Author Archives: Kevin

Pop-osition

Pop-osition 4) The Kung Fu cultural revolution ignited transnational resistance against Japanese cultural imperialism.

Kung Fu films were seen as a form of resistance against the increase in popularity in Samurai Films. What the Kung Fu experience was able to provide is perhaps a level of confidence in Chinese people that they didn’t have during World War II, as the country was devastated by the Japanese occupation. When Samurai films increased in popularity worldwide throughout the 1950s and 60s, the Kung Fu revolution was a great foil because it’s something that I feel embodies the notion of “underdog”, something that a lot of Asian communities could relate to.

From Kung Fu to Hip Hop, pg. 71-112 – examining the connections

Bruce Lee and Jimi Hendrix.

Two titans. Two legends. And never the two shall meet. Or so I thought.

The legacies of these two ground-breaking artists live within American culture like plump fruit born from a withering tree. Their names are immortal, their faces undeniable – these are people who “changed the game” so to speak. They challenged conventions of Hollywood and the music industry, and created defining works that people still look back to analyze, study and respect. Both Enter the Dragon and Electric Ladyland are considered staples or watershed moments, and those who understand still feel the weight of those respected works today. Throughout my life I never really thought to connect the two men, but after the reading I felt a very strong bond between the two. It’s an overstatement to say that these two artists were “gifted”, but I think what they represented meant so much more. Bruce and Jimi were both born on November 27th (two years apart) in America, and grew up through the 40s and 50s. As such, they lived through the defining moments of the 20th century, and being “non-white” meant dealing with the strong racist sentiment of the time. Both Bruce and Jimi are “mixed plates” in terms of heritage, as Bruce’s mother is half-Caucasian and Jimi is mixed Cherokee and African American.

What I find interesting about the journeys of these men is the fact that they had to go “outside the system” in order to achieve success. Bruce tried to make it Hollywood, but like George Takei, found himself confined to roles that weren’t fulfilling and were stereotypical. Instead, Bruce had to go to Asia in order to find that success and through the Hong Kong system helped cement the legacy he has today. Jimi also had to step outside America in order to find his success, as his early triumphs came from playing shows in the UK before releasing his first LP Are You Experienced?. I enjoyed reading about Bruce Lee’s attitude on set and how he always tried to be on the level with the “average people”. He ate with the crew, argued on their behalf and constantly butted heads with the director – Bruce Lee was truly a unique being. You could tell that this is a man who lives by his art and understood the world in a way most didn’t. Because of this and his films, I find that he has been elevated to an almost “folk hero”-like interpretation. The fact that these men died so young only helps to strengthen that legacy or myth, and the idea of what they could have accomplished had they lived on makes it all the more tragic but also further enhances the legend. Because of these similarities, Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Lee are tied together much more than I thought – hell, they’re both buried in Washington. Maybe I shouldn’t mistake fate for coincidence…

Shaolin Ulysses / The Black KungFu Experience

Lately in class, we have examined the idea of resistance and how it can be applied in various different circumstances. When it comes to the Shaolin that live here in the United States, I think the act of spreading the Shaolin teachings across the world is a form of resistance – meaning looking past cultural differences and saying that white, latino, black or whatever can learn this stuff and embrace it. Through this, Shaolin has, in my mind, served as a strong form of resistance against racism and oppression. We learn this from the films Bruce Lee has made and how the Kung Fu experience is a form of rebellion against the Japanese samurai film. A good example is the line in Fists of Fury that Bruce Lee utters about how they are not the ¨sick dogs of east Asia” was enough to get Chinese audiences cheering in their seats I feel that it is this spirit of resistance that made African Americans, especially through the 1960s and 70s, want to learn the art themselves. Having dealt with so much horrible discrimination, I can see how seeing KungFu films back then could be so influential to the African Americans because a lot of these films were really about the down-trodden rising up against oppressing forces (in Bruce Lee’s case, the Japanese).

