the self-fetishization of east-asia: koreaboos & weebs aren't the only problem

people who fetishize east-asians are cringe... but could those people involve east-easians themselves? i talk about various topics such as aegyo, asianfishing, orientalism, and the potential positives of self-fetishization. also, i need better lighting.
✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: i'd love to hear what you have to say *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 intro
3:26 self-fetishization: the physical
8:21 side note on cultural appropriation
10:25 aegyo, kawaii, & sajiao
15:45 self-orientalism: the exotic commodity
19:20 soft power
21:35 anime
23:29 south korea & k-pop
26:47 tourism
30:36 empowerment in self-fetishization?
33:41 outro
★・・・・・★・・・・・★
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★・・・・・★・・・・・★
SOURCES:
Said, E. Orientalism (1978).
Jones, A. "The pleasures of fetishization: BBW erotic webcam performers, empowerment, and pleasure." doi.org/10.1080/21604851.2019...
bareehafd. "A Guide to Self-Fetishization: “South Asian” Edition" bareehadehradunwala.com/2021/...
Puzar, A & Hong, Y. "Korean Cuties: Understanding Performed Winsomeness (Aegyo) in South Korea." doi.org/10.1080/14442213.2018...
Geary, J. "YOUNG WOMEN (AND MORE) IN ANIME." www.proquest.com/openview/1e9...
Reysen et. al. "Examination of Anime Content and Associations Between Anime Consumption, Genre Preferences, and Ambivalent Sexism." fansconference.org/dRuZ33A/wp...
Robinson, J. "You Go Girl! Examining Femininity and Oversexualization of Women in Anime." repository.usfca.edu/capstone...
Trong, B. "The Korean Wave: Cultural Export and Implications." resources.css.edu/academics/hi...
Iwabuchi, K. "Marketing ‘Japan’: Japanese cultural presence under a global gaze." doi.org/10.1080/1037139980872...
Iwabuchi, K. "Pop-culture diplomacy in Japan: soft power, nation branding and the question of ‘international cultural exchange’." doi.org/10.1080/10286632.2015...
Yan, G & Santos, C.A. "“CHINA, FOREVER”: Tourism Discourse and Self-Orientalism." doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2009...
Feighery, W. G. "Tourism and self-Orientalism in Oman: a critical discourse analysis." doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2012...
Liu, H. "Beneath the white gaze: Strategic self-Orientalism among Chinese Australians." DOI: 10.1177/0018726716676323
Zitong, Q. "CUTENESS AS A SUBTLE STRATEGY." doi.org/10.1080/09502386.2012...
Umbach, G &Wishnoff, D. "Strategic Self-Orientalism: Urban Planning Policies and the Shaping of New York City’s Chinatown, 1950-2005." DOI: 10.1177/1538513207313915
BBC. "Singapore: The Wired City." video.alexanderstreet.com/wat...
"The Intense And Dangerous Training To Be A K-Pop Star - 9 Muses Of Star Empire - Music Documentary." • The Intense And Danger...
Mina Le. "everything you need to know about japan's kawaii industry." • everything you need to...
MUSIC:
BTS (방탄소년단) 'ON' Kinetic Manifesto Film : Come Prima
'Awake' by Sappheiros is under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0)
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tags: social commentary, internet analysis, video essay, analysis video, philosophy, orientalism, orient, fetish, fetishization, koreaboo cringe compilation, weeb cringe, weeaboo, otaku, kpop, bts, blackpink, red velvet, txt, enhypen, twice, anime, parasite, korean cinema, jojo, japanese anime girl, asian fetish, asianfishing, exotic stereotype, chinese, douyin makeup, korean culture, aegyo compilation, chinese tiktok, hallyu wave, korean wave, kdrama, business proposal, squid game, aegyosal, capitalism, shanspeare, jordan theresa, cj the x, tiffany ferg, alice cappelle, contrapoints, philosophy tube, madisyn brown

[@polifemo3967]

I feel that the jokes on this script have gone a step up, and everything feels like its running more smoothly. Good job on polishing your craft!

[@reikowallach2465]

She's gained confidence.

[@Juicetron]

that soft power joke 💀

[@alexcevallos6179]

Si

[@alexcevallos6179]

Si

[@alexcevallos6179]

No No

[@sinuedavidsilvaescutia4817]

Gotta be honest, people in the US really love the image of asian culture but they don't have a clue of what the real culture and their history. Back in mexico, I had a girlfriend from japan and her parents and her used to talk about the pressure and stress that their society puts on everyone. Like working until you literally died, the suicides, or the overwhelming expectation that some parents put on their kids.

[@sinuedavidsilvaescutia4817]

Yeah, it is and but that is the reality that no one wants to talk about. Their culture has its ups and downs and its not all what the TV shows you, ya know

[@ultimatecosmic6053]

I hope the suicide rates come to America lol we have too many stupid people here

[@__-wm9lu]

@@shaobingboy yeah this guys dumb

[@claggor6378]

Im so tired of hearing this argument. Americans have a culture, but if you’ve lived America your whole life it’s hard to tell what that culture is since you’re so used to it.

[@acetofresh1]

@@sinuedavidsilvaescutia4817 I disagree with this take. This is some of the concepts that people who are interested in Japan talk about. There’s a bad trend where people over estimate how uncommon their takes are. You said “ nobody” talks about these things. Those are EXTREMELY common among the Japanophile/Otaku community.

