Austin Powers: Uncomfortable Humor

[SunWuKong]

[quote:a082168e23="ChinaLama"]Hmm wonder if SWK actually wrote the article...

anyway, too late to worry about stepping on toes.[/quote:a082168e23]

no, i did not write the piece. so don't worry about stepping on any of my toes. 8)


[quote:a082168e23="ChinaLama"]
1) the VC comparison isn't too off-key, but at the same time, can APAs ever even consider the possibility that AP plays off the "Asian fetish" thing (all Asians are alike--> white men are obsessed w/ any Asian). BTW there is probably more sensitivity to the difference between Asian cultures rather than the difference between different African cultures, so that's one hole in the "But Blacks have it better than Asians" argument.[/quote:a082168e23]

really, i did not mean to illicit any strong reaction from anyone by invoking vincent chin's name. i was just sort of mentioning it in passing, sort of like, "oh look, there they go again, they think we're all just under one umbrella culture". i only wanted to coin it the "vincent chin syndrome" because i thought that would be a good name for it. :)


[quote:a082168e23="ChinaLama"]
2) Stereotypes are a type of generalization; there is "some truth" to "most" stereotypes, just as your comment on VCDs holds SOME truth because a lot of Asians do it. Then again, a lot of white ppl probably burn VCDs too (otherwise why would Roxio offer it as an option on their premium product?), but that is rarely pointed out, CERTAINLy not by the author of the article. Yet the author specifically targeted her VCD comment to Asians, which is why I think that's crossed the line of "generalization" (a lot of college kids d/l stuff and burn them into VCDs) into the realm of stereotypes.[/quote:a082168e23]

well, ok, i will concede that the VCD comment was probably more of a stereotype than a generalization - at least for asian [i:a082168e23]americans[/i:a082168e23]. but what i consider a stereotype is more of a distorted and biased view of the truth rather than a type of generalization. i'll give you an example.

[i:a082168e23]most black people are criminals.[/i:a082168e23] this is a stereotype and it's not true. what [i:a082168e23]is[/i:a082168e23] true, however, is that in urban areas, the majority of criminals are black. however, this does not equate that the majority of black people are criminals. it is a small minority of black people who happen to make up a majority of the group of people who are criminals. but the fact that a majority of criminals in urban areas are black give rise to the distorted view that the majority of black people are criminals.

however, to say that most criminals are black - well this is statistically true, and i would call it a generalization.

and then you have [i:a082168e23]asian people knows kungfu[/i:a082168e23], etc etc...

the VCD comment was probably unnecessary. but that doesn't change the fact that [i:a082168e23]Goldmember[/i:a082168e23] creators didn't think that asian american opinions matter all that much.


[quote:a082168e23="ChinaLama"]
3) the pts you made about Beyonce's fro seem to be things that could be turned around by hyper activists who will decry you for reinforcing stereotypes or accepting injustice. ESPECIALLY subpt 3--how would anyone know whether or not the black community would like seeing Beyonce in a fro? there may be some ppl who think it's horrible that a black woman is portrayed as a fro-sporting sex toy (which is what females are in AP and 007 movies--sex toys). saying blacks had fros that big is like saying "well there may be a Japanese who was named Fook Mi--maybe she lived in Japan but was of Fujian Chinese descent". Andone could also say that Asian people do laugh at our sex-enthralled women, too. There are plenty of hoochie and porn jokes to go around.[/quote:a082168e23]

um... but black people [i:a082168e23]did[/i:a082168e23] have fros that big. it was a popular thing to do. there are even pictures to show it. hell it wasn't even just black people. everybody did it. my own father had a perm and grown a fro back in the day. however, how many asian people do you know in real life with names that are sexual innuendo in english. i know all of one - "mia ho". :lol: how do we know black people laugh at the fros they had from the 60s and 70s? it's easy, they laugh at it even in "black" tv shows and "black" movies. so when i see the general asian american population laughing and saying "oh silly us, we named ourselves fook yu and fook mi", then i'll say that beyonce's fro is a valid comparison of fook yu and fook mi.

