David Carradine’s Legacy of Shame

[firehawk12]

Well, it's one of those things. All the human/humanoid aliens are usually white. Even if you go with the premise that the US Air Force is mostly white and the Goa'uld only abducted white people to make their village of the week settlements, there's no reason why any of the Ancients or Asurians had to be white... they just were.

I just noticed. It's almost ironic that the Goa'uld were more racially diverse than the "enlightened" Ancients.

Were there Asian characters? Sure. I can think of two... one a stereotype and one where they couldn't be bothered to cast a Mandarin speaker to play someone who spoke Mandarin.
And Christ, that's a Canadian production. Look at American production... how come on CSI or some other shitty crime show when someone Chinese does something, it has to be related to some shitty Chinese holiday or custom?

I'll have you know that Chinese people are AS capable as white people when it comes to plain old fashioned murders and robberies!

 

[Zachary Smith]

Look at American production... how come on CSI or some other shitty crime show when someone Chinese does something, it has to be related to some shitty Chinese holiday or custom?

I'll have you know that Chinese people are AS capable as white people when it comes to plain old fashioned murders and robberies!

Sad how they never have the regular character of "Kimball Cho" say "Ah! SO!" whenever an important clue is uncovered on the show, "The Mentalist". What an opportunity to demean a culture they are missing with every episode. "Cho" never does ANYTHING even vaguely "oriental".

(Incidentally, while I believe "Cho" is a Korean name--though I admit to not being certain--the character's ethnic background has never been addressed to my recollection on the show. He's just another member of the team. The actor's birth name is Yila Timothy Kang and he goes by the name Tim Kang. I do NOT believe him to be Klingon and, as he was born in San Francisco, I really have no clear idea what the ACTOR'S ethnicity is. "Kang" maybe a Chinese name but I have no real idea. I guess no one has really thought to make an issue of it thus far. Silly racists are clearly falling down on their responsibilities, right?)

 

[Daedalus12]

I point to actors like Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Tilly and Mark-Paul Gosselaar - actors who actively choose to pass as one race over the other because they know that emphasizing their Asian identities won't get them a job.

I had to respond to this because I am an Eurasian descent just like those you mentioned (personally I am 1/4 Chinese, 3/4 white). Honestly I don't think they actively chose anything. Both Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Tilly essentially were raised by their Caucasian mothers. Mark-Paul Gosselaar looks like a generic white guy. I am in the same boat as Mark so if I tell people that I have an ethnically Chinese grandparent they wouldn't even believe me. As a counter-example Maggie Q who is also Eurasian has a stronger epicanthic fold (hence looks more Asian) and she grew up with both of her parents. Is it a coincidence that she identities more with her Asian side? I don't think so.

 

[RJDiogenes]

One of those episodes dealt with reparations.

Well, "Reparations" is just the Left Wing reaching the level of self-parody. This is why they're almost as bad as the Right Wing now. We need another cultural revolution like we had in the 60s.

Wrong. I'm about as "Left" as you get and I think the idea of people paying reparations for offenses they didn't commit to people who didn't suffer the offense being cited is blatantly stupid.

"Slave Reparations" is NOT a "Left/Right" issue. It concerns a certain group of people trying to leverage an historical circumstance and EXPLOIT it to make money. Pure and simple.

I didn't say it was everybody, but it's definitely an artifact of the far Left. You certainly won't find any Righties suggesting that we pay Black people to be Black.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Re: David Carradine’s Legacy of Shame

Bad taste or not, David Carradine's Legacy of Shame would've made a great title for an anthology series or movie or something.

 

[firehawk12]

I point to actors like Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Tilly and Mark-Paul Gosselaar - actors who actively choose to pass as one race over the other because they know that emphasizing their Asian identities won't get them a job.

I had to respond to this because I am an Eurasian descent just like those you mentioned (personally I am 1/4 Chinese, 3/4 white). Honestly I don't think they actively chose anything. Both Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Tilly essentially were raised by their Caucasian mothers. Mark-Paul Gosselaar looks like a generic white guy. I am in the same boat as Mark so if I tell people that I have an ethnically Chinese grandparent they wouldn't even believe me. As a counter-example Maggie Q who is also Eurasian has a stronger epicanthic fold (hence looks more Asian) and she grew up with both of her parents. Is it a coincidence that she identities more with her Asian side? I don't think so.

I'm not saying they need to proclaim Azn pride, but when weird stuff happens like the whole "Ching Chong" thing that whatsherface did a few years ago, it might be a time to speak up even a bit? I mean, it's not like Reeves needs to make Better Luck Joy Luck Club Tomorrow 2 or something.

