Fresh Off the Boat & The Limits of Asian Representation
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 มิ.ย. 2024
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In this video, I discuss ABC’s Fresh Off The Boat and examine how the historical lack of Asian representation caused it-and seemingly all Asian American stories-to be scrutinized with an intense microscope by Asian Americans. I also try to break down why it’s been so important for us to have a “perfect portrayal” and what I feel the solution to this elusive depiction might be.
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Sources:
All-American Girl at 20: The Evolution of Asian Americans on TV | LARB
lareviewofbooks.org/article/a...
Eddie Huang on Seeing His Memoir Become a Sitcom | Vulture
www.vulture.com/2015/01/eddie...
“Fresh Off the Boat” and “Black-ish” Reviews | The New Yorker
www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...
The Prevalence and Portrayal of AAPI… | USC Report
assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/...
John Cho: ‘A movie that treats race in the background feels more authentic... | The Independent
www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...
20 Years Later, Margaret Cho Looks Back on 'All-American Girl' | Character Media
charactermedia.com/20-years-l...
0:00 From the Outside Looking In
6:51 A Fresh Perspective
13:16 Repeating History
23:55 The Perfect Portrayal - บันเทิง
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Hey everyone, thanks for watching! I was fighting off a bit of a cold, so apologies if I sound congested in parts of the video. I hope y’all are thriving and enjoying life. Much love. ✌🏼- Terrence
P.S. Support us on patreon if you wanna help me buy some cold medicine haha 🥴
Great work, very thoughtful.
Not one shot, clip or mention of Garrett Wang on Star Trek Voyager?
The ONLY thing I disagreed with is when you said “THIS goes for OTHER minorities AS WELL”…NOPE! Stop right there kid! Our histories and experiences are vastly different…so what bodes for your ethnicity in this country isn’t the same. AAS built THIS country. We ARE NOT FOBS or descendants of such. So, NO…we HAVE DIFFERENT standards of representation and deserve and fight still for what little we been “given”. 🤛🏾
Don’t 😅c😅r
Great video essay. It just hit me that you can do an essay about Native Americans representation in movies and TV series.
As a Taiwanese who grew up loving American entertainment culture, I think that the biggest problem with Asian American-themed shows and films nowadays are that the writers put more effort into portraying Asian Americans as "Asians" and not as Americans, and many stories about finding one's own roots and staying true to one's heritage that is intended to be culturally authentic give off a heavy go-back-to-your-own-country vibe instead.
You think so? As a Black girl, I say the same thing about Black films. They always make us jaded and "realistic". When was the age you realized that there are no happily ever afters? For Black people, our fantasies are often tainted and it comes off as sad. Yes, alot of people in the Black community have trauma because of racism and self loathing but not every film needs to revolve around that. Where's the joy? We should have romances without cheating, Black friendships without gang and gun violence. Yes, cheating exists and gun violence exists and it's a big problem in crime glorifying environments(and America in general) but not every film needs to show that. And some things should be pure. Movies included. And every race deserves a good film that doesn't showcase the same negative tropes over and over. You deserve a film that isn't about cultural generalizations. So no pressure for good grades, no racism, no inferiority complexes. Just a good story with a Taiwanese actor and actress.
The problem is that the shows are written and produced by white writers. They can't capture the authentic Asian American experience because they never went through it. So they just go back to the same old tropes we see time and time again: Asian male = stereotypical nerd/effeminate/gay, Asian female = over sexualized/only dates white men. Something like Warrior can buck that trend because it's set in the past, and it's meant to be a homage to Bruce Lee. You are no longer constrained by modern stereotypes and tropes, you can allow Asian males to be masculine and show the outward racism and hate Asians got in America, which is now more subtle and nuanced in modern day.
@@jayb2705I'm pretty sure most modern shows about asian people, Are not written by white people
Like, at all
Fresh of the boat itself had a majority of asian writer's, Same goes to pretty much all modern Black centered shows for like decades now
This Argument doesn't really hold up, Specially because when people criticize the way white people write poc character's They're talking about mostly white centered shows catered to white audiences where a black character or an Asian character might be misrepresented, You know sitcoms and drama shows
I'm 100% sure there has never been an instant of white writers writing a whole series that is all about asian people or Asian experiences, That doesn't really happen
I feel like 90% of Asian American media is white people telling Asian Americans that they need to connect to roots and be “real Asians”. There’s so little media for this group of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen immigrants that acknowledges that many Asians are already very involved and confident in their culture and identities.
This is exactly why Minari is so brilliant
I wrote a pilot back in 2018 where the main character was Indian American and struggled to understand his Indian culture since he had only been to India once as a kid at 4. The network executive told me they would pick up the show if I changed his race and it was a fantasy show where he finds out he wasn’t fully human.
I can’t even express my befuddlement at this. Hopefully we get to see your story one day
Sounds interesting but i can understand why it was not accepted. Because it would only speak to a tiny amount of people and for the wider audience, it would be impossible to understand the culture of the character in the same why he would start to understand it, when he learns about it. Having an American, who grow up in india and struggle his culture would work better for an american audience.
@@6Kubik Don't we love stories also because they let us vicariously live other people expiriences?
@@6Kubik yeah sorry, but that’s a dogsh*t take. Good media lets us see and live vicariously through the experiences of the characters, and a show where a character comes to grips with a culture he himself is not totally aware of would be a good jumping off point for others who may not have much knowledge or experience with that culture.
@@Levicandoit exactly what I wanted. It would be enhanced if you knew the culture but it was supposed to be a jumping off point to people understanding the culture. I made him a bit of a anime nerd so he would relate things to how he saw stuff in anime.
This show put Constance Wu on the map, and she's an incredible actress - but when she expressed her frustrations with the show, people lashed out at her and told her she should be grateful for every tiny opportunity she got, meanwhile in the background, one of the show's producers was harassing her. Even though I loved the show, I was so happy for her when the show ended, even before the news about the harassment came out.
To hell with her, she dated an overweight white guy
not saying that she absolutely lied, but when she said that, at the time she did, I feel like it was just a pr move because it came after the backlash for the insane tirade she went on. The show put her on the map and to react like that, when many people would do everything for that opportunity. It seemed just like a pr move tbh, cus if she was actually harassed, she should have dropped the name of the producer, he should have been held accountable, it was somehwhat during the whole me too era, but she didnt and she was unbelievably vague about it all, and the timing of it all, It just feels weird and super convenient and without any receipts, I dunno, no one on the show also was able to corroborate, like I feel like other people would have known as well but no one did. I just don't think it's super transparent.
Nobody liked working with her....
The way people reacted was over the top. So what if she was disappointed it wasn't over. So what? She can't have an opinion? 🤷♀️
I remember hearing so much talk a few years ago about how constance wu was "difficult to work with," a terrible costar and too conceited. Hearing about the assault she endured, I'm embarrassed to admit that I bought into that crap. "Difficult to work with" is often slapped on an actress who was assaulted and "isn't happy about it."
It is put on some actors who speak up about the role they are playing.
She said herself the show renewal got in the way of her dream acting job so the show ending had everything to do with her not wanting to do anymore and not with anything else. She also have accused every job she donenof abuse. Makes me wonder
Its possible to be both abused AND difficult to work with (others).
@@monkeytime9851 People should take Edward Norton as an example.
I can’t say if he was abused or not, I Wouldn’t know. He just started young and during Hollywood full of public drugs.