[SunWuKong]

from AngryAsianMan.com (http://www.angryasianman.com/angry.html)




JULY 17, 2002 at 7:00PM
NORRIS CINEMA THEATER
(UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA)

The very first public screening for "AUSTIN POWERS IN: GOLDMEMBER", in which USC students and their guests attended. (My Chinese American friend at USC's film program invited me along.) The film's director JAY ROACH -along with the editors and the special effects supervisor- are also USC alumni . . . AND WHITE . . . . were in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.

So here we go . . . . . . . .

Early into the film, Mike Meyers is in a disco-club where he encounters A PAIR OF JAPANESE TWIN SISTERS that want his autograph. Their names are:

FOOK YU & FOOK MI

They even turn around to show off backpacks that vividly state their WHITE-INVENTED names. Then, Myers reaches into his coat pocket for a notepad that reads: "Things To Do Before I Die", followed by a series of silly items he already crossed off. Sure enough . . . the current item indicates: "SEX TRIO WITH JAPANESE TWINS".

Now, I know that this is only an "Austin Powers" movie and maybe I should lighten up. BUT . . . this is a white man's screenplay / white director / white everything. And these are two Asian actors happy to get a paid acting gig in an industry ruled by white men. Might I also add that BEYONCE KNOWLES' portrayal of black sexuality was kept petty tame and free of any risky innuendo towards the black community -- especially in light of the rising power of African Americans in Hollywood (a la Denzel Washington and Halle Berry).

After the screening --WHICH SUCKED (I'll include a brief review)- I confronted director JAY ROACH in the Q&A with the following question (paraphrased) :

"Before I ask my question to you . . . I want to disclaim my agenda by saying that I don't believe in censorship nor for artists to preoccupy themselves with trying to please everyone in the world with political correctness. Now with that said . . . what is your outlook upon entertaining the most hilarious material you can find while risking the alienation of entire communities? And as you can tell from my FACE, I do have the 'FU_K YOU & FU_K ME' gag in my mind."

I deliberately stressed the literal "F" curses in the racist innuendo to call it like it is - which made JAY ROACH nervous to the point of his phonetically reiterating: "In reference to the Fook Yu / Fook Mi scene you bring up . . ."

He politely danced around the tension in my question like a politician running for election. In his defense, I'll say that I don't believe him to be a "bad person." In fact, Roach's demeanor seemed very free-spirited and pleasant --which did work upon my initial "ASIAN" reflex to let him off the hook by never asking my question. BUT ULTIMATELY I'M ASIAN AND THIS SCENE TRULY (RIGHTFULLY) BOTHERED THE HELL OUT OF ME. (I kept in mind the recent anti-Korean P.E.T.A. and USA TODAY "Yao Ming" articles.) In a nutshell, Roach assured that he does consider the boundaries of offending people, but then hid behind the notion of how all jokes end up with someone or something as the "butt". However, within Roach's predictable "how-can-I-possibly-be-racist" response, he mentioned key phrases that are very telling about WHITE SHOWBIZ views on racial humor:

* "It's What We Hope We'll Get Away With"
* "We Treated Them Well (Japanese Twins) -- And They Laughed Too!"

What this tells me is that WHITES justify their "stinkless feces" upon Asians because they see no threatening resistance from us -- as those "cooperative mild-mannered" people. Our ASIAN voice (and it has to be LOUD enough over a crowd of LOUD WHITE VOICES) needs to be heard and these whites need to RECOGNIZE US. They need to know that the NEW GENERATION OF ASIAN AMERICANS are highly educated, WITTY, and TAKE NO SHIT ! ! ! We will not be afraid to stand up against this WHITE APATHY of fake liberalism that only extends towards "select" ethnic groups. In the near future . . . whites will learn that THEY CAN'T "GET AWAY" with this shit. NO MORE! Because ASIANS are loud and clear. And our power will be known.


- "ANG RHEE"

[ChinaLama]

Ok this person rants and rants about Asian stereotypes AND THEN CLOSEs WITH A STEREOTYPE OF ASIANS BEING ALL BOOTLEGGERS/PIRATES!!!


geee...if you're gonna go on a little rant about racism, this isn't the best time to make a chinky joke. :p


plus Fook You and Fook Mi are not Japanese-y names. Those are more like Cantonese (or poorly transliterated Hong Kong) names.

