The Desexualization of Asian Men in Hollywood | Video Essay
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- Опубликовано: 16 мар 2023
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Accented Cinema - Episode 106
Steven Yeun is my fav. There, I said it.
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Just because I'm Asian doesn't mean I'm a nerd.
Well... I'm a nerd.
But that's not because I'm Asian.
It's because I'm a film student.
🏆
I really want to thank you for these videos. They have been incredibly fun and informative about Asian cinema both in the US and in different parts of Asia. Youre doing a great job!
And uh, I definitely looked at all kinds of Asian men with sexual intent, ever since I was a little girl crushing on Bruce Lee!
Is it called geek if you are obsessed by a non educational topic and nerd if you are extreme with educational topics. I never got this right.
Bro you gonna talk about sexy asian men and not mention hiroyuki sanada? Pretty sure hes my gay hall pass.
@@webinatic216 Yeah, pretty much. Being a nerd could be to be obsessed with History, Art Theory or Quantum Physics. On the other hand, being a geek could mean to be obsessed by comic books and Star Trek. I would say historically there was an overlap between both terms, but then geek culture became mainstream. That's the point in which they started to separate a bit.
As a black man who has no problem admitting that we benefited romantically from the popularity of hip hop and R&B, I'm glad the popularity of k pop has the Asian brothers getting some love these days yall deserve it😌
Blacksploitation movies sexualized black men a lot.
Thank You so much by the way Kpop is influenced a lot by Hip Hop :)
Yeah but those only apply to east asian brothers.
I remember Asian men don’t care about women needs that’s it
And as a fellow black man I'll have to disagree with the first part of your comment. Through media (visual and audio media) we are much more fetishzed, which may lead to more sex and/or partners but those people do not see you as you are, they only see you as their sexual idea of a black man and God help you if you do not fit the image of the black man they fetishzed so I wouldn't call that benefiting romantically, their's nothing romantic about it, it's dehumanizing. And that's my hope for Asian men now with anime/kpop/Asian culture becoming more accepted, that an image of Asian men doesn't get fetishzed like us but they are accepted as who they are. Stay blessed my brother
"None of my Asian friends think Simu Liu is hot"
Well totally yes, we watched it for Tony Leung, our beloved star.
I think a lot of people watched it for Simu, esp those not familiar with Hong Kong Cinema.
Simu is not attractive to me, although he is builted.
And thats bad, he act and can play a character not their for his sprog on screen
SL is hot; his friends don't think he's hot probably because they prefer guys from other races. I know quite a few Asian girls who are very open about the fact they prefer men from other races.
@@thecrimsondragon9744
Yes, those Asian girls do exist.
But there are many more Chinese/Asian Women, whom prefer men with our own ethnicity.
@@thecrimsondragon9744 Or maybe some of us just don't find simu that attractive. Not gonna lie, him and awkwafina are the main reason I did NOT like Shang Chi at all. They have no charisma at all, I would have rather preferred Brenda Song in place of Awkwafina, shes a better actress by far, and instead of Simu, Ludi Lin would have been amazing. And yesss, I agree with the original comment, Tony Leung was really the only good thing about that movie.
It may sound trivial or obvious, but thank you for including South Asian/brown men in this, I'm Sri Lankan-Canadian, and the amount of times I refer to myself as "Asian" and get weird looks from people is pretty ridiculous, as if they think Asia is just China, Japan and Korea...
People from America and Canada tend to make this mistake the most. The rest of the world rightfully classifies you as Asian.
@@LisaF777 at this point, south Asians are just tired of pretending to be Asians. No one thinks we are Asians. Some people think we're Europeans, Middle Eastern, African etc. Everything else but asia
@@LisaF777 in Australia our usage of Asian is more in line with the North American rather than British meaning, which is strange since we have the most ties to Britain who use Asian to refer to South Asians.
EXACTLYYYY. I remember this girl in my class who said that the Middle East isnt part of Asia and i swear every eye was on her that time
Wait aren't you all Chinese 🤣🤓?
What Accented Cinema and al taught me over the years: desexualisation is bad, hypersexualisation is bad, sexualization is bad, but sexuality is natural; sexuality is bad when I shame people into extremes (desexualisation/hypersexualisation) or when I force them (sexualization). Sexuality is good when we choose how to feel safe in it, when we choose how we react to it.
i.e. I shame is bad, we listen is good. ❤
being tasteful is a skill in discretion, not a train wreck in wordchain logic
@@thedoubtfuls thank you for replying. I don't understand, can you explain the term trainwreck in a wordchain logic? Not sure, problematic logic led by a chain of words, maybe? I don't know, hope you can help.
What a great way to put it
A small correction.
Sexualization is great, since it makes people more attracted to the types sexualized, it helps to make people happy. But, of course, the condition is that the sexualization is not the case where people are nothing else but a sexy doll on screen. In addition to the sexiness, they have to be actual characters with depth.
@@StrangerHappened thank you for bringing this up. We might have a slight miscommunication issue: when I used sexuality and sexualization, I understand them to mean sexuality is innate and natural, internal, it is shared; while sexualization is external, forced or casted upon someone else, it is egoist, it takes. Like, "We are sexual while I sexualise." Why? I don't know, it sounds logical, but thank you for listening. We can only do our best to make sure we understand each other.
RRR video Yang: "I don't even have friends! Period!"
This video Yang: "None of my Asian friends think Simu Liu is attractive"
this is character development.
And he made the distinction bc he gained more friends than just Asian ones! 飲杯 Mr Worldwide!!
"None of my Asian friends think Simu Liu is attractive" line rings so true.
Saw Shang Chi with my dad, who grew up watching Hong Kong flicks. Around the 1 hour mark, he stood up and said" ok. this is kinda bullshit. How the fuck could they cast an ugly bastard to play the son of Tony Leung?"
@@geekTroperaku Really? He's kind of unconventionally attractive.
@@lead6186 Not generally in our Asian eyes, but sure they might be a few who like him.
@@geekTroperaku Yeah only went to see Shang-Chi because of Tony Lueng. Although I do think Simu is attractive
Jason Mendoza in The Good Place was a really cathartic character for me because it was the first time I got to see an Asian man get to be hot and dumb. Asian men are so often put in the scientist/nerd role that there's a lot of unconscious pressure to live up to the stereotypical intelligence. Watching a character completely defy the stereotype somehow felt like it took the pressure off.
I'd like to argue that Jason Mendoza is absolute trash. Every character in that show had some form of personality redemption. His character is portrayed to be excessively child-like dumb from beginning to end, to the point they can fit a down syndrome character and it'll still work. There were no progression aside from verbal statement of "changing ways". To avoid spoilers the story would have Jason stay where he was, while Michael continues to his ascension and it would still make sense.
Sure he is a change of pace from nerdy/unlikable intellectual from the mainstream media. But he is a net overall negative for Asian male representation.
Thats another very interesting thing to talk about: the genius Asian stereotype.
Not just intelligence either, its also about demeanor. Chinese and Japanese characters are often depicted as strict, focused, disciplined killjoys with no sense of humor.
Its not as common nowadays but boy when its there, its really annoying.
LOL really? Where I’m from, there are plenty of them running around
@@Marg_Bar_Amrikkka they’re common irl but The Good Place and Crazy Ex Girlfriend was really the first time this kind of character was portrayed on tv. Rachel Bloom specifically made Josh Chan Asian as she wanted to portray the types of dudes she grew up with who were never portrayed, even in shows set in LA.
