- You get it, girl!
- Oh, I'm uncomfortable.
- Whoa, okay, that last one was hmm.
♪ (upbeat techno intro) ♪
- (React) Today, we're gonna be talking about the representation
of Asian Americans in media.
- Oh my God, this is gonna be my first woke episode.
(laughs) Okay, I'm ready, I'm ready!
- (React) To start, I wanna ask, why does representation matter to you?
- Representation is super important because I grew up in a place
that was mostly white,
so already didn't see much representation in real life.
Already felt like an outsider, and the media reflected that.
- Ever since I was a little girl,
like all my Barbie dolls were blonde hair, blue eyes.
All the Disney princesses,
the closest ones that looked like me were Mulan and Pocahontas.
I was like I still don't look like them. (laughs)
- It just feels good to see someone like you on a movie or TV show.
- It's more YouTubers than anything that's been big for Asian people.
I feel like Ryan Higa, like Wong Fu Productions,
like those are the people I watched growing up,
for Asian American representation,
because there's just not much else, you know?
- Like in Hollywood, they kinda always wanna keep the certain image.
I just think it's just so old and played out.
That was the whole point of why I joined this show,
is just so, like I'm not an actor,
but I wanted to represent Asians in the media.
- (React) Hollywood is portraying the community
in a more authentic light than ever before.
A recent example is Minari, which received six nominations
at this year's Oscars.
- Yes, I love Minari!
- (React) From the film,
Steven Yeun became the first Asian American nominee
in the Best Actor category.
And Yuh-Jung Youn won the best supporting actress award.
- (presenter) And the Oscar goes to Yuh-Jung Youn.
(crowd cheers)
- (Yuh-Jung) My name is Yuh-Jung Youn,
and most of European people call me Yuh-Yuh,
and some of them call me Yu-Jung.
But tonight, you are all forgiven. (audience laughs)
- I love it, I'm all here for it, and it's a little overdue too,
like we're just now getting some recognition?
- (React) We've made it this far, but Hollywood has had
a very problematic history when it comes to the way
it has portrayed Asian Americans.
Whether it be the use of yellowface,
or stereotypical jokes about the community.
- I know which one, I think I know which clip this is.
- I think I have an idea of what one of the scenes are.
- (Mr. Yunioshi) Oh, Miss Golightly.
- Yeah, this is, I know this one.
- (Mr. Yunioshi) Miss Golightly! Once again, I must protest!
- Oh, I'm uncomfortable.
- This is so offensive and weird.
- (Mr. Yunioshi) Call the police department!
- It's like they're just trying too hard, and it's so annoying.
- Okay, not everyone makes that facial expression, okay.
Yeah, not everyone is like that.
That's not what my friends or my family look like,
so it was just like very narrow minded.
- I wanna laugh, because it's like kinda funny,
but it's also like really [censored] up.
They couldn't find an Asian actor who would do it?
They probably could've, but they were racist,
and they didn't wanna find an Asian actor,
because they were making these stupid jokes about it.
- (React) Have you seen any recent uses of yellowface that come to mind?
- Not that I can recall, not anything recent, I'm not sure.
But I'm pretty sure they're out there. (laughs)
- Okay, so actually, I did a 2014 production
of Miss Saigon at my high school, which was the weirdest thing ever.
First of all, I had to play a prostitute at like 14.
And second of all, I went to a mostly white high school
that was like only maybe 10 Asian girls,
and then the rest of them were yellowfacing for the ensemble.
It was horrible.
They did a makeup class,
like teaching them how to look more Asian,
and they were like wing out your liner! (laughs)
And people did such offensive bronzer, eyeliner, red lips,
it was just, it was horrible, it was fetishizing, it was demeaning,
and the craziest part is we had a white lead.
- ♪ Tis the season to be jolly ♪
- Oh, this is A Christmas Story, okay.
- (man) No no no, not rah rah rah rah, la la la la la.
- Oh God, that is so horrible.
- Is it sad that I'm like triggered by this? (laughs)
- (React) Not at all.
- ♪ Fa la la la la, la la la la ♪ Try again.
- ♪ Deck the halls ♪ - Oh yeah, okay.
I kinda feel like it's lazy writing. It's just very half ass.
I don't like that kind of writing.
Honestly, like, you don't have to be offensive to be funny.
♪ (Asian string music) ♪
- It's so awkward.
- (Long) Very clever dinner. Appetizing food fit neatly...