[SunWuKong]

[quote:e8345bf2bc="ChinaLama"]Ok this person rants and rants about Asian stereotypes AND THEN CLOSEs WITH A STEREOTYPE OF ASIANS BEING ALL BOOTLEGGERS/PIRATES!!!


geee...if you're gonna go on a little rant about racism, this isn't the best time to make a chinky joke. :p


plus Fook You and Fook Mi are not Japanese-y names. Those are more like Cantonese (or poorly transliterated Hong Kong) names.[/quote:e8345bf2bc]


well i don't know about you, but i can actually laugh at a generalization about asian people bootlegging shit because we all know it happens. but you're not going to find anybody japanese or asian named fook mi and fook yu. and therein lies a second layer of ignorance doesn't it? it's the vincent chin syndrome.

[ChinaLama]

Well the Movie is AUSTIN POWERS...just like as in James Bond, you won't find someone in REAL LIFE named Pussy Galore in any language either.


Fook Yu or Fook Mi are not Japanese names, but they are plausibly Chinese names (poorly transliterated ones). I don't think this is related to Vincent Chin because there's no hostility and it's perfectly in line w/ AP's theme (plus if you wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, you can see it as a tongue-in-cheek play on white Americans' Asian fetishes. OF course Mr or Ms. Self-Righteous Lee cannot see that because he or she is a little bitch). Another reason why Beyonce may not be portrayed as over-horny could be because Destiny's Child is a pretty feminist band (e.g., Survivor) and she just refused to play a bitch role. Once again Ms. Self Righteous can't see that because she's ...well see above.

My pt is when she's slamming ignorance, it doesn't look very consistent for her to make her own stereotype (notice it wouldn't be a stereotype but would be true if she had just said "avi" or d/l off kazaa or whatever, but she SPECIFICALLY said VCD...which is a VERY Asian stereotype since no one thinks White ppl = VCD but always think FOB = VCD). It doesn't matter whether or not it's a "funny" stereotype, it's still hypocritical. And if she's gonna give me the whole I'm Asian I can laugh at myself bit, well it depends. Does an ABC, for example, really have a "right" to laugh at FOB stereotypes?


BTW when I refer to Mr or Ms. Self Righteous, I am simply referring to the author of the article. It is in no way a slam on the SWK cuz anyone who names himself after the Monkey King rocks IMO.

[achtungbaby]

[quote:b5de2155d1]Might I also add that BEYONCE KNOWLES' portrayal of black sexuality was kept petty tame and free of any risky innuendo towards the black community...[/quote:b5de2155d1]

Yeah, except for that rather large and ridiculous fro she sports.

[quote:b5de2155d1="ChinaLama"]Well the Movie is AUSTIN POWERS...just like as in James Bond, you won't find someone in REAL LIFE named Pussy Galore in any language either.[/quote:b5de2155d1]

You mean you don't know any Ivana Humpalots?

[quote:b5de2155d1="ChinaLama"]I don't think this is related to Vincent Chin because there's no hostility and it's perfectly in line w/ AP's theme (plus if you wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, you can see it as a tongue-in-cheek play on white Americans' Asian fetishes.[/quote:b5de2155d1]

Werd. And if you look at Mike Myers' comedic career, he's practically gone out of his way to poke fun at white people and leave people of color alone (except of course in [i:b5de2155d1]Wayne's World II [/i:b5de2155d1], in that ridiculous -- and hilarious -- scene where he fights Tia Carerra's father).

[quote:b5de2155d1="ChinaLama"]It doesn't matter whether or not it's a "funny" stereotype, it's still hypocritical.[/quote:b5de2155d1]

Wow, I can't believe I'm agreeing with you so much this afternoon, Red.

Also, I'm editing out the last portion of the article, because I plan on seeing the movie, and think it's a cheesy way to "protest" a movie. If you got problems with the movie, that's fine, galvanize support and picket, but you don't have to give away the ending to the movie -- what does that have to do with anything?

[deez nuts]

I don't think I would be offended with Fook Yu and Fook Mi. Doesn't that movie poke fun at everyone? I mean look at the fro on Beyonce Knowles, from the commercials. But hey, if it offends some Asians, they should by all means voice it.