[@keceti9606]

I am Indonesian, I live in America, have my whole life. I am in high school and all this recent fetishization thing has been really weird kids will ask if I'm Japanese or Korean and when I tell them I'm not they seem to be disappointed, like they only care about me if I was one of the "cool asians"

[@hanggaraaryagunarencagutuh7072]

As an Indonesian, I don't consider myself an Asian at all. I'm just an Oceanian.

[@sasukeshinobi8537]

Yo I’m Indonesian American too I grew up in Cali 👋I wish more Indos came to live in America as we are a very small Asian minority. I also wish we were more globally famous like Korea and Japan. I’m jealous of these other Asians 😂 I mostly heard people tell me they never see a brown Asian. They say hold up you look Chinese but also Spanish boy😂

[@hanggaraaryagunarencagutuh7072]

@@sasukeshinobi8537 Nope. I don't consider myself an Asian at all. That's like saying that Syrians, Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians and Lebanese are Europeans.

[@didiqqz]

@@hanggaraaryagunarencagutuh7072 the only difference is that Indonesia is literally in Asia..... The middle eastern country don't acclaim to be European because the middle east like Indonesia is also part of Asia.

[@hanggaraaryagunarencagutuh7072]

@@didiqqz Indonesia isn't a part of Asia much like how Middle East isn't a part of Europe. Europe is separated by Ural and Volga, while Sundaland is separated by Annam, Yunnan-Guizhou and Mekong.

[@helbluhtoo1818]

As a southeast Asian I think this topic is really interesting from my POV. Because in my community it’s almost as if they put East Asians on a pedestal and a goal to achieve their looks. I wouldn’t call it fetishization, but it feels like it. Like we’re Asian but not seen as the pretty Asians and it’s a compliment if someone says you look Korean or Chinese. I’ve even heard some girls say they wished they were born East Asian. Edit: I’m just writing this edit bc I feel like my original comment has gotten taken out of context/strayed away from the point💀 what I’m basically trying to say is that SOME southeast Asians (mainly those living in western countries where East Asian content dominates Asian media/representation) feel like they have to cosplay/pretend to be East Asian to be seen has the more “popular” Asians. And this notion is SOMEWHAT upheld by some elders in our own community. With some comments I personally heard from MY community using looking Korean or any form of EA (including Chinese bc I have heard some) as a compliment. I AM NOT speaking for all southeast Asians or ANY other asian regions, but this is what I have witnessed in MY COMMUNITY. I wrote my og comment because in the video it talks about self-fetishization which I felt kind of related since I do feel like SOME romanticize the idea of what it’s like to be East Asian and turn it into something that’s not very progressive for the Asian community. I also wrote my comment to express something I PERSONALLY have not heard discussed enough about in the SEA community. In no means am I saying that there’s anything wrong with not being East Asian. In fact I think that’s something people in our community needs to learn and push forward towards in order to accept who we are. I hope this explains enough.

[@lav415]

yes, its kind of like ‘‘oh, your Asian so you’re meant to be *this or this* ’’

[@haleycopans296]

i see that a lot. as a white girl who loves kpop and is actively getting into sea cultures the different reactions i get are insane. when I say i love kpop and would like to visit korea i get maybe a koreaboo joke or a bts joke. when i mention i like bollywood and would love to visit india, i get a "but there are poor people there" its weird

[@Morimoder]

It does end up, to a certain extent, as a feeling of not being "the good kind" of asian, Not being particularly discriminated, but having no positive representation if any at all. It is as if the world ignores south east Asia. It's not uncommon to wish to have been born as an east Asian, it's the desire to be desirable.

[@audiobooksforfree7857]

@@haleycopans296 Don’t listen to those guys. Go to any country you want to go to, just make sure you’re safe and not hating on the culture or overstepping boundaries.

[@Quasiguambo]

Crazy. Not surprising.. but crazy. I'm still shocked that whitening cream is a concept that exists in... the 21st century. I am mixed race... and for whatever reason, I always wanted to be darker. I like that for myself. I live in a white country, perhaps that is somehow a factor... white people always want to be darker, and apparently vice versa? Except in the places where there was the whole... peasants work outside and so skin tone class system... caste system? It's all pretty stupid in any case.

[@jkiran417]

This might sound wierd but when you talked about pleasures of fetishization, I was thinking the reason why some want to be fetishized is because we all crave acceptance. As ethnic people, we wish people would crave our features and see us as beautiful because we grew up pedestalizing white culture and features. As a south Asian, I know other desi girls kinda enjoy it when others see us as exotic and beautiful because it’s better than being seen as nerdy or ugly which are also our stereotypes. It’s also interesting to hear about those fighting against other fetishes and creating their own categories like Asian BBW in your example. It just goes to show that people are attracted to ALL types of looks and there really is a plethora of looks appealing to the general population.

[@rickyli0n568]

I agree with this as an indian guy ive sometimes wished that indian culture and looks would be fetishised just so we arent the laughing stock of the world

[@lockheart619]

I’m Ivorian American and tbh I relate to this because at least I’m viewed as desirable that way. I don’t like to admit that, but seeing your comment made me realize it. As problematic as it is to be fetishized, it feels better than being viewed as ugly, undesirable, or the bottom of the barrel.

