Diversity and Representation in Media

I'm extremely late to the party, but did this thread discuss Grace Park and Daniel Dae Kim leaving Hawaii Five-0 due to wage disparity to their white co-stars?

This happened over a year ago but I haven't heard of it until just now, and that was coincidental. I hadn't heard a thing.

I think it was posted here but I can't recall.

It was indeed discussed here before.

Mmm. Must've missed it.

So, got to Bojack Horseman season 5 which means I saw the Vietnamese episode that this article commented on.

And as much as I agree with some of the points (a Vietnamese writer would be better for the character's voice, the music was more Chinese than Vietnamese, and for better or worse "Diane Nguyen will read as a white woman with the name and face of a Vietnamese one" is absolutely true), I can't say I agree with the crux of the article.

Basically, the writer wanted the episode to be something it wasn't. She wanted it to be her story, about how going to her home country is welcoming her back. But it wasn't. Instead it was someone going to a country she has genetic ties to but no actual connection to and expecting it to just welcome her. That it didn't and she felt unconnected to this land she only has a nominal tie to may not have been what she wanted but I don't think it's a bad choice, I really liked the send-up of "Ahhhhhh I will reconnect to my roots and that will fix everything."

She wanted her family represented there and was disappointed that they were a one-note joke about Bostoners subverting the expectation that they're Asian. Also, the complaint about her parents being to assimilated his ridiculous. So many first generation immigrants try exceedingly hard to assimilate. Especially in the Northeast, which is hilariously predominantly white.

I really agree with a lot of the finer points (I'm not Vietnamese but I'm associated with the Vietnamese community and if there was a Vietnamese writer, I can tell things would've been different) but I feel as though the article's criticisms with the episode stem from the episode not being what the writer wanted as a story. Like, the whole thing with Diane is that she's a somewhat empty person and doesn't know what the right thing is to fill that hole. Her instantly connecting to Vietnam would be entirely counter to the character and her arc.

Edited by Larkmarn on Oct 2nd 2018 at 10:28:20 AM

I don't watch Bojack so I can't comment on that.

Yeah, that's a good point. I mean, like you said, the point of that episode was Diane attempting to "connect with her roots" and hoping that will fill the hole inside her and her grief at her broken marriage with Mr. Peanutbutter. But it didn't, and of course it didn't. And, I dunno, I'm not Vietnamese myself but Diane's loneliness even in a country of people who look like her reminded me a lot of me whenever I visit India, even if I'm with my relatives. It's all the fun of being a first/second/third-gen American. You're too (Indian in my case/Vietnamese in Diane's cast) for America, too American for (India/Vietnam).

Haw haw ! You're eternally caught between two worlds!

... But seriously, I totally get what you mean.

Catherine Hardwicke reminisces on the directing of Twilight, and she was extremely candid about it and her following barriers as a woman director.

I mean, making Alice Japanese would sorta play into the whole hyper Asian girl stereotype, but points for her wanting to at least… Try to improve representation?

That's weird, I remember the thought at the time being "Twilight is going to be responsible for drowning any little kid trapped in the theater the day it comes out". I don't remember anyone thinking it was going to flop, suck yes, but not flop. It was the Justin Biebers of books, anyone got a different memory? It has been over ten years and I might be remembering wrong.

On the race thing I just feel stone faced. On the one hand I hate race changing characters. On the other hand I feel weird that Myer apparently didn't have a diverse vampire cast, even though Rice did. But then again Rice did have that whole "Vampirism makes you several shades lighter" thing and "Vampirism makes you more attractive" thing that probably wasn't meant to read into like that, but it does have some implications for non-white vampires.

But also I feel weird that they casted someone black because apparently "olive" wasn't colored enough for them.

Edit:Also the whole "wrote over an actual native group" thing. Forgot about that.

Edited by TheDeadMansLife on Oct 3rd 2018 at 7:20:00 AM

Meyer also said she purposely avoided all other vampire media so as to not be influenced by them.

I think that Meyer made a lot of parents want their kids to avoid all vampire media so as to not be influenced by them, too.

Just a reminder that Jasper was a Confederate soldier which might have been even more awkward if it wasn't commented on in the story with a diverse cast. And it does not speak well that the only character Meyer was okay with race lifting was Laurent who ends up dead.

and The depiction of vampires is and always has been the least of Twilight's issues.

Edited by windleopard on Oct 4th 2018 at 2:52:32 AM

Yeah, personally I didn't give a shit about how "overpowered" they supposedly were compared to vampires in other series (I've read fucking Hellsing!) or about that glittery crap (As if Anne Rice's vampires weren't as narmy in their own way). It was everything else about the series that made it problematic for me.

I didn't help that pretty much every other character/group felt more interesting and/or had better backstories than the leads. The rest of the Cullen family, the werewolf tribe, the Volturi, etc. It's like, why did Meyer have to pick the three most boring characters to focus the story around?

Heck even a series about Police officer mustache dad probably would have been more fun.

Man, imagine the sole media representation of your ethnic group making it out to be "the werewolf tribe".

They couldn't even get the mythology right,more accurately it would be 'Skin-Walker' or Wendigo but alas small reference pools

I can't imagine anything worse then being treated as the antagonists solely because of their background

Edited by Ultimatum on Oct 4th 2018 at 11:03:58 AM

Stephanie Meyer has some, questionable interpretations of such matters. Oh and relationships as well.

Punishe: that is becayse meyer didnt devolpt, the more focus she give to something, the awfull it is.

I remenber one reviewer put it, Jacob was kind of Ok at first and he have great bonding with her, the moment meyer considering a candidate to be bella boyfriend, he become an asshole like edward.

Paul Feig has started a production project for aiding woman directors called “Powderkeg”.

That's an odd name.

What, is it supposed to signify how this will blow up Hollywood's old boys' network?

If that’s the case, I will retract my statement.

Edited by windleopard on Oct 6th 2018 at 11:04:46 AM

Powderkeg carries a very heavy negative connotation in english. Nitro, Firecracker, Dynamite, etc, all have postiive connotations. Powderkeg is synonymous with “voltaile” “unstable” and “dangerous to all involved”. It’s a really dumb name.

Reminds me of Guy Fawkes to be honest....