I only saw the first Austin Powers and I hated it, so I'm not an expert on the movie. Honestly, the movie comes across to me as cheesy white frat boy comedy. I don't think Mike Meyers is a funny comedian at all. So, it's pretty harmless to me. And he's not targetting Asians exclusively, like that ho-bag Sarah Silverman.

[achtungbaby]

[quote:f62f5fc712="Chasiubao_Boy"]I only saw the first Austin Powers and I hated it, so I'm not an expert on the movie. Honestly, the movie comes across to me as cheesy white frat boy comedy. I don't think Mike Meyers is a funny comedian at all.[/quote:f62f5fc712]

:(

I think Mike Myers' form of comedy might be an acquired one.

But I've always loved his movies, no matter how silly. He's a genius, come on! :D

[SunWuKong]

[quote:c7ace611a2="ChinaLama"]Well the Movie is AUSTIN POWERS...just like as in James Bond, you won't find someone in REAL LIFE named Pussy Galore in any language either.


Fook Yu or Fook Mi are not Japanese names, but they are plausibly Chinese names (poorly transliterated ones). I don't think this is related to Vincent Chin because there's no hostility and it's perfectly in line w/ AP's theme (plus if you wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, you can see it as a tongue-in-cheek play on white Americans' Asian fetishes.[/quote:c7ace611a2]

I only mentioned Vincent Chin because it's pretty obvious to anyone who knows anthing about East Asian cultures that those cannot plausibly be Japanese names. But all that mattered to the writer was that the twins are Asian and the names are supposed to be Asian sounding. Just the same that Vincent Chin was mistaken for Japanese. I was merely referring to the mentality that many non-Asian people have that "Chinese, Japanese, Korean, it's all the same". Is it too much to ask that they know there's a difference, just as there's a difference between, say, the English and the French? I guess it [i:c7ace611a2]is[/i:c7ace611a2] too much to ask...

But I suppose you're right. It's an Austin Powers movie and it should be given alot of leeway. Still, all in all, it's pretty obvious that the creators of the movie are alot more sensitive to offending the African American community and don't really care too much about what the Asian American community thinks. I guess I'll have to see the movie myself, but I'm willing to bet that the only Asian characters are stereotypical characters. While many black characters will be "cool" characters in the blacksploitation style.


[quote:c7ace611a2="ChinaLama"]
My pt is when she's slamming ignorance, it doesn't look very consistent for her to make her own stereotype (notice it wouldn't be a stereotype but would be true if she had just said "avi" or d/l off kazaa or whatever, but she SPECIFICALLY said VCD...which is a VERY Asian stereotype since no one thinks White ppl = VCD but always think FOB = VCD). It doesn't matter whether or not it's a "funny" stereotype, it's still hypocritical. And if she's gonna give me the whole I'm Asian I can laugh at myself bit, well it depends. Does an ABC, for example, really have a "right" to laugh at FOB stereotypes?[/quote:c7ace611a2]

Actually I know plenty of Asian people who burn and watch VCDs... I would say that it's more of a generalization than a stereotype, and there [i:c7ace611a2]is[/i:c7ace611a2] a difference.


[quote:c7ace611a2="ChinaLama"]
BTW when I refer to Mr or Ms. Self Righteous, I am simply referring to the author of the article. It is in no way a slam on the SWK cuz anyone who names himself after the Monkey King rocks IMO.[/quote:c7ace611a2]

hahhah ok cool. :)



[quote:c7ace611a2="Chasiubao_Boy"]I don't think I would be offended with Fook Yu and Fook Mi. Doesn't that movie poke fun at everyone? I mean look at the fro on Beyonce Knowles, from the commercials. But hey, if it offends some Asians, they should by all means voice it. [/quote:c7ace611a2]

There is a big difference between that afro and fook yu and fook mi

1) black people laugh at their own fros.
2) black people actually [i:c7ace611a2]did[/i:c7ace611a2] have fros that big in the 60s and 70s.
3) there is no doubt that getting beyonce knowles to sport a big fro will be received well by the african american community.

on the other hand, do you think they thought that it mattered too much what asian american people think about fook yu and fook mi?

[ChinaLama]

Hmm wonder if SWK actually wrote the article...

anyway, too late to worry about stepping on toes.