Now you're free to be dumb lol
Every Black girl that I knew growing up had a crush on Paolo Montalban from the 1997 Cinderella movie…even my asexual ass wanted to be Brandy.
I was waiting for someone to remember him. I loved me some Paolo and he still looks good. I don't know why that Cinderella doesn't get more love.
@@dahliaherrod4301 yeah I remember that. The king is white, the queen is black (Whoopi Goldberg iirc) and the prince is Asian. That kinda stuck with me, hehe.
My 5 yr old self thought he was an actual prince, I wanted him and Brandi to be a king and queen for real
He's Filipino a southeast Asian. It's a good example since most people when they hear Asian they only think of east Asian
@@ryokohonda4619 yeah. This video at least included South Asians so hopefully SEA eventually get recognized as Asians too.
the socially awkward stereotypecasting reminds me of that one prozd skit of like audition sides i get sent for my voice vs my face
Lmaoo yeah 😂
Him with his deep ass voice, then they casted him as a computer nerd
I love that you included Waymond in this! While I love Josh in Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Jason in The Good Place etc, for a while it felt like we went from "Asian men aren't sexy" to "Asian men can be sexy... because some of them are jacked". And I mean... that's not wrong, it's just not the whole picture! As you pointed out, things get way more interesting when we complicate the idea of what's sexy/hot/attractive for any race. Waymond IS sexy, and not just the Wong Kar Wai version of him. Hypermasculinity isn't the only thing people find hot, you know?
And in general, I think we should just "desexualise" relationship and life at all.
It's not like sex is bad, hot guys/girls are bad. It's like, there are more to it. You choose to live with another person for so many reasons. Them being hot is just a small part of it.
And yeah, being muscular is just a really one of the attractiveness. Or even, is attractiveness overrated? Most likely, people just like to be with another person, because their personality / lifestyle / mindset are well fitted for each other.
Even the name "Waymond" is playing on the "can't pronounce R's" stereotype, they just can't help it. I am sure the original script must have had a gay son.
@@jayb2705 Honestly, I didn't even think about it😂
I can pronounce R but if I don't pay attention, I can't tell if people pronounced it with W. But L is very different when i hear it
The only asian male western actor i know of that fits the Asian beauty standard is Manny Jacinto
How can you be sexualized when the average asian pp is like 4 inches or below lmaoooooo.
An amusing irony is that Kintaro (Sessue) Hayakawa, was the first sex symbol of American media. Not the first Asian male, but the first one. Hayakawa even predates Rudolph Valentino after refusing an offer for The Shiek. I think it's terribly funny his name is seldom mentioned in discussions. Almost as if there's a collective embarrassment because an Asian (ESEA) was the first male symbol for women.
Hollywood made a mistake of putting an Asian man in position of soft power as Asia is a geopolitical threat to the West. That’s why they’d never bring him up or platform any Asian brothers like him except for subservient model minority/comprador like Quan Ke Huy.
@@Marg_Bar_Amrikkka They definitely know about this guy. If one of them told me otherwise, sorry, but I don't believe them.
I looked him up - the dude was hot!
There's no embarrassment. Where do y'all make up this shit from?
@@skeletorlikespotatoes7846 The last sentence's a speculation. I didn't say there actually was such a thing. This is based on documentations and something called inferences.
it's sad to say this, but, as a half asian woman, the first time i found asian men attractive was when i got into kpop, that was LITERALLY the first time i saw asian guys being presented as hot
sadly because we grew up with the cute boy on movies, bands, magazines, music videos, advertising, always being blonde and having blue eyes, i honestly didn't even consider finding asian guys attractive
also, it's interesting how people who aren't asians or are not into any type of asian media still can't find asian men attractive, most of my white friends still can't point out a hot asian guy even in 2023 💀
interestingly, the one friend of mine i took with me to watch a kpop movie told me that after watching it she started to notice the cute asian guys around her, it's actually crazy how big of a difference the media representation makes on our perception
This need to be talked about more
well it's no accident really; think of the power of the movie "THE BIRTH OF A NATION"; it literally affected amerikkkan society in the WORST way possible. movies & TV colonize our subconscious irrevocably for good or ill.
@@babagalacticus There's a reason it's said that Hollywood is the greatest propaganda machine in history
Welcome to reality, the media is a brainwashing machine.
I get what you mean. I'm from Sweden's countryside and we pretty much only had American movies and there weren't any Asian guys to meet in real life either. The first and only Asian guy I found cute as a teenager was the dude from Tokyo drift (not even particular attractive guy, but I thought he was super cool and sexy just standing around the car and eating chips until he died)... But at that time they didn't look that sexy in Asian media either, like Jpop was weird style and the way guys looked in Boys over flower was hilarious... Still don't know who thought those hairstyles looked good... Second Asian guy I ever found attractive (that I can remember) was TOP in the blue hair mv pffft... Idk why... But now there's definitely a lot more hot Asian men around thanks to kpop going global.
Kamal Nanjiani(sorry if I mess up the Surname) from Eternals is the best example for this topic in a non-adult context.
That guy was stereotyped as Bollywood actor/dancer but he wasn't given the chance to go shirtless despite all male actors getting that chance whether they wanted or not.
The MCU directors despite knowing he worked his a** off for the role and got jacked didn't get the chance & that is a pretty great disservice if u ask me , let the guy have his time 😅
One of the lines from the video script is "I'm still pissed that they didn't let Nanjiani go topless".
It doesn't even make sense! Bollywood stars spend like half the movie topless!
@@AccentedCinema hahaha so true man , so true.
That man spent time working out , atleast give him a scene to show the fruits of his efforts 😔
And he was the hottest actor and the best character of that bland ass movie :(
@@AccentedCinema the new Shah Rukh Khan's film... He was so jacked and shirtless a lot, i feel like im watching AV.
I don't like that movie the director suck 😠
I remember when "To All The Boys" came out, it was praised for its Asian representation. Was never to interested in it, but decided to finally give it a watch last week. One of the criticisms was the lack of an Asian male love interest, or even an Asian male character. The most infamous scene in the movie was the reference to Long Duk Dong, a racist caricature of Asian men. A White man recognizes the racisms, and a Half-Asian woman calls out the racism, but the racism is ignored because there's a cute White guy (Jake Ryan). For a movie that was "praised" for its Asian representation, Asian men were emasculated and desexualized.
Exactly why I never watched it. 🙂
jumping from one white guy to the next
Yeah I agree I hate it also just like the eternal Marvel movie.
Long Duk Dong was even criticized at the time since even his name is humiliating and mocking. I've always found it kind of weird how Hollywood is hostile towards racist depictions of African Americans/black people but are weirdly OK with the same stereotypes regarding Asian people. The "repressed Asian nerd" stereotype goes back to the 60s and 70s so it's a 50+ year old trope in cinema.
It wasn't actually Asian representation, and the praise that came for it were often women in a similar aspiration or mindset.
If I'm not mistaken, I actually believe it was Jet Li who requested no intimate scenes or kissing with any onscreen partners when he made "Romeo Must Die" and any subsequent US projects , he said due to his commitment to his wife Nina Li. And to be fair, you'd rarely find Jet Li involved in any intimate/kissing scenes throughout his filmography, save for maybe a brief peck on the lips or cheek at best.
