There was a lot of hype before the premiere of ABC's comedy series "Fresh Off the Boat" earlier in the year. Most of my friends already saw the trailer or knew what the show was about when I mentioned it. And the great thing about the show was that it was actually funny. Randall Park and Constance Wu, who play the parents of Eddie in the show, say how every joke in the show is not based off of any stereotypes, because that is not what they find funny. However, I disagree because there are so many examples and jokes in the show that are based off of stereotypes, ranging from the "cheap Asian" or the "Tiger Mom." I mean, the show's title itself is already derogatory to explain the stereotypical behavior of new immigrants. But honestly, I found these jokes based off of stereotypes hilarious because they were so relatable. I like the fact that "Fresh Off the Boat" doesn't shy away from the stereotypes, but rather puts a twist on them and exaggerates them to a certain degree to make them funny to the viewers.
The one thing that did bother me were the parent's accents. So often in media, Asian characters have ridiculous sounding accents that make them the butt of the joke and define their characters (yes, I'm talking about Long Duk Dong from 16 Candles.) Both Randall and Constance explain that the characters' accents were not included to be part of a joke or to build on that stereotype, but to add authenticity to the characters. However, their accents were not convincing at all. Throughout the first few episodes, I was getting very tired of their fake accents, because it seemed too forced and didn't fit in the show. If you can get past the accents though, this show is a good start in changing the way media represents Asian stereotypes!
Great blog post! When I first heard about "Fresh off the Boat", I was really excited to watch the show because it was going to be a refreshing concept having the main characters as Asian-Americans. I do agree with your points though. However, although some people may find the use of stereotypes offensive, in actuality, the directors use stereotypes in order to "defeat" the stereotypes instead. The show focuses on using stereotypes to reverse people's ideas of stereotypes or expose the truth behind it. I do agree that the accents are bad. However, the show has great actors and a great plot. The thing I don't like is how different Eddie looks from his younger brothers. It bothers me insanely.
ReplyDeleteI saw the first few episodes of Fresh off the Boat. It primarily played off stereotypes and tried to provide context beyond stereotypical thoughts about race. I haven't really watched it beyond those first few episodes, probably since I grew up in a similar situation as Eddie and find a lot of things cringe-worthy or too predictable. I personally don't find it that funny, but regardless I am happy to see a show featuring Asian Americans garner some success and hope shows like this lead to Asian Americans being more prevalent in Hollywood.
ReplyDeleteI was also very excited about this show when I saw the preview! It seemed like a good comedy to some and reality to others haha. I saw bits and pieces of episodes, and I'm not going to lie, it was funny! For the record, I was extremely ecstatic that I bumped into Eddie Huang this past Fall when I was in Taiwan. He seemed like a nice genuine guy but also seemed like he had a "tough guy" image. It's rare for Asian men to hold a tough image because in the past they were always stereotyped as nerdy or weak. This show showed viewers how it was like to grow up in an Asian household and some of it was very true. I hope this show runs for a second season and maybe even open doors for other descents to create a show of how they grew up in America.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen a couple episodes, because the show isn't exactly my kind of humor. But I will say that this show is very groundbreaking and will lead the way to more Asian characters on screen. One bit on the show that did resonate with me because I wrote about something similar before, is when Randall(I can't remember his character's name) goes on a morning talk show and he basically has to represent the entire Asian race, because there's so few Asian people on TV. First they thought he was robotic, then they thought of him as a joke comic relief type of character. Although some of the jokes on the show are just based on stereotypes, this show is a large step in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteWow so much content here! As a Asian American, I agree that the show is totally relatable. I've continued watching the show these past few days and it's crazy to see how the Huang family rules/practices are similar to the ones I have at home (i.e. taking your shoes off before walking in the house). I recently watched the episode with the Huangs buying a new car and it's the most hilarious thing seeing them bargain for the cheapest price. Every Asian loves a good deal, or even better, free stuff! Would definitely recommend to keep watching!
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