Why is it okay for hollywood to make fun of Asian culture?
In this week’s episode of “How I Met Your Mother” (HIMYM), CBS apparently gave the go-ahead to an episode dedicated to yellowface racism. The episode centers around the ongoing slap bet trope that has stuck with the show for years. In concluding the trope, the episode pokes fun at styles popularized by Quentin Tarantino in the Kill Bill films, having the show’s characters appear in “Asian” dress while Marshall learned the “Slap of a Thousand-Million Exploding Suns”.
Racism has been plaguing film and television as long as Hollywood has been making movies. Over time, outrage and backlash to racist tropes has produced a growing series of apologies from the industry. In the recent controversy surrounding HIMYM, offended viewers took to Twitter to voice their frustrations with the show’s Asian depictions using #HowIMetYourRacism.
I used to watch @HowIMetMother but I now refuse to and hope they apologize for yellowface. #HowIMetYourRacism
— Suey Park (@suey_park) January 15, 2014
Really, #HIMYM?? You couldn’t even bring yourself to hire Asian actors for this? http://t.co/oUdTXneCe6 #HowIMetYourRacism @CBS — š?r?n ? š?f?? (@shereenTshafi) January 15, 2014
@CBS #Yellowface doesn’t get you better ratings, it just makes people want to boycott your network #HowIMetYourRacism — JH Seouljaboy Park (@SeouljaboyPark) January 15, 2014
I remember the very first episode of HIMYM where Middle Eastern women (lebanese to be exact)were deemed as sexual objects #HowIMetYourRacism
— Despereaux (@AidaaOz) January 15, 2014
Disturbing takeaway is that it’s somehow acceptable—safe, even—to do racist Asian jokes. It’s not edgy cable, it’s CBS. #HowIMetYourRacism
— Michael Suen (@poetichentai) January 15, 2014
#HowIMetYourRacism our race and cultures are not convenient costumes, punch lines and terrible story writing for @CBS‘s #HIMYM
— Felix Hythlodaeus (@felixhythlo) January 15, 2014
I used to watch @HowIMetMother but I now refuse to and hope they apologize for yellowface. #HowIMetYourRacism
— Suey Park (@suey_park) January 15, 2014
It’s Hollywood’s job to make money. Exploiting demographic preferences for revenue is nothing new. Unfortunately, the continued return of Asian American culture as a trope exposes that the companies behind the shows have no interest in trying to correct those stereotypes or oppose them. Instead, they’ll keep cashing in.
What do you think? Tired of racism on TV or in movies? Let us know on Twitter.
Joshua is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire. You can follow him on Twitter @Joshual33.