Anyways, the director of American History C made some rumors of him being “stubborn and difficult” to work with. So now he has this arrogant but of a good actor reputation.
.
Either way I’m trying to say that
He has a reputation of an ass from a director he worked with but he himself does admit he is headstrong I acting.
Edward himself has already stated he does change things but many of the worst of his reputation is just a fake shout that the public knows
But she wasn’t difficult to work with on the set of FOB. Those reports were from the stripper movie she made.
I totally get Huang's frustration, but there's a part of me that wonders whether or not he's seen other ABC shows. They're all pretty saccharine, they were never not going to neuter the reality of that story.
So true, but often those gotta succeed first for smaller, riskier projects to even have a chance at getting made.
Agreed. I suspect that there were many milestones along the development of the series that would have indicated how tonally different the show was becoming compared to the source material. So it was confusing to me how surprised/upset he seemed about the direction of the show. I would love to see a version that stuck closer to the book, but it would be weirdly out of place on ABC primetime.
You are absolutely right
@@weirdoinpink I don't think we would have gotten "Everything Everywhere All at Once" without "Crazy Rich Asians."
I agree. Child abuse was NEVER gonna cut it on ABC.
The biggest problem with Asian representation is that whenever there is representation, the character’s entire personality is their Asianness. Most people just want to be seen as a human being, not a tool to be used as a political measage
I have the same issue with lgbt+ media as well. I am a part both communities (asian&lgbt+) but both types of media always feel like I'm watching/reading a PSA explaining or showing the representation in a very obvious way. Its great that they have it for ppl looking for that stuff, but I find them very boring imo. The older I get, the less interested I am in watching shows like fob and the likes. I've already lived past the stuff like "got bullied for my ethnic food/culture" and frankly I'm tired of the same things being recycled. I wanna see interesting plots that happen to have asians in them.
I feel that way too or they'll write them overly silly or like hiphop I've noticed. There's nothing wrong with it but depends on how it's written.
Also another problem is that when americans say asian is most often thought of as a person of East Asian descent. Mainly its Korea, China, Japan.
Exactly. Black people are just RECENTLY breaking out of the “Black friend” role. Finally being seen as human. I’m guessing it’s going to take another 20 years for this to happen to other poc as well 😔
Im a half but was friends with plenty of asians in school. I still remember this girl criticizing our lunch table that we talked about being asian too much which was odd. I think white and black people, and latinos even, just see us as especially foreign.
As a white American I see the hypocrisy where in America we consider WHERE in America you came from if it is the south, or mid-west (ect.) and create stereotypes based on just the geological demographic of ONE country but can't even fathom that the CONTINENT of Asia IS made up of different countries yet we clump ALL those nationalities together under the word "Asian" and call it a day. I'll admit I also did this when younger because it is "easier" to do but it is not the right thing to do and the older I get the more I realize how messed up thinking like that is... It is because of the push to get those diverse stories out there that has helped educate me on this matter even if they are not the best they are still better then what we had to begin with...
I agree especially since European cultures aren’t treated that way either. We distinguish those oddly enough and it comes natural. But not anything else.
as non-american i never understood why americans need to say where they originally came from. For instance they would say: "I'm from LA, but ORIGINALY I'm from Kalamazoo".
@@tiny-grimes the south in america is seen as uneducated or more rural usually and not gonna lie as a southern woman we are definitely more underfunded than a lot of other states but racism and just general ignorance is also a huge thing here so when we ask where ur from if u say something like “west virginia” you immediately have a very biased and general understanding of what that person believes in, it’s not accurate most times obviously especially in recent years and w social media but that’s mainly why. to an american a north carolinian is a hell of a lot different than someone from even south carolina😂 it’s silly but it’s just bc the country’s history is so deeply based on racism and classism
Tbf, in asia, they see all you people from america lol. There’s no canada, europe, .. just american.
@@acutelilmint8035 Which is funny because people in the USA feel like they are the only ones entitled to the "American" title! My SO didn't know this fact till I had to break it down that we are the "united states" OF (North) America the continent! LOL honestly, our country name is just "united states" (US) if you look at it like that! It is a pretty lame name IMO!
The conversation you mentioned regarding actors playing characters of a different nationality makes me think of the conversation in the black community regarding casting clearly biracial actors (usually women) as fully black characters, including when adapting something to live action that originally had a dark-skinned female character. Part of the reason this is such a continuous conversation is that it's tied to colorism/featurism. Also, it's not lost on us how most black male characters are played by unambiguous, medium-to-darker-skinned black men at a rate far, far above black female characters being played by unambiguous medium-to-darker-skinned black women women. It reflects the colorism present in black and brown communities. For African-Americans, darker skinned men are considered the standard of attractiveness, while the lighter-skinned/mixed/biracial/ethnically ambiguous, looser-tressed female is considered more attractive. And Hollywood very often follows this as well.
That's partly why films like Black Panther and Wakanda Forever are so notable. If left in different hands, they'd have cast clearly biracial actors to play members of an uncolonized African nation because of their attractiveness (and, no, not their skill, given that there are very skilled unambiguously black female actresses, as both films show). Notably, Amandla Stenberg (Rue in Hunger Games) originally auditioned for Shuri but walked away when she realized (and props to her).
That's not to say that mixed/biracial/ethnically ambiguous people shouldn't be cast. Of course they should! But Hollywood, like some black people themselves, hold them in higher regard due to their closer proximity to whiteness and Eurocentric beauty standards. And that is a problem when you're casting roles for characters who are meant to have two non-mixed black parents. We may share experiences on differing levels, but we don't walk through life the same way, and that should be considered where it is relevant. Also, it's not lost on us that actors who are half-Caucasian aren't typically cast in Caucasian roles as though it's all the same, since they're likely more Caucasian than black (considering many African-Americans have some Caucasian ancestry). Zendaya being one exception. Zoe Kravitz is another. But black women cannot get the roles that they can. So, it limits the roles they can have when biracial actors occupy their spaces as well. There should be enough to go around for everyone.
This is more of an Asian in Asia issue that translates over to diaspora but particularly casting biracial actors in for Asian roles in the US and western productions is already just annoying because it already has its issues for being what's usually half white - while mixed Asian people get a lot of hell as is, especially Blasian people - that our communities are extremely rampant with colorism and hypocrisy.
East Asian people already look down on other Asians for being darker and something that only fuels to their egos when they're the only ones represented in big Hollywood media - Brenda Song was considered not Asian enough for the role Awkwafina got (😬🤔) in Crazy Rich Asians - there are so many reasons that can play into it, from colorism to EA nationalism, the message of the movie, and overall just hypocrisy considering how the ML is half white (luckily he's in-tune with his culture, so I'll give him that).
Considering how the west plays with Asian culture from Asians and not Asian Americans, it gets really heavily fetishy and a lot of SEA people get impacted by being hit with the "You're so pretty for a _" and or having uglier features than EA's, and colorism has become even more rampant.
Everything you say is spot on. But for me Black Panther and The Woman King are problematic because DSBW are seen as aggressive, fighting women, which is just another way of saying that DSBW are masculine.