Great video as usual BTW. 👍
Plus, even in the context of that movie, he and Aaliyah's characters were just friends. They're not just going to be kissing each other at random.
Wow, loyalty in relationships is gold
Jet Li said they filmed two endings, one with a kiss and one without. The kiss ending didn't go over well with the test audience (gee I wonder why). Also he said the studio opted to leave the ending up to the viewer's imagination. Either way, I'm still mad about that. How do you base a film on something like Romeo and Juliet without the romantic part (despite it not being a romance)?
I think he was trying to prove even if there is no kiss scen doesn't mean they're not a couple
Lots of actors/actresses turn down roles or make non-romantic demands. Well noticed amongst this wall of various victim complexes. The reality is until recent decades the US from the 1800's until a few decades ago was mostly European and Black. Those two groups still make up around 75% of the population. I don't see Africans or Europeans who live in Asia complaining about what the local film studios produce. But maybe over many decades they can start their own trends and not demand others cater to them
to be fair Sessue Hayakawa was a leading man and not even the typecasting as a villain took away from that. The guy was a literal Hollywood hearthrob for american women in a time of insane racial discrimination. He was actually one of the first male sex symbols of Hollywood.
You are absolutely correct. He had a very successful career in Hollywood as a leading man. His Hollywood films were also shown in Europe. Women thrilled and swooned over him on both those continents. I wonder if his films were shown in Asia at that time ?
Same as James Shigeta.
@@adriftingboat Ircc his films weren't well-received in Japan due to his works perpetuated Asian stereotypes at the time
Lies again? Vivid Entertainment
I remember this this saying in the early 2000s: "Asians can kick ass, but they can't get ass." That stereotype still lingers.
This is an insightful essay. Asian men tend to be stereotyped in the media as well, and that can be harmful.
It's not just a media thing; Asian men tend to get much fewer swipes in North American dating apps.
@@stuntmonkey00 which is due to the stereotypes and horrible portrayal of Asian men.
Tend to be? It's 100% deliberate.
How is it harmful? Can you cite any scientific studies to show the harm? And do you think if that's harmful what would you say to how minorities are depicted in Chinese cinema? Or Indian cinema? Or Pakistani cinema?
@@peterc.1419 this argument again? Don't forget whites aren't native to America. So watch what you say. Are you saying you're more American than asian Americans?
This video hits home to me on a personal level. I remember being in high-school when a few of the more popular attractive girls would flirt with me. However, I had it in my head, in large part due to the themes of this video, that women didn't consider South Asian men attractive. Therefore, I never responded to their obvious passes. Years later, I would verify through conversation with those girls that they were indeed interested at the time. Still it took me decades to realize my appeal to the opposite sex, and by then I was only a few years away from becoming an old man. Lol. To any kids out there watching this video, don't doubt yourself like I did. You don't want to regret it years later.
There is no such thing as a “South Asian”. You’re just Indian. Have some self respect and call yourself what you actually are
White men hate when brown, asian or black men date their women.
I'm glad Asian men are being recognized as people as a whole and their bachelor status is just an example of that (outside fetishization). Despite it, I also think unrealistic and american-centric standards make "desirable" Asian men a rarity that just seems saturated because of the west's current fascination with East Asian pop culture. Popular Asian men in film and Kpop still fit Eurocentric beauty standards, have unachievable body types, and present a level of romanticized masculinity.
It's why characters like Waymond from Everything Everywhere All At Once isn't only good Asian male representation but a role model! He isn't a young stud, he's not ripped, and he isn't particularly masculine but he's a character we love because he's emotional and kind. Rather than just praising Asian men for accomplishing America's ideal image of a man, we should strive for Asian men to still be admired and loved outside their ability to be sexy or masculine. And that would also mean deconstructing male desirability in its entirety. Also because I don't know where else to bring it up but this rise of Asian popularity hasn't included south and middle Asians. Asia is a diaspora of races that we put under a single umbrella term but brown skin still doesn't get enough representation.
jesus christ. theres a reason why those standards are a thing, its because its find by many to be attractive. ofc beauty is subjective but there is such a thing as conventional good looks. idk why you all want to make everyone considered to be hot so bad. thats not realistic. eurocentric standards are popular because it is perceived by many to be beautiful. its that simple. theres nothing wrong with that.
It's not that deep. Just let asian men have their sexual moments. Let women fantasize about asian men. Not everything has to be a thesis. I bet most asian men would like to feel like they're sexual beings instead of being seen as asexual nerds.
@@troigcyusa ok but what about the Asian men who are nerdy or aren't beef cakes? It's not race being sexualized, it's masculinity. Even if recognizing Asian men's sex appeal is a step in the right direction, we should still look beyond that.
@@sapphic.flower what about them? Asian men literally have the label of being nerds. That's how literally everyone and the media sees asian men. You want more of that or what?
@@sapphic.flower holy hell as an Asian man let us have our partial victories ffs
As a kid, I grew up watching Power Rangers, an Americanization of a Japanese show. I was kind of bummed, but not too much, that most of the asian dudes in the team always get Blue, Black, Green, etc., but never Red and leading. Heck, the Samurai Rangers, who were Rangers of Oriental Japan, had a white dude as Red Ranger. They could have started it right there, it was the perfect setup! But I always tell myself that in a team, race doesn't matter, it's the teamwork and quality of leadership the Red Ranger has that's important. So I gotta admit, it would be cool if an asian guy takes the lead as red, it would be in line with this video's theme, but if they don't, then it's fine.
Also, that question in the intro was sus.
True! I haven't been keeping up with Power Rangers but when I saw it, the Red Ranger was always a white guy. Definitely feels like a bias even if not intentionally or outwardly racist. They need to challenge what they're messaging when they only make white men the leader/protagonist if that's still the case.
@@sapphic.flower There was 1 Black red ranger for a brief moment, TJ, before he got demoted back to blue for in space.
Tbh if they did that, white fans would actually be in an uproar. The excuses I've heard is "they can't see themselves" in that character. Which is funny cuz imagine all the non white people who've had to make those connections this whole time.
@@Drownedinblood there’s another black red ranger Jack fro power rangers SPD who remained red ranger until the very end where he steps down as a power ranger to do his own thing
Race doesn’t matter, but it did for the showrunners; only having white leads was a very deliberate choice, and should accordingly be met with disdain.
It's always interesting as a minority myself to compare and contrast stereotypes of different minorities and how they are both similar and opposites to each other. I agree that's the presentation of Asian men as being awkward unattractive men that cannot talk to girls as a stereotype needs to end. What's really fascinating is that I myself am an African-American male who is very much a geek and loves computers and programming video games and comic books and my people have the reverse stereotype in which we are only played as unintelligent thugs with soles in yet no brains and the only intellectual black men are elderly black men that passed to do with some sort of either magical negroism or something to do about their race instead of some particular skill that they have.
You will be interested to know that this hypersexualization/desexualization is a pattern that plays out across American cinema in general with the hyper or de- sexualization happening to men and women of color based on what white creators found desriable. Women of every other culture and race are hypersexualized except for Black women who were treated in both ways! Men of every other race and culture got desexualized except for black men (who got hypersexualized as a way to demean them as predators and brutes.) The purpose and side effect of the pattern was to make white men the most desirable subjects on screen at any given time. (Im currently working on an article about this very thing) and there are probably some more scholalry works that examine this too.
