I enjoyed watching The Mask of Fu Manchu with you all yesterday, despite the technical difficulties (sorry about that; our permanent projector and DVD player should be installed by next class session). No matter how many times I've seen this film, I find that I always notice and appreciate new, wonderful, amazing aspects of it. This time, I noticed the way that Boris Karloff and Myrna Loy use their hands, with those super-long fingernails; I noticed that Sheila, like Fu Manchu's daughter, also is an extension of her father's work (both women are "tools" to carry out their fathers' missions); I noticed that Fu Manchu "thinks" technologically in every respect, whether he is deploying low technology (the bell-ringing torture, the sword of Genghis Khan) or high technology (that crazy serum, the hydraulic spiked-door torture, the lightning machine). What a bizarre and fantastic film. This week, please post on the following questions:
(1) If, as Ling suggests in her "Monster Within" article, Fu Manchu's popularity stems from the fact that "the hunter" (the U.S./U.K.) needs and desires "prey," what made Fu Manchu such attractive prey from the 1910s to the present day (the latest Fu Manchu novel is set to be published this year)? What, do you think, has made Fu Manchu such an appealing supervillain for British and American readers and moviegoers for generations?
(2) What did you learn from the Wong article that you didn't know before (about film history, American and Asian American history, or Fu Manchu)?
(3) Wong argues that the Hollywood film industry has long been not only ignorant, but willfully ignorant. What do you think the film industry had to gain by purposefully perpetuating stereotypes of non-white races for many years? Do you think Hollywood has demonstrated a greater knowledge of minority races and ethnicities in recent years? Why or why not?
(4) Do you detect any "yellow peril" thinking in present-day U.S. political discourse? If so, where (and with respect to what nations) do you see the yellow peril theme? If you think that yellow peril fear is totally outdated, when do you think this type of fear stopped being a common part of American life?
21 comments:
1.) For whom Fu Manchu is I think it’s funny that he can be considered prey. I guess he takes on a duality by being hunter and the prey from his character in fiction and what his character means in mainstream entertainment, if that makes any sense. What makes Fu Manchu so appealing is that he is a part of the world that many people don’t fully know/understand about and fear it, since humans have a tendency to fear the unknown. He is intelligent, his eyes are alluring, and even with his intelligence people see him as barbaric as well. During the time period when Fu Manchu was created there was a great uneasiness between the west and the east. Stories about Fu Manchu acquired a large audience because this was their chance to see the “yellow man” as a great villain that threatens the very existence in the west. People went to see these films to see the “white” man triumphant over the “yellow” man, thus showing the superiority and civility of the white race. In reality they feared what they don’t understand and they feared people who were unlike them so they created characters that objectify the fear and creates an easy place for open racism.
2.) I wasn’t aware at how typical racism was in films back then. I knew many films of the times were racist, but I never knew how fare the boundaries were and how many films were made with sheer ignorance. At least back then they tried to make amends by creating an Asian character that wasn’t a villain, but they messed it up and were to afraid to make it a main character and too afraid to make it a serious character instead of it being a joke. Then when they finally get an Asian actor to play the lead detective role they quickly scrap the project. People just amaze me sometimes. I find it ridiculous that they would not allow Asians to play Asian characters. It’s demeaning that they have whites play a race that they aren’t like they think they can actually play another race better. I also don’t remember learning much, if anything, about racism in film during my History of Cinema class, which I think would have been a subject worth taking a look into. It frustrates me that people were like that and can openly pass judgment on those they know nothing about; it still frustrates me today because people still do the same thing.
3.) There are probably numerous reasons why the film industry was willfully. It could be about the speed of getting a project done. Instead of taking the time to fully research they just use what they know and slap it in the film to get it out. They could have also done it because films like these make money and they please the average moviegoer at the time. With that it could also be said that these films could have been reassurance in a way, that these notions of racism was evident in many people and it was like these films were saying it was ok to be like this and you’re not alone in what you think. Hollywood is getting better with their knowledge of ethnicity, but it’s not great. Boundaries are being broken at a step at a time. In the present day there are more people aware and are openly against the racism so Hollywood tries to stay away from race issues as it could be bad publicity for them and they won’t get the audience they desire.
4.) I think there are at least some aspects of the “yellow peril” still in existent and Ling’s article helps demonstrate that there still is. I can’t remember all the countries that we listed during class, but I thought Iraq was one of them and that fear is evident in the states. Not only is it with Iraq, but with North Korea as well. Bush describes them as monsters, barbaric, uncivilized and describes what we’re fighting out in the Middle East as pure evil, which is just a ridiculous notion. Although they weren’t issued into concentration camps, middle easterners were subject to racism and even jail time after the attack on 9/11. The west seeks to free those oppressed in the east and that is one of the things portrayed in The Mask of Fu Manchu. One thing that Ling mentioned in the article was the four step narrative and how Fu Manchu, Hannibal, and the war on terror follow the same pattern.