@@rejectionisprotection4448 I can't speak on The Woman King, but I believe your view of Black Panther is inaccurate. In the Black Panther universe, the main female characters are a social activist who works directly with people who are disenfranchised, a young princess/scientist/engineer (this is a little bit of a spoiler, but there is another Black female scientist/engineer in the 2nd movie), a older female queen/leader, and a leader/warrior woman. And even the warrior woman, who is a leader of a group of warrior women, is not seen as masculine or aggressive. She has a tough exterior, but there is a gentleness/softness to her that the movie makes a concerted effort to show (and her sense of humor is great). All the main females in Black Panther are considered heroes. In the Marvel universe, fighting is not seen as aggressive or masculine. I understand if you don't like fictionalized violence, but most people who are fans of superhero movies do not see any of the women in Black women in Black Panther as masculine. The movies' portrayal of dark skinned black women is actually one of the best portrayals that'll you see in media. These movies have really had a positive influence on young black girls. I highly recommend watching both Black Panther movies.
@@rejectionisprotection4448 how is that all you took from those films?? that's a very narrow way to look at it
@@rejectionisprotection4448 As a middle aged brown skinned black woman, I saw both films as a rejection of us being the victim all the time. I think it’s similar to the Black Widow Marvel movie or Wonder Woman by DC showing that even if we really can’t fight like that, that women aren’t just damsels in distress. I’m familiar with the angry black women trope but I’m less bothered by that and wish writers made it clear why women of color are less likely to “Leslie Knope” their way through life. Being honest, being direct and holding people accountable in a way that encourages accountability is what’s actually happening when we see the “ABW” on screen but the without the backstory as to why that is needed in our society.
As a black woman I appreciate seeing any and ALL minorities represented in media. I’m glad we as black people are finally being represented more but we definitely need to see more Asians Hispanics, American Indians etc. I want to see more of this personally. Great video!
This fool, reservation dogs, and Kim's convenience are great.
Amen sis.
Same and black, Asian, Latino gays on screen instead of just white gays
@@Ashleymfranklin1990 AMEN TO THAT!!!! And NOT with a white partner all the time too!!!
i’m native and same! seeing other minorities shine is one of my favorite things
They should've made the show more like everybody hates Chris. I often felt that Jessica especially let go too quickly of her standards whereas Chris's mom only got easier on him when she saw him mature.
And also it could've been funnier. It was all very "quirky" but not so funny
Everybody Hates Chris is perfection.
Wrong. Eddie Huang was aiming for something more like The Wonder Years but it seems modern tv is too afraid to do anything like that for some reason. Even the Wonder Years reboot is way too comedic in comparison to its predecessor.
@@osaji922 the network wanted to do the wonder years. Hence the narration
@@osaji922?? How is he wrong, you just said “no” and responded with a completely unrelated statement lol
@@LivingLikeLarry12 Making the show like Everybody Hates Chris is very comedic. Eddie wanted a drama, not a lighthearted comedy. EHC is more like The Goldbergs. The Wonder Years is what he was aiming for with the pilot and instead his show got watered down to generic American comedy. Extra emphasis on generic.
Wow 😢 I had no idea Constance Wu was dealing with all of that. Honestly I don’t think it’s fair to sum up her tweets about the show being renewed for the 6th season as:
“She expressed disappointment because it forced her to miss out on other artistic ventures.”
I’m sure the missed opportunities were a part of the issue, but would you want to go back to a show/environment where you were regularly sexually harassed? She wanted to put that whole thing in her rear view mirror so she could heal and move forward. Even if the producer was no longer there or the harassment had stopped, the trauma is still there. Being stuck in the environment where you were previously (or currently) sexually harassed can’t be easy. The severity of the backlash she received and that horrible DM is heartbreaking. I hope she’s ok now.
I wanna know who fucking sent her that DM. NAME NAMES!
Whoever sent that mean DM is already tortured by his or her conscience. Unless that Asian actor is a sociopath.
She threw the cast under the bus when she said she told them and didn’t want her to go HR because they didn’t want the show to be cancelled. She has also stated that he assaulted other people on set and other Asian actresses yet no one has come out and supported her statement. As far as the the other actress I applaud her for calling out her BS.
Thank you for addressing Constance's controversial tweet. As an Overseas Chinese, I found the public's reactions shameful and despicable. I am deeply upset that the public wants Constance to be confined to a stereotypical role without considering her desires to branch out and diversify her portfolios. She was right to be frustrated with the renewal of the show as it has turned into a cash-milking machine, losing its primary purpose of telling a genuine Chinese-American story.
I wanna know who the asshole other actress DM'ed her. Name fucking names!
Taiwanese-American, but agree with the overarching point.
@@thecrimsondragon9744 the characters refer to themselves as Chinese through
@@thecrimsondragon9744
Taiwan, aka the Republic of China
Chinese is often used as an ethnicity.
I am Black person who watched All-American Girl (AAG) when it aired on ABC because I was fan of Margaret Cho's standup, and was sad when the show was cancelled. I also watched Fresh Off The Boat (FOTB) because I was a fan of the short film "Dragon of Love" with Randall Park. I watched all six seasons of FOTP -- when it should have been cancelled after season 4. My partner at the time was Chinese and stopped watching the show after a few episodes in season 1 because they couldn't relate to the characters ... and was mad they were wearing shoes in the houses. 😄
Thanks for making this video!
I'm Black and I was mad they were wearing shoes in the house lolol. So many little things on the show that were very non-white that all of us would know to be incorrect. It was strange.
I'm Black&white and hate people wearing shoes in my own place. my apartments have everyone pay the apartments to clean the carpets (or we get evicted) and I didn't read the lease I was so upset when the workers said my apartment was filthy but when the other workers cleaned the carpets they said it was the cleanest carpet they washed in years in my apartment complex...sorry I just remembered that while typing an got upset
but louis has very wide feet
I'm Black and watched AAG too. I remember reading about Margaret's struggles with the network, and was sad for her, especially when she was dealing with her addiction. I was curious about FOTB because it was about an Asian kid into hip hop. I read some of Eddie's memoir before watching the sitcom and remember it being brutal because I was abused by my parents, too. I remember Asian people being upset with him when he first denounced the show because it was the first time that Asians were represented in front of and behind the camera. Now I understand his frustration.
@@cloama white as hell guy here, my mom was a neat freak and everyone took their shoes off. The only reason I don't make people take shoes off as an adult is because I live in a shit apartment and the old ass carpet is probably dirtier than the bottom of their shoes.
I can understand your (and the author's) criticism of FOTB because, though I'm not Asian, I feel similarly regarding black-ish as an African-American. It was clearly made to "translate" black culture and experiences as inoffensively as possible. Not saying representation has to be heavy-handed and miserable, but if we look to the 90s in particular, they knew how to balance. Maybe the best example of this (from the 90s) is A Different World, the spin-off to The Cosby Show. The comedy was there, but so was the unfiltered representation and depiction of HBCU/black culture, and when they needed to make a point, they made it, emphatically. Also, it wasn't colorist like a lot of modern black shows. The girl who was considered one of, if not the most, attractive/popular was dark-skinned, but even so, they touched on things like featurism and the like.
I know some people will say things like, "baby steps," but the example I just gave is reason for that to no longer be applicable. Shows like A Different World and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air already showed how to balance and infuse authenticity. Media has regressed when it comes to minority representation. It's carefully curated now.
Yara Shahidi is mixed and so are most of the kids except the “evil nerdy twin” but i did like black-ish and fotb because i’m a former african immigrant and both captured many parts well but severely lacked in substance so i’m glad im not the only one who thinks this
Great comment. Representation for Black Women especially has gone backwards.