- I think it's so sad,
because I'm pretty sure the person who's like playing the Asian role,
like, they just wanted to work.
- (Mike) It's a quiche.
- (Long) How do you spell?
- (Fred) Well you don't spell it, son, you eat it! (laughs)
- He just wanted to know how much it,
no no, he just wanted to know, how to spell it.
- He was using like a spoon and a fork as chopsticks.
Yo, like no one does that.
Like, we got spoons, we got forks, like bro.
That's just like, that's just not a thing.
- (Peter) Asian American, we talking Korean,
we talking Thai, we talking Vietnamese?
- Oh, okay, I know this clip, I know this clip.
- (man) Could've been Japanese, but I think Korean.
- (Peter) Okay, Korean.
You know what, it's fine, I have a preliminary sketch here.
Is this the man who assaulted you?
- That is so, just, I mean, it's stupid.
- (Peter) Is this the man who assaulted you?
- Whoa, okay, that last one was hmm.
Not good.
I think this is another reason why
Asian stereotypes are really normalized,
and racism is also normalized towards the Asian community
because of clips like these.
- The thing is like, I'm not even shocked by these,
because Asians were made fun of in media a lot when I was growing up.
It was like a common point, Asians and Indian people,
and black people, all the time.
- (React) As seen in this clip from Austin Powers,
Hollywood has also had a troubled history
in the way it has portrayed Asian women.
- Oh, Fook Mi and Fook Yu? Is it, yeah, okay.
- (Fook Mi) Austin!
- I've seen this movie.
I've seen like all of the Austin Powers movies.
- (Fook Mi) This is my twin sister, her name Fook Yu.
- Oh my God.
- (Fook Mi) Fook Mi, see?
- I think this one's like a really prevalent issue now,
the fetishization of Asian women.
- It doesn't help that they're just like shown as objects.
- (Fook Yu) I honestly think Austin Powers is very sexy.
- Uh...
- (Fook Yu) Do we make you sleepy?
- Yeah, this is [censored] gross.
- 'Cause people think it's a compliment.
They're like all white guys love you.
- I'm like ugh.
- (Austin) Ooh, sorry about that. I swear to God that never happens.
- I wonder what people were thinking on set.
They're just like oh, just keep going.
This is fine, everyone's gonna love it.
- Okay, what the [censored]? Why?
- I remember watching Austin Powers, and I saw this clip,
and I was like what the hell?
And I had friends with me, and they were laughing about it.
- (React) I realize this is a tough clip to watch.
How does this make you feel?
- It just like scares me that sometimes
it's what people see when they see me.
It's so horrible, the type of men that are like into Asian women,
because a lot of it has to do
with this really [censored] up power dynamic
that they want to control you and your body.
They like that you look younger and like a child.
When they like you, it's not because of who you are as a person,
it's what you represent in their mind.
- (React) Recently, Asian American characters
have been given the chance to contradict stereotypes,
and even be the lead in their own love story,
as seen in these next clips.
- Let's see!
- Oh my God, I love Suite Life!
- (Marion) Are you familiar with the gearshift?
- (London) You mean the PRNDL? - The PRNDL!
- PRNDL! (laughs)
- Are you referring to the shift lever
that says P-R-N-D-L?
- (London) I'm not a child, Moseby. I know how to spell PRNDL.
- I recently started watching this again.
- (Marion) It is not something you spin, it is a gearshift.
The letters stand for Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive and Low!
- (London) You're making me nervous with all this technical talk!
- Oh my God.
Okay, the Suite Life of Zack and Cody
is like honestly, my favorite Disney Channel show,
mainly because of London.
Like, she's not only comic relief, but she's a baddie.
- I like it, just 'cause it's different.
It's just so different.
Also like, it shows like, you don't need big white actors
to make a good scene, that was a great scene,
and it had no white actors in it, you know?
- Peter.
- (Peter) For someone who has such good grades,
you can be so dense sometimes. - (Lara Jean) What?
- (Peter) Yeah, I wanted to sit next to you.
- He's great in this movie.
- (Peter) I even packed us snacks. I asked Kitty where to find those...
- That was cute.
- (Peter) Those yogurt drinks you like so much.
- Those are really good by the way, y'all should try 'em.
- (Lara Jean) The Korean grocery store is all the way across town.
- Especially frozen.
- (Peter) So if I went all the way across town,
to get you something that you like, then that means...