I don't like to get into issues of claiming, because it's highly problematic (Tiger Woods is the best ASIAN gofler in the world!!!!) and I'm just not in depersate need for celebrities in order to justify my own existence. But if you have a platform and a partial stake, even if you are completely disillusioned and detached from the culture... I dunno, I'm talking out of my ass now.

As for MaggieQ... I think it's because she realizes that she doesn't really have a career in America beyond being hot.
And from mixed race people I've heard speak about HK, there is a fetishization of Eurasian ethnicities over there (perhaps due to the priviledging of British citizens) so it might have been a more shrewd business decision to embrace that identity.

 

[doubleohfive]

May 8th.

Nero doesn't count; he was a civilian...

Semantics. Nero was the commander of the Narada and the leader of its crew. And a shitty one.

 

[firehawk12]

Sad how they never have the regular character of "Kimball Cho" say "Ah! SO!" whenever an important clue is uncovered on the show, "The Mentalist". What an opportunity to demean a culture they are missing with every episode. "Cho" never does ANYTHING even vaguely "oriental".

You know that after work, he's abusive to his sister/girlfriend and believes that men are inherently superior to women. That's how all Asian men on TV are supposed to act, dontchaknow?

 

[Daedalus12]

I'm not saying they need to proclaim Azn pride, but when weird stuff happens like the whole "Ching Chong" thing that whatsherface did a few years ago, it might be a time to speak up even a bit? I mean, it's not like Reeves needs to make Better Luck Joy Luck Club Tomorrow 2 or something.

Keanu Reeves in Joy Luck Club? Somehow I think you came up with a shittier idea than Keanu Reeves in a Shakespeare play.

As for the "ching chong" comment by the fat ugly dyke? Well I think even most Asian Americans weren't that worked up about it.

I don't like to get into issues of claiming, because it's highly problematic (Tiger Woods is the best ASIAN gofler in the world!!!!) and I'm just not in depersate need for celebrities in order to justify my own existence.

Well I have to agree that Tiger Woods is the best Asian golfer in the world. I mean he is 50% Asian and only 25% black. But as you said Tiger Woods being Asian doesn't mean you are suddenly as awesome as he is.

I dunno, I'm talking out of my ass now.

Aren't you a liberal arts major.

As for MaggieQ... I think it's because she realizes that she doesn't really have a career in America beyond being hot.

And from mixed race people I've heard speak about HK, there is a fetishization of Eurasian ethnicities over there (perhaps due to the priviledging of British citizens) so it might have been a more shrewd business decision to embrace that identity.

This business part might be true but you have to admit she does look midway between Asian and White as supposed to someone like Mark Gosselaar.

 

[firehawk12]

English Lit baby... I get paid to think about this shit.

I don't know though. I'm just saying that there are mixed raced/Eurasian people who are more open about their racial identities. Ann Marie Flemming being the example that comes to mind (mainly because I just studied her work). Her grandfather was the most famous Chinese magician in the world in the early 20th century and even though she's "only" a quarter Chinese and could easily pass, she chose to make a film about him.

I'll fully admit though, I don't blame the actors who choose to pass for a moment - if there was a way I could pass for white, I would take it in a second. It's like that Chris Rock joke - if he, a rich black man, had a chance to switch places with a poor white dude... the poor white dude would run from that deal as fast as his legs would take him. "Wait, I'd be rich and have all the pussy I want? That's great! Oh, I'd have to be black? Fuck you!"

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Bad taste or not, David Carradine's Legacy of Shame would've made a great title for an anthology series or movie or something.

Only if he could have been the host.

This business part might be true but you have to admit she does look midway between Asian and White as supposed to someone like Mark Gosselaar.

Gosselaar? I had no idea he had any Asian blood in him. Then again, I miss "the point" often enough, why not this.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Just because someone doesn't wave the flag of their multi-ethnic heritage doesn't mean that they're "passing". If Keanu Reeves or Jessica Alba or Vin Diesel or Tiger Woods want to simply present themselves as individuals then they should be able to do so. Besides there's nothing to say that Neo and Jack Traven aren't part Caucasian, part Hawaiian and part Chinese, just as Keanu Reeves is.

 

[firehawk12]

Just because someone doesn't wave the flag of their multi-ethnic heritage doesn't mean that they're "passing". If Keanu Reeves or Jessica Alba or Vin Diesel or Tiger Woods want to simply present themselves as individuals then they should be able to do so. Besides there's nothing to say that Neo and Jack Traven aren't part Caucasian, part Hawaiian and part Chinese, just as Keanu Reeves is.

Well, Woods has at least been to Thailand and been given some kind of national award for being Thai.