@@lkeke35 Sometimes the hypersexualization/desexualization even twists together in really fucked up ways. like sexualizing children of color, or fetishizing certain groups of women of color FOR a supposed "youthful appearance/demeanor"
I wish we could move past some stereotypes since many of them are outdated and racist. I'm whiter than Wonder Bread but my family and friends are mostly Thai so I see first hand some of the stereotypes, like:
1. Thailand is full of trans/ladyboys, prostitutes, and mail order brides. It's so common in cinema that many people think the whole country is like a seedy Las Vegas alleyway. These stereotypes are extended to most of Southeast Asia with the "me love you long time" line still being used.
2. Asians have small wangs. Makes little sense and it's hurtful at best, overtly racist at worst.
3. There's a ton of weird Asian tropes still being used like the Asian bowl cut hairstyle, big goofy teeth, nerdy glasses, and awkward nerdy clothes which were all stereotypes going back decades, movies like 16 Candles was condemned nearly 40 years ago for these stereotypes but we still see them today in media.
4. White people, especially Americans, have no culture and just ape other cultures.
5. Americans are all loud mouthed idiots. Makes little sense and a common complaint I hear from Americans visiting other countries is "we went to (foreign big city name) and everyone was shouting and honking their horns and couldnt even hear myself think". The idiot part also makes little sense and stems mainly from the fact people get many impressions of other countries based off media and tourists, tourists of course know little of the foreign culture they're visiting so any tourist from any country is bound to know little of the local culture but the point of a foreign vacation is to learn about that country. Media, even American media, loves to portray Americans as stupid even though the US is technologically advanced, has some of the best schools in the world, and scores high on international tests.
Same here man with being latino. I have a degree in chemical engineering, I can program in 3 languages, I am earning my masters in mechanical engineering and it took me like 5 years after graduating to get a real engineering job with colleagues and a manager who actually know that I am capable instead of assuming that I am only good enough for manual labor.
Having people believe that we are thugs or that we are dangerous is so hurtful and painful for our mental health it is unreal.
Also same with elderly Latinos as being like the only smart people lmao according to others. “Elderly Latina maid gives wisdom to white employer” it’s so overdone and annoying.
Anyways I write this because I completely understand how you feel man, racism is so stupid and people believe this stuff without evidence and it is mind blowing. So much segregation in this country that is still happening that perpetuates this.
Anyways, I appreciate you writing what you wrote. It is good for all of us to see how others are perceived and their opinion on it.
Americans created a country where even minorities have a voice. Ask the minorities in India or China or other Asian countries if they have a voice. If you want to be critical of America, you should be MORE critical of India, China, etc.
I love LOVE that Asian Himbos are hitting the English speaking scene, Partially because all of Asia plays Himbo differently, and seeing Asian men play the white version of Himbo is just... Like a limited edition bag of crisps, you're going to eat them, but you're still ride or die for your favourite flavour of Lays Himbo
Lays Himbo 😂💀
Sessue Hayakawa (the guy in "The Cheat") WAS cast for sex appeal back in the nineteen teens. If Hollywood had been more color-blind (or let's face it, if America had been) there is a feeling among old movie fans he may have had Denzel Washington's career 70 years early. He played villains and heroes (and directed several Asian-themed films on his own). Before decamping for Europe for a while (spent WWII in France). He had a bit of a career revival postwar, he played Saito in Bridge on the River Kwai (Academy Award Nomination).
I heard that white American women were really starting to find him attractive which disturbed the white male execs in Hollywood. They essentially freezed him out for "stealing their women".
I like Denzel cause only a hand full of his roles needed to be played by a black actor. And he rocked every role he played
If this was a TV essay channel, the title would have been "Why did Ensign Kim not get promoted in all 7 years of Star Trek Voyager?"
Oh my god don't get me started.
Harry Kim did get some booty, they just wrote him has an idiot who always wanted someone he couldn't have. I'm sure it's one of Rick Berman's life missions to never be in a room with Garret Wang and a window.
Well they also have Neelix… so Ensign Kim is not that bad
@Phunk Neelix had 2 long term relationships, Harry is way worst than Neelix!
@@kristinab3838 There are so many people who would love to defenestrate Rick Berman. He has a highly punchable face.
As an 80's kid with the curse of Long Duk Dong, I remember viewing "Big Trouble in Little China" and appreciating that the hero was a smart Asian guy who kicked butt and got the girl in the end, even though he was portrayed as a sidekick.
Yeah, I love that movie, except to pilot what was essentially an all Asian cast, they had to have a white male and female lead lol.
@@Zero8880 I guess it was a different time back then. I applaud Kurt Russell for playing the buffoon and allowing the others to shine. It's a shame that Dennis Dun did not get more roles after this. But its great to see James Hong be recognized now for the legend that he is.
@@awesomesauce8083 I'm not knocking the film at all. I loved Kurt Russell in the film, and if that is what it took for Hollywood to make a film like that, then it is better than nothing. Sadly, it did poorly in the box office, which probably made Hollywood even less receptive to an all Asian cast for a while, but it gained a die hard cult following.
@@Zero8880 I agree with you. I am glad that all these years that people still enjoy this movie. Cheers.
@@awesomesauce8083 James Hong in everything during the late 70s to now
Takeshi Kaneshiro is offensively handsome. Nobody should be allowed to have a face that beautiful.
Fr
😩😩😩😩 came here to say that
Yes i love him ❤
Damn he is sexy
The most handsome human being ever
For real, as an Asian, disabled person, I feel so desexualized from both. I'm not East Asian or pale. Being a whopping 5'4" doesn't help either. Like, if people find as sexy in Asians is either the "nerdiness/smartness" or "buff as hell", I'm like, not following both, cause my disability prevents me from reaching either my "academic potential" or "physical potential". So it's nice to bring up the desexualization problem to the public. You know? Thank you for this video! And I'll watch the movie you recommended for sure! :D
Sonatra? Are you from Philippines?
Gosh this is SO relevant. Yesterday BTS' V released his covers for Elle, where he looks sexy as all fk, and WAY too many people were jumping in with "oh he's attractive ha doesn't look Korean" or "he must be mixed". Like sexyness and Asiannes are mutually exclusive.
Taehyung does not look mix as they claimed. It's the White supremacist idea of genetic inferiority. In this case, the idea of Asian male decreasing "sexual or physical prowess". Ugh
What's confusing to me as a white person (and not in the kpop fandom) is how often being "mixed" in manhua and manga is a sign of being hot. Like, the Korean and Japanese authors who live in these respective countries find European features more attractive? I'm guessing it's a form of exoticizing the "other," which a lot of people do regardless of race. I'm just wondering if the people you're quoting are Korean fans or from the "west," because that would change the context of these comments. It's problematic either way.
Even the very people who are the same ethnicity as V think he’s hot becuz he looks ‘white’. Asians need to wake the fuck up from their delusions and white worship.
It's definitely the exotic factor, plus mixed tend to get all the Asian characters Asian love, but mixed with white characters Asian likes.
Tbh, part of the attraction is that they look "rich". I rarely ever seen mixed western-asian characters portrayed as poor. They are always rich because all the dollars amd euro.
Also, western above could be changed into Arabs (arab mix are crazy popular in some country like Indonesia and Malaysia)
oh i agree with you but also that photoshoot had Taehyung wearing an american flag hoodie and looking similar to a southern cowboy in some shots (i say that as a texan) so while I agree it's weird to be like "he doesn't look korean" I think some people were just referencing the content of the photoshoot.