1) the VC comparison isn't too off-key, but at the same time, can APAs ever even consider the possibility that AP plays off the "Asian fetish" thing (all Asians are alike--> white men are obsessed w/ any Asian). BTW there is probably more sensitivity to the difference between Asian cultures rather than the difference between different African cultures, so that's one hole in the "But Blacks have it better than Asians" argument.

2) Stereotypes are a type of generalization; there is "some truth" to "most" stereotypes, just as your comment on VCDs holds SOME truth because a lot of Asians do it. Then again, a lot of white ppl probably burn VCDs too (otherwise why would Roxio offer it as an option on their premium product?), but that is rarely pointed out, CERTAINLy not by the author of the article. Yet the author specifically targeted her VCD comment to Asians, which is why I think that's crossed the line of "generalization" (a lot of college kids d/l stuff and burn them into VCDs) into the realm of stereotypes.


BTW why do APA "activists" get so hyped up over jokes and stereotypes and go bla bla bla about how jokes are racist but then MAKE THEM THEMSELVES? I mean it's one thing to know you're being a tongue-in-cheek racist, it's another to pass it off as just a "generalization." what, because the person doesn't have an Anglicized name and therefore speaks to the true spirit of her people? right.

3) the pts you made about Beyonce's fro seem to be things that could be turned around by hyper activists who will decry you for reinforcing stereotypes or accepting injustice. ESPECIALLY subpt 3--how would anyone know whether or not the black community would like seeing Beyonce in a fro? there may be some ppl who think it's horrible that a black woman is portrayed as a fro-sporting sex toy (which is what females are in AP and 007 movies--sex toys). saying blacks had fros that big is like saying "well there may be a Japanese who was named Fook Mi--maybe she lived in Japan but was of Fujian Chinese descent". Andone could also say that Asian people do laugh at our sex-enthralled women, too. There are plenty of hoochie and porn jokes to go around.

[achtungbaby]

So has anyone actually seen it yet? I saw it last night with my friend. I laughed my ass off...thought it was better than the second one, mostly because of Mike Meyers' portrayal of "Goldmember."

[thaite]

Yeah, I saw it. And I wasn't offended by the twins in some dramatic aghast manner, more like the roll-your-eyes manner that a dumb joke deserves. :roll:

[achtungbaby]

"Hullo...I am Goldmember...I love goooooooooooooooooooold! I am Dutch. Isn't that weird?"

[kasia]

i thoroughly enjoyed the first five minutes of the show. probably b/c all of the big stars were in it.

then i got slightly uncomfortable during the japanese twins scene--but only b/c mike meyers didn't seem to take the time to distinguish between japanese and chinese. i guess it's not a big deal--ethnic lumping. the girls were holding a magazine with chinese characters. fook yu and fook mi sound chinese and definitely not japanese. i guess these differences are insignificant to white people? or perhaps insignificant to insignifant white people...

what bothered me the most was the role of mini-me. i can only imagine how some midgets out there might feel. he was treated like a dog, beat up like an object--that stuff would never happen to a normal white male even in a comedy like austin powers. why doesn't this bother anyone?

[achtungbaby]

Originally posted by kasia@Aug 8 2002, 11:14 AM
what bothered me the most was the role of mini-me. i can only imagine how some midgets out there might feel. he was treated like a dog, beat up like an object--that stuff would never happen to a normal white male even in a comedy like austin powers. why doesn't this bother anyone?
You're right, someday Austin Powers will be to midgets what Breakfast at Tiffany's was to Asians.

I still laughed my ass off.

My friend, who saw the second Austin Powers, thought the Fat Bastard jokes were cruel to people who were overweight.

[kimpossible]

Maybe because I'm part caucasian I don't expect a lot from white folks in general when it comes to anything Asian. What I do expect is:

*for them to get my ethnicity wrong - even when I tell them
*for them to try to get me to validate their rice chaserness
*for them to tell me the history or culture of my 'people'

So, my answer would be the first one where it's insignificant to white people. I was beaten up at school for being a chink, I was beaten up at school for being a gook, but never a jap. You'd think someone at sometime could have got the their racism correct.

