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If the appeal of Asian women is universal, then why are they not in film roles which call for a "sexy" or "beautiful" woman, especially where the role is not race specific.
How many times does it have to be repeated that asian women or men's appeal is not universal? do you just keep running into the wall over and over again? it's an exception to the rule. what someone finds attractive or beautiful and a fetish are two different meanings. the western view of most is that asians look rather asexual, less curvaceous (which is true in comparison to most others), less attractive facial features (not round or soft in comparison).
as far as the fetishizing for some, it probably has to do with a combination of the submissive stereotype and pedophiliac tendencies but they are projecting that onto adults that they perceive to be easily dominated. sometimes, it's even more derogatory and it's their own vexation/issues they are projecting onto asians which is sick. an extreme example would be how some people got a sick pleasure of looking at the elephant man. the ugliness really comes more from inside of them. asians in asia are validated and not seen as anything veering from the norm but in the west, some can see asians (maybe they can't help it) as abnormal. they view them as very different from themselves and it makes them uncomfortable.
but funnily enough, the things that in general the western view finds distasteful, i see it the other way and find it to be alright or attractive because they look cool to me. to some extent, i think the west can be too round and in some cases can be exaggerated to be gross in their own way. so it's just a rather self-centered point of view but it's kind of normal too. it's just important for those on some mental level to be aware of the psychological way we define and view things which we think are unwavering truths but really are more conditioning/cultural mores/time and place.
I'm not going to speculate why there aren't as many prominent Asian celebrities here in the U.S. vs. white or black or hispanic ones (btw, how many middle eastern-American celebrities do we have? Casey Kasem and then who else?). Maybe someone will do a study on why that is. I have my suspicions, but I also don't want to make assumptions that may prove to be inaccurate.
But we do have to be careful talking about "Asian culture" here in the U.S. when most Asian-Americans are probably third generation or go even further back. Those folks aren't Asian, they're American. It would be like saying I'm Welsh even though my ancestors from that country emigrated to the U.S. during the 17th century. I don't feel part of any Welsh culture and the only thing Asian about Asian-Americans may be their surnames or their physical characteristics.
As for specific celebrities, Michelle Yeoh, who is Malaysian, is really hot. I also like Lucy Liu and Lisa Ling, Tamlyn Tomita, Suzanne Whang and Ming-na Wen. However, like others have said, I don't think Sandra Oh is that attractive. There have also been a whole bunch of attractive Asian-American newscasters.
I had very little interest in Asian women until I lived in Japan. When you get used to seeing certain types of people on a day to day basis it is perhaps inevitable that you will start finding them attractive. I don't find Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi, you get the idea, women as a whole attractive, but I have known individuals of those ethnicities who were quite good looking. So it's all down to personal preference and life experience.
Certainly, though, I found it highly ironic that ESPN broadcast the World Baseball Classic and they have never had anyone of Asian extraction in any of their broadcast booths in any sport they handle. But that's a different topic.
i don't think asians fit in well that culturally in america which is rather more bigger and better type of culture, it might be their physio/biology. i think asians fit in as in concrete terms like fulfilling thier duties as citizens. there is a subsect or niche market for asian culture such as sprung from japanese pop culture interest etc. i don't think asian-american celebrities are attractive either, maybe a couple borderline attractive.
Jet Li, Bolo Yeung, Sammo Hung, George Takei, Chow Yun Fat, Bruce Lee, Soon Teck Oh, Jackie Chan, Toshiro Mifune, and an actor that goes by the name of Mako.
see that? those are mostly older generations.
sigh, americans seem to think if they don't know, not familiar with something it must not exist because they think if they are not famous in america, then they are not actually celebrities. that's very self-centered and honestly, kind of stupid.
there are lots of asian celebrities all over asia. for gee's sake, all you have to do is google asian celebrities by country to know they exist and even that's not going to bring them all up and including subcategories and genres etc. it's not like you have to physically go anywhere. what you will notice is the difference in culture or quirks so the ones who appeal to americans in general like the above are a few because the culture in asia is different and most asian celebrities that appeal to asians wouldn't appeal or fit in america.
Funny OP question. All of the top movie stars in Malaysia are Asian.
i agree and so for every other country in the world, their celebrities are their own, though as is natural as there is overlap and some will be fans of stars outside of their country as well as within. just as americans are familiar with some overseas stars.
i think the op is wondering more why asian-americans are not so much as others in america but that's kind of obvious. it's predominantly white, black and hispanic. pretty simple.
This might be a dumb thing to say or maybe it's been said, but is it possible there are less notable Asian-American actresses simply because there are less Asian-Americans than there are Hispanics or Blacks? And that Asians from Asia might have a harder time with our language than say the Spanish or French as Asian languages are less like ours?
The only one I've wondered about at times is Asian American singers. Outside of Norah Jones I can't think of any and I believe she's part English. I'm not sure any Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, or Filipino American singers became mainstream hits since the song "Sukiyaki." Male or female. To the point I've heard of Asian-Americans who go to Asia to become singers. I can likely think of several American singers from ethnicities less common than those.
Last edited by Thomas R.; 10-25-2009 at 04:51 AM..
If Asian women are considered so desirable why no Top Movie Stars?
Quote:
Originally Posted by calipoppy
With all of the threads praising Asian beauty, I was just wondering why there are virtually no Asian women topping any list of actresses: top grossing films, highest paid, sexiest, etc.
Are Lucy Liu and Sandra Oh the best offerings of sex symbols for Asian women ?
Why aren't Asian women represented more diversely in American/European film?
