think it's mostly a holdover from the British and French Empires a few decades ago.
I think it's mostly a holdover from the British and French Empires a few decades ago.
My takeaway from this whole thing is that diversity when it comes to Asians in American media is more important to Asian Americans than to people from the native Asian countries, Japanese don't really care if they replace Japanese characters with Causasian actors in media based on Japanese properties because they do the opposite all the time in their own media (Just look at recent examples like Shin Godzilla, the live action Attack on Titan or the upcoming live action Full Metal Alchemist).
Similarly, Asian American actresses have it much tougher than Asian American actors for representation in American media. While the pool for Asian American actors is still much lower in terms of representation than that of white actors, Asian American men still have opportunities for lead roles or at least major supporting roles in U.S. projects (see Daniel Dae Kim in Lost and Hawaii 5-0, Steven Yuen in Walking Dead, Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa in Man in the High Castle, etc), whereas Asian American women are reduced to usually being in supporting roles as an exotic love interest or background character in a urban sequence or Japanese / Chinese restaurant when characters that could be / were ethnically Japanese or Chinese in their source material are re-written to be Caucasian. Ultimately I think Asian American women are in a rough position for representation, not just as an ethnic minority, but as women. Let's be real, Hollywood is a tough place for actresses to get regular work, and unless you're Meryl Streep, work becomes difficult the older you get.
Also I have to agree with those that say the pale skin is less about looking like white people and more about class representation. Pale skin was a sign of wealth dating back to ancient times, where deeply tanned skin was a sign of a farmer or peasant working in the fields. This is something that has lasted into the present day, especially in countries like China and Korea where the culture was still very much an agrarian society until just a generation or two ago.
Similarly, Asian American actresses have it much tougher than Asian American actors for representation in American media. While the pool for Asian American actors is still much lower in terms of representation than that of white actors, Asian American men still have opportunities for lead roles or at least major supporting roles in U.S. projects (see Daniel Dae Kim in Lost and Hawaii 5-0, Steven Yuen in Walking Dead, Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa in Man in the High Castle, etc), whereas Asian American women are reduced to usually being in supporting roles as an exotic love interest or background character in a urban sequence or Japanese / Chinese restaurant when characters that could be / were ethnically Japanese or Chinese in their source material are re-written to be Caucasian. Ultimately I think Asian American women are in a rough position for representation, not just as an ethnic minority, but as women. Let's be real, Hollywood is a tough place for actresses to get regular work, and unless you're Meryl Streep, work becomes difficult the older you get.
Also I have to agree with those that say the pale skin is less about looking like white people and more about class representation. Pale skin was a sign of wealth dating back to ancient times, where deeply tanned skin was a sign of a farmer or peasant working in the fields. This is something that has lasted into the present day, especially in countries like China and Korea where the culture was still very much an agrarian society until just a generation or two ago.
Poor GRIMES
Banned
Okay I read through the entire interview and I can say that my personal sentiments mirror a lot of their own. The United States has a lot of soft power. Since we export so much of our media abroad to other nations in comparison to other countries, I believe this is where the "Asians worship White people" claim comes from. If all the movies and television shows portray White people in every role imaginable and they're given so much representation in all forms of media, then that begins to shape your influence of White people in general to be desired, valued, etc. in comparison to other races.
Further, I also think this is where the "Black people are bad or poor" and "Latinos speak broken English" stereotypes comes from too. There's not that many roles given to PoC at all in Hollywood, much less Asian Americans. I can absolutely see where they're coming from when they say that native Asian people "worship White people." Because of all the media exportation, that directly affected their views to idealize "White as right."
Further, I also think this is where the "Black people are bad or poor" and "Latinos speak broken English" stereotypes comes from too. There's not that many roles given to PoC at all in Hollywood, much less Asian Americans. I can absolutely see where they're coming from when they say that native Asian people "worship White people." Because of all the media exportation, that directly affected their views to idealize "White as right."
Septimus Prime
Member
Hey, come on, come on.
How so? It goes with the so called 'worship' that foreign looking people can be models so easily. Ask anyone with biracial children in Asia. They get undue attention.