What you point out is what I have an issue with current TV. We went backwards instead of pushing forward
@@rejectionisprotection4448 fr. they push black women as "masculine" and asian women as "docile"
Yeah Blackish and Grownish felt very forced
I remember falling away from the show because they weren't going to do anything with it. Constance Wu carried-- absolutely carried that show. I wish it had gone to a different network. On a different note, I'd love a reality or scripted show about Vietnamese from New Orleans. I think seeing a community as strong as Vietnamese within their blended New Orleans culture(which most Americans recognize but don't really understand) would work so well because it's so damn specific.
I would love for execs to understand that we want specificity. Specificity is good.
Love your comment so much and completely agree we need more specificity in media’s storytelling. I got so excited reading your words because I’m from New Orleans and my dad is a SEA immigrant and my mom is Cajun-French. I call myself Cajun Asian 😂. But I’ve always felt the Asian / Viet community here is so underrated and unknown to outsiders. You’ve inspired me as a photographer to keep documenting and telling our stories. ❤
Try House of Ho about a wealthy Vietnamese family from Texas.
That’s an excellent idea!
Bro that is literally my Dad’s family
My heart breaks for Constance Wu. It seems like such an awful place to be in, and horribly traumatic. I hope she ends up as ok as can be considering
So, I'm a white dude from Arkansas. I try to get perspective from the art of others, the Paper Menagerie for example was not only a great collection of stories from an asian author, but man... it was effecting. In a way not dissimilar to the Farewell. I treasure both now, and I know it'll never mean the same thing to me as it may to a young asian american kid seeing they're not alone. But, I think there's value in those stories on their own. The representation is a bonus (to me). And I'm glad you get to have it, I wish there was more. And I hope with the success of movies like Everything Everywhere All At Once, we'll see more diverse stories. And I don't mean that in the context of what the cast looks like (though that too) I mean tell me a story I haven't heard over and over again since the 80s.
As an Asian American appreciate reading your post here!
There are also some great films within Asian countries! Parasite and the director’s new film Broker are more mainstream ones I can think of off the top of my head! I appreciate watching shows and films from various countries because culture is inseparable on the screen when you have a bunch of people together from one country (as an example).
@@keithjones5568 Oops, I made a typo. Searching was from 2018 with John Cho. I heard a lot of good things about Kingdom. Korean entertainment seems to be quite popular overseas.
@@zc1312 I think this is an issue with Asian Americans, is that "white people" have never had to care about their representation, because of most of Asia's ability to make their own representation and their willingness to export it. Western audiences simply don't need to care about domestic Asian decent peoples, because we can just watch the millions of movies and listen to millions of songs from said Asian country. Its kinds of catch 22, do we stop supporting Japan, Korea, China/HK, Thailand, and the Philippines home culture to try to get Asian Americans more a shine or we tell them this is your representation and you're going to have to compete against it too.
Does it surprise anybody that the "suits" in charge of the studios are reluctant to risk a large amount of MONEY on ANYTHING original or out of the ordinary...ethnic or otherwise?
@@user-ik8nm2rr2e I'm not at all surprised, you can't take the business side out of show business. Because it takes money to make a show or a movie, etc. It's getting more accessible because of self publishing options, but it's still hard. In my own experience, I can't tell you how many times I had to "make changes" to something I was working on because someone with money "had an idea". And I can only imagine trying to push back as a person of color or someone from the diaspora.
East Asians are, as you mentioned, the group that gets the most crumbs - crumbs being all Asians get in terms of representation - but as a Central Asian person I know even the crumbs East Asians are handed are tiny and usually toxic, stereotypes written by white people. Early on in life I internalized the idea that I can't be an actor because I'm Central Asian, and life has done nothing to prove me wrong. If I were an actor, I could maybe pull a John Cho and be in a role where race doesn't matter. But I know with absolute certainty that my people's immigrant experiences will never be depicted on TV. And with how inaccurate so many portrayals are, I don't even know if I should be sad about that. I don't know if a portrayal would hurt us or help us. I feel like you did a really good job understanding the nuances at play in how this show was written, portrayed and received. It's not as easy as 'thing good' or 'thing bad', even though early comments on this very video say 'damn I used to like that show', assuming you hate it based on the title of your video and changing their opinions to match rather than think about the show in question.
I wish Disney would make a central Asian princess movie, created by central Asians, then that would get the ball rolling lol stuff like that puts communities on the map of media
This plus the part where he speaks on this in his video just gave me a “light bulb” moment lol Whiteness in total, but specifically whiteness in America, has always lumped and striped cultural differences and meanings from the people that get assimilated into it and they even did the same with the creation of “blackness” and keep doing with other iterations of race like Latinx (which used to be Hispanic iirc) and Asian (and sometimes Arab (although they sometimes get lumped into whiteness in the states) ..
I remember going to Australia for work (acting) and having conversations with White Australians, a mixed aboriginese person, and a ‘coloured’ South African New-Zealander (coloured basically = mixed) about Aboriginal people and how although they are in support of BLM and understand the Black racial experience, not all of them necessarily consider themselves Black ESPECIALLY since there are aboriginals who don’t look stereotypically black (there are aboriginal people in Australia that definitely look white) and especially since Aboriginal Actors don’t even get called in for Black Roles (which kinda sucks imo as a Black American). Some have even said they do have more in common with Native Americans, which I agree (esp since there are current native descendants who look white), although they did go through similar racial segregation like a lot of African people did in the West (there also was an initiative made to cleanse Australia of its Aboriginal population. Forcing them to sleep with white men and then give the mixed children up to the white families to assimilate and continue the “white lineage” (which is similar to how Latin American countries during Slavery and Post-Slavery operated with “cleansing the black out of the bloodline”). Even the topic of Melanesians (the melanated people with natural curly blonde hair) makes me realise how western racial ideology has striped a lot of cultural traditions/experiences and nationalistic culture away from basically a lot of people lol like “American” is it really a culture? Idk …
In my narrow view I still do consider a lot of melanated people with 3-4c hair black 😂 (especially since the discriminatory experiences are usually similar because anti-blackness/anti-darker-skin is a global phenomenon) but it’s definitely more nuance than we believe in the states/West…
@@grayonthewaterMaybe the problem is depending on Disney to represent us properly. They don’t have a good track record, the only exceptions being Moana and Coco. ABC responsible for both sit-coms covered in this video is owned by Disney. EEAAO proves that Asian creators and actors can tell their own stories that are relatable and embraced by millions, thank you very much.
Now lets talk about East Asians racism towards South East Asians........
@@krispeekornflex what about vice versa, let’s make it an open dialogue.
As a first generation Filipina American who grew up to silent generation and boomer parents who both immigrated here, I struggled growing up because I grew up in an overwhelmingly predominantly white area where I was often reminded that I was different so I really felt that depiction of the struggle between the "American" culture and one's own culture that was depicted in Fresh off the Boat. Also hearing Eddie's father talk about disciplining his children, very much reminded me of my father even though mine has passed. I think that the issue is that when trying to portray "Asian American" experiences, or any minority experiences for that matter, in media, they keep trying to center the one part of the identity - the "Asian-ness", the stereotypes, whatever. The problem is that as Asian-Americans, our identity is not just our heritage, our cultural background, familial interactions, but also our experience and interactions in the larger scheme, and it's frustrating that when there is representation, it's often pigeonholed.
