Asian American Perspective On Mickey Rooney’s Yellow-Face Portrayal on “Breakfast At Tiffany’s”

Commentary from MANAA members Guy Aoki, Jeffery Mio, and Phil Lee and East West Players’ Marilyn Tokuda. Includes the history of the practice of white actors putting on prosthetic make-up to play Asian people, discrimination against Asian Americans, “The World Of Suzie Wong,” and the importance of George Takei’s participation in the “Star Trek” television series and motion pictures.
Check out our website www.manaa.org and newsletter website www.newsletter.manaa.org
Formed in 1992, Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) is the only group solely dedicated to monitoring the media and advocating for balanced, sensitive, and positive depiction and coverage of Asian Americans. Since 1999, the non-profit/all-volunteer organization has been a founding member of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC), which meets regularly with the top four television networks-ABC, CBS, NBC & Fox--and pushes for better inclusion of Asian Americans in front of and behind the camera.

[@mantisbog]

In fairness, it was Gilbert Gotfried's first role.

[@DrZaius75]

Star Trek has a really good history with portraying nonstereotypical Asian characters.

[@marcparella]

But it has a terrible record of portraying stereotypical Russian characters.

[@ferociousgumby]

@@marcparella And boy, do they stereotype those Vulcans!

[@noprisoners8621]

Not to mention stereotypical kardashians, i mean cardasians.

[@zuppoblitz6627]

They also portrayed American Indians badly.

[@romanzadgk]

As an Asian I'm legit not even mad but honestly his character just didn't fit in with the movie's atmosphere. All his scenes were a slap in the face.

[@Line...]

Not asian, but 100% agree. Aside from the racism, his scenes are just so unfunny, unrealistic, forced, overdramatic, adding absolutely nothing to the movie....

[@TheBehm08]

It’s true. He would’ve fit well in a comedy but it feels like he should’ve been in another movie. Airplane or police academy would’ve been a perfect place for this character

[@theonemodifier]

agreed, and it seems fake, also when he trips and stumbles. Why not just play himself

[@u235u235u235]

then you don't know NYC. NYC is full of oddballs from all over the world. NYC is not wall to wall white people.

[@aespaevolution2862]

@@u235u235u235 Obviously but this type of oddball was really unrealistic. No Japanese person like that exists.

[@richardhaw9757]

they forgot about Bruce Lee. he is probably the single most influential factor in lifting the asian stereotype. (unfortunately he gave birth to a few like "do you know kungfu" shit)

[@redeem147]

Yet he was a victim, when his Kung Fu was cast with David Carradine.

[@Mr_LH1980]

The thing is people talk about Bruce Lee. The other thing is Bruce Lee has been dead nearly 50 years. The very fact that we have to go back nearly 50 years to find a lead role in films or a role model is rather telling right?

[@kumada84]

(For pete's sake - his nickname was even "The Dragon".............. >_< )

[@gramp69]

Agreed! This perspective showed clips from World of Suzie Wong and Star Trek, which were made by Paramount, the studio behind Breakfast at Tiffany's.

[@carl_anderson9315]

@Ryan Wiley If you associate Bruce Lee with that, it's your problem. Bruce Lee was a man who revolutionated martial arts with his phylosophy, and worked very hard to share his knowledge through his teachings and his movies.

[@anyonymswede]

Charlie Chan was played by a Swedish actor.

[@jake9565270]

Paramount is pretty redeemable for allowing the racially insensitive moments in their movies to be shown to the public, at least for educational purposes. Unlike Disney that pretends they were never racist, like in Fantasia they cut out a character in black face, which ironically makes it more racist.

[@ag23415]

Don't forget the racist film they made "Song of the South," on top of Walter Disney being a huge neo-nazi.

[@baibac6065]

It makes it more racist to remove insensitive content apparently lol

[@DTheAustralian]

i mean it's a bad idea to remove offensive material in historical films, but it doesn't make it more racist lmao

[@95predator]

That one asian absolutely reminds me of Randy Marsh

[@gaussminigun]

lol holy shit

[@jcarr4065]

👏

[@phoenixzappa7366]

Lmao

[@TheBehm08]

What’s this I hear about a math test?

[@Orcaman2]

Fuck silently enduring racism. Call out racist people.

[@CarynDPrescott]

It's good that this is a part of the DVD set.