I feel that this is precisely right. The issue of representation is a big deal for Asian Americans because they're not being represented in the media that they're exposed to. In Asia, this is very different because most of the population have access to their local entertainment industries, and those industries are mostly going to employ local actors. For similar reasons, seeing an Asian American actor in a prominent role in a film can mean a lot to Asian American viewers, but it might not mean much for Asians in Asia.
For similar reasons, the ideal body shape during the Victorian era in Western countries was portly. People who had a bit of extra body mass were well fed as opposed the lower classes who had less available access to food.
There are fashion/body trends wherein Caucasian features are considered ideal, but the whiteness of skin isn't a very good example of these.
TheBryanJZX90
Member
Shitty to blame the models themselves, too much of an internet tough guy routine to call a human being worthless because you don't like that they are on TV.
TickleMeElbow
Member
I don't know about that. I think the entertainment industry and America in general are more receptive of Asian American women than Asian American men.
Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, Chloe Bennet, Ming Na-Wen, Grace Park, Jessica Henwick, Kelly Hu, and Kristin Kreuk have all played significant roles in TV or film. That's just off the top of my head.
BTW, I'm not trying to make this a "men vs women" thing at all. Just a general observation.
Maggie Q has a few lead roles too.
TickleMeElbow
Member
Oh yeah her, and Jamie Chung as well.
Trojita
Rapid Response Threadmaker
Would you contest that there isn't an obsession and market centered on lightening skin in Japan?
Okinawa was brought up because because of the general trope of them being tan. Which they are down south and get a lot more sun, so that shit happens. Wouldn't be surprised if some people that live their try and avoid the sun because they want to avoid getting a tan and a modern aversion to sunlight because of cancer and aging risks.
?
cartographer
Member
It's more that the discrimination Asians face can take different forms depending on gender. Asian men aren't seen as sex objects, Asian women are often fetishized etc. It's different sides to the same shitty coin. Asian men can't get the romance roles as often, Asian women have to fight against a very specific sexualization that their peers don't.
I guess my point is that women tend to be treated by producers and casting agents as having a "shelf life" of marketability that doesn't plague actors as much as it does actresses, so the issues that women in general deal with when it comes to less available parts as they age goes double for Asian American actresses based on being an ethnic minority and female in an industry that prides itself on youth and "(not) diversity".
Let's be real, how much work are Kristin Kreuk, Maggie Q and Jamie Chung going to get after they reach "mom age"? Kelly Hu may be the hottest 49 year old woman on the planet, but that doesn't mean she hasn't been reduced to bit parts on TV and voice roles on Nickelodeon shows in an industry where youth is god.
Prototype Viktor
Member
Use "Majority of the Earth's population" instead of POC
White people trying to claim elves now? SMH.
Monochromaticx
Member
whats the context ?
I really hate the term. I dont know when or how you americans agreed to use it. Person of color sounds bad enough, but then to be freaking abbreviated? wtf would you wanna be an abbreviation.
TickleMeElbow
Member
I get what you're saying, specifically with the actresses need youth on their side part, but I don't think the shelf life of Asian American male actors are all that great either lol.
Maybe I just don't keep up, but I don't think I've seen Daniel Dae Kim in anything but bit parts after Hawaii Five-0.
Someone posted an article in another thread about how Steven Yeun is now auditioning for the same five line roles as goddamn Bobby Lee or some shit, although I think he might have a chance to turn it around......
Ernie Reyes Jr in Surf Ninjas was my goddamn hero as a kid, had a small but pretty badass role in the Rundown, and then pretty much nothing. Now he's suffering from kidney failure.....
Really the only Asian American men I can think of that have had any sort of longevity are B.D. Wong and John Cho. I guess you can include Benedict Wong, but he's British.
What I'm trying to say is that I don't think Asian American men have it any easier.
He's a famous celebrity in Korea and she's a huge fan which is why she's so surprised.
Lou Diamond Phillips.. actually nm I dont think he ever plays an asian on TV.