1.) I think what makes a character like Fu Manchu attractive "prey" is the fact that he has no redeeming qualities making him almost inhuman or a monster, and it's much easier to think of someone or something (such as a country or a entire race) as your enemy or "prey" when you don't see it as anything like yourself. Another reason Fu Manchu might be seen as attractive "prey" is what he is after. The writer makes it seem like Fu Manchu's only goal is to capture the white women and make them his. I believe this would appeal to a "hunter" because what is more heroic or brave then saving the damsel in distress.
And the same qualities that make Fu Manchu attractive "prey" is also what makes him an appealing supervillian.
2.) After reading Wong's article my eyes were really opened to just how much racism was a factor in making many of the films in early and even to an extent today's Hollywood. I also found it astonishing that Asian roles in films were very rarely played by actual Asians and when they were people lost interest in the film.
3.) Money was a major factor in Hollywood's perpetuating stereotypes of non-white races for many years. When one film depicting stereotypical characters and villains does extremely well and is very profitable why not make another? I think that is the kind of mind set that kept movies featuring characters such as Fu Manchu going for so long.
I would like to believe that Hollywood has a much less stereotypical stance towards minorities in the films being made today. The people of America have become much more cultured over the years which has made stereotypes in film less and less popular although not completely eliminating them.
4.) I strongly believe that the "yellow peril" thinking is still alive today in our politics, especially towards countries in the middle east. After 9/11 there was a large sense of panic and prejudice towards people of middle eastern descent began to rise. There are many stories of people being discriminated for even appearing remotely middle eastern since 9/11. Unfortunately if people continue to be ignorant towards other cultures and beliefs this kind of thinking will always be around.
1.) I think that Fu Manchu is "attractive prey" because of his mad scientist persona. He toys with the "life and death" concept throughout his films. One example would be his "forever youth elixir" and wanting to his preserve his life, while ending others lives. I think Fu Manchu appeals to people today because he is a villain with a different approach. he doesn't just kill, he plans out precise killings. I feel that people back then weren't used to seeing a "yellow villain." He was also intimidating to people because of his need to get rid of the "white man/woman."
2.) The article by Wong was very interesting, and I learned so much about how racism was openly used back then. I didn't know that the asians portrayed in these films were played by Americans. It is hard to even imagine that being shown in films that are made today. This article really made me think about movies, and how the races portrayed effected these movies.
3.) I think the ignorance allowed Hollywood the ability to make lots of money. Their stereotypical characters, and poor portrayal of ethnicities drew movie goers in. It is easy for Americans to pick a non-white person and then call them a villain. The other races seemed to be scapegoats for the average white man. Hollywood has certainly taken stereotyping more seriously. I believe that movies would suffer more if minorities were wrongfully portrayed.
4.)I think that the "yellow peril" still exists. The 9/11 attacks are a prime example of this. It seems like Americans are so afraid of anyone that looks like someone from the Middle East. It is easy to put the blame on one ethnicity or one country. As long as there is hatred in the world, there will always be that "yellow peril." It might not be the Middle East, but if something were to happen else where, people would react the same way.
[1] Fu Manchu makes excellent prey because of his inability to be captured. It gives “the hunter” something to hunt for. People could obviously just go out and shoot a zebra at the zoo or their neighbors dog (none of which I will recommend), but a person who catches a creature that is thought by a mass audience to be extremely elusive and uncatchable wins glory and a sufficient amount of self-fulfillment, much like if one was to catch the rare Mew in the Pokémon games. The trait of being elusive is shared by Osama Bin Laden as well. If the nation gives up, the entire nation is defeated. So we keep hunting, and it gives Americans a reason to be patriotic, and the whole act of the hunt brings the nation together.
Fu Manchu basically wrote the book on being a super villain. A super villain typically creates complex schemes to gain power over certain people or groups and eventually the world. A super villain usually has some sort of super quality about them, in Fu Manchu’s case being extremely intelligent enough to create a bunch of torture machines, the elixir of life, and many other potions. A super villain usually means harm to another person or group. Fu Manchu is a super villain. The reason he is appealing is because we as Americans are conditioned to believe that is what determines a super villain, and he has all the traits.