[@timburr4453]

to skip over

[@VideoMeltdown]

@@timburr4453 Wow, check out Mr. Edgeboomer, so cool

[@moimeme1928]

I never believed Charlie Chan was actually Asian.

[@andrewolson6027]

Signing the bill making official the apology to asian Americans is the 1 thing Reagan got right

[@WGBudd801]

What about the Asian Americans at the time that only saw Mikey Rooney’s character as a comedic role? People find drag today perfectly acceptable. I find it an offensive stereotype. I know for a fact I’m in the minority in the gay community with that opinion. Almost every gay character portrayed in media a stereotype. Butch/fem Leather/drag or a psychopathic killer. Is the gay community up in arms about that? My point? You cant judge the past through modern lenses.

[@obet06]

Bruce Lee dont like this movie based on his biography movie

[@easytherepilgrim2339]

+obet06 Oh I didn't realize this was a Bruce Lee biography.

[@krelbar]

+obet06 About the only thing I care about that comes out of Bruce Lee's mouth is anything to do with Jeet Kune Do and the philosophy behind it. Also, keep in mind that Lee CREATED a new stereotype.

[@philosopherstoned420]

4:27 It's Simple Jack from Tropic Thunder 🤣

[@launabanauna8958]

It is!!! lol

[@trevormichael4906]

Yuuuup

[@VideoMeltdown]

Lon Chaney is the Lead Belly of this shit. He's had a huge influence in film history but today, a lot of it has just been lost.

[@PungiFungi]

The fact that we are having this conversation showed that racial stereotypes and parodies will never affect Whites as they will other races...because White people have no problem with being White.

[@jcarr4065]

I mean you're right but only in the microcosm of the US. We have the most popular entertainment industry in the world. If asian countries made movies with Americans as fat dumb idiots, I'm sure we wouldnt care. Not saying that's an excuse to be a douche bag, but just look at the bigger picture

[@yourlonelyst4r]

j carr but the thing is, if they make movies with white Americans, they hire actual white American actors, not make an asian look like a white American. But in this case they made a white American into an Asian man. They have a lot of white Americans in Bollywood movies and they seem normal, never made fun of

[@paulciampo2104]

I'm fascinated by all these things. Man, people were real bastards in history. It's disgusting.

[@abseconPC]

Every time I see an Asian person I asked Don where is my automobile

[@gustavusvasa5437]

Growing up in Africa I was a huge fan of Martial Arts movies. I'm still a fan but it does make me sad that these movies have sort of become associated negative stereotypes. I remember watching Big Boss and thinking this guy is so cool, Snake in the monkeys shadow etc. Its a shame as well because there as definitely been a decline in MA movies through the years. I guess my point is its a shame that the art is dying.

[@jamesa.fitzpatrick1566]

Who didn't shout FINALLY! when Sulu was shown as captain of the Excelsior!?? He was and continues to be GREAT.

[@ZarconVideo]

Keep in mind too that this was made at a time when we had just fought a war with Japan. I'm sure some of you have grandparents that wouldn't buy a Japanese car, well this was when those same grandparents were running Hollywood.

[@htown11465]

I think the historical context is important, but the film was made 16 years after the war ended. 16 years ago isn't "just". I didn't "just graduate from highschool" if it happened 16 years ago. Also, 9/11 happened 18 years ago and we don't accept racist stereotypical Arab characters. I think it is more important to recognise that this film was made a time when racism was acceptable in everyday society. The civil rights movement was still happening, etc.

[@paulinaruiz928]

@@htown11465 Say it again louder for the people in the back :)

[@Msflamingo-wl4qo]

htown11465 WW2 was in fact, just 16 years prior to that film. This video was released in 2015, yet it references a movie made 54 YEARS ago...

[@parsnipmcgee329]

Meanwhile, VW Bugs were the coolest things on the road.

[@NeeliAankhen]

I think that's an aspect of why this character seemed like a good idea to some people. 16 years sounds like a long time on the one hand; on the other hand, 9/11 for example was 19 years ago and I think that to anybody who was an adult at that time, especially in NY, it's not in the dim past. People who fought in WWII were in their 40s in the 60s. Not that this makes the stereotype all right, it does not, but I think this observation is correct as to understanding how it even got put on the screen --- for some people the war-time stereotype permitted permitted this kind of thing I suppose. On the other hand, I was a young adult when this movie came out -- young enough to love it for the Audrey character without totally understanding what she was up to! -- and I thought the Mickey Rooney thing was awful , really like something from another movie or from vaudeville.