Music: Deerhoof

After watching Cibo Matto videos this morning, it sort of inspired me to start exploring the music I listen to and try and apply it to this class. One of my favorite bands I’ve gotten into the past few years is a band called Deerhoof, which features female Japanese vocalist/bassist Satomi Matsuzaki along with Jon Dieteritch on guitar and Greg Saunier on drums. They infuse all kinds of genres, like jazz, progressive, and electronic among others, but are thrown under the umbrella that is “indie rock”. They’ve been around for a long time and are fairly prolific, producing 11 albums over the course of last 20 years. Despite being fairly unknown outside music circles, they’ve supported on tours with such influential artists as Radiohead, Beck, The Flaming Lips, and Wilco – definitely mighty company to keep. Deerhoof also has a strong connection with Washington, as they were signed to Olympia based independent label Kill Rock Stars for many years before signing to Polyvinyl for their last two records. Anyways, a sample of Deerhoof from their 2007 album Friend Opportunity -

Click here to view the embedded video.

East Main Street, Cibo Matto, + The Wedding Banquet

During this mornings seminar, I came away thinking about the word “resistance”. Typically when I think about resistance in music, I think about folk songs and protest songs over the years, but I guess I never really thought of lyrical resistance against stereotyping and cultural identities. Exploring Cibo Matto will obviously bring this notion to the forefront as they are a group who are constantly defying stereotypes. They are a group who exist on the fringe, not really fitting into any category. You have two women who are venturing into hip-hop and utilizing technology as their instrument – already you’re breaking boundaries. They defy the notions of stereotypes typically associated with the words female, Asian, Japanese, hip-hop and others, creating a sound and voice unique to themselves. Because of this resistance, Cibo Matto give us a reason to celebrate how things in society have changed in the past 40 years or so, and I think help us embrace new points of view as well.

In the Wedding Banquet, Wei-Wei is a woman who is a product of her time – independent, artistic, and open minded. There is a scene between Wei Wei and Mrs. Gao later on in the film in which Mrs. Gao comments on how older women sometimes grow envious of younger generations because of that independence and spirit, which speaks volumes about the differences between generations and the times we live in. Wei Wei is definitely a form of resistance against the traditional gender roles and routes women have taken in the past. It is Wei Wei who makes the choice to keep her baby, and I love how she embraces Wai-Tung and Simon’s relationship (another form of resistance) and asks them to the be the fathers of her children.The shot of the three of them together as they watch the Gaos leave is touching and almost marks the new family as the new nuclear family – one that embraces new ideals and individualism.

Talking Points – East Main Street 1/30/2014

- The Evolution of Beauty Pageants: What were the stark differences between the early (1930s-1950s) period of Japanese American pageantry and the modern era?

- In the early years, why did Japanese Americans find it so important to bring a bi-cultural element to the pageants, despite the racist attitudes against them?

- There was a definite evolution of identity throughout the three eras described in the chapter The early period is very much the need for Identity – to blend in, to be absorbed, whereas the later period is dominated by the need to preserve identity and culture. I think the evolution of identity is something that appears in pretty much all our work, as well as the ideological battle of conformity vs being unique. Are there any parallels one could draw between the changing identity of the beauty pageants and other works we have examined?

- Smallville and/or Superman as a metaphor for race relations and immigration. Agree or disagree?

- Also if anyone has seen the show, does viewing Clark and Lex’s relationship through a homosexual lens change how you yourself view the characters? Can you apply this to any other character relationships seen throughout entertainment history? One that I come back to a lot is the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Watson, something which actually they poke fun at a lot in the BBC Sherlock series.

Saving Face – impressions, observations, etc.

Crisis plays a huge role in Saving Face, a story which examines the crisis of identity through the lens of Wil’s relationship with Vivian as well as her own mother. Wil is an Asian American woman who is portrayed in a very positive light – meaning she didn’t feel stereotypical at all. She’s independent, a damn good surgeon and is interested in people of her own gender, so automatically she crosses such boundaries that some would interpret as “wrong”. Her own mother does this as well – getting pregnant near fifty, unmarried etc – which again pushes beyond boundaries that may be too uncomfortable for some (her own father practically disowns her). I think that in terms of the evolution of relationship between Wil and her mother, I can see why her mother may be more accepting of Wil’s choice of love interest because of her own experience she has with her father, a man who desired greatly to control who she dated and was blind of her daughter’s true love.