[@ckpn4771]

💯💯💯

[@basma7806]

@@rickyli0n568 they dont really go hand in hand sadly. lmao look at arabs were fetishized and still looked down upon. all were known for is extremism and wars (that were started by the west lmao but thats a diff topic) while still being sexualized for simply existing. (ex: hijabi p***, theyre sexualized for wanting to be modest. ik muslim doest equal arab but it does in the westerners eyes so it still counts)

[@minam.658]

@@rickyli0n568 same with me, but I'm middle eastern. We always get the negative stereotypes :/

[@sad-womeninthehouse4249]

I was absent the first day of high school but the teacher said my name, the male students were “excited” to have an “Asian” class mate however I am half Mexican and so I look mostly like my mom, the only thing that reminds people of me being Asian IS my name. So when I got there and looked like everybody else well… they were extremely disappointed, and I found myself speaking Chinese to them and “performing” my Asian side for them. Treating myself as a show. I hate that I felt the need to do that, when you were talking about how women have to perform for their partners AND coworkers???? I felt sick to my stomach bro

[@AS-cs9gi]

Dam that's fed up

[@semekiizuio]

Well tbf ever since Trump ran in office south Latin countries have had a very bad image magnified. Tried to blame immigrants as the root of the countries problems when thanks to covid it's because of these immigrants working hard on these fields that people can live with food on their tables and give the hard labor jobs to the poor. Then the big boom of the caravan from south countries migrating to the US didt make rhnsh better RIP. As a Hispanic I really wish Mexico or any Latin country wasnt painted as dirty, bad and poor because theres more to it. Mafia doesnt speak for the people (mayhaps the country 😅) and neither does poverty speak for the culture because it really is beautiful culture beautiful lands and wonderful foods.

[@thelegalmexican9860]

@@semekiizuio I find it ironic how Mexico was resentful on Trumps anti immigration problems because Mexico themselves has a very strong anti-government attitude, especially agaisnt central american and african refugees

[@thelegalmexican9860]

So do you live in Mexico? I agree that mexican students will be very amazed if you aren't Mexican, seeing how we do not have a big influx of immigrants of outside culture other than American, when I was in secondary school we got an american girl from indiana, and she stood up like a sore thumb, but it gets to the point of giving too much attention of having those kind of people around that it turns into an awful obsession, my sincere apologies of having to experience that.

[@Shakiraismygf]

Im half Mexican and European and I felt the same way with my Mexican side when I was younger , I always felt the need to “prove” that I was Mexican as a child and it honestly makes me rlly sad bc now that I’m older I realize how much I was hurting myself by doing this

[@chanslaptop5496]

as a kpop fan, i see it everywhere. people wanting a korean/asian bf/gf, people using korean words in random sentences (i die inside every time someone does it) and as an asian girl, i experience fetishization bc people are like “ohhh youd be a cute little asian gf” LIKE WGAT

[@emiz99]

you should be grateful

[@fuu6ko665]

@@emiz99what are you trying to say here?

[@emiz99]

@@fuu6ko665 that she should be grateful that she is getting praised just because of her race, its much better than being ridiculed for being a certain race.

[@TeaMollie11]

​@@emiz99Nah being judged for your race either in a positive or negative way is bad because it's just that, a judgement based on the way you look/were born or whatever

[@emiz99]

@@TeaMollie11 get what ur saying but isn’t being judged in a positive way based solely on your appearance a great advantage?

[@zyoshida6850]

As a Japanese man living in Japan, this video helped me a lot to see what is called ''Japanese culture'' in a different perspective. I've been having difficulties to find elements making me feel ''I'm Japanese''. At least I think it's cool that Japanese anime, food, and ''traditional culture'' have spread all over the world and they are being enjoyed by many people, but not in those things do I find something important shaping me as a Japanese person at its core. Maybe it's just I'm ignorant, but I somewhat understand the reason behind my detachment from ''Japanese culture'' knowing it's been basicallly produced with intentions to be consumed. I like that you deconstruct pop culture from academic perspectives!!

[@FunkyDeleriousPriest]

I am not speaking for myself, but a lot of people living in Western culture believe that they have no culture. Sometimes it is not obvious when you stay in the same place all of the time, with the same people all of the time. Have you travelled outside of Japan? When I spend a long time with my southeast Asian family, I am reminded that my American culture encompasses lots things that I take for granted, like air conditioning, or comfy sofas even.

[@GeekProdigyGuy]

agreed with other poster! as the opposite perspective, as an American who has consumed a good bit of anime and manga and visited Japan - the food and "traditional culture" were novel and pleasant, for sure, but there are SO MANY things that differ and can be taken for granted. it felt quite bizarre experiencing how formal/polite basic interactions are, even knowing what that "looked like" from media, but I have to imagine it's even stranger growing up with that and then experiencing its absence.

[@80s_graffiti]

"the reason behind my detachment from 'Japanese culture' knowing it's been basically produced with intentions to be consumed" DAMNN, u spittin. this is so enlightening and kind of disheartening. impeccable english btw omg

[@dynadwynn]

Maybe you struggle because in the end we're all people inside, when stripped off of our traditional clothings and cuisines. I don't feel like initially kimonos or udon were created just to be consumed by western culture. Imagine, people from overseas suddenly lose all interest in Japan - will it stop people in Japan from drawing manga, holding summer festivals in shrines or being polite to each other?..