[2] The whole fact that Asians in film were not Asians surprised me. I then thought about the era of Shakespeare. The roles of women in plays were played by men, so I could see how they would do that. People were not comfortable about having women on stage. It goes the same for the old era of film. In some films, black roles were played by white people with makeup on. The film industry didn’t want to make any radical changes or they would lose money and people would lose interest in their films.
[3] I believe I answered this question in my last post, but I will expand it. It was all about profit. Like, I said before, if they made radical changes that people were not comfortable with, they wouldn’t go see their movies and the whole industry would lose money. Hollywood still has small stereotypical references in popular films, but has also made effort to change them. In the movie Crash, the Hispanic in the movie is a poor locksmith trying to make money and lives in a bad neighborhood. That is a little stereotypical, but at the end of the movie it is revealed that he isn’t a bad or scary guy and only cares for his family. He turns out to be one of the main protagonists.
[4]I am kind of split on this question because when I think of Asia, I think of the Far East and not the Middle East. There would still be some trace of yellow peril if the Middle East is being involved but I just don’t see it; I believe we did include Iraq in the discussion but I don’t think that it should be included. When 9/11 happened nobody was saying, “Damn those Asians.” The general American public sees them as two different sides. I believe that yellow peril slowed down greatly after we bombed Japan and they gave up. It gave all of America bravery and a sense of accomplishment. People felt that it had been turned around and that Japan feared the United States soon after.
I. Fu Manchu is a mystery, making him alluring yet scary which will automatically draw people into his character. Since people fear the unknown, it is easy to make Fu Manchu the villain. His elixir for eternal youth and mind control gives a hint of his intelligence. Just fact that he has the ability to control someones mind and cheat years of life would shoot fear into anyone (they do not know what else he might be capable of). By portraying Fu Manchu twistedly evil, it almost made him inhuman. Making it easier to hunt him, since no one was able to relate to him.
II. I had always found it odd that Asian roles were never played by Asians but because my lack of knowledge of media and the history of media I didn't think to much of it. The article really opened my eyes in realizing that it wasn't just a few movies and that it was constant. I never really realized how much racism was in the media. I realized that once Asians were actually played in Asian roles, the movie either did very well or was a complete flop.
III. People will always have assumptions and thought about other races that they don't know or understand. By almost feeding on the general publics ignorance, the media has almost allowed racism. However the movement on staying close to face has shown in recent films. Today people are more more aware of racism and if Hollywood portrayed racism in a positive light, the whole business would suffer.
IV. "Yellow peril" is still around in todays world. After 9/11 the general public was terrified of people from the middle east and even people who looked middle eastern. It is easier to just point a finger rather than figure out or learn from it. It wouldn't matter what country, culture or religion, people would have the same reaction. People will constantly fear what they don't know/understand.
Fu Manchu is attractive prey because of his resiliency and persistence. Good villains are made of similar stuff as good heroes, and Fu Manchu is the product of an inverted “yellow peril” fear of invasion and takeover, and uses what Western imperial powers, primarily the British, saw as their tools of conquest in retaliation. When enumerating his academic achievements, Fu Manchu lists the prestigious universities of Europe and America, the hallowed institutions most often associated with the perpetuation of traditional power structures of class, ethnicity, gender, and race; these institutions were seen as the incubator for tomorrow's leaders. Allied agents of the status quo, the American film industry, used Fu Manchu to profit from the scare mongering of the “yellow peril,” using willful ignorance to become such egregious offenders that “The Birth of a Nation” fan Woodrow Wilson had to write the industry to stem anti-Japanese sentiment. (Wong, 4) Whether or not the industry has improved their representations of Asians on screen has yet to be seen, with the use of Chinese actress Ziyi Zhang to depict a Japanese woman suggests that Hollywood believes the viewing public thinks one Asian is as good as another for any role depicting an Asian, or more conspicuously, any Asian woman. This kind of 'confusion' demonstrates that the particulars aren't as important to Hollywood's individual agenda of willful ignorance, for the sake of free publicity in the form of controversy and cowardly scandal mongering that suggests whether nor not something is offensive is up for a paying audience to decide. While the shift in the times gives us political discourse that's less shrill about the possibility of explicit fears of Asian men running away with white women, news is still mired in Asian scare-mongering. While it was more obvious last year when bird flu, contagion, and immigration politics were on display, we still get a full dose of poison plastics invading to kill our kids in the form of Trojan toys, the discourse on these goods and US trade policies seems less shrill than in years past. American life still feels ”yellow peril” fear, but it has been transformed into an economic fear, forming a logical basis for what is still an irrational xenophobia.