[@portugal5698]

Good grief, call me insensitive, but I look at this movie in the same light as I White Chicks. Comedy Genius!!

[@Joy.Sparks]

Being of Japanese decent and Hispanic Decent I see so many films making fun of both sides of my race.like when the movie The Last Air Bender.. had white main actors when they were supposed to be asians.. I asked my mother why are they white? I was young at the time and she said. White people here are seen as more beautiful

[@JessicaGonzalezGibson]

This was such a wonderful video. Thank you so much for sharing such personal accounts. 💕

[@FruitMuff1n]

Thank you for sharing this!

[@ChrisC11291980]

I can understand why Hollywood would have done this in 1941, like with Abbott and Costello and the Three Stooges, but by 1961, all that crap should have blown over.

[@thebunnyfoofoo]

WWII was still fresh in people's minds

[@fjerdy]

1:20 there is no way she says "the Pictures we Mentioned" all i hear is "the Spitches Me Menchen"

[@launabanauna8958]

It is rather sloppy.

[@rosea2350]

The only reason I watch this movie is for Audrey and the cat of course. 🐈

[@janaethomas1163]

I remember watching it and being really grossed out at the caricaturization and I wondered who was playing the role assuming they were genuinely asian and now years later finding out they weren’t is even more disturbing

[@TheMaverickq]

you must be a true american then...

[@JeromeProductions]

yeah its sad

[@ohgodwhy9853]

Makes it even funnier honestly. Micky rooney was an actor for YEARS and this is literally the only thing I know about him. He's been dead for years now and this is still the one thing I know about. Obviously wrong but the caricature is as low as It is obnoxiously stupid. Different time and not anything to take seriously 60 years later.

[@Trollin4n00bz]

Why do all the Asian Americans in this video look like caricatures or Asian Americans? Is this some sort of meta joke?

[@karlos_infamous]

The ironic thing here is that these stereotypes continue on up to this day... and many Asians still immigrate to America.

[@TheEnigmaProductions]

Today this movie would be cancelled immediately

[@1337BananaL33TVostok]

Show this to any chinese or korean and they will laugh their ass off because this exactly how they think of Japan.

[@lukek3953]

+1337BananaL33TVostok Damn right. Show it to anyone, they will laugh their ass off!

[@barneybussey1150]

Wasn't Charlie Chan a positive Asian character from the 1930s? He was the smart one who always figured thing out.

[@SamWesting]

Yeah, but the other side to that was the fact that Charlie Chan’s son (Lee) was played by an Asian actor (Keye Luke) who was always being subservient & being corrected by an onscreen father in yellow face.

[@SamWesting]

Lot of comments about George Takei. But keep in mind: he was NOT the first Asian American actor to be a regular in a TV series. Before Star Trek, there was Sammee Tong (Bachelor Father) & Poncie Ponce (Hawaiian Eye). And in my opinion, neither were crude racial caricatures.

[@Nozverah2]

I'm an Asian-American, I prefer to refer to myself as an American first but as a person of Asian descent I found his performance absolutely hilarious. I have no issue with it at all and if anything it should be as celebrated as the movie itself. If we can't laugh at our differences what's the point of comedy? there's nothing wrong with jokes like these as long as they're not coming from a hateful place.

[@SimPilotMika]

But racists would probably use this character to fuel their anger though, I’ve known lots of people that do that

[@damechipo]

This is so ignorant... It's one thing to exist in a white washed world, but for you to be HAPPY, is unreal to me.

[@yuh1545]

when i was little i wouldn’t care if it was a racist character, i just loved seeing them because they “look like me” and it was the only representation i got

[@TheMaverickq]

when you were little, you were not thinking like racist, most people in comments do. This movie is not racist, it is just making fun of stuff.

[@kida5004]

@@TheMaverickq idk how to explain to you that yellow face is, in fact, a racist action

[@11th_defender51]

@@TheMaverickq "This movie is not racist, it is just making fun of stuff." That stuff being east asians. Which are a race. It's definitely racist.

[@johncbeer]

The yellow/brown background and lighting aren't doing your message any favors.

[@ThisIsSharkAttack]

Is this from what creators of South Park took their character Tuong Lu Kim?