[@LovelyLittleLillies]

Capitalism, the culture of putting all your focus on work and then barely time for anything else strips individuals of culture. Because even in non western countries we copy their way of life (like everyone wearing jeans and similar clothes instead of traditional so we become detached to our own culture. In order to feel it you need to partake but if the only thing you're partaking in is consumerism ofc you will feel lack of culture. Consumerism and capitalism isn't culture. A lot of countries are becoming westernized and the influence of western media and it's consumption is not helping.

[@Armetzger]

When you realise the reason anime and catgirls exist, was because Japan wanted to be more lighthearted and "cute" to foreigners and to uplift their people's spirits after the horrors of war... In other words, the U.S. in a sense, bombed weaboos into existence

[@Chillikilli]

Makes sense, that was there payback

[@emmanueldy9130]

@@Chillikilli the Japanese were playing the long game

[@Chillikilli]

@@emmanueldy9130 yup they are very good at vengeance

[@MVAS-mp9oo]

@@Chillikilli *revengeance*

[@Guy-cb1oh]

Or maybe they just like anime and catgirls? Have you ever thought about that? Or does everything have be related to geopolitics?

[@annawang6435]

The term “pick me girl” is also misused a lot. Any asian person in western countries doing aeygo/sajiao or being kawaii would be accused of being a “pick me”. The definition of a “Pick me girl” refers to a girl who acts/says misogynistic things to get male validation. Acting “cute” isn’t just being done to males, it could be a girl to a girl, girl to their parents, moms to their daughters or sliblings to silblings. People act cute for different reasons, whether to get something from them or simply to be cute.

[@DustMoons]

I often question how a term used to describe a misogynistic woman has been turned into a misogynistic phase. We are really out here doing everything to degrade woman.

[@Saad72Shahriar]

More like when a woman is speaking against the popular narrative she would be labelled as "pick me". I think that's a better definition.

[@kaitheinamori3112]

@@DustMoons now if u have a different opinion u are called a pick me lol

[@greeshmagovindkamath8881]

I just got here after watching zoeunlimited's video on this topic. You should totally watch it!

[@Fr00stee]

@@DustMoons probably women trying to one up each other

[@kupeart3746]

I met a japanese man once who lives in the periphery of japan and he told me that there is kind of a "tokyo kioto bubble" that is the stereotypical representation of japan while most of the people are just living in an ordinary towns.

[@XxStrawberryxJellyxX]

After visiting Hokkaido, I can 100% confirm. Tokyo and Kioto definitely put a lot of emphasis on creating the "perceived culture" the West thinks of Japan having. Not everywhere, but anywhere tour guides will take you and the surrounding areas are all built for the westerners, not the locals. If you leave the main cities, study up on your Japanese because they don't (nor should they have to) hold your hand out there. (This is from over a decade ago, though so things might have changed)

[@Alias_Anybody]

@@XxStrawberryxJellyxX It's no just for the external image. You'll find enough cultural centers in Western contries as well which firmly believe they represent their whole nation and the rest are basically hillbillies.

[@dongysakura418]

@@Alias_Anybodylabeling the rest of America as hillbillies just adds to the ignorance as if America is just ‘city mouse vs country mouse’. America has a variety of geography, ethnic groups, societal expectations etc. Even values differ from county to county and state to state. It’s not the Wild West vs the big apple 🤦‍♀️

[@Alias_Anybody]

@@dongysakura418 You really didn't understand my comment.

[@dongysakura418]

@@Alias_Anybody you’re right. I misread your comment. But I don’t think that those cultural centers believe they represent the whole nation. Any resident living in that country knows that. It a stereotype that is internalize by tourists and foreigners but not the locals

[@thanos6346]

I come from Appalachia, a region of the Americas that is notable for having a unique culture that had until recently been kept intact by the isolation of the mountains. Now, as the world becomes more connected and those in Appalachia move out or die out, I am witnessing the death of a culture that has existed in the area for centuries. Our regional culture is not being commodified like those of East Asia, but it leaves one to wonder which is a worse fate for a cultural identity; assimilation or appropriation?

[@julialevelle6384]

Same! I'm West Virginian, and I teach in the public schools here. I have to fight tooth and claw to help my kids realize their heritage as Appalachians!

[@shigekax]

In france, since the country is supposed to be one and undivided, they erased nearly all languages and sub cultures, and they were a lot : basically most "départements" had one or more. Now only bretagne, corse and alsace are reclaiming their heritage ( and independance) (and only since the last few decades) (at least, now they can be vocal about it, instead of jailed.)

[@thegoodhornet]

Both. Abandonment because it kills a culture, appropriation/fetishization because it makes a mockery of it. I’m with you; Appalachia’s a distinct culture that risks total abandonment, but I’ll add that Appalachia’s cultural decline is also being fueled by its absolutely *_vicious_* demonization by the mainstream, which depicts it as being synonymous with ignorance, backwardness, or simply being a “hick.”

[@jegsthewegs]

I've only heard of negative Appalachian traits, sadly.