(1) I think the primary reason that he is such easy prey is because he easily represents what most people think of as a typical Asian. As Americans I believe we always need some one (Osama Bin Laden) or some group (Al Qaeda) to pin the wrongs of itself on some one else. In our mind the Asian culture is very barbaric and full of tradition that varies a lot from what we are used to. The U.S. and Asian relations have as ways been a little strained from World War II and Vietnam and until the war on terror came around the U.S. had no one else to pin their problems on besides the Asian nations.
{2} I am not a film buff, so this article had a gold mine of information. I did however assume that there was a lot of anti-Asian portrayal in films because of World War II. I never knew that it had started as early as 1917. I also had never heard of Patria the anti-Japanese film series.
[3] I think that Hollywood could gain a lot of money by continuing the stereotypes, especially during times of war. They have a common enemy that everyone can relate against and everyone wants to see the hero win against them. After doing a little more research on William Randolph Hearst, I learned that his company funded a lot of these blatantly racist films.
<4> I don’t believe there is a lot of “yellow peril” left in the United States. Then again I don’t follow the news very often since most of it is garbage in my personal opinion. If there was to be any “yellow peril” it would come from the mass immigration from Mexico to the United States.
Ling is correct in stating that the hunter needs and desires prey. Fu Manchu is desirable as such because of what he is, a highly educated and worthy opponent. Fu Manchu is a man who has made something of him self. He’s not just portrayed as evil, but an evil genius, which makes him that much more dangerous. Yes, the “hunter” desires “prey” but more than anything they desire validation. Defeating something or someone who is so seemingly undefeatable makes the hunter seem that much stronger. Audiences throughout the world like to see the characters that they identify with come out on top, and the more formidable and educated the opponent, the better seems the victor.
Yellow Peril is still prevalent today, but now focused on Arab races. Since 9/11 and the war in Iraq began America’s #1 bad guy has worshipped Allah. With countless TV shows (Sleeper Cell, 24) painting this culture as the enemy it is hard not to see the parallel with yellow peril. The characters may appear to us as being more real and less cartoon like than a character like Fu Manchu may seem now and therefore less of a stereotype, but that is because we don’t see many fully fleshed out Arab characters to compare them too. In time, as a new enemy is identified, this will change.
1. Fu-Manchu is a figure that exemplifies mystery, power, fear, and intelligence. To have him as either predator or prey shows that you as well posses these traits. It is often said that the strength of a person can be determined by the strength of his enemies. By creating such a powerful and mysterious villain to fight against the west, the west has in turn shown its own power and intelligence. Fu-Manchu remains timeless however because of the great mystery that shrouds him. By not knowing all of who Fu-Manchu is, by not fully identifying him to his public he can be identified in many different ways, by many different people, each creating their own super power villain within Fu-Manchu's hazy and undefined borders.
2. I had not really known or thought about this before reading the Wong article. The amount of racism represented in any Hollywood movie from then until now is directly linked with the societal view of said race in the American public. As such most blatant racism goes generally unnoticed. This ignorance is more representative of the movies in the era this article is referring to, but can also be seen in many movies today as well. But back then information about other races and cultures were given to the public through the media, so it makes sense that the ignorance presented to them through these stereotypes would circulate through the public until it became almost an understood truth.
3. I think Hollywood perpetuated these stereotypes over and over again because that’s what the general public believed (see answer above). So by presenting these commonly held stereotypes in the mass media again and again, Hollywood would appeal to the general public’s sense of the familiar. These ignorant notions of other cultures were truth to most people of that age, and as such they expected to and were happy to see them represented on the silver screen. I think in recent years that has become less of a problem, what with the ease that information can be accessed this day and age most of these stereotypes can be easily put to rest. However stereotype perpetuation is not dead in Hollywood just yet.
4. The "yellow peril" notion of culture representation is being presented to us in the way we supposed to view Middle Eastern cultures. It seems that the government wants us to believe that these people are savages bent on killing westerners at all cost. Much the same as Asians were represented in the early days of Fu-Manchu. There seems to be more stereotypical information than real information being presented to us about Middle Easterners, so it’s hard for us to separate what is real from what is government fueled war propaganda.
1)I think Fu Manchu is such an appealing prey because of his intellect and his being of a different race. Back in the height of his popularity, Fu Manchu was seen as someone from a different race that had a superior intellect from the protagonists. He is from an exotic area of the world where people in Britain and America typically think of being barbaric. Having him being from a "barbaric" region and being of a higher intellect makes him a threat to the west. It is almost like a challenging adventure to go into the unknown to hunt down the cunning barbarian.
2)I had no idea that the film industry in the United States was so racist against Asians so early in its history. I knew that they stereotyped Asians a lot but did not know that they were so against having major Asian heroes. I also never heard of Patria and how it was taken from an anti-American novel and turned into an anti-Japanese film.