[@truthhurts3023]

is the movie 'white chicks' also racist? black men dressed as white women

[@bunnybird9342]

Stereotypes of white people don't have the same offensive quality as stereotypes of black people because white people were never slaves, segregated, etc

[@truthhurts3023]

@@bunnybird9342 opinions are not facts. offensive stereotypes is not acceptable; selective racism is not okay

[@A_youtube_channel_]

No this nor white chicks are racist

[@muffinsavior3004]

You know its bad when they have Randy Marsh on the video

[@ChelsalinaVEVO]

You know, it would be "funny" IF they didn't specifically say the character was Japanese. What purpose does a white man playing a Japanese man do? It just makes that actor look ignorant and foolish.

[@annahaney6680]

I think money. They didn't want to pay the Asians, they had their stable of actors, actresses and they tried to keep them busy. :(

[@ranbrent]

What about Lucian msamati playing Antonio Salieri in Amadeus? Historically inaccurate and not even a comedy.. When a White person who's native language is English decides to put on a German accent or Italian accent... they're not racist. As soon a White person puts on a Japanese accent, they're evil racists. So strange.

[@kumada84]

Ranbrent - That's not strange at all. "German" is a nationality, not a "race", so nothing based on a person being German can be "racist". ;-) (However, technically speaking, "Japanese" is also a "nationality" so, for all we know, Mr. Yunioshi could have been a "white" person who was born in Japan... ^-^ ) Furthermore - I don't know the people who hang around with, but I've never met a Japanese person who spoke with the "accent" Mr. Rooney used in that movie.......

[@ranbrent]

Thanks for making the point I just made... It's a bad accent, so what? my Irish accent is shit.. I don't hear the Irish complaining.

[@davidjames579]

I don't understand why Mickey Rooney wanted to play that part. It makes him come across as a moron. What did he get out of it? He was a big enough star by 1961 so he didn't need to do it.

[@denniscarroll7696]

And what about Sidney Toler doing Charlie Chan?

[@TheNecessaryEvil]

Yellow face? Asians aren’t yellow. This is wacist!

[@1OTDM]

Someone should show this to Jennifer Murphy

[@twbeechey]

It is what it was....Hollywood is the first to bring this to everyones attention. But it's also Hollywood that does it in the first place. Enough.

[@charlesajones77]

I don't really understand how he even looks Asian. I would not have guessed that's what they were going for based on the make-up alone. It's the way he talks that makes it obvious that it's "yellow face".

[@netjunkie9]

When you're judging something over 50 years old using today's standards it's important to have perspective. This was barely 15 years removed from the end of WWII - about the same amount of time we're removed from 9-11. In the years since there have been all sorts of racially insensitive portrayals of Middle Eastern people that for the most part we accept. There's a carryover effect that sometimes takes decades to truly get over.

[@bjmccann1]

I don't think that I can agree with you that we mostly accept stereotypical portrayals of Middle Easterners on television and in the movies. I feel that most audience members would agree that if a character is evil or a buffoon, we accept it if those traits are specifically descriptive of that particular individual. If, on the other hand, it is suggested that those traits are racial characteristics, only a minority of the audience will not find that character to be offensive.

[@bjmccann1]

I don't think that I can agree with you that we mostly accept stereotypical portrayals of Middle Easterners on television and in the movies. I feel that most audience members would agree that if a character is evil or a buffoon, we accept it if those traits are specifically descriptive of that particular individual. If, on the other hand, it is suggested that those traits are racial characteristics, only a minority of the audience will not find that character to be offensive.

[@MKIVWWI]

Geez... get a proper prospective, will you? You said it yourself: "terror suspects". If a parody on Saturday Night Live is the WORST thing that murderous radical fundamentalist Muslims can expect from America, than we're all going "down the tubes".

[@Tubebrerry]

Seems like a little less time could be spent by Asian-American media critics on representation of Asians and Asian-Americans, and a little more time by Asian-American artists on creating films about Asian and Asian-American characters. Wouldn't this go a long way to solving a lot of the problems we see?

[@sharonsekhon9475]

except that Asians have been in this country since the 1700s.

[@rayrei8620]

That entire novella was racist as hell. Holly slammed the N word down a lot and said the most homophobic things. Yikes.

[@80sDECADEshouldNEVERLEFT]

He looked weird as a fake old Japanese boy; didn’t look right😡😡

[@mrflipperinvader7922]

5:53 oh hey I remember him from Bill Mahr's show!