I’m sick of the strict parent good grade stereotype. I know some families are like that but as someone who grew up in a mostly Asian American area, there were also plenty of us without weird ass parents.
I assume you are married to a white person, correct.
I agree too often hollywood's version of the immigrant or first generation story puts up this wall where the character never gets to fit in or "be american" in the end because it wants to talk about and deal with the cultural difference. It's ironic because in a way that reinforces the harmful stereotypes that these people "don't" fit in.
Having a broad understanding of all the cultures you're born into or participate in is the "authentic" experience but too often these stories only focus on one lens.
Representation matters I'm sorry. The girls that get it, get it and the girls that don't just simply don't.
I remember watching Zack and Cody every week and seeing London Tipton on TV was an absolute blast. She was ditzy, spoiled and rude. She also came from a neglectful billionaire White father and a neglectful rice farmer mother from Thailand. That's put into the care of a attentive yet uptight middle aged manager Black man. Idk it may be miniscule in the grand scheme of things but I loved seeing that dynamic, because not only did it break stereotypes it also showed me families can look all kinds of ways.
The racial dynamics really show, because I feel because they were the only PoC they were closest to each other than the White characters. They connected on a level that they didn't with the White characters and it makes it really sweet.
They weren't following stereotypes, and also, what helped is they happened to be their skin color, but that came secondary to their character's personalities. They were compelling characters who happened to be not white.
Honestly, pretty much how I feel about Kim's Convenience. It's a Canadian sit-com that "happens" to star a Korean-Canadian family. Sure, they go to a Korean church, use Korean short-phrases, and have Korean food, but...what's there after that? It's still a sit-com that adheres to stereotypes: for some bizarre reason the patriarch of the Kim family wants one of his kids to "inherit" the convenience store, Simu Liu dates a white woman and they never meaningfully discuss family/cultural expectations on either side--just a few things off the top of my head.
It's frustrating, to love-hate something that you want to see because it represents you on some level.
Also the love life of the daughter :/ whatever happened to the best friend? 😭 they were so cute
Sounds shallow. The funny thing is, none of these shows embraced exposure to 2 cultures and having the best of them. That was my upbringing in toronto. We got both and then some cause it’s so diverse no one cared - we were all poor. That was what bonded our friendship haha. What made it the Canadian experience.
The asian part was mostly our parents. Same for my Nigerian friend, indian, etc, but we all embraced the cultural stuff cept child abuse. But it is why youtube asian skits were so funny too..
These show suck because they only saw it from one side.
@@acutelilmint8035 A touch. If I was asked for anything memorable from 4 seasons of Kim's Convenience, it'd be two scenes of intergenerational conflict--driven by the dad (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee) and son (Simu Liu). They struggle to communicate with each other because they're Asian men and it cut me deeply.
It's still 2 scenes among countless other ones. Arguably truth in stereotype. And it is what it is for easy cultural consumption by an assumed white audience. C'est, la, vie.
As a Jewish girl, I can relate to having parents force me to only date Jewish guys. And similarly to Asians, this never gets represented. Like Jake's parents in Brooklyn 99 never seemed to care that Amy wasn't Jewish. I think networks don't want to portray these aspects in fear that they would seem racist for portraying a culture in a derogatory manner. It might seem racist to portray minorities as racist. So they sanitize minorities to be palatable for modern audiences and never portray the aspects of minority cultures that we don't like
@@theshire9173 If it comes up, at all, it'd be for a single episode to "discuss" and how the parents/parental figure "learns" the error of their ways. As though these epiphanies are permanent and such loved ones stop interfering into your personal lives.
That said, sitcoms doing all the heavy lifting in diversity is a whole other...mood. Genre and expectations and all that.
Great take.
Personally I think getting more diverse writers working has a lot to answer for with representation.
No. They desperately need good writing. But most people getting these jobs including acting is all connections and nepktism
Oh yea diversity doesn’t mean strength. You also need talent
@@omensoffate talent is a learnt skill. A diverse group of writers means more ways to tell the same story. So if i could only pick one trait. I would rather pick a group of diverse writers that can be improve over skilled writers who can only telll a monomyth over and over.
But that is just my prefernce
A small step forward is still a step forward is such an important thing to remember, as well as that each piece of representation for a community doesn't need to represent the entire community's experience! Fantastic video with a great message!
Thank you for such a thoughful and in-depth video essay! As a fellow Vietnamese-American, I hope that there will be Vietnamese-American centered stories in mainstream media someday
If Randall Park had played an abusive father on this sitcom, it would have been more of a drama than a sitcom
i have never heard of all American girl, it never made it to Aotearoa- for obvious reasons i guess- i love margaret cho! thanks again for another considered video. Fresh of the Boat has been in syndication here since the beginning and i really enjoyed the series although, like you, i did feel like it lacked teeth. I will say, i think what comes next for Asian representation will owe a nod to FOTB. It's not enough to have an Asian creative to 'inspire' a show or movie- giving these voices actual power (like Domee Shi) over these works is how a genuine experience is achieved. I think you could have an entire Chinese cast but if its showrunners and writers and editors etc don't have a Chinese experience it wont be genuine- and most viewers will feel that
Always a joy to sit down with a cuppa and hear your thoughts
I definitely agree with the need for more media that looks at Southeast Asian American experiences; as you mentioned in your video, Chinese- and Korean- Americans tend to be a stand-in for all Asian Americans in the popular consciousness, and that leads to a flattening and essentializing of Asian American communities. Particularly when we look at groups like Cambodian and Hmong Americans, who still have extremely high rates of poverty, we're seeing a very different version of "being Asian American" than the "model minority" narratives.
As an Asian that was born and raised in North America in the 90s, I think a lot of this poor representation is our fault as well. There's just something about our immigrant, model minority mentality that stops us from speaking our truth to power, like we're scared that if we really make content "for us" we will somehow lose our platform, get sent back or just lose SOMETHING. We are perpetually "othered" but instead of embracing that and celebrating our culture and uniqueness like other groups, we are ashamed by it. I think that's why Everything, Everywhere was so good, it was really an unflinching, uncompromised look at the immigrant experience that happened to have a sci Fi plot.
Mmmm. I gotta disagree. If u watched asian youtuber skits.. it’s far from that. That stuff was so funny cause we can make fun of ourselves … this whole criticism is from 1 perspective and it’s not a young one.
@@acutelilmint8035 Creators like Steven He and Korean Comic are awesome, TH-cam skits aren't really at the level of visibility/cultural relevance we're talking about here tho. And yes, as you've correctly identified, I'm in my 30s, so Tik Tok/short content doesn't really move the needle much for me, or for most people born in the 20th century (i.e. the majority of people currently alive).
I'm not saying that this kind of content isn't a step in the right direction, it is. It's just not going to have same impact on the zeitgeist as other mediums that aren't as ephemeral. This might change as time goes on and platforms evolve, but I don't really see people in 30 years coming back to this era's TH-cam/Tik Tok content.
The first Asian show was called American girl...