- I remember seeing this scene, I was like you get it girl! (laughs)
The Asian girl gets the guy in the movie.
- These are the roles and like, what I would rather see,
rather than poking fun at any culture.
This was a great step in the right direction,
and I also loved how To All The Boys,
I think the author of the books is an Asian woman.
I think that's really cool too,
and I think we need to see more of it.
- (Recent) The recent rise of representation
has also introduced audiences to a new generation
of Asians living the fabulous life.
From Crazy Rich Asians,
to the controversial reality series Bling Empire.
- Yeah, I watched it.
- (narrator) My friends, they're a little kooky,
but they mean well.
They have the whole world at their disposal.
- It was pretty fun, in my opinion. I like reality.
- (man) The Asians are here!
- Yeah, whoa. Real life Crazy Rich Asians.
- I love, I love a lot of these characters.
- (woman) And Baby G would be a little prince.
- I don't mind that, yeah, I don't mind that.
I think even also Asian people don't actually mind that that much.
- You think like oh, you know,
they're just gonna show off the rich Asians, whatever,
but I thought it was good, 'cause it gets to show
real people in Los Angeles.
It kinda inspires me to be like wow, I could do that too if I want,
like I can own a business or be successful in marketing
or whatever it is.
- I really like their messages of like, Asian people are family,
we don't start fights, but I'm scared shows like this
and Crazy Rich Asians,
they're now giving a lot of white people
the idea, it's really supporting that model minority myth,
that all Asians are rich and privileged.
- (Nick) Coming through, sorry.
- Oh my gosh, stop, this is my favorite scene.
- This scene made me, oh, I love this scene.
- (Nick) I know this is a far throw from a hidden paradise.
- I'm so glad this movie did really well.
- (Nick) Wherever you are in the world,
that's where I belong.
- I'd be so pissed if someone proposed to me on an airplane.
Are you kidding?
- The lady in the back saying say yes! (laughs)
- (Nick) Rachel Chu.
- Now that's what you do when you clap.
Not when the plane lands, but you can clap on there, yeah.
- (Nick) And make me the happiest man in this world?
- (Kerry) Yes, yes, yes, she will marry you!
- (laughs) There it is!
- (Rachel) Yes.
- Such a great movie. (laughs)
- (React) Crazy Rich Asians was one of only three
major Hollywood films to ever have a majority Asian cast.
Why do you think it's taken so long
for Hollywood to feature Asian characters as romantic leads?
- As I stated previously, Hollywood is just so used
to casting white people as the stars of their movies,
and they're so scared to break these standards,
because they're scared that it's not gonna get as many views and stuff.
- I mean, I think that stereotype was broken by Crazy Rich Asians, right?
That movie was fantastic,
and I think it did really good for along time too,
and it just proved that you don't need like a prominent white actor
to do good movies, you just need to make a good movie.
- (React) We've shown a lot of progress on this issue,
but what things still need to change for the better?
- I think what needs to change is,
I can tell we're getting better at it,
but I just want more positive portrayals,
or even like human portrayals, and natural portrayals
of Asian Americans more in media.
So we're working on it,
but there's still quite a long way to go.
- More women, more lead women doing cool things,
and not just playing like a hopeless romantic.
I did my research, and Marvel has a Filipina superhero,
I think her name's like Wave.
If they're ever casting for some lead Asian girls,
like you know... (laughs)
- Marvel with Simu Liu, I think is gonna be great.
I'll definitely give it a watch.
We don't, we haven't seen,
I don't think I can think of like an Asian superhero.
- They are trying to push diversity as a selling point,
but they're not really hitting the nail.
You know what I want?
This is actually truly what I want.
Not only representation on screen, and for pictures,
and for the point of that,
but actually diversity overall in cast and crew.
I would like to see it more in the real world, honestly.
So I'm always pushing for like room to do better.
- I feel like when it's like an Asian leading role,
it always has to be like a nice body.
Like why can't it just be a normal looking person?
- Everyone wants to see someone that looks like them
doing something that they would be interested in.
- So see anything is a step forward.
I'm still not gonna fully accept it, we could do better.
- I wanna make sure like, when I have kids
that they don't have those problems,
and they're proud of who they are and what they look like.
- Thanks for watching this episode of REACT.
- Why does representation matter to you?
- What are some of your thoughts on this issue?
- Comment below, make sure you hit that Like button,
and subscribe! - See ya next time, bye!
♪ (upbeat outro) ♪