The entertainment business is not a desirable profession for Asian Americans like the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans to go into in the US. Success in acting and popular music is such a long shot. But studying hard, being a geek and becoming a doctor or other professional is a sure thing. Academic prowess is much admired by our culture, not prancing around on stage dressed up like a sl*t. And the entertainment industry does have a lot of immorality associated with it. There are many Asians that excel in classical music though, but that is a much more conservative activity.
Also, there is not much demand for Asian actors and actresses as leading roles in the movies in the US. Just as blacks complain that there aren't enough good roles for blacks, there are even less good roles for Asians. If I watch a movie based on a Jane Austin novel or Shakespeare play, I don't expect there to be any Asians or blacks in it. In the Dukes of Hazzard movie, what role could an Asian be cast in? But in movies like the James Bond movies, which are set internationally, there are usually a few beautiful Asian actresses in the background.
However in the Asian countries, there are many Asians in the entertainment business. You just don't see them over here.
Not all of the top actors and actresses are handsome. Movies are supposed to reflect real life and in real life, and most people aren't not handsome or beautiful. For instance, Morgan Freeman is certainly not a handsome man, but he is an excellent actor and I enjoy watching him act.
Also, consider that much of the appeal of an Asian woman is her quiet, polite and demure attitude. She has no desire to be a tarted up hottie and flaunt her sexuality. We tent to have petite slender builds. We don't have big breasts or asses. If we are beautiful, it's understated. We also aren't big on wearing a lot of makeup. To us, it makes a woman look like a wh*re. People in the entertainment business are extroverts and have an ego aka alpha personality. They tend to dress too flashy. They just aren't considered role models for us.
Shrug. It doesn't bother me that there aren't many top actors and actresses that are Asian in the US.
Also, consider that much of the appeal of an Asian woman is her quiet, polite and demure attitude. She has no desire to be a tarted up hottie and flaunt her sexuality. We tent to have petite slender builds. We don't have big breasts or asses. If we are beautiful, it's understated. We also aren't big on wearing a lot of makeup. To us, it makes a woman look like a wh*re. People in the entertainment business are extroverts and have an ego aka alpha personality. They tend to dress too flashy. They just aren't considered role models for us.
Shrug. It doesn't bother me that there aren't many top actors and actresses that are Asian in the US.
Miu, I am going to ask a question, but I am being sincere, so don't flame please.
Why are you self stereotyping yourself and your people? I would never do that. I always fight images of blacks being superathletic, not academic, all poor and growing up in ghettoes, etc. Because those images are everything that I am not, so they are not true.
Not all asian women are quiet and demure. Heck, both of my past asian roommates were more loud, talkative, and outgoing than me! Not all asians are petite and slender. When I go out in public, I see tons of Asians being boisterous in groups. I have seen plenty of chubbies. I see tons of asians wearing makeup, like most women do. All of my asian roomates and their friends dressed flashier than me.
Miu, I am going to ask a question, but I am being sincere, so don't flame please.
Why are you self stereotyping yourself and your people? I would never do that. I always fight images of blacks being superathletic, not academic, all poor and growing up in ghettoes, etc. Because those images are everything that I am not, so they are not true.
Not all asian women are quiet and demure. Heck, both of my past asian roommates were more loud, talkative, and outgoing than me! Not all asians are petite and slender. When I go out in public, I see tons of Asians being boisterous in groups. I have seen plenty of chubbies. I see tons of asians wearing makeup, like most women do. All of my asian roomates and their friends dressed flashier than me.
What nationalities are your Asian friends from? And how many generations have their families been in their countries? What professions are their parents in?
From my personal observations or my family and the Asian families that I know, the more traditionally minded Asians in the US from nationalities like the Chinese, Japanese and the Koreans do have a preference towards dressing and acting conservatively. In the home countries, traditionally the only women that get dressed in a flashy fashion are prostitutes and concubines or women from the lower classes. And there is no shame in looking or acting like a "nerd". The American or Western ideal of beauty is not the traditional Asian one for those from certain Asian countries and social classes.
However, the longer the Asian American family has been in this country and the more financially successful the family is, the more Americanized or Western they will act... like your friends in college. But if the family is still working hard to succeed in this country, the more pressure from their parents to act conservatively, study hard and spend frugally. Family values are very important to Asians. And we are raised to always respect our elder family members and follow their wishes. Stereotypes exist for a reason. There are only so many different behaviour options. All of us are unique, but within limits.
And culturally, blacks and Hispanics are much more flashy dressers when they go out to the clubs. And their behaviour is more over the top imo. Of all the black and Hispanic women I have encountered, the ones that thought themselves beautiful always dressed to promote their sexiness and they were also very confident and outgoing in an in your face sort of way. Of the demure dressing and acting black and Hispanic beautiful women I've encountered, I can count them with the fingers of one hand.
But don't you agree that to succeed in the movie or popular music industry is extremely difficult if not close to impossible? For an Asian that wants to succeed and do well in life AND please their parents, doing well in school is the only way to go.
And what's the point of trying to imitate the dress style of ones favorite movie or music star?
And again, it doesn't bother me or the Asians I know to be thought nerdy or undesirable to date by other races. We accept the way we are and there is a strong desire to have a pure racial bloodline. Not because we think ourselves superior, but more that continuing our culture and ways is very important to many of us. There is a lot of nationalistic pride inside of us.
Here are the results of an online poll (Misterpoll.com) (297 respondents, average age at this site usually abut 18, mostly Ameriican):
What race do you think is most attractive?
13% (41) Black
12% (36) Hispanic
29% (89) White
1% (5) Native American
16% (49) Asian
9% (28) Mixed with black and another race
2% (7) Mixed with black and hispanic
14% (42) Or 2 or more different races
297 voters have answered this question.
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If Asian women are considered so desirable why no Top Movie Stars?
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