Trina from powerranger was American as hell
Jet Lee played a lot of neutral characters
I think the 80s did that with 16 candles and happy days and karate kid that were the problem
"Truth to power"? What? You mean the fact you are treated more like whites by the left? How they will hire an unqualified black instead of a qualified Asian? Well welcome to being white in the nation we created.
what you're speaking of has little to do with it being our fault. the blame is how the country already view us
sure, as asians, we have a fear to speak out due to how it's deeply and culturally ingrained in us to keep quiet and stay out of trouble. but guess what? we've been speaking up for years but we're often disregarded (e.g. many dismissed stop asian hate; our personal racist experiences aren't taken seriously due the stereotype of our "good" socioeconomic status; asians are still being whitewashed in hollywood, which demonstrates how overlooked we are as a minority group, etc.). and ok, in some of us, there's shame and the struggle with our asian identity, but that relates to how asian americans are always looked at as foreigners first before being americans (e.g. the japanese internment camp: we are tied to our asian country even though we were born in america, we are asked where we're from, still being told to go back to our country, etc.). not just that, we get shit on for our culture/looks/stereotypes that literally gets passed as "a joke," unlike other minority groups (e.g. "stinky" food, etc.).
so i don't believe the blame is on us; just that the light has never shined on us due to the country's disinterest all this time
Yeah I never really understood the “why do you need people to look like you in order to relate to/enjoy media?” because the same question can be asked back to people who feel like any sort of non-white representation in media is “Woke”/“Political” … like I could easily ask a white person the same question and the answer would be the same 😂 what anyone is asking for is just versatility, diversity, and allowing others who want to be involved in entertainment the freedom to have a seat at the table without repercussions lol Especially since the World, especially since AMERICA, is not all white. Lmao
Another way to address and shut down this type of argumentation is to simply say, "if it doesn't matter then make every single character on TV Asian since it doesn't matter so much."
@@lIlIlIlIlIIIlIllIIllIII Exactly.
Asian are the majority of the world population and right behind guess who's? African.
So to be more accurate there should be more Asian (Chinese and Indian specifically) and African since they make up the majority.
@@wrestlinganime4life288 and what has that to do with America where they aren't the majority? If you want representation go watch Asian movies (and I don't see there much diversity).
@@sweetLemonist "if you want representation go watch asian movies" is just as much of a simplistic argument that purposefully ignores the nuances that OP explains. Newsflash there's still asians in america even if not the majority. And there are many hispanic and black people in America too even if they aren't the majority. So if you want to represent a true American population it doesn't make sense to only make films and movies about one race of white people.
@@sweetLemonist we're responding to the type of argument that disclaims representation matters: "why do actors have to look like you?" if it doesn't matter then why try to gatekeep it with argumentation that Asians (and Africans) still don't represent the majority of the US population? why does it matter who is the majority? it's cause the majority implicitly argues that representation DOES matter and when the majority of mainstream cinema doesn't have a "majority" of the main cast, they have issues with it - yet they will disclaim non-majorities having issues with the same thing. it's hypocrisy if you have any ounce of critical thinking
I don't understand why people are so threatened by having POC represented in American media. That baffles me greatly... Anyhow, I really enjoyed your video and it was very insightful and informative!
At least you have one, try a Eastern European and not Russian or mixed in to Russia representation.
They're not threatened, they 're annoyed. In an attempt for modern writers to make their shows more "diverse", the diversity is all these writers focus on. You can have every color of the race rainbow in your show, but if none of your characters are well written, then representation doesn't matter at that point. It's not being threatened by racial diversity, it's being threatened by poor writing.
Love that you touched on the idea of mediocrity, because it's something I've been thinking about for years. When a movie or TV show with white actors flops, no one decides that media with white people isn't marketable. So we always feel this constant pressure to support the crumbs we DO get -- as an African, I remember being so scared for Black Panther because I knew we'd have to support it no matter what if we wanted to get Black rep that wasn't another slave movie. Luckily, that movie was incredible. But boy am I tired of constantly being worried that it's somehow my fault if a show with non-white leads gets canceled. I'm tired of us having to be twice as good to get half as much. Give us the space to be mediocre!!
Anyway, fantastic video, super glad it popped up in my feed.
That's just how it is as any outgroup, it really does suck. Go back 10 years and look at female comics, if one of them does bad suddenly it's "women aren't funny" instead of just "this lady stinks". No matter what area, no matter what group, we find a way to make it terrifying to not fit in.
@@drewpeacock9087 honestly this was me with wish. i didnt even watch that movie bc the trailers didnt look inticing. and the artstyle looked fucked. but i was so scared that disney wont ever do a desi inspired movie bc of the flop of wish. it scared me.
like that person said, i am looking forward to when we reach mediocrity for all my intersectional identities, and we dn't have to put all our hopes and dream on one
As a first gen American Latino, I definitely related to a lot of Huang’s criticisms of the show and event more so to when his has said that “it’s simply different cultures”.
Edit: probably why The George Lopez show was so relatable to many Mexican American teens and young adults at the time of the show premier.
Mexicans are americans learn your geography first of all
I don't know how to say this well, so I'll say it imperfectly: I can see your love of hip-hop in your word choice. Your script was lyrical in places. "A small step forward is still a step forward." Compelling stuff. Well said.
As a Taiwanese-American who is part native Taiwanese as well I think fresh of the boat should have been about Chinese. I didn’t watch much of it but it didn’t show Taiwanese culture, it showed Chinese culture. And the creator was born in the US and much more connected to Chinese/American culture. At the very least the actors could have spoken Hakka at home instead of mandarin.
Doesn’t meat to be disrespectful, majority of Taiwanese so called Culture does come from China. And how distinguish you think it can change just within 50 years ?
@@megaera2988agree
@@megaera2988 Exactly. OP is just salty about this fact bc they don't like China or some shit and hakka is also a chinese language.
There are so many ways you can include a character's culture without making an explicit polot point. From the food they're eating at home, how they keep their home, even what media they may be watching.
as a sudanese-american, i got into the show because of it’s name. it resonated with me a lot because it recognizes immigrant experiences like my tiger parents and prejudice against africans. over time, i felt like it didn’t do as much culturally, which sucked because i was interested in seeing an asian representative show. i got confused because the parents were kind, even though abuse is basically traditional. i still enjoy it, and i hope we see more representation in the future
Not Asian but can sooooo relate to this essay. You verbalized much of what I’ve felt regarding representation but could not quite express. My culture where my family is from is very different than the culture I am surrounded by. But I’m not all one or the other. I’m a combination of my “home” culture and the culture I am currently in. It’s unique and it’s ok
Such a well articulated video!! It’s the second video I’ve watched of yours but seriously, so well edited, put together, AMAZING resources. You bring voice to the topic in such a peaceful but strong way. Thank you thank you thank you.
I've been looking for a video essay about this show. Thanks for this!
This is an amazing video. It gave me a lot of information about the history (or lack thereof) of Asian media representation and the high standards placed on the few representations that exist.
this video is wonderful! thank you for taking the time to create it
You do a great job really digging deep into the topic and finding these interviews!
Frankly I’m glad that Asian writers and cultural critics are so comfortable speaking out against representation they feel is problematic. It would be so easy to refuse to speak out because you feel it’s more important to keep the show on tv…. So I’m happy that they’re being transparent and pushing representation forward.
I remember struggling to finish FOB on Hulu- the show felt exactly as you described, essentially reduced to a cookie cutter sitcom where you watch an episode and leave it feeling the same way you started it. For me, I felt bored. The charm was lost over the seasons imo, and I really loved how the first season began. Seasons 5 and 6, I struggled hard to not scroll my phone the whole time.