Japanese kids in the 80s loved Shorty and Data not only because he played a great character but it was the first time we saw someone like us in a Hollywood film. We need lovable Asian kids on film too.
Shorty? You mean Short Round?
I made a comment a year or two ago when Doja Cat's Kiss Me More video came out how cool it was for her to put an Asian man as the 'love interest' in the video, because that isn't often seen. It's great to see everyone getting some more love these days.
Along with K-pop, K- and C-dramas have also had some influence over here. I'm a middle-aged white lady who is a huge Cdrama fan, and all my favourite celebrities are Chinese actors. Xiao Zhan went to Milan and Paris for fashion weeks there recently, and the Western media was kind of blown away by how fans would chase him around in Italy and France, because he has global appeal now.
But would you consider dating an asian man? That's the real question. Celebrities don't have such issues.
@@ghhhggrtes-rx1gx Of course I would!
@@ghhhggrtes-rx1gx I live in Vancouver, and there are so many gorgeous Asian men here! It's more a question of my own dating abilities/appeal, if anything!
It seems like you have a fertilization problem
@@epicwoad8999 I have no idea what this means
As a half asian guy (having Korean dad and Paraguayan mom) I always never forget to mention to women I date or to women I like talking to that I'm half Latino, because I noticed they find it more attractive or mysterious when I mention it - I get more questions and more attention when I say I'm half Asian, but if ever I don't mention being half asian I barely get any attention nor any type of curiosity from women I talk to. The Western perspective for Full Asian men is really full of inaccurate stereotypes, I was very insecured of being half Asian but right now seeing Asian men slowly being represented in the media in a better way has really changed the perspective of Western woman towards Asian men, and now I'm not feeling insecured of being half asian as much as I was before.
I guess it’s worth adding a comment on the power of the asian BL industry. It has many problems and can be quite cruel, but just like Kpop culture, it created an audience obsessed with cute and hot asian men. Some are jacked, some are thin, some have fair skin, some darker skin, but the public (consisting in its majority of straight women) is there for the story they have to tell and the romance between the characters.
I would really like to know your insights on BL, there is a lot to talk about!
what is bl?
Boys love
@@shintapp I thought it mean “Bisexual Lesbian” 😂😭
Gay asian men are already overrepresented compared to straight ones. And gay asian me are just as fetishized and sexualised as asian women if not more. So BL ain't as revolutionary as you think it is.
I understand they cater to a fetishizing audience but it's rather a problem since most of them are good looking men with less talent in acting or almost half the drama being make out scenes. There's a good set of bls too but those don't get attention as much as these eye candy ones..
My boyfriend is Korean-American and we had a conversation once where he said he tended to avoid K-pop stans. He didn't say explicitly but my take away was that he was a bit wary about them fetishizing his Koreaness, which I know is an issue a lot of poc have to deal with. Idk is being fetishized a step up or step down from being desexualized? As a white woman I have no idea, but my hunch is a step sideways. Anyway, thanks for the video!
I'm Japanese-Filipina and I've had this same exact problem in my dating life when J-pop and anime was crazy popular. For men, I think its a step up cause I hear a lot of "asian men have small penis" jokes that would literally degrade asian men's sexuality and I think its time that needs to change and I think fetishizing asian men can change that, despite its demeaning undertones. I also need to see some asian men in porn goddammit! Lol
It's either a step down or just as bad as being desexualized. What both have in common is that we have to deal with people dehumanizing us and just seeing us as tools/props for their fucked up ignorant views and fantasies. Fetishizing is different bc people can hide their disdain and racism behind backhanded compliments.
Good question. In vaccum, it is still demeaning cos your race should play absolutely no role in your dating preferences, either positively or negatively.
But in context, if you do have to be judged about something you can't control, better be it desire than disgust. So I would say it's a step up.
Yea........ as a kpop and Korean music listener (outside of what's traditionally known as kpop like ballad artists or Korean trot singers) it can get really really bad when it comes to the way east Asians get fetishized by non Koreans. By kpop and jpop fans especially....... I've seen soo many fans call non Korean Asians "oppa" and from what I've seen it really irritates them. I've seen these fans learn Korean phrases (terribly)to "flirt" with Korean guys and try to use "aegyo" and it's so so cringe 😬
Alot of the younger fans/consumers seem to have a problem separating the fantasy from reality in both kpop and Kdramas and become attached to an idea........ Which worries me .......
@@Yesnog05 Dude...check out Leo Vice. He is sooooo delicious to watch and definitely someone who really loves his craft.
Your commentary flow just keeps getting better and better.
It's getting better, and I love that this video can end on a positive note. Love your videos always!
Please please! Make a part 2! We need more videos on this topic!
yeah I agree :)
In a weird twist of fate, growing up I found it easier to identify with Asian male characters in action movies, because they weren't as hypermasculine, and even when they were nerd characters they were less... raunchy than, say, Adam Sandler or Jack Black
Very interesting topic, thanks for enlightenment, never it crossed my mind!
So glad i found your channel, you're doing great work with every aspect of the videos!
Thanks for this video! As Asian women and Asian representation are really important to me, I am always looking forward to watch your videos that are really insightful and well explained and documented. 👏
i always think its funny when east asians our south east asians complain about represention when they get the most recognisation
The very definition of being sexy and/or masculine is different in Asia from western culture. Traditionally, we do not find men who spend way too much time grooming sexy(as you should when you have cut muscles like they do in Hollywood) I think a good example to show what Asian culture defines men’s sexiness/masculinity is physical 100. Choo Sung Hoon (Akiyama) is insanely popular in both Korea/Japan. What people find sexy is his passion about being a fighter, the pride he takes in judo and both of his home counties, and above it all, being a good father who’s emotionally available to his little girl. You’d see how he so gracefully deals w a rookie who challenges him, look straight in his eyes and smile w such generosity and mentorship.
Same w Chow Yun Fat’s character in Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon, and his relationship w Michelle Yeo’s character. They never talk of how they feel about each other because they respect her late husband, and his relationship w him.
BTS might look boyish and fragile, but if you listen to them, you will see that they have incredibly mature take on history and fandom, music, and just being human being in general.
I think Asians don’t find Simu Liu sexy, well, because he’s not. But also his demeanor is kind of…ancillary. Likes to chat about himself, often exaggerates things…like Americans. Good contrast w Steven Yeon who can shoot some incredibly laid back jokes and still look graceful. Like, anybody can grow muscles? But being emotionally intelligent & truly strong from within is a whole different ball park.
Yes. I agree with what you are saying. It’s more the sensitivity and understanding or nuances of a person than arrogance and show. Mannerisms count. Humility matters. You won’t find that in an American man. That which you are describing, I lack as well, because our upbringing is different. But what a beautiful way to be.😊
"Traditionally, we do not find men who spend way too much time grooming sexy"
*K-Pop exists*
After about 4 or so years of watching your content, it feels like this was the video I've been waiting for. I wrote my dissertation on this topic and Bruce Lee's role in it specifically regarding the "sick Asian man" stereotype. Keep up the great content, my man!
Excellent video. Thank you again and keep up your excellent work.