3)I think that the film industry willingly maintained the stereotypes in order to make money. The vast majority of the public was racists towards non-whites, so the film studios catered to them with these stereotypes. I think the studios, and the public, have been more socially aware and would not stand racism being glorified in films.
4)I think that "yellow peril" is still alive in the United States, though not as widespread as it once was. Modern yellow peril is directed at people from the Middle East as well as the country of North Korea. I think that yellow peril is totally outdated but I do not know when it will stop being a part of American life because most people will always be afraid of the unknown or different.
1.) Fu Manchu is attractive "prey" because his character personifies everything that the US and UK strives to remove from human society. He's the heartless far eastern psychopath with tons of fun torture rooms, magical potions, and laser guns that westerners want to see as the villain. It's the strange allure of the east that makes Fu Manchu such attractive prey for westerners. I think that a part of what made him so attractive is that we as humans tend to fear that which we do not understand, and in a less globalized world the peoples and cultures of the far east were much less understood to westerners than they are now.
2.) What I found interesting about the Wong article was the sentiment toward Japan before World War 2. The article talks about the "yellow peril alarmism" in the united states government and how this "yellow peril" came to be. I think that one of the interesting points of the article is that it states that the sentiment towards Japan changed when they had become an actual "power" in the global scheme. Japan was waging wars in russia and korea and the country itself had a new sense of nationalism and patriotism as it made itself known throughout the world as a new power. The United States found their new peer to be a threat to their existence, so they wanted to make sure that the sentiment of the government was the same as it's people. Our country STILL does this kind of thing with any country it comes into conflict with. Through the media, we still find a way to show off our enemies as savages using an archaic way of life that threatens ours. It was interesting to read about an event that happened over 90 years ago that mirrors what is still going on today, but in a different part of Asia.
3.) OF COURSE the media is still willfully ignorant and the reason why they're still the same way as they were 90 years ago is because the government's sentiment needs to have the backing of it's people. The film, news, and mass media industry hasn't exactly "gained" anything from being willfully ignorant, they're all just REALLY, REALLY good at warping peoples thoughts and beliefs and making others the villains and ourselves the shining heroes. I would also say that over the years and years of globalization and immigration, mass media has slowly but surely learned to represent all races peoples and cultures somewhat equally in movies, and commercials but as far as international news, they still find ways to find the new enemy on the other side of the world and they still find ways to make us afraid.
4.) Yellow peril is just as much alive as it is today as it was in the days of Fu-Manchu. The peril may not be coming from the same part of the "orient" but the concept is still the same. The peoples and cultures of the middle east are very harshly discriminated against and feared after 9/11 and the other attacks in Spain and Great Britain. We are reminded every single day on the news of car and suicide bombings in the middle east and we are so used to it that it's almost imbedded in the american psyche to fear the middle-east. The news has become the new "Mask of Fu-Manchu" always reminding us about how intellectual, educated, and ruthless these terrorist organizations are and how we must be constantly wary of what they do. I find that maybe we'll always be living in a world of Fu-Manchus.
(1) The character of Fu Manchu provides the western "hunter" with such attractive "prey" by offering a visual contradiction to mainstream America and at the same time, a comparable, if not more advanced, understanding and implementation of technology. The idea of an mad Asian doctor is a a unique and exotic image, one that suggests adventure and defies the stereotypes of the time. Despite whatever racial superiority white American’s felt over “the yellow man”, there had to be some sort of redeeming quality to Fu Manchu that made him a menacing foe, in this case, his mastery of technology. Much like when European traders brought back spices, silk and other strange goods from the Orient, Fu Manchu promises mysterious new technologies to fascinate and terrify audiences. And then there’s that mustache.
(2) What most fascinated me from Wong’s article was the bit about William Randolph Hearst’s hate of Asiatic peoples. Wielding considerable power as one of the wealthiest men of his time and owner of one of the largest newspapers in the country, it’s no surprise he was able to influence many people into believing there was, in fact, some sort of “yellow peril”. This was one of the men who convinced the nation to declare war in Spain after all. That he would fund thinly veiled propaganda films decrying the Japanese people as whole was something that truly shocked me.
(3) The easy answer to Hollywood’s exploitation of racial and cultural diversity is money. By presenting the orient as a savage land full of malevolent beings, studio execs were able to draw audiences in droves. By willfully playing to the misconceptions of the American people film makers could easily develop an attitude that galvanized white people against the colored denizens of the country.