I wanted to finish it because yes, it's a monumental show in terms of representation, but after a while it didn't feel like it wanted to push boundaries. There was so much more that could've been done when Eddie got lost in Taiwan, there could've been more done with that mural episode, heck, I think it's telling enough when you mentioned they swapped out Outkast for Beastie Boys- maybe I'm really young, but who are they? I would've understood and known who Outkast was if they were the peeps Eddie really wanted to see.
This show did bank on nostalgia, I'll admit that's another reason I watched it, but after the end of it? Can't help but wish the writing was different? The ending felt really rushed imo. Idk, I'm typing this as the video is a lil over halfway through, so you'll probs mention it, but it really could've been better if it didn't go the network sitcom rigidity after a while, ya know?
Dude- this is such an important video essay. Fantastic job on the research and writing for this one.
One thing I remember wondering about in the show was why the grandmother was in a wheelchair. According to the memoir, her feet were bound and it really messed them up. Little Eddie once saw her naked feet as some doctors were treating them. According to him, they were all mangled looking and it made him resent the tiny silk shoes in her closet
I honestly think that this show would've been more authentic as an hour long family drama series
I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on Kim’s Convenience. I was surprised it wasn’t mentioned in this video, even in passing.
It did appear in one clip I used, but since I was mostly speaking about Asian American stories, I wasn’t sure Kim’s Convenience fit since it’s a Canadian show. Although I figure Asian Canadian experiences are pretty similar
@@QualityCulture they most definitely are
@@QualityCulture Kim's Convenience is worth considering as a comparison to FOTB if only because it also comprised of an entirely Asian-North American cast, and was a network sit-com airing at the same time.
I've been meaning to do a video essay on FOB for years but felt I didn't have a good enough take because I'm not Asian myself, but seeing how much our research and scripts align, I need to stop limiting myself so much. Well done, thank you for the motivation
This was so well written and edited! Great work
This video covered so much more than the title and I’m so glad I clicked
Oh I am so excited for this video!!
I may not be Asian, but I'll tell you this. Seeing Orlando being brought to a mainstream audience in a manner that was not all about D*sney world or any of the other theme parks was actually awesome. Most sitcoms tend to center around a major city like New York, LA, Chicago or such, or in an unnamed small town up somewhere that it snows, that it felt good to see the City Beautiful get some of the love it deserves (even if the people who live here might express opinions otherwise.) While it's nowhere near the point of this video, I think the one thing that makes anyone's experience truly American is latching on to the major city they live in as part of their personal identity. I didn't end up watching the later seasons (early around when season 2 aired I ended up moving and didn't get cable at the new place since I downsized and didn't have all the roommates to make it possible) but if you really ask Americans of any ethnic background, it's almost a universal thing. Just my personal two cents.
lmaoooo the censoring of d*sney world was peak humor (sorry this is irrelevant)
Excellent video. Thanks for taking the time to make it
Man that was an awesome dive into representation. Yall did such a good job of showing the viewpoints that I have never been able to vocalize myself but have always wanted to be heard.
W writing
W video
I really like the nuance and historical perspective in this video. Thanks for voicing a lot of feelings about representation that I seem to have unconsciously held onto for a long time. Truthfully, a lot of this sort of came about around Crazy Rich Asians for me as "the big movie about Asian people" that it felt like almost an ethnic obligation to see it. And I completely get what Phil Yu says when he hopes for Asian American mediocrity. Just for the acceptance as part of the fold in the American melting pot. In some ways, that's all I want of my life too as an American anyway. I really enjoyed all of this so much.
"Sullivan & Son" (2012) also relied on stereotypes. Sitcom about a Korean/Irish American family that was on TBS. The same actress who played the mother from All American Girl was on that show too.
I know it’s not Asian-American since it takes place in Canada, but I think everyone should watch Kim’s Convenience. It’s about a Korean-Canadian family who run a small, family-owned convenience store, and it touches a lot on cultural differences and the humor therein. I binged the entire series in a few days lol
Soooo good! I was so sad when the creator decided to kill it
That show is great and so sad it’s canceled 😢
And deals with many of the same issues. Overwhelmingly white producers, lack of input taken from Asian actors, Simu Liu is Chinese, not Korean Canadian. It is in large part a continuation of representation but not much more than that.
But isn’t Canada now days America’s little sister. One of the same family.
@@brwils3378America is Canada's little sister
I am all for seeing more Asian representation on TV!
I'm half-Japanese and telling biracial/multiracial stories are also lacking. My parents don't share a culture and they come from two completely different worlds. I hope we can get to a point where we can also have mixed-race Asian stories being told alongside them because America is such a melting pot!
What James Hong heard was pretty much correct, Asians were not great box
office in the U.S. The few attempts at making Asian cast films performed
poorly.
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once was an excellent film, good story, good cast,
fun to watch. Clearly an American story and that gave the movie it's teeth,
very relatable yet still had under tones of difference.
In a sense, EEAAO accomplished what Fresh Off The Boat tried to do.
Hey man, this is probably your best work . Really interesting.
This analysis was very thought provoking. As a first gen immigrant I loved FOB and could relate to a lot of aspects. I'm glad to finally see an analysis of the TV show and a conversation about AAPI representation. As much as I can relate to Asians, I will never know what it is like to be Asian so I love to listen and See stories centered around API.
This was such a great video. I loved Fresh Off the Boat when it first premiered. This video gave me a new perspective on the entire show.
Wow, I did not know all that about Wu. That is a real shame. She is a fantastic actress and has such a light about her.
That was such a wonderful video (the first I watched from you. What a find!). I really appreciate this perspective, for I am but a Eastern European white girl (and representations for Romanians in American media are... ooof), but I really love watching / reading all kinds of stories about other cultures and worlds. And I understand how powerful it feels when you feel seen by media. EEAAO really made me feel seen, for instance! And The Farewell is maybe my favorite representation of grief that I've ever come across and whenever I think about it, I feel like crying again. I hope more and more shows and movies are made about specific, varied cultures and families and characters, in all of the genres and formats possible. And I will be watching your previous videos as well, cause this was. so. good!
Thanks for the piece. Your thoughtfulness and insights are appreciated!
as a Vietnamese American myself, well done. hit many points and elaborated on them, with lots of context/video's within as you explain, you got a sub. keep it up! this was on par with accented cinema!
💜💜 truly an exceptional video essay
as a child of african immigrants this show was a house favorite in my home. although i couldn’t directly relate and i understand i wasn’t the target audience, a lot of the stories told i’m sure lots of other immigrants/children of immigrants can also relate to
I’m also a child of African immigrants and my family really couldn’t relate 🤷🏽♀️ we really picked up on the “Asian actors, white stories”/sanitized plots feeling when watching. There were some moments where I felt very called out and def related to like when the family does a “no English challenge” bc my older relatives were obsessed with doing that lol. But I more related to the families in The Middle and Everybody Hates Chris. The former for their accurate depictions of being low income and the latter for their unapologetic depiction of an old school black family. I feel like EHC had that sense of realness that Eddie wished for in FOB. Julius and Rochelle had that strict parenting and cared about how their kids did in school and presented to others but they were more multifaceted. Chris’ family was also portrayed as confident in their identity as Black Americans and the show never made their culture a backdrop.
Love these analysis thank you for talking so eloquently about a tough topic. I love it!
Very much appreciated seeing and learning from this essay.