[@gaeig]

I am Indian and I have little idea about Appalachian culture other than it being depicted as bigoted drug addicts holding a confederate flag but i would just say that culture is fluid and the demise of culture is actually the region losing interest in most of its traditions in favour of adopting other traditions in the surrounding region which IF NOT forced politically, isn't necessarily a good or a bad thing. Reinforcing traditions just for the sake of preserving culture is just wishful thinking and totalitarian I mean, my mother tongue which is older than the founding of the US will probably die out in the future Cultural assimilation with the extinction of languages and art has happened in about every region of the world since prehistory and we have much more significant issues such as climate change and overpopulation to worry about which have never happened ever in human history

[@ruthienium1804]

I'm black but like damn, it feels bad to be just a trend. I began wearing my natural hair because I saw how it was venerated in the media, now I feel my hair is frizzy and unmanageable because it's just not trendy anymore. trends just leave the people who've experienced it feel like cheap entertainment for a while, then it goes back to "I don't want to play with you anymore". it felt kinda nice for a while, being black, but now you just figure you're unwanted in society after a trend passes and the general societal consensus is "we don't want you anymore". I don't know, I kind of felt it in the way people talk about travel and stuff. Places in Africa are all just a charity appeal, unless you are lighter skinned or beautiful or something like that. it's just like "Wow, the women are soooo beautiful in *Country X*". The countries that typically don't have black features. It's always loose hair or small noses. But I like myself and I'm proud to be African, I will continue to love representing my country regardless of whether I'm "the in thing" or not. I can't let my experience of life be constantly dictated by Western trends of appeal, who gives a damn. One last quote, if you give people the power to bring you up, you also give them the power to pull you down. Trust in God, stay good, bye!

[@dannycarrero9757]

I don’t have as tight curls as black people tend to have but I certainly feel that. I was constantly told by white women that they loved my hair and it led me to grow it out but as it fell out I got less and less compliments and felt that it was more and more inconvenient. Now I’ve come to appreciate my hair and I wanna say you should love your curls because they’re a part of the cultures we have. There are hairstyles and hair are for it that I feel help me tap into my individuality instead of just another brown person in the eyes of Americans. Sorry if I don’t make sense throughout😅

[@mariemae2774]

thank you so much for this. people don't understand this and i relate to what you've said. It's nice to hear someone outside of my family talk about it.

[@abigailokoiobuli8945]

I really appreciate your take on this as a fellow African. A lot of black women hate their natural hair because of colonialist mentalities, but joined the natural hair "movement" as a trend. After a the craze died down, they're back to hating their hair and calling it "unmanageable" or "nappy". Let's not even get started on the wig craze (kinda funny how the wigs they love are always Caucasian hair and never kinky hair). All this is only hurting the black community, as it leaves us hating our hair and buying the Western view of it. I love my hair and I'm grateful that more women are getting to love it too. I just really wish that all the Western influences die out and people of all races can be who they truly are, not some b-grade white wannabes

[@dannycarrero9757]

@@abigailokoiobuli8945 I agree, genetic diversity is what lead to better odds of survival and is a part of life. We should chase one way of life because that easier to wipe out. In the same way we should choose one standard because realistically that’s just not feasible even if the sandard wasn’t unhealthy

[@User-jr7rk]

lol imagine doing things just because they're trends

[@ummee25]

tiktok and instagram have RUINED everything. believe me.

[@awts..7954]

Yes and they have ruined my country too

[@mystiquenoodleedits3485]

Well.....TikTok is probably the BIGGEST PLATFORM that have ruined everything honestly. Especially today we are living where I think most people use TikTok.

[@zedekiahthemoonwalker]

social media ruined everything in general

[@Gaming_Legend2]

Tiktok and instagram ruined everything but they wouldn't exist if the US didn't exist so they ruined everything but also they wouldn't be a thing if europe and spcially britain wasn't a thing so I blame the british

[@shoocakadoo]

ruined my k.d in cod

[@zerovstheworrld]

i’m korean, and have diagnosed bulimia and ptsd partly because of racism that has been directed towards me. i really appreciate this video, i’m a little dissapointed at a lot of these comments that really didn’t get the point. growing up with sm racism around me and suddenly finding out my culture was being appreciated but then finding out my culture was being, fetishized mocked, and misunderstood just made me feel all worse.

[@mahimer-bb5kg]

I'm so sorry I'm wishing you a well recovery! I think it's because it has to do with a growing trend and stereotypes-- it happens with Indians too. We're either stereotyped for having the "body odor of curry" and "being hairy" or being downright fetishized. Why can't we Asians win in this situation? I feel like it's a similar situation with Koreans. They like the culture and want to assimilate with it but deep down have strong and harmful stereotypes about them (i.e. fetishization of Asian women for being submissive)

[@zerovstheworrld]

@@mahimer-bb5kg tysm aw i am doing way better, this is so kind of u! :)) and yes i totally agree! w/ koreans it’s either you “eat dogs” or you’re fetishized for the worst racist reasons 😭 i think a lot of ppl in the cmmt section are mistaking fetishization as a compliment bc like u said it’s either blatant hatred or disguised hatred in the form of fetishization. i can honestly see the mistake but i rlly hope ppl learn the actual term of of fetishized/fetish, an excessive obsession with heavy sexual undertones and associating sexual desires with an entire culture is never a good thing

[@catisaorsilla]

@mahimer-bb5kg It’s disgusting, all kinds of Asian women are seen stereotypically in different ways but it all falls back to fetishization.