Proud to say that as a woman from Eastern Europe, my perception of Asian men was not shaped by the Holywood movies. Ofc we had the "classic" characters like Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, but the nerdy/awkward Asian guy stereotype was completely not there. As I was (and still am) into anime, where I basically perceived all characters as Asians, it formed the idea that there are diverse personalities just like everywhere.
Asian men need more appreciation.
I detect no lies!
The opening comment - about the lack of Asian American pornstars - I think really is worth diving into. There's definitely seems to be an inverse relationship between Asian American and Black men in pornography, who are fetishized as being hypermasculine and hypersexual racial others - which carves out a space for them in pornography, BUT the limited space of doing scenes focused around miscegenation fetishes.
Conversely, the stereotype of Asian Men being un-masculine and un-sexual leads the adult film world to largely disregard them and not know where to place them. They're seen as too "other" to be in the default POV role of White actors, but not the right type of "other" to have their own fetish/genre.
And not to get too crass, but IMHO David Lee is the single most attractive man working in heterosexual porn. And it's a shame that this particular brand of racism holds him back from getting more work.
Imagine if there were a series called asianed
I think part of it is that there another complete separate part of the porn industry that is super popular in the world and it only has east asians for the most part. JAVs
Race realists have caused a whole load of problems for everybody.
The thing is porn always has mimicked hollywood aesthetic to sell. So I don’t doubt what u say is real.
It's not as silly as youd initially think. Popular depictions of Asian men will affect how we form relationships and how we see ourselves, and how we pass down our own culture; its pretty existential. The Asian himbo still kinda misses the point; it sort of communicates that "these aren't the normal Asian guys, these are the buff unstereotypical Asian guys! That's why they can get it!"
And it still punishes the Asian men who do fulfill some parts of the stereotypes. Many Asian guys are nerds, do wear glasses, are a bit socially awkward, a bit unathletic. We shouldn't have to buck every part of us that is slightly stereotypical, to become an All-American hunk except with an Asian skin, to be attractive.
I know Simu Liu doesn't fit the East Asian male aesthetic but he has a great smile which a lot of Western people find sexy, plus he's fit which is nice. Also I know Andrew Koji is straight out of the Bruce Lee category, but it's like he was made in a lab for me to score him 97/100.
andrew koji looks like some white incel, the fact that people keep thinking half white men are asian men tells you everything you need to know about people and what you all deserve
I don't Simu Liu he fits anyone's definition of sex symbol attractive. He's not really a heartthrob that gets attention. They really just don't pick any really attractive Asian men in hollywood
To me it's like they went and found the most mid-looking (some might even say unattractive) Chinese guy. He cannot be idolized like other Marvel leads just based on this unfortunate fact alone. Perhaps it is genuinely difficult to find someone fluent in both English and Mandarin who is also fit and does martial art? I somehow don't believe that.
@@harrywang9375 I wouldn't be surprised if Simu ended up in the Sexist Men Alive issue (if he hasn't already). I know a lot of people who find him sexy, but never Asians. The beauty/aesthetic standard is just different. He is a really interesting case, because he checks all the Marvel boxes: funny and charming in interviews, fit and athletic, a pretty good dancer, and a bigger Disney/Marvel fanboy than most actors in the MCU so an ideal company man. His role on his first popular show -- Kim's Convenience -- showcases him as a sexy dude, too, especially in contrast to his co-star, Andrew Phung. I believe Hollywood genuinely think he is sexy, but Asian audience are shaking their heads in disdain.
I also don't think the narrow eyes trait is a problem. Many Korean actors are very popular while not being the standard heartthrobs like Aaron Kwok. The most important factor is still underrepresentation. White nerds who can't talk to girls are also a stereotype in western media, but they ALSO have James Bond. Asian men being only limited to certain types of roles is the real problem.
@@harrywang9375to be fair Asian beauty standards and western beauty standards are different so while a woman like Lucy Liu can be seen as a sexy hot bombshell in the US, in China she would’ve been considered just an average girl who’s nothing special, like there’s very few or maybe none? Asian/Southeast asian actor or actress that started off in the US that would’ve fit the beauty standards in the country of their ethnic origin so far, it’s just that Asian beauty standards don’t hold any weight in the US so many features that would be considered average or ugly would be considered unique or attractive here. So the lesson here is when you’re considered ugly just move to a place that’ll think you’re hot
Tony Leung has the biggest, most soulful eyes I've ever seen on any human.
This really got me thinking, thanks for all your work!
Insightful and well researched. Thank you.
Thanks for bringing up such an important topic. IMO Hollywood only has roles for asian men as goofy/nerdy, homosexual,, martial artist, or villain/triad. There is no such thing as a leading asian man in Hollywood and IMO its on purpose. The way asian characters are portrayed in film is the way people will view asian men in real life and Hollywood is very much aware of it. Even in commercials they will have a caucasian guy with an asian woman. Rarely do they portray an asian guy together with an asian women. And when they have an asian woman with asian kids (insinuating an asian father) in the commercials, they don't show the asian father.
Oh, man. I was prepared to see the guy from Sixteen Candles but seeing Mickey Rooney made me groan so loud, my mom got worried. I'm a plus-sized Black woman so I kinda understand how off-putting it can be to see someone who looks like you in movies and they're just a walking punchline.
I'm glad me and my sisters watched a wider variety of movies so that we didn't get hit with the "Asian men aren't sexy" mindset. (Also, thank you to the Philippines for giving us our first Asian crushes, lol)
As a filipino, i do know we are attractive but i didn’t know we were some of ur first asian crushes loll, so thank uu🦐
Very well researched and presented. Thank you for sharing!
i love your uploads. i always find new movies to watch because of you ❤
OK, if this about all Asian men who works in Hollywood, then shoutout to Dev Patel as well. I might not be diehard as those who grew up on his Skins era, but that man has such presence and is looking attractive even when he’s going through it in the Green Knight. And he is one of the few I give a pass to for being a part of that horrible The Last Airbender movie; he could have been an amazing Zuko my younger self could have crushed on if given a better script.
Oh, and the Steven Yuen appreciation ❤ I only watched a few episodes of the Walking Dead when my aunt binged them last summer, but Steven Yuen instantly was my favorite for his performance and because he was attractive. I still need to see him in Burning, but he was so good in Nope and Sorry to Bother you. Turning in a beautiful performance and being good looking is what makes someone sexy imo
He's SO good in Burning
Dev Patel isn’t Asian he’s Indian. He has no place in this video. Stop trying to force Indians in the Asian category it’s weird. They don’t look Asian
He is a fabulous actor, and can do it all.
I also wanna give a shout out to Yul Kwon who won Survivor Cook Islands. The entire season the camera was gazing at his ripped shirtless torso and he was also depicted as both super intelligent and an all round nice guy. This was 2006 so is considered one of the earlier positive representations of Asian men on American television.
Oh my goodness that is one of my favorite seasons of Survivor. Yul was so handsome and intelligent...
I am a budding Media Company Owner myself and one of my main purposes, is to Challenge the existing-unhealthy narratives. What you said in the end, really validated, my goal. thank you. just subscribed you for that powerful message.
I am thankful to Accented Cinema for including Indians in the Asian category. We usually feel neglected when the discussions about Asia is going on even though we are as much a part of Asia as any other country like China or Japan is. It is people like you who can make a change in perceptions even if its little. SMALL CHANGE MATTERS. Thanks once again.