(4) I believe that we are currently experiencing a new wave of the so called “yellow peril”. For the last century America has been continually engaged in hostile relationships with several countries in the Far East beginning with Japan before moving to Vietnam then North Korea and now with China. The rising economic and military power of Communist China has taken many Americans by surprise and we don’t like it. Formerly nothing more than a really big third world nation, massive leaps in technology and an unquenchable thirst for energy have many in the west worried that China may usurp the U.S. as the worlds greatest superpower.
1) Fu Manchu is not a relatable character to most people in the west. He wears “weird” clothes, treats women poorly, and hates white people. What could be less relatable for a western world than that? I believe that it is this distance from our own personalities that allows us to hate Fu Manchu with no remorse. He may be intelligent and sometimes quirky, but I don’t think that is enough for a western world to ever feel sorry for him. People love to make fun of people, but there are always those feelings of guilt. It may also be his mystery and spontaneity that attract audiences, but I don’t feel that it plays as big of a part in Fu Manchu’s attractiveness and the west’s willingness to consider him easy prey.
2) The sheer racism that poured out of Hollywood in the early 1900's. No wonder the country was having so much trouble with it. I was aware that the industry produced films including some anti-Asian films, but I had no idea of the magnitude of it all. It is silly to me, that white actors would even be willing to play an asian role. How could you take someone seriously if the only attempt at being asian was a mustache and a mocking accent, or name.
3) I believe that producers in Hollywood had every terrible reason in the world to use stereotypes in film. Just like comedians act like celebrities there could be a bit of humor in a white actor portraying an asian character. People of power in Hollywood, were manipulating their products to appeal to white America and all its worry and anger. Today there seems to be more of an attempt to mask the ignorant or willful ignorance with one simple fix. Add an asian character to the good side. The main character in an army movie can gun down as many asians as he wants as long as he has his asian buddy by his side. In other words I do think the same methods are being used in Hollywood today as in the early 1900's.
4) Political campaigns have always been as manipulative of the people as any other form of media out there. The President often uses an "Us" and "Them" form of discussion about the Iraq War. Seperating us as two different, unassociated peoples. One who is disturbed and then there's "Us." People in the United States knew so little of North Korea, even when it was front page headlines, and how could they, when all the News and Politicians showed and talked about was the odd ruler and all his evil plans. "Poor South Korea," the U.S. thought. In reality South Korea felt no real threat. It was the Bush administration using "Us" and "Them" to get rid of any other nuclear weapons. As outdated as I feel that Yellow Peril is, I feel it will only evolve with the times.
1. Fu Manchu is such an appealing super villain for the British and American because he comes from an exotic country many of the white people didn’t know much about at the time. So seeing this film, the viewers were possibly thinking, “ah..so that’s how Asians are like.” Even now the white people don’t understand Asian Culture & Traditions perfectly. Some may seem the things Asians do is barbaric and immoral. Such as the things they eat. Or in Japan, Samurais would take a dagger and commit suicide. To the Japanese that would be a very honorific way to die. In Korea, out of discipline teachers are allowed to hit their students up to High School. Other countries, especially America, sees these methods wrong. Fu Manchu’s characteristics was also contradictory, so I guess that appealed the viewers. He was very intellectual; graduated in the best ivy league schools, charismatic, proper, and powerful. With those traits, you’d expect a hero. But he wasn’t. He was obviously evil, his torture methods were cruel, and mad with power; thinking he can control whoever he likes.
2. What did I learn from the Wong Article? Honestly, nothing. I’m an Asian-American pursuing Acting, so I’ve been aware of all the racism and ignorance towards Asians on Film. Also going to an Asian Camp for 7 years and going to Asian Conferences time to time…we discuss about Asian portrayal on film from then and now. It’s a lot better now, but they still see us as too ethnic. That’s why I believe you don’t see Asians as lead roles too often, unless it’s martial arts…because it won’t appeal to the American Viewers. Right now, how it affects me personally is…I’m being type-casted already. Because I am Asian, the only work I can find in films is the “Asian Gangster.” I’ve been the “Asian Gangster” in 2 independent films. “Asian Gangster” in Batman 2. And the new independent film I’ll be shooting this fall, I’m not a Gangster…but I’m an angry Asian man that wields swords and guns. I know I can simply just stay away from those roles, but as an Asian pursuing Acting, you need to take anything they give you…because there isn’t much for Asians
3. Money & many viewers.
Racism & Stereotyping in America is key for Comedy. They’ve stereotyped every race in film. I’m sure there are plenty of groups out there that have conference discussing about this problem that occurs on film. I know for sure there are several Asian Conference that discuss so. Like I’ve said, it’s gotten a bit better. You see slowly, but surely Asian-Americans and other minorities seen more on film, with regular roles. Such as Sandra Oh in Grey Anatomy. John Cho in the several films he has done. Daniel Dae Kim. And etc. Asians on films are still sometimes portrayed as the math wiz geek. But at least it’s not as bad as back then.