I knew an Asian Actor who committed suicide because he was so dejected about Hollywood. He so wanted to be an actor but it was so hard for him to get roles… it was just hard for Asian American Actors in Hollywood.
That Eddie Huang quote towards the end about differences was fucking beautiful. Made me tear up a bit
This was an incredible video, I’m glad I got recommended it in my algorithm
Really great video. I loved Fresh off the Boat and it made me a big fan of Randall Park and Constance Wu. I really appreciate the context you’ve added for me.
Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu really played in a fun way with a lot of the ideas shared here. It really explores what it is to be Asian in America
I’m Eastern European and my family and I immigrated to the D.C. area in 1995, when I was 7, so I found FOTB really relatable, especially the first few seasons! But I concur that the storylines started to feel stale and a bit “been done, but now it’s a Chinese family going trough the motions” by the end.
I was also deeply confused by Constance Wu’s irritation about the renewal, but that goes to show, context is so important. Sadly, Twitter allows for no nuance, no gray area, so people assume things & lash out. It’s clear she was in a lot of pain. I hope she has been healing. I loved her portrayal as well as all the other actors.
I really appreciated this analysis, thank you for breaking it down! I had also never read the book, and learning how much it was toned down makes sense. Mainstream television struggles with depicting the truth when it is dark (and most of reality features darkness to some extent) because people turn to sitcoms for an escape from reality, not to be reminded of it.
But I think streaming platforms like HBO and Apple+ are starting to show comedies with nuances of pain and tragedy. Also, Netflix’s “Dead To Me” is an excellent example of combining comedy and tragedy in an amazing way.
Really well done and well paced with insight. I like the sound of your voice! Keep it up!
Good stuff.
Also props.
So much work put into this
Man I’m Vietnamese to and I also like Eddie was born in a Northern city in the US and move down south around Eddie’s age so my parents could also open up a restaurant that also didn’t match up with our culture😅 I think most young Asian kids can relate to that moment of realizing that their lunch was different from everybody else’s🥲
This was interesting. I’m half Asian but a first gen American immigrant. I’m complicated. My idea of the Asian American lifestyle was going out to burgers and speaking English while coming home with rice and pickled vegetables speaking my language. I never watched fresh off the boat, nothing other than time and focus elsewhere kept me from it. My Asian American experience is vastly different and still proves to be. My ambiguous features and perfect accent clash with when I’m asking questions like “what is sweetened butter and why is it pressed between this bread drizzled with honey?” I’m 50/50 with representation because people don’t always want to themselves in a mirror. Not everybody can see their worst traits in front of them and be okay, while glorifying their good sides at the same time. I hope we get more sitcoms and movies featuring strong Asian leads in America. However, like fresh off the boat I can’t say I would always watch it. Nothing personal but sometimes I live in Asian media and others in American media. It just depends on where you find me or where I find myself to be.
This was really fascinating! My first visit to your channel.😄
I think the show is ultimately fine for what it is. The biggest misstep in my opinion was focusing more on the parents, rather than the kids, and making all of the characters more and more cartoonish as the show progressed.
I grew up in a predominantly white community and the kids were so racist to me. It was rare for me to go a day without being called an anti Asian slur. Fresh off the Boat was the first time I had seen someone that looked like me react negatively to being called a slur. I honestly didn’t even realize what they were saying to me was wrong, It didn’t make me feel good but no one explained to me it wasn’t okay.
I'd love to hear your review of Kim's Convenience! Not Asian, but Polish immigrant family, and my mom and I really bonded over this show because there were family dynamics that reminded us of us.
Fantastic video, you've got a new fan!
Excellent, nuanced analysis! Great work!
Such insightful commentary/review... The growing pains of representation - “you don’t even know you’re invisible until you are seen” (or the quote of that general nature) is so true. One of the reasons I like youtube/social media is because it democratizes the opportunity for representation from all walks of life from all ethnicities much more than network television! So I can watch pop culture commentary from everyone, including my fellow Asian Americans 😊
Well I'm not sure about all of that
Fresh off the boat, blackish, and the george lopez show are those shows that succeed by making fun of stereotypes
They certainly haven't stop making mob movies.
Is that a good or bad thing?
@@jasonhaven7170 yes.
Making fun of stereotypes or playing into stereotypes?
@@alim.9801 Even I don't even know what they are saying
That was a genuinely great episode. The generosity of bringing in other performers' voices alongside the Creator's own narratives, plus the organization of the topic + supporting research, it was all so well balanced + put together + thoughtful.
On non-war Vietnamese narratives: I have a friend who was obsessed with a clip of Ricegum's mom reacting to him badgering/offending her a couple years ago, & I always thought "I want to see THAT story. Please someone tell me THAT story, whether it's operatically grandiose or a hip hop mockumentary like Spinal Tap or a dystopian farce or a zombie metaphor or in any other cinematic way."
It was like when you're reading a book or watching a movie & you keep thinking the story is following the wrong person...
Vietnamese-Filipina American and I loved this video. Thank you for being a voice.
i remember telling my white friend that i wish there was more asian rep in things like disney films, and she said, "what do you mean? you already have mulan and turning red!"
as much as i love these movies, im not chinese (im filipino). we may both be asian but i dont relate to either movies at all. it just reminded me how much people only see asians as east asians
so true man. The rest of us are just invisible.
Oh, what kind of white was your friend? Or do you only see them as a mushy jumble?
@@JoaoluizDFeijo you're missing my point. in the example of disney films, the majority of them have white main characters or are based in predominantly white countries (like how frozen is based off of norway and how tangled is based off of germany). multiple different european countries get their own movies inspired by their own cultures but for asians we only ever get movies inspired by chinese/east asian culture. if my friend were to say that she wanted more dutch representation (because she's half dutch), i wouldnt tell her that she already has rapunzel and elsa because theyre not dutch. so why should she tell me that i already have mulan when im not chinese?
@@micha9907 I'm not German, I can't relate to any European princess by Disney. I'm Ukrainian and for the longest time lumped with that terrorist nation called Russia. Good for you that you're even represented.
Try Craig it's got a lot of Sea rep. I showed it to my Filipino friend and she was crying about how similar it was she kept saying things like " They have the big wooden spoon !" "Oh shit they did the blessing!" Look up the episode where they go to the sewer queens house it make sense in show
I mean, I'm a second generation chinese american actor, and I feel strange when trying to "represent my race". First, I never asked to be a spokesperson or leader for ANYONE. That's just weird. I am an actor - I just do the lines informed by my reality. John Cho described it perfectly. I am just not someone who knows a lot nor obsesses about my race. How does me doing a song and dance as an asian benefit anyone? It's just indicating that we as asians care more about displaying our race than making good works, while it's what we got on the inside that lets us be great.
An excellent video. Ya got a sub and going to binge.
Saving this to my watch later but this already looks fire. I remember seeing Fresh off the Boat as a kid and being really excited, but my thoughts on the show since then have become a lot more mixed. I'm eager to see your take!
I loved Fresh Off the Boat but I'm excited to see what the next Asian Sitcom will be. Hopefully that one will have an all Asian producing and writing team
Great In-depth video Essay. Representation is very important, especially the positive representation. The 2018 film Searching starring John Cho was very underrated in my opinion, because it showed his range as an actor. I love the Show Warrior, because it's based on the writings of Bruce Lee and the story, action, acting, and cast is amazing.
Really enjoyed the video ✨
This is a really good analysis! You got my sub!