I feel the discrimination towards Indians isn't as bad as it is for East Asians. There is the asexual nerd/loser like Raj in Big Bang Theory (white friend bangs his sister), and Dinish, also the guy in New Girl. The worst de-sexualization of Indians is in the UK, where they are a bigger minority. Just watch the media there, the BBC is full of Indian women, but they are always with a white guy. Indian men are usually depicted as comical and/or gay.
I'm indian too and people often confuse Asian and East Asian. I personally think Indians and South Asians are a little bit more sexualised than East Asians in film but there's still a long way to go
@@kriti3591 Really? I think East Asians are more popular than indians thanks to anime, Jpop, k-pop cpop revolution
@@kriti3591 you aren't really part of Asia. Similar to how Europe isn't part of Asia
@@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl which continent do you think India is on?
Thank you for addressing this! In fact, I'm gonna take a step further and say: it's not silly at all! Media representation is much more important than most people realize, thank you for your work!
As a white woman who's boyfriend of 3 years is Japanese, and has always preferred Asian men over most other men, I have never understood why people don't find Asian men hot.
Ask your asian female friends and other white women.
Asian men are seen as outsiders and female mysogny
Thank you for noting the names of the movies on the screen. I am able to go and check out the movies from the video. Thank you!
I think Hollywood is afraid of the beauty standard changing for what "a handsome man" means to American women if they expose our culture to very attractive men from other countries. The K-pop group BTS was a game changer though for the next generation of Americans, but I have noticed all forms of American media typically exclude attractive Asian men, Indian men, and Latin men from our country. (A lot of men dread/HATE the televised soccer (globally known as football except here I think 🤣) and World Cup seasons here, by the way, because women with significant platforms always talk about how freakishly handsome the athletes from other countries are!) White men do not want to be overshadowed in our cuture and that is most likely the reason why this is still happening.
Beauty standards are changing in the West, but they are changing at a snail's pace. There are also colorism issues in our country = Hollywood's stereotypical model these days when they want to "diversify" is to make new actors and actresses biracial or at the very least, hire actors who genetically inherited the lightest skin or lighter skin than commonly seen of their races but not FULLY represent the more common skin color of their race of people with darker skin tones. (Olivia Munn is quite popular, but she too is biracial. This works with the few Indian actors we have in America as well like Avan Jogia. Naomi Scott (who is half Indian) played Princess Jasmine in the Disney live-action though I am sure there were darker-toned actresses of Indian or Arab descent that would have loved to play her as well. Colorism is also why you see biracial actresses like Zendaya and Yara Shahidi taking a lot of "black" roles and sometimes roles originally intended for non-black characters.) Hollywood has a habit of doing things in hypocrisy when they start to get called out for their wrong from American citizens to pacify the ones who are still unable to see the bigger picture.
You've hit the nail on the head. WS positions AM as asexual, BM as hypersexual and WM as the Goldilocks of sexuality.
I'm curious how Black men got the hypersexual portrayal while Asian men got the asexual portrayal. Seems both of these shifted from a neutral portrayal at the same time in the US
@@shafinrahman2199 Black men were seen as taboo for white women to socialize with (much more so date) in earlier American history. After America abolished slavery (in 1863) and ended segregation (in 1964), more and more white women began messing around with black men (sometimes still in secret) and called it thrilling/exciting because they knew more often times than not, it would upset a major family figure in their life. It was like a fetish type of thing, to be honest.
I think the history of slavery and the taboo factor of black men in white American society are huge factors as to why black men got hypersexualized in my country. So white men used their power in the media to spread fear of black men as being aggressive, angry, too physically strong, etc. (obviously, these stereotypes are not always true) to frighten white women and to convince them why they should stay away from them. But that fear tactic made some white women want them even more!
America is a messed-up country, dude. But that's my take on what I know about black and white American history so far. White men more commonly feel physically intimidated by black men than they do Asian men because genetically, black men commonly have more physical strength in their gene ancestry compared to white men because white slave ancestry (where you have to use strength all day to complete orders to the degree that black people did in slavery) just didn't happen as often with white people. This contributes to why a lot, but not all obviously, of black men seem to have a naturally higher level of physical strength, They became genetically programmed to have it. It's gradually decreasing though now that slavery's abolishment is approaching the 200-year point AND as more interracial couples appear in America because once again--genetics from other people's ancestries are playing the key factors of future offspring! ). At least, as a woman, that's what I have noticed in my 29 years! lol
I don't know a lot about Asian men, to be honest, which is why I can't speak on it as strongly as I can about white and black America. But I do know there were occasions in earlier American history were Americans were cruel to them, especially during the era of WWII.
The few Asian men I have met in my life weren't very tall or physically strong, but I know that isn't the case for ALL Asian men because I watch Chinese and Korean dramas along with all of my American media! So my friendships and classmates aren't good to go by! 🤣
@@shafinrahman2199 Black people have been sexualised for a long time in the States, probably since Slavery, although it ebbs and flows at different time periods.
If White Men are Goldilocks sexually, then Asian men go into the remaining box: the desexualised category. Again, it probably wasn't always like this either.
You can see the shift in portrayal in: "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood" where Brad PItt stuntman character beats up Bruce Lee, smashing him into a car door. This was fictional but seemed to be making a bigger point about WS. There was definitely an undertone of racism in people's comments and enjoyment of that scene.
The REAL Bruce Lee would've had the Brad Pitt character for breakfast.
Most of your actresses who are of different races have European features. They may have dark skin, but they look like white women with a slightly ethnic flair. Anglicized diversity.
I think one of the most bizarre facts of this, is that both yanks and mexicans forbid the marriage of chinese men with local women, wich is kind of admitting that asian men can be seductive and good looking because otherwise you wouldnt have to put a law.
I mean in my country we never forbid any unions because simply there weren't that many women for inmigrants so social cohesion was at risk
what really??
@@yogogames1821 The first or the second'?
Whats also disappointing is that we also get fewer opportunities in advertising and modelling. In Australia, only European men get cast in menswear ads even though we have a 17.4% Asian population
love the humor and representation! keep it up
Thanks for making this video ❤
Thank you!!!! Great topic
Ken Watanabe, Hiroyuki Sanada, Don Lee, Sonny Chiba, and Hideaki Ito (from Michael Mann’s Tokyo Vice)! Those are some of my favorite Asian leading man! I’m not sure if they fit your bill as sexy, but their roles usually exude gird and masculinity for Asian man, which is a rarity for the American audience! By the way, I’m a big fan of yours from Taiwan, your in-depth knowledge and very articulate, I’ve viewed every single video in your channel!
My introduction to Ken Watanabe was Tampopo. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. It's one of my favourite movies of all time. He's not your typical "sexy" dude in that movie though.
Mine would be Hiroshi Abe. Man is not only super handsome (IMO he only got hotter with age) but ridiculously versatile as an actor. The fact he looks like a super chill dude in real life is also a bonus.
@Rock Shogun
Mine are:
Hong Kong - Chow Yun Fat, Louis Koo, Tony Chiu Wah Leung, Tony Ka Fai Leung, Leon Lai, Shawn Yue, Eddie Peng
Taiwan - Chang Chen, Wallace Huo, Joseph Chang, Ethan Juan
Mainland China - Hu Ge, Wang Kai, Timmy Xu, Vin Zhang, Yang Yang, Mark Chao + Shawn Dou(both Canadian)
Tony Leung Chiu Wai exudes manly confidence and charisma whenever he shows up on screen
Thank you for the clips😁
Thanks for making this one.