4. Yellow Peril? I’m not quite sure what that means. I’m guessing fear and hatred of Asians…? If so. Possibly some? I’m not too current on news and politics. All I know is there are lot of ignorant people who believe all Koreans are North-Koreans. And every Korean is some how related to the Korean shooter in VA.
1. I believe that as a society there is an inherit need for community. And just as Ling suggested, we tend to create a monster that we can all hate together. I think that is what made the country’s support WWII a lot different than the support in the Vietnam War; everyone hated the Nazis, but we weren’t convinced with the Vietnam struggle. Fu Manchu is a very hate-able character. He is cold, conniving, and mysterious. It is through a character like this, we as a society grow closer as we now have something we could all hate together. We aren’t ready to let that go just yet. Apparently.
2. Although reading this article was like going through a Smurf village, once I got through it, I thought it was really interesting. I had never thought of the Japanese issue in World War II as inspiration for the enemies in film. I feel like I should have noticed that before, as I have noticed that about comic book villains and the communists in the 50’s.
3. As far as what Hollywood had to gain in the discrimination in films against minorities, I think it just comes down to control. We as people are afraid of what we don’t know and are afraid that the unknown will take over. Anglo-Americans have always reacted to people of other races this way and I think we still have a slight issue with people that are different then us. However, I believe that Hollywood is starting to get a better understanding of other cultures as other countries have started film programs that put us all at an equal level. America is so intermixed right now, that we have only two choices: accept and embrace the beautiful diversity or brick yourself in a house with your ignorance.
4. I definitely think that there is “yellow peril” thinking in the government. There are so many times when you hear about how China is going to take over the economy or that we should be afraid of North Korea’s nuclear weapons while we have quite a few ourselves. Not to mention the Middle East right now and the amount of judgement and hate that comes with that stigma.
1.) I believe that Fu Manchu was such an attractive prey for this film is because of his supposed super qualities he has. In the movie he was portrayed as this intelligent yet evil, or according to the US, is made out to be some kind of fiend because of his alternative beliefs. I think that the Fu Manchu series is all propaganda.
2.)The article by Wong was very informative because I did not know all to well how bad racism was back then in Hollywood. I did not know and found it kind of amusing that the Asians were often screened with Americans. This article today has really put a concrete base of how the racism in television has gone from obvious to intelligently subtle.
3.) I think Hollywood openly accepted and willingly put stereotypes and racism into there productions, hurting and advocated a backlash from whites towards the non-white minorities. I believe and would not be surprised that in future years to come when we see productions based on our current affairs in Afghanistan and Iraq, there will be stereotypes and racism toward those people. I also would not be surprised if anyone had money they could sway Hollywood their way.
4.) I cant think of any detections of yellow peril, mainly because im not that involved in current affairs pertaining to hostile environment over seas. That of course is very ignorant to say, but I guess because this is because this fight really is not on my own doorstep. I believe that yellow peril is not outdated. There are still people who are very threatening to the Asian population; I don’t really observe it in real life. Plus and certainly not least, Asian girls are so hot… there not really any reason to be mad at them or continuing hating them for no reason.
1.)The US is a 'Monster within itself" using a scapegoat such as Fu Mancu, just takes the spot light-of-wrongdoing off of them.
Fu Manchu in US/U.K eyes was a fanatic, and considered an extreme threat to westerners. So to not look weak, it's obvious that one of our "white heros" would go after him. Fu Manchu, in alot of ways is just what we as a western civilization see as a madman, hell bent on world takeover. He relates so closely to the madmen and fanatics of today, that many westerners can easily relate and openly see that he is an evil man. There arent any questions about the evil he commits or why he does what he does, because he's not from here. In some ways, he doesn't need a reason to be evil.
2.)I did not know that Hollywood willfully chose to be racist. For years upon years racism has been a problem. I knew that the "white man" was behind the camera lens of the silver screen but, just the fact that they knew they were being ignorant, and didn't change, their portrayal of not only asian but any minority actors, is a real shame. Hollywood could easily get away with such blatant and disrespectful racism because in the long run that's what movie goers wanted to see, and in some cases still want to see.