[@raskltube]

its emotional seeing this as it rings true very true as asian born and who grew up in australia. in the 80s and 90s here racism was an everyday fact of me as a child and teenager.

[@trevormichael4906]

@Anony Mus lmao damn dude

[@MaleOrderBride]

Do you think Australia has gotten less racist now? I visited Sydney a while ago and the entire city was all Chinese people! So it looked like things have changed now😊

[@complaingel6967]

Nailed It!

[@alwayssearching1203]

I’m glad this portrayal is now seen for what it really was. It was cringeworthy and degrading.

[@johnmurphy7674]

It’s always been

[@d.g.n9392]

I’d been watching several old movies with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, just made me do a little of the wiki reading about Mickey Rooney. I’d forgotten he’d played this part in Breakfast at Tiffanies There were a lot of the movies with Caucasian actors playing oriental or Asia Indians. But there really was so many Asian actors available? Can’t quite understand it.

[@harukatakahashi8822]

8:01 That girl looks like Jennifer Lopez? no mistake people that native americans are actually not native to America, like amazon people,eskimos, Aztecs, incas, all kinds of them around the world, their ancestors came from Asia. so they are Asians. Mexicans are a mix race so their is no Mexican but they have mix races from their ancestors

[@user-hv4qu4zx8s]

to be honest,Mr. Yunioshi is my only impression when I first watched the movie~

[@nnekaokonkwo8271]

I am so glad Asian Americans are speaking-out against this.

[@xtusvincit5230]

You are not a victim class. Grow the fuck up.

[@xtusvincit5230]

Remember that Asians are the most racist people in the world.

[@TeeklGrey]

@Gaben Can everyone please stop playing the victim card altogether? I'm getting really sick of hearing all of this whining. Every single race has hurtful stereotypes surrounding them. Asian people, white people, black people, all have negative stereotypes. Grow the fuck up and stop whining.

[@derekhandson351]

Me too! I'm not Asian but it is good for people to voice their opinion if something is crude and offensive.

[@gaussminigun]

@@xtusvincit5230 your first response was correct, the second one.................ehh, kinda doesn't help

[@sirhellguitarlord5176]

Miss Go Lively, I don't feel so good

[@rockfrolic6249]

I can’t even understand what he’s fucking saying. Besides being racist, it really doesn’t fit in with the rest of the movie

[@user-dp9ym3dl8r]

I watched this film when I was 15 in 1970 at the local theater in my hometown in Japan. I was fascinated by the charming Audry, and never thought about the hilarious character of the apartment manager as offensive. Now I understand these Japanese Americans' point of view that Micky Rooney acting silly Japanese as stereotype so offensive. It must have been so degrading to have been sent to those isolated camps with terrible conditions. I saw Denis Quade and Tanlyn Tomita's "Come See the Paradise," and I got to know a little bit about their experiences during World War Two. Thank you for letting us know your views.

[@mirillama7798]

my chinese aunt was born in chinatown in manhattan and still mixes up her "L"s and "R"s

[@shiroishii499]

All these 'Chans' and 'Lus' in the comments section are pathetic excuses for east Asian persons. I'd go as far as to expunge them from our great racial cohort - there is absolutely NO conceivable deference for such subhuman mentalities. An individual who exhibits self-contempt deserves no respect, simple as that ladies and germs.

[@zhengjiao5600]

the only thing i agree with in your comment is calling men germs, thanks for the idea! i’ll now always be saying ladies and germs

[@WhiteBloggerBlackSpecs]

Yunioshi was hardly racist in the book

[@pappy374]

He was 0% racist in the book. In the book he was just a man who happened to be Japanese and was literally in about 2 pages.

[@christoph404]

Im not Asian, and Mickey Rooney's performance totally spoils that film for me, when I first saw the film as a child on TV his scenes made me cringe and I never quite understood why, he was just grotesque and painfully unfunny, as a kid I didn't know what he was supposed to be, I had no idea he was being Japanese, when I grew up and saw the film as an adult I just found his performance utterly disgusting, I just wished the movie could be edited without him in it, I think it could be possible with todays technology, even the film's director has expressed regret at the character being included, Mickey Rooney thought he was being funny but this was the 1960s, what the hell were they thinking to present this depiction? It is so misplaced and distasteful , and as I said, it totally spoils that movie for me, I enjoy seeing the clips with Audrey and George but I cannot watch the whole film , I end up switching off when Mr Rooney appears on screen with his stupid grotesque racist performance.