May I say? AC calling Mr. Yunioshi as "The Goddamn Anti-Christ" while "Into the Hall of the Mountain King" starts playing gets me everytime😂😂.
How about having an Asian male character in Hollywood that doesn't have an accent or is a martial arts master?
Thank you very much for this video.
Really appreciate this upload
When I started watching KDramas, CDramas and Thai BL series and Thai Lakorns I was so in awe of these good looking and talented MEN Then I was SOOOO PISSED THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF LITERALLY CONTINENTS OF GORGEOUS LOOKING MEN. The English speaking thing is clearly a factor but I know that there must be lots of English speaking Asian actors from all over the world. White dude doesn't have to be the default.
Love the subject matter, analysis, and concerted effort in this video. I’ve definitely been feeling this way for years (✋🏽struggling actor over here). I do disagree with one point you made at the end- I think sexuality and sexualization have huge power and implications. Being desirable and sexy absolutely effects the quality of roles that Asian actors get. Media is POWERFUL and it shapes public perception. It’s a mirror to how we treat or see others in society. If we aren’t seen as sexy, we aren’t seen as desirable, and ultimately we aren’t seen as valuable beyond tokenism and supportive roles.
Things are changing... slowly. And I know PLENTY of highly underrated Asian actors who are so damn talented and damn good looking yet get a fraction of a fraction of the opportunity that other actors get.
I encourage everyone to go support your favorite Asian actor- buy their movie tickets, tell your friends, and share it on social media- it’s the only thing that moves the needle forward towards progress.
Awesome video. Thanks for making it 🙏🏽
*affect the quality of roles
Been a fan of your content for years
Great vid. WINAMP !!!! Classic and still used on the PC
One topic to dive into also is the preference of Asian men to be represented by hapas (e.g., Henry Golding, Lewis Tan, Ross Butler, etc.). There's nothing wrong with hapas. However, this preference creates the stereotype that for Asians to be even better looking, we have to introduce whiteness into us.
They never mention that. Hapas always get the limelight.
Yeah like mixed Asian/white kids do deserve to get roles but it feels weird to see it over and over to be choosing them over full East/southeast Asian actors. Like it’s saying that actors can’t be “too Asian” or else they’ll get “uncomfortable” for some reason
Welcome to the world of black women in media 😂😂
@Aniviper
I don't consider Golding to be that handsome; he is not appealing in the thumbnail image.
More handsome is Pierre Png, whom portrayed Astrid's hubby, Michael Teo.
Golding's handsomeness is only on the level of Harry Shum Jr.
Funny you say that when in Asia there's plenty of celebrities who are halfies. I don't remember their names, but they're there.
I'm surprised the tv show Warrior was not mentioned here. Not only does it have a good storyline but its asian male leads are portrayed with the same qualities expected of hollywood action stars. Both Andrew Koji and Joe Taslim not only get to kick ass, they each also have complex love interests and sex scenes which will make you blush. And I'm not talking about just your typical romantic love scenes with tastefully positioned camera shots. There's a lot of butt shots and some light bdsm as well.
Season 3 just wrapped and is in post-production. Maybe you could do a feature of the first 2 seasons?
It's great that this is changing, even slowly
Accented Cinema posts yet another winner of a video and I clap like a seal. Bravo.
Your videos on your channel should be seen alot more. Actually think that about alot off RUclips creators who do video essays.
It's funny when you're watching an accented cinema video essay, finish the video, head back to the home page, and see a new one waiting for you
This was the new one waiting for me
John Cho in Selfie was probably the first time I can remember seeing an asian headline a network show and was a romantic lead as well.
Yup, and it got cancelled.
Great video, man
I'm now convinced that Accented Cinema is a super hot asian man
In my experiences with interracial dating, Asian men are kinda treated like people treat sex work or the trans community. Public they hate on the idea, but privately they're ok with it. At some point, "I'd never do that" becomes "I've never been with a [BLANK] before. I'll give you a chance this time", which is ultimately demeaning.
I've never had it so flagrant as their anti-asian discrimination being said aloud, but you hit it on the head. We're just seen as... not as good of partners as everyone else. There's a silent disconnect between Asians and everyone else, I feel. People "get" black people, and they get white people. They don't get us.
that sounds incredibly awful.
As a trans person, I don't think it's like that for us. There are lots of people who publicly claim to support us but struggle to hide their disgust. Though there are certainly many people who want to fuck trans people but never date us. It's so dehumanising
@@valerielusa8000 There is something to be said for the inverse as well. Transgender porn has been the most popular category in a lot of the South for a while now, despite outward appearances. I've come to believe some of the transphobic hate stems from their own "deviant" attraction to trans people.
That's is the weirdest fucked up shit ever you compared a whole race an entire continent of men to something very much out of the norm... That's bizarre AF... Would it be ok if I said that about black men or Hispanic men?
Black Panther... Crazy Rich Asians....Wakanda Forever/Namor.... etc
Literally almost every movies that is mostly minorities always do very well in theatres.... Times are changing....
Thanks for the video Accented Cinema, always know you are /ourguy/!
Thank you for addressing this!
This is one reason why I wanna become an actor. Ever since crazy rich Asians and the rise of KPOP I knew that there’s a void, an almost gold rush if you will, of much needed Asian representation. Now, it is completely up to the Hollywood machine as to which type of ppl to cast, but I’m confident that this is the rise of the Asian man in Hollywood.
Yo man, seems like a real person doing real work ! i appreciate that. Thank you for this piece of production. Your English accent is undermining your overall presentation. You might wanna work on a more solid American accent or some British accent. This is all your call. But must work on voice delivery !
It's awesome content. I hope this will be well viewed to totally change the perception of Asian men.
As an Asian who grew up in both China and US, I can care less about Hollywood. When I’m out there in real world, I say wtf I want and do wtf I want. I break down these Hollywood portrayal of Asian men to those who are brainwashed by them. I’m like Michael Jackson just being me and let myself shine.
I don't get these people who let media dictate and influence their lives to the point they complain...I just haven't experienced that kind of influence. If you're good looking, you're good looking and race politics won't hold that back or how people perceive and react to you. Look at Michael B Jordan. Look at Rihanna. Look at the rise of kpop despite being so far off from Western beauty standards and depiction of masculinity. Props to you. One of the sane, logical comments I see. Lots of Asian American men online seem to be obsessed by the way they're portrayed, and these discussions are recent which makes no sense considering the rise of Kpop and Kdramas and the amount of international diverse group of females that are thirsting that it amassed.
@@LovelyLittleLillies Probably cause the way how people treat you is also part of your experience and Hollywood is the greatest propaganda machine in history. Propaganda works, or countries wouldn't invest so much into it
"Adam Driver is good looking" is not something I thought I'd ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever hear in my life 🤣
As a south asian man who grew up watching all sorts of East Asian content, I was very surprised to find out about this. As far back as I can remember I remember wanting to have "Asian" eyes(weird i know) and emulating every East Asian actor I saw on screen. Im glad things are changing for you as a collective.
There is no such thing as a “South Asian” you are just Indian, Pakistani, Bengali, Sri Lankan etc. stop trying to use this dumb and useless label
This is just Hollywood's perspective. Not necessarily of the world.