3.)I honestly believe that the film industry had to gain stereotypes of white people in a "good guy" light and other non white actors in the opposite. Hollywood had to make the Superman of the 40s white so that after him there'd be no black, or asian, or hispanic Supermen. The white race has a multitude of fictional movie heroes whom are white, and and even larger arsenal of villains who are minority. Today's Hollywood has shown little if no restraint in film concerning racial dominance. Blacks are still do drugs, latinos are still gangbangers, asians are stil smart and know karate...The stereotypes are still there, just looked at in a different way.
4.)The yellow peril was as true in the 30's as it is today. The Bush administration, has been wrong about so much. Instead of facing the issues at home, for almost his entire presidency Bush and his administration have focused solely on one thing:The War on Terror. Just like in the Fu Manchu books America and the world's Fu Manchu is Osama Bin laden. Since he escaped capture, the Bush Administration had to avoid looking weak and unreliable. So they turned to the next best thing. Stereotyping.The US has discriminated against all races of people in the past, but 9/11 gave them a reason to single one particular group of people out. The nation of Islam is a nation of radicals, Iraq had WMD's, Iran and North Korea along with Iraq make up a new Axis of Evil. The yellow peril is apparent in every aspect to this War on Terror. They try and make us believe that a group of people that we don't really understand are, put simply, bad guys who need to be taken out by the good guys. Using Hollywood as an outlet for there message. So even though racism is not as blatant and politically incorrect as it was in the 30's, it still exist, and the 'yellow peril' is for what's it worth, in full effect.
1. I feel Fu Manchu has been such an attractive prey because of the feeling of being threatened by an outside nation. One quote that stuck out the most for me stated, “Nation, race and culture may powerfully mark identity, provoking terror and desire when threaten4ed or promised.” What I took from this quote was, difference is what causes conflict and fear. I feel that because Fu Manchu was from a different or unfamiliar country, he was seen as a threat to more “familiar” nations. He is also a very intelligent individual, thus giving a further threat knowing someone outside of the United States or the United Kingdom could be of a higher or superior intelligence. We as a society seem to fear the unknown, and therefore we become “the hunter” to attempt the feeling of the unknown. Fu Manchu is a mysterious individual with the history of wanting complete power. His on going strive for such power makes Fu Manchu a lasting supervillian through the ages.
2. I found the section discussing the creation of Dr. Fu Manchu to be the most interesting section of this passage. To know he was not the creation of an American writer but and Irish writer was a shock do to his popularity with being used as a Hollywood villain. Sax Rohmer created him only out of the ignorance that Chinese men were associated with “murder intrigue, narcotics, and assorted villainy,” which is a narrow minded approach to say the least. The passage continues on to state that Fu Manchu was possibly a “boyhood nightmare” and Rohmer himself stated he in fact knew “nothing about the Chinese”! His entire career was built completely around the idea of one nationality being mysteriously evil. His ignorance had shown even brighter when he was informed to be on the watch for one specific individual in Chinatown. When later recalling that night he described the man he saw as, “His face was the living embodiment of Satan.” To know one famous character was formed by one narrow minded view and one simple encounter amazes me. He was out to look for a villain and for whatever reason he was inspired by a man who was culturally different from whom he was.
3. The film industry is very influential with the movies they create. I feel they wanted to use this influential push to sway the American viewers to fear what they were unfamiliar with; in this case it is nations outside of the United States. Even in cinema’s earliest stages it was influential to swaying the public, and the public will often accept it as being the truth. Perhaps because of our ignorance, we have propelled stereotypical movies into blockbusting fame. Money, in my opinion, is the drive for writers to create movies which demonstrate the stereotypes of non-white races. As far as Hollywood’s current knowledge on minorities, I feel the way the minority is portrayed depends on the movie. Movies that focus more on the minority and not on the American culture seems to try to accurately depict the culture they are focusing on. Unfortunately, I do feel other American movies still have a tendency to depict minorities in movies as either lesser intelligent, power hungry, or a threat to our nation.
4. I feel there is still “yellow peril” thinking in the U.S. today. Due to the current situation with the Middle East, I feel we as a nation naturally feel fear toward those nations. Not only do movies spark (and with other movies, re-spark) the fear of terrorists, but news programs and television specials also remind us why it is we must fear people in the Middle East. We are allowed very few images of people in the Middle East who support the United States efforts to help them become a nation of free peoples, instead, we hear about terrorist training and evil plots. Because we are over whelmed with the negative aspect of the Middle East, we then develop a fear, and even hatred for any form of Middle Eastern looking individual. Just like Sax Rohmer, we become ignorant to the truth, and we go by only what we see through the eyes of television and movies. I do not see a cure for this ignorance we have with, not only the Middle East, but with all other nations we do not understand. I honestly feel there will always be a negative representation of other cultures in the American culture, but I full heartedly hope I am wrong.
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