This experience echoes Wil’s mother almost to a tee. She was constantly trying to set Wil up with men, but I think in the end (and also due to her daughter’s courage to help her mother be with the one she truly loved) she finally accepts and helps Wil reunite with Vivian. It really echoes the generational conflict we’ve read so much about in class. In the Debut, we saw a similar story but with father and son – the expectations, obedience, and the apparent choice between family and one’s self – which goes to show just how much this generational conflict is ingrained within Asian and Asian American cultures. It really speaks volumes when her mother finally accepts Wil’s sexuality. In one swoop, she becomes (in my opinion) a much braver and smarter person than her father, a man who is bitter to the very end. I think Wil hit the nail on the head when she finally says “fuck them” while dancing with Vivian – it is mindset that if you live by what people expect of you, are you really experiencing life for yourself?

Talking Points – 11/30/2014

- Absolute Power vs Gran Torino, two films directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. In The Slanted Screen, Absolute Power was called out for that scene with the waiter as racist, yet Gran Torino (released 11 years later) feels more “anti-racist” to me. I haven’t seen Absolute Power but I am wondering perhaps the difference in Clint Eastwood’s philosophy over the years. Also, he directed two sister films (Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers) which view the Battle of Iwo Jima from different sides which I think is pretty interesting for a director to do. Anyways, just a random thought that if anyone else knew more could elaborate on.

- I will add more to this later, but lunch hour is about to end so I must go to afternoon class !

Random Thoughts on Slaying the Dragon and “Orientals”.

After watching Slaying the Dragon, I immediately connected back to the part of the book which talked about the stereotypes of Asian American male actors and how the independent woman was a threat to the idea of the traditional family unit. While the film focused on the female Asian American stereotypes – the dragon lady, subservient, lotus flower etc -, I thought it was interesting the parallels and differences drawn. In early cinema, the male stereotypes for Asian characters were much more antagonistic and threatening – particularly to white women. In The Cheat for example, Tori is very possessive and dominating over Edith, to the point of even branding her like a slave. In the contrast, Asian American women are seen almost like trophies to white male soldiers – not threatening like the Asian male, but submissive and obedient. They are desirable mates but taboo and social conventions hold any real relationships behind. I also felt that many of the same stereotypes and blanket statements painted about Asian American women are very similar to the ways America has stereotyped women in the past – house-bound, held back from careers because of their gender – stereotypes that still rear their ugly head to this day, even if it isn’t as prominent.

The Debut – impressions

The conflict between father and son, the eternal struggle.

The son yearns for independance and appreciation, the father rejects. It’s a story as old as time – the rebellion of youth against what we are ¨supposed¨ to do or be. The Debut tackles this subject with depth, exploring not just within the context of your average high school student on the edge on adulthood, but also within the context of culture and racial stereotyping. I think everyone faces these problems throughout their life in some form or another, the choice between doing it for yourself or doing it for those all around you. I felt that this film had a lot in common with Better Luck Tomorrow, although this film ends on a much nicer note. Both films – released in 2001 and 2002, respectfully – share the theme of youth and going against the conventions that society or family place upon themselves.

I also find it interesting that both films focus on an Asian American generation that seems pretty far removed from their roots. Each of the Bens faces a similar issue, but I think I related to the Ben from this film more because of the whole father/son relationship. Another thing I liked was, and I’m not sure if this sounds weird, but I like how his ¨white buddies” weren’t really portrayed as ignorant, douche bags as I thought they were gonna be when they first showed up. Instead, they seem to actively enjoy the Filipino culture and were way more open minded than I had expected. I also love how they handled the character of Augusto because he could have just been your typical rival/adversary to Ben – instead, they chose to add more depth to his character by showing us the inner turmoil he is experiencing with his mother and her new man.

All to all, I give his film five thumbs!

RUFIO !

A-POP, Don't Stop

Winter 2014