[@yoursouljustliftupandgetaw7548]

Emil Jansson that was funny as shit though lol. He was almost identical in every way to this character.

[@mauldin128]

Wow i thought he was really asian

[@JeffFreemanPresents]

Does anyone notice that George Lucas did the same thing in the Star Wars movies?

[@guslevy3506]

How awesome that Paramount got a few Asians to make their observations about a clearly racist trope that Rooney plays…and the “experts” spend half the time basically defending the producer, director and actors involved due to “the attitude of the time” defense. The reality is that the role was cringy and acknowledged as racist the moment it came out…and the more than two decades later, Hollywood felt guilty about it all by creating Long Dong Duc in 16 Candles.

[@linksjerrylikes]

Nowhere do I see the mention of tihe "Breakfast at Tiffany's" director Blake Edwards, who did the Pink Panther films. Remember the action-packed Clouseau-Cato fights? This failed Japanese depiction by Rooney is all about the over-the-top Blake Edwards.

[@CR-hq1uz]

Too bad the faux-progressive critics and cinephiles still haven't actually learned from it. Every year, they celebrate the film's anniversary and usually gloss over the yellowface to quickly jump into their lengthy paragraphs waxing poetic about how "iconic" and "stylish" the film and Audrey Hepburn are, and all the romanticized memories they have of the film from their childhood. "But it was just a part of the time's context!" they say....would they be so quick to jettison the issue or continue celebrating the film if it featured blackface?

[@SetuVerma]

really loved this. I am writing a paper on similar problem in Hindi Cinema (Bollywood). Mr. Guy Aoki, thank you, you gave my inner feelings a loud voice.

[@HailAnts]

Sofia Vegera is 100% playing a ridiculous over the top stereotype Latina woman in _Modern Family_ and she wins Emmys.

[@TheBarbiegirl50]

Well she’s actually latina rooney is wearing makeup

[@roarbertbearatheon8565]

You say that, but if you watch her in interviews her character isn't that far off from how she really is, lol

[@darrenskjoelsvold]

Oh my gosh, the part in your video when you said, "It's probably easier to name Asian bad guys than good guys." the first name that came to mind was Ming the Merciless. It's like you read my mind. This is a really thought provoking video and comes from a perspective that needs to be spoken more. The experience of Asian Americans is sorta drowned out and they need to speak up more.

[@canturgan]

I thought Ming was from another planet.

[@junglemoose2164]

Ming's an alien, you buffoon.

[@phoenixzappa7366]

Ah so

[@meathead6155]

RIP Mickey Rooney.

[@ReadRomans10]

In one of his last interviews he said he accepted Jesus as his Lord and saviour. So did Little Richard.

[@opaljk4835]

even racists be like DAAAMNNN

[@MrVoronoi]

woke power. let's go brandon.

[@Mr._Moderate]

Rooney looks ridiculous and not funny!

[@imspooked4054]

MrSwarai he’s hilarious

[@yourlonelyst4r]

John Bryan r u racist and do u support trump?

[@bmac7647]

The Yellowface is profoundly offensive...just as the portrayal of black and white people in Asian movies is always profoundly offensive.

[@shiroishii499]

Doesn't excuse the 'blackface' for Asians, now does it? You would go buck wild if it was blackface, but who gives a shit about those *insert east Asian pejorative*. Yeah, let's go enjoy a sitting of 'Birth of a Nation' because its an American classic without criticizing any aspect of its portrayal of African Americans, right? In addition, you don't seem to distinguish between Asians and Asian-Americans, as in Asian Americans sure as hell don't produce our own independent 'Asian' films in the US. Films produced in Asia should not be used as an excuse to portray a particular racial cohort, especially when there are Americans with ethnically Asian backgrounds.

[@Metaltherebel92]

Are people getting their panties in a twist by a move from the 60`s? Shit, people have to remember that the entertainment world hadn`t gotten that far back then. Racial stereotypes was still common. Sure it`s cringy and offensive in our modern times, but I honestly don`t think people made such a big deal out of it at the time. Also the actor said he wouldn`t have taken the role if he knew he was being offensive to a bunch of people.

[@Johny40Se7en]

Seriously, there's so much shit about this. Those teeth go over the top but the accent is quite funny as long as it's not designed to JUST stereotype and cause offense to Asians, doing it for a laugh isn't really bad. I mean, look at Family Guy, if people think this is bad, they'd have a fuckin' heart attack if they saw some of those episodes. People are just too easily wound up in general, probably because they take 'em selves too seriously, who knows, in the end, it's just messin' about. I agree with one of the guys sayin' "if they wanted an Asian character, why not just cast an Asian man" but Hollywood have been stupid on a lot of times like that, not just Asians, but Germans and Russians in WWII films etc.

[@capitalswish]

also why are people expecting a proper asian portrayal in a movie made by 60s white hollywood men, thats what doesnt make sense, did they not expect it to be utterly racist.

[@jacobgarrity651]

Asians and Asian Americans got George Takei for the best representation on a science fiction tv show and Shang-Chi and Everywhere all at once, Crazy Rich Asians and Disney animated movie Mulan. Also same with Africans and African Americans for Nichelle Nicole’s and The Marvel Cinematic Superhero movie Black Panther and it’s sequel and comedians like Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart and Tyler Perry.

[@shiroishii499]

All these 'Chans' and 'Lus' in the comments section are pathetic excuses for east Asian persons. I'd go as far as to expunge them from our great racial cohort - there is absolutely NO conceivable deference for such subhuman mentalities. An individual who exhibits self-contempt deserves no respect, simple as that ladies and germs.

[@MovieManOfPetersham]

Movie is amazing but god damn the role Is cringeworthy as f**k and why I can’t rewatch the movie as much as I wish I could.

[@Ninjamohawk]

This was an excellent look at this problem

[@JESUSISLORDforever888]

Why couldn’t they get an Asian male actor.

[@Peace8267]

If I remember correctly this character was also in the book, but he wasn't a blatantly racist stereotype like he is in the film.

[@user-ss9vp5ps1d]

race baiting again mam?

[@judithbreastsler]

yeah it's messed up

[@bryanperalta740]

Now I wonder, do Asian-Asians find this offensive because sadly in my country (The Philippines) they do not see anything wrong with black facing

[@starrsmith3810]

They’ve lost their minds

[@seanwagner6992]

We as a country have come a long way. And yet we have a long way to go. We are still building a more perfect union. What's sad is when the media, especially Hollywood lags behind society. Take Latin actors. They're portrayed so negatively by Hollywood today. The roles given them are either drug cartel roles or prison gang type roles. Yet the reality is they're so much more. Latin Americans are Americans. They're teachers, construction workers, painters, roofers, lawyers and professionals of all types. They are a good segment of America. Hollywood needs to wake up, and catch up.

[@stevereed8786]

Regardless how politically incorrect it is the fact is Rooney was hysterical and everyone loved it. Nobody took it seriously, like "White Chicks" or SNL, it's not that deep.

[@thedustwhispered]

If you're not asian, you don't get a say in this. Not "everyone" loved it. I, as an Asian woman, certainly didn't.

[@zhengjiao5600]

@@thedustwhisperedwhite people always think their opinion matters the most, they have never learnt to shut up in their lives, especially MEN

[@SubcultureVintage]

Keanu Reeves, Bill and Teds Excellent Adventures, Speed...***Star Trek was produced by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez production c0mpany Desi Lu they were the first bi-racical couple in tv

[@40aterules]

I'm a 62 year old white guy" and was born the year this movie came out.. Personally it's extremely excruciating from just a common descency standpoint. YIKES!

[@TheNeonRabbit]

It made me cringe and I'm an old white guy

[@joesimon2018]

Nancy Kwan. Damn. Smoking hot.

[@GantzIsSloppy]

Yum

[@claypool0]

Yellow face as a phrase seems more racist

[@Man_fay_the_Bru]

Shoulda had him mistreating pow’s then not apologising for it,woulda been far more apt

[@GantzIsSloppy]

how the fuck you gonna skip over Bruce Lee's contribution to Asians in Hollywood & go str8 to George Takei?

[@carlosrivas1629]

with eye surgery alone half these Asians with their skin tone could pass for white and mickey Rooney has narrow eyes for a white boy.

[@PropagandaBuster]

What about blacks playing white founding fathers in Hamilton?

[@Oliviaellerenner]

Now Asians be making the best films

[@Byhvla]

tbh the character itself wasn’t funny and it didn’t exist in the original book ( if i’m not wrong ) but i guess people’s humor back then was different