But, I think it's more a business decision than anything. If you can pass as white, you're likely to get more roles. I'm more concerned about an institution that requires one to pass rather than the act of passing itself.

Because, let's face it... there's no way a Chinese dude would have headlined The Matrix, let alone the extremely awesome Bill and Ted films.

 

[Daedalus12]

English Lit baby... I get paid to think about this shit.
I don't know though. I'm just saying that there are mixed raced/Eurasian people who are more open about their racial identities.

I'll fully admit though, I don't blame the actors who choose to pass for a moment - if there was a way I could pass for white, I would take it in a second. It's like that Chris Rock joke - if he, a rich black man, had a chance to switch places with a poor white dude... the poor white dude would run from that deal as fast as his legs would take him. "Wait, I'd be rich and have all the pussy I want? That's great! Oh, I'd have to be black? Fuck you!"

I think my original point was that these actors aren't necessarily passing though. I don't tell everyone I've met that I am 1/4 Chinese. I mean it is just a bit awkward to blurt out your complete ethnicity profile in the course of a normal conversation. If the topic comes up like in this thread I'll mention my multi-racial heritage but half of the time people don't believe me anyways as aptly demonstrated by Babaganoosh's surprise that Mark-Paul G. is half-Indonesian below. Mark-Paul as an Asian-American activist would be almost comical imo. Lets face it even the full-blooded Asian Americans aren't really active in that regard. There is no Asian version of Al Sharpton in the NA media (no GWR doesn't count).

This business part might be true but you have to admit she does look midway between Asian and White as supposed to someone like Mark Gosselaar.

Gosselaar? I had no idea he had any Asian blood in him. Then again, I miss "the point" often enough, why not this.

He probably only has a 1/4 but officially he is half-Indonesian.

Just because someone doesn't wave the flag of their multi-ethnic heritage doesn't mean that they're "passing". If Keanu Reeves or Jessica Alba or Vin Diesel or Tiger Woods want to simply present themselves as individuals then they should be able to do so. Besides there's nothing to say that Neo and Jack Traven aren't part Caucasian, part Hawaiian and part Chinese, just as Keanu Reeves is.

Agreed. For the most part Tiger Woods doesn't present himself as black either.

I think Hollywood and probably Keanu himself has in recent times warmed up to idea that he can represent a sort of multi-racial heterogeneity hence his increasing activities in the racially neutral scifi roles. IIRC Keanu also played the Buddha back in the early 90s. Of course I am just speculating so all of that could just be bullshit.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

IIRC Keanu also played the Buddha back in the early 90s.

Yeah, he played Siddhartha in Bernado Bertolucci's Little Buddha.

 

[firehawk12]

I think my original point was that these actors aren't necessarily passing though. I don't tell everyone I've met that I am 1/4 Chinese. I mean it is just a bit awkward to blurt out your complete ethnicity profile in the course of a normal conversation. If the topic comes up like in this thread I'll mention my multi-racial heritage but half of the time people don't believe me anyways as aptly demonstrated by Babaganoosh's surprise that Mark-Paul G. is half-Indonesian below. Mark-Paul as an Asian-American activist would be almost comical imo. Lets face it even the full-blooded Asian Americans aren't really active in that regard. There is no Asian version of Al Sharpton in the NA media (no GWR doesn't count).

I'll just point to my post above.
But, on the last point the thing is that most of the activists went on to academia. I mean, the big difference is that the black civil rights movement is tied heavily to religion where the Asian rights movement is tied primarily to academia... and let's face it, a preacher is going to draw a bigger crowd that some professor.

Ronald Takaki made the news recently because he committed suicide. He's responsible, for better (if you're ethnic) or worse (if you're right wing) for the rise of ethnic studies programs in American universities.
Strangely enough, he was one of the first people to teach African American studies (which lead to the joke, "Only a white person would hire an Asian to teach people about blacks").

 

[firehawk12]

IIRC Keanu also played the Buddha back in the early 90s.

Yeah, he played Siddhartha in Bernado Bertolucci's Little Buddha.

Hard core academics that are way outside of my purview would have probably been offended by that.

In fact, second hit on Google Scholar:
http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/9/2/0/5/p192054_index.html

 

[sidious618]

Someone wrote a paper on Keanu Reeves? Wow, must've been a slow year.

 

[firehawk12]

If you search correctly, you can find my paper on race and Star Trek.

 

[sidious618]

If you search correctly, you can find my paper on race and Star Trek.

Yeah, that's fine and all but Keanu Reeves? Someone took the time to write a paper on him? Shit, no one even takes the time to see his movies.