Jason Scott Lee.. can we say he's had a decent career?
capitalCORN
Member
I'm pretty sure I found the right guy this time. Bear in mind I've been awake for three days now so excuse my senses. He's an American called Joel Roberts.
http://www.clothedmondays.com/yg-kplus-signs-joel-roberts/
TickleMeElbow
Member
WTF I thought Lou Diamond Phillips was straight Native American......
chaobreaker
Member
I know, right? I think it's just heavy use of Photoshop and lighting trickery but I would like to be proven wrong if I am. I also notice the huge eyebrows went away at around the early 2000s too.
I struggle to figure out if this is even a thing you can google, but one easy way is to look at female Japanese models of the different decades.
Okay, talentless and priveleged. My point was really that they are hardly scarce like the original post was implying.
KonradLaw
Member
Except it wasn't made in USA and it wasn't made just for US audience. So...umm?
KonradLaw
Member
Isn't it at least partially because how popular sun screens became? They're pretty much in every single face cream there. In the west only recently people started to realize sun is responible for over 80% of skin ageing. The mythical "asian genes" are in large part just using filters religiously. A side effect of that is that people don't get tanned.
FinaruDensetsu
Member
I think anyone who's white and has visited a country like Japan, China, or Taiwan knows this to be true.
I bet most people here probably know or have heard some white guy at least joke around about going to Asia and getting laid easily.
I bet most people here probably know or have heard some white guy at least joke around about going to Asia and getting laid easily.
Thats just because you are rare and exotic. From what I understand, only a small percentage of women are actually open to dating foreigners, but its enough to outnumber the foreign single men.
KonradLaw
Member
They're more of games than most walking simulators are.
FinaruDensetsu
Member
Getting laid doesn't mean you gotta date. Dating and long term relationships are a different matter mostly due to racism from the older generation not approving. Asian culture teaches us to deeply respect elders, and especially the parent's wishes, which is why you see them not being open to dating as you said.
Basically every Asian has heard other Asians remark how nice looking white people's jaw structure, nose structure, big eyes, and how they're eyes are more sunken in is. Not so much if you're an Asian-American, but if you're born in Asia, then you're guaranteed to have heard it before.
Although it's pretty common still. Just within my family and friends more than a couple either are with white guys in Asia or moved here to marry white dudes.
Uhuh. All I was saying is this idea that all Asian women want to date/marry White men isn't true. And it shouldn't be a surprise that being an exotic foreigner makes dating easier.
Western entertainment typically doesn't like portraying East Asian men as sexy or put them in any kind of spotlight. More often than not, they're left being seen as demasculated or outright ignored if they can't sell themselves as martial artists. On a broader cultural level, these notions are consistently reinforced almost everywhere.
FinaruDensetsu
Member
I reduced it to just the women wanting to date white men thing a bit facetiously, but it's no secret Asians generally do "worship" white people. I mean we even have a word in Chinese for it.
It's a pretty significant reason why a lot of Asian-Americans are so frustrated with things like white-washing. It's an issue we deal with growing up here in the West and being virtually not represented, but the worst part is that the majority of your own people across the ocean not only think it's fine, but support it.
Yeah, I saw this sale while looking to spend my free Vudu credit from Tmobile today:
http://www.vudu.com/movies/#uiList/69/4
I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. Like they couldn't just do a sale category for Asian movies in general, only Asian martial arts movies lol.
Psycho_Mantis
Banned
It all makes sense now....
Law abiding Asians are smart and skinny. Guys are loser virgin geeks who are socially awkward. Girls are hot innocent geek girls with glasses who might be wild in bed once they're broken in.
Unlawful Asians are gangsters with tattoos who are dangerous and sexy but are either played by unnamed stuntmen or sexy tough girls.
Did I miss anything?
FinaruDensetsu
Member
Law abiding Asians are smart and skinny. Guys are loser virgin geeks who are socially awkward. Girls are hot innocent geek girls with glasses who might be wild in bed once they're broken in.
Unlawful Asians are gangsters with tattoos who are dangerous and sexy but are either played by unnamed stuntmen or sexy tough girls.
Did I miss anything?
Yeah it's fucked up.
=(
And then you have Steve Harvey.
=( again.
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