[wylin]

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Aug 8 2002, 08:25 PM
So, my answer would be the first one where it's insignificant to white people. I was beaten up at school for being a chink, I was beaten up at school for being a gook, but never a jap. You'd think someone at sometime could have got the their racism correct.
ouch? where does that happen where they persecute asians? im kinda er stuck in asian (er korean) land.

also i found fook mi and fook u to be a funny joke

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by Hello_Hapa@Aug 8 2002, 03:25 PM
*for them to try to get me to validate their rice chaserness

hahhah

[kimpossible]

:lol: I'm kind of a dinosaur and went to school with kids who had fathers who served during the Vietnam War. Plus I was bussed to Southie schools where I was the only remotely oriental looking student there. Ever read China Boy by Gus Lee? Beat up in the morning by black kids for being light skinned ; beat up in the afternoon by white kids for being Asian.

[DaBestSpoona]

this reminds me that episode of king of the hill when the laotian guy moves in.

them "so are you japanese or chinese?"

he said "I'm laotian from laos"

them "so are you chinese or japanese?"

him "I'm from laos you goddamn redneck"

[artsfartsyjanet]

Overall, I liked the movie, but when I immediately saw two of the twins come into view, I immediately knew this scene would have some sort of racial stereotype of Asian women in it. Although this film isn't meant to be taken seriously, not everything in a comedy can be considered comical. What WAS HILARIOUS is when the silhouette of Austen Powers dropped Mini-Mi between his legs as if a fetus fell from his a$$. That kind of humor doesn't feed on stereotypes, but the compliance of those Asian actors playing Japanese twins with romanized "Cantonese" names is a concoction of the white male imagination.



<!--EDIT|artsfartsyjanet|Aug 12 2002, 04:50 AM-->

[terramera]

I just saw Austin Powers and thought the whole Fook Yu/Fook Me scene was totally lame. And not even funny! Second unfunny scene was the whole Mr. Roboto bit. I could smell that joke from a mile away..

[DaBestSpoona]

I just saw those chicks, they're both japanese american and should be ashamed of themselves. I guess import models will take on any role

[boycott]

If whites weren't so fixated on Asian woman, the two twins wouldn't have been anything out of the ordinary since their predecessors were Allota Fagina and Ivana Humpalot. However, the names seemed to me very Korean and not Japanese at all, except maybe Fook Me if it was Fukumi. The Asian American actresses couldn't even get the Japanese accent down and was making fun of stereotypical asianness in movies. If it had been any other movie, I would have taken offense but how can you when Austin Powers makes fun of sexual and stupid jokes not to mention fat jokes. At least those AsianAm actresses got paid and will be getting more money on those collectable dolls made after their characters. Just hope that the next girl to help Austin is Asian American and hope that the new enemy won't be an Asian male character played by Meyers.

[achtungbaby]

Originally posted by boycott@Aug 21 2002, 11:46 AM
If it had been any other movie, I would have taken offense but how can you when Austin Powers makes fun of sexual and stupid jokes not to mention fat jokes. At least those AsianAm actresses got paid and will be getting more money on those collectable dolls made after their characters. Just hope that the next girl to help Austin is Asian American and hope that the new enemy won't be an Asian male character played by Meyers.
Werd.

[DaBestSpooner]

you would think that with their credentials, in media, that these two would have had more than enough common sense to take on such demeaning roles. figures they're both from socal

[wylin]

Fook mi and Fook yu

i think their flipino or sumthing heres an interview

fooki mi and fook yu (http://actionadventure.about.com/library/weekly/2002/aa072302c.htm)



<!--EDIT|wylin|Aug 21 2002, 11:08 AM-->

[angel nympho]

Well, can you really expect more from an Austin Powers movie? You gotta admit, a lot of that movie was really really funny, though.

[DaBestSpooner]

Originally posted by wylin@Aug 22 2002, 05:05 AM
Fook mi and Fook yu

i think their flipino or sumthing heres an interview

fooki mi and fook yu (http://actionadventure.about.com/library/weekly/2002/aa072302c.htm)
they got japanese last names and they still look japanese under all that americanized style

[SunWuKong]

i wouldn't have a problem with those two characters if there were actually more positive portrayals of asian people in popular media. sure, it is not mike myer's responsibility to promote a positive image of asian people, and i congratulate the two actresses on landing the roles, but people need to know that depicting asian women as sex objects is offensive to asian people.