[@FireJach]

and americans are seen as idiots in the entire world. Don't get it too serious. Be happy people love your culture the way they see it. It's positive.

[@PinkiePies_Pie]

Fluttershy 🦄🌸💘

[@WerstoftheWorst]

It feels super weird calling myself a weeb now (I dont fetishize the culture or anything) but I really like anime and harajuku fashion had a big influence on my style but now every person I meet who calls themselves a weeb is like, really creepy about it and I dont know how to explain it exactly

[@greeniscoollol]

I know what you mean...

[@noakinn]

It's only quite recently that anime fans referred to themselves as weebs. back in my day people would conflate anime fan with otaku (despite it just means need or geek to specific things), and weeaboos were a distinct category of especially weird people who fetishised japan.

[@pimmet916]

​@noakinn I believe that weeb is more of a western term than Otaku

[@noakinn]

@@pimmet916 yes it is, but weeaboo was originally a term for people who fetishised japan and its culture. of course language changes, so weeb is more associated with anime fans. it's just that in western anime culture, otaku was used to refer to anime fans. (not as much anymore ofc) I personally like neither and just say anime fan regardless of who it is, because it's just simpler

[@gav1233]

I used to be a huge weeaboo with a terrible case of yellow fever. I understand, and I know what you're talking about because I saw some of the worst parts of it. In addition to holding "the East" to unrealistic standards, seeing it as some sort of utopia, my obsession with East Asian culture was also born out of the shame I have with my own. I never really felt like I could fit in with my Western peers who I often looked down upon and didn't want to be associated with. It got to the point where I became unsatisfied with my home life, my physical appearance, and even my closest friends. This combined with the surge in anime, K-pop, and other media on the internet really got me hooked and believing really embarrassing, if not straight up creepy, things about East Asia. Looking back, I hate being reminded of it and have moved on. Being young and being exposed to that stuff, it was pretty much all I ever knew. I'm very grateful that I had finally moved on from that. I still have an interest in anime, K-pop, and Chinese historical dramas, but my obsession isn't so bad that I wish to be reborn as a “perfect Easterner". Unfortunately, the embarrassment I have with that phase in turn makes me ashamed of the culture I was raised in where this fetishization was encouraged. That part hasn't changed, which I'm worried could start this all over again.

[@crystal_pepsi]

"Many white passing wasians feel less Asian than Asian passing wasians, even if their connection to their Asian roots are the same." This was just a small line in a much larger point but it meant a lot to hear, thank you

[@xaff0]

as i white passing asian i agree

[@maddie9095]

LITERALLY how i feel

[@bree.t06]

Same here, that line hit too hard

[@eliasFM]

I live in Thailand am half Mongolian but am white passing.. it’s so hard cuz ur not being treated the same as others.

[@wisteria6656]

Also non white passing wasians feel less asian too. When I was a kid everyone made jokes that I was actually indigenous. When I was 8 a lady stopped me in the street and asked me “ you know what disney princess you look like? “ and I sai “Mulan”. She replied “ No its pocahontas!” That made me so sad. Also in my japanese school everyone would have that very white skin and my dad is a more yellow/ orange tone( that ressembles indigenous) so I stood out and felt different, my mom beeing white didnt gave me a color , just made my eyes look less like my fathers, just more racially ambiguous Edit: I went to doctor today and she said “ I barely have an indigenous client! “ 🥲 Edit2: guys read stuart hall’s book on identity crisis, its guuuud👍 hes an immigrant philosopher and talks about cultural identity translation between nations

[@gawdawful2742]

I showed my mom this video, she’s Filipino and she just looks at me and asks why these people are so miserable that they want to act like a different race and I fuckin spat out my water from the sheer facts she was spittin

[@jacobo6652]

Truth

[@idontknowmyname.9202]

W mom

[@gawdawful2742]

@Kevin Davis you completely missed the message of the comment and the vid. But whatever, you do you.

[@eliza1826]

@@gawdawful2742 filipino aren’t asian, no body how much they claim they are lol

[@spaghetti5914]

based

[@viviana3999]

Society went from me a Mexican brown girl being bullied and laughed for appearing to be “Chinese” to now the fetishization of my eyes and similar features. I ofc see how this is beneficial for me like she said in the video but all I think about is why people seem to not call me “Chinese” anymore, but ultimately this video made me realize that I am instead of bullied, fetishized. I can not even begin for fathom what ACTUAL Asian people are being see as. This very was truly eye opening thank you🎀

[@BellaVidaMercy]

This is my cousin’s experience. He was bullied for being Mexican but looking Asian. We are Mayan from the Yucatán, but we have Afro and Asian Heritage as well. Be easy on yourself 🩷 People can be quite mean, and downright evil. Love you🌸

[@jessica3218]

I’m Mexican too and some random guy in high school walked up to me to ask if I was Asian? It was weird because why does he care what my race is??

[@artoriasoftheabyss1575]

​@@jessica3218because they are curious? Why tf are people blowing this out of proportion?

[@jessica3218]

@@artoriasoftheabyss1575 He started laughing at me with his friends.. it was so out of the blue. I’ve never seen those kids in my life.

[@broadwaybibliophile1802]

wow - just found this channel today and the presentation is slick and aesthetically pleasing while NOT being distracting or overproduced? She's hit the sweet spot between academic+grainy and Mr Beast-like retention editing that video essays need to be both enjoyable and trustworthy.

[@cofntl6826]

can we also just talk about the division between south/south east asian people and east asia? the fact that south asian people are completely excluded from mainstream media and aren't included in other mainstream trends like the recent douyin trends. and also about how south east asian girls on most commonly on platforms like tiktok usually only get praised based off of their looks because they look more east asian? i really agree with your point that the east asian look isn't the standard look. this may be controversial but in my opinion, like by saying that having eyeliner that elongates or largens your eyes is asian fishing puts asian people in a box, it connotes that asian people just have one look. it's what you do wearing the makeup that becomes a problem, like acting cute n shit, that's when it starts to get grey. this is all just part of my opinion as a south east asian person raised in the west, and how i've interpreted everything that's been going on about the mainstream asian culture boom

[@ststst981]

I feel like a lot of that east-asian specific fetishization too could linked to ideas of white supremacy perpetuated through colonialism and more recently through western media. I know a lot of people try to play it off as the "well it's from the old days if you worked the fields and were poor you were dark" but i feel like thats a cop out for the influence of white supremacy from the west

[@topheeba]

i agree with you! west asian are also totally forgotten about, and central asians are always 99% of the time left out

[@oliSUNvia]

yep :( that’s why i specified that really, only korea, japan, and kind of china get this attention. sadly, other asians are not appreciated the same

[@proger1960]

@Jabari Johnson *South Asia ( Indian subcontinent) also gets seen just as Bollywood or not even Asian*

[@re_i_gn]

Exactly. I'm a Filipino and it pisses me off how the majority of mainstream media in the Philippines is hyperfocused on Korean media and culture. K-pop has been huge here for decades, but the cultural takeover and fetishization has just been ABSOLUTELY INSANE since the 2015s. I hate it and I just see it accelerating for generations to come. And this is coming from me who has a Korean girlfriend and grew up closely with Korean friends.

[@ZZ-qy5mv]

I noticed this trend(?) of defining our culture with physical traits. It puts mixed raced people like me in a tough place. I see mixed people getting yelled at for cultural appropration on Tik Tok to the point of needing to do a "parents reveal" to prove their identity. Not to mention people in the West and East Asia making themselves up to look more and more "mixed." A lot of us suffer rejection from our cultures because we don't look like them, but now they also want to look like us? It's become quite absurd.

[@flitefulwantssubs402]

A big problem in itself is that we distinctly separate countries and races. We identify and categorize people as Asian, black, white, etc. which creates further polarization and forgets about the "middle ground" (because yeah believe it or not everyone doesn't have "pure blood" belonging entirely to one race).

[@idksorry5576]

I think its due to the fact that non native americans lost their cultural heritage and because of slavery, identified each other based on ,,race,, (even if its is a completly made up concept)

[@Qqqpppuyt]

As just your average black person, I've observed something from the sidelines. It seems like at first society was obsessed with the mixed "look" of blacks + whites (blites). Now, society seems obsessed with the mixed "look" of blacks + asians (blasians). I guess mixed ppl will forever be fetishized until mixed becomes the norm

[@sabi.2627]

exactly. i'm half asian and live in hk and my whole entire life i had never fit in. i hardly can speak canto or mandarin which sucks because I want to be better at it. But I feel more western compared to asian and always degraded myself for being asian when I was younger because I thought it wasn't good. But now I'm more confident in the rise of more asian popularity. I know, it isn't a good thing. But now I can relate more to my culture a bit more.

[@iminyourwalls2182]

I 100% agree! Also the parents reveal thing is the worst. Personally I’m mixed Caribbean and Asian on my moms side and German and Canadian on my dads, and growing up i mostly celebrated Caribbean culture because that’s where my family is and obviously lived as a Canadian. So naturally I got picked on by white kids for like big hair, my eye shape, arm hair etc , but at the same time, I didn’t look or feel “Caribbean” enough to really understand the reason for my differences. As a kid this had a big effect and caused me to struggle a lot with having a sense of identity because the only people who didn’t just see me as a funny-looking-probably-white person, were other mixed people or my family. And then for the beauty standards and media that caused all these issues, to turn around and make it like a trend and fetishize mixed people but also gatekeep not conventionally attractive mixed people out of their own identities with things like the parents reveal is disgusting. And so many of them have this specific image in mind of what someone who is mixed should look like, so people who have more complicated backgrounds are still shunned, and BIPOC’s who have less white heritage are also still left out. Also a lot of white people who didn’t know the difference thought it was okay for them to make videos like “I’m 5% black” or something or to talk like that, which only makes it harder for people in the middle to open up about their family because they don’t want to seem like one of those people. Also I want to acknowledge that obviously, depending on how mixed you are and what mix etc, there is the whole question about white privilege, I personally benefit from white privilege and I am not making this to try to undermine the struggles of people who are in danger because of their ethnicity, bc obviously that’s worse. I am just saying this whole being mixed trend is very dehumanizing towards mixed people and the crossfire can be quite harmful.

[@fgcmiloboyyo1550]

Wow as a half Taiwanese who’s full passing moving from Australia to America, I agree so much stated. Your points were so detailed and you are super professional. Great vid

[@CelAbration]

I've always wanted to know more about deep cultural history and this just blew my mind. Absolutely blown away. Thank you for being honest

[@KhadijaMbowe]

I more than “tolerated” this video 💕 Glad your videos showed up in my recommended

[@oliSUNvia]

NO WAY i feel blessed by your presence hahaha

[@KhadijaMbowe]

@@oliSUNvia 💕💕💕 your vids are fantastic 🌹

[@sashaines8646]

Two queens collide

[@kakkalanqueen.]

two of my faves omg

[@sararogers7338]

I would 100% watch a collab 🤩

[@tutu3909]

I wanted to comment on the aegyo thing when you said it's a cultural thing, in the Middle-east it's the opposite, the more cold and mature the woman is; the more she's attractive because she's seen as responsible, and if she acts like a little girl it's a turn off. It's interesting how different it is in other cultures.

[@chamberv5261]

I really like this concept tbh. I feel like the girly aesthetic has been pushed so much by the media that we forget that even women's voices get deeper during puberty. Being an adult also means that you must be skilled and responsible (especially if you plan on becoming a parent) rather than submissive and helpless. Although I must admit I've seen a few brown men (not only middle eastern but those all the way to Pakistan/India/Bangladesh) that seem to hit on young girls A LOT. In the Mediterranean-Arabic (Turkey, Palestine, Lebanon) countries such a trend is almost non existent but when we move towards the east it becomes a bigger problem...

[@fangzification]

I think this could be because the type of women who demonstrate this trait survive and those who don't will not in that kind of environment historically speaking.

[@lunali7209]

@@fangzification no its bc being the opposite of aegyo-y in the middle east as a woman is seen as being prideful, valuable and not easy. which is desired in middle eastern countries bc the ideal for women is to be "untouched" .

[@estelle6528]

As middle eastern myself I also like to criticize this concept a bit, most young girls in the middle eastern countries are forced to grow up faster than the boys and take responsibility for house chores, their families and are basically held up as being representatives of the family's pride and honor, which is so unfair and so dangerous the girl would be crucified for exhibiting slight traits of incompetence or immaturity, deeming her as useless

[@samahnajim]

@@estelle6528 as a middle eastern girl myself, i agree very much

[@quantenmoi]

Fascinating perspective, thanks! As a middle aged white American male who was oblivious to most of the topics you’ve raised, I can only assume the KZbin gods showed me this video because I’ve been binge watching linguistics and world cultures videos. But I’m glad I wound up here! One thing I have encountered while visiting Japan on business was the childlike behaviors. I didn’t realize there were actual names for this. And I must admit it was one of the things that creeped me out a little while I was there. Absolutely wonderful country overall, but that did give me pause. And while I do still think it’s kind of creepy, this video provides some nuance that I would have never considered otherwise.

[@Catboya3ther]

The photo card took me OUT omg?? Tysm for the vid, I love ur video essays so much

[@flmaobggf12]

As an Asian woman living in Asia, I have many thoughts on this. Not all Asian women are the same of course, so my opinion is just my own. Aegyo/kawaii/sajiao is not inherently about women. Eastern culture has always balanced femininity and masculinity in all people. Men need to act cute as well, be it to their partners, or if they are a server at work, when apologizing, when talking to children, etc. tough to the strong and gentle to the weak. It’s cultural significance is rooted in knowing when to be soft and knowing when to be hard, ie. Yin and Yang. Many Chinese families are also matriarchies, where the whole family revolves around the mother, so women, like men, also need to know when to be hard and when to be soft. It’s not as black and white as it is in America. Many women like “feminine” boys here, but we don’t consider them “feminine”, as this is an inherently negative term in English. It isn’t negative in Asia for a man to have balance and security of their softness. Ancient times, a man is to provide, write poetry, do art, music and martial arts. A mixture of soft and hard. There’s many layers to what defines a man in asia. Also, I’ve noticed (maybe I am wrong) but a lot of Asian American girls seem to overly sexualize themselves for white validation. It almost feels like they are aware that they are exotic, so in order to get attention, they will exaggerate their eyeliners to be very “asiany” and dress very revealing to allure attention. This is often used under the guise of “western liberation and freedom” however I find it somewhat more oppressive if I am to be honest. Anyway, just my 2 cents. Great video

[@Ivyb123]

You described it very well

[@abackupaccount8898]

No way you're in Asia; what is this english. "What is your English/how your English so good"

[@halfeti957]

That western conception of femininity/masculinity towards Asian ppl kind of lead to homophobia and xenophobia too, I guess. I often hear ppl calling Asian men "f*ggot" or saying that "you can't even know who is women and who is men". And this coming from the country with the largest Asian population outside of Asia. It's like we learned nothing.

[@caimansaurus5564]

@@abackupaccount8898 lmao "there's no way for a person from asia to have good english" 🤓🤓🤓

[@lolsmo395]

@@abackupaccount8898 could be from singapore, philippines, hongkong.. i dunno, former Anglo colonies??

[@ethanandrews2644]

As popular as BTS, blackpink, and other kpop groups have gotten in the modern western countries, I think a lot of people forget how influental PSY was to crossing the barrier between western and eastern pop culture. Aside from anime(which keep in mind wasn't exactly a cool thing to be a fan of in 2012), Gangnam stye, as much of a meme as it became, was most peoples first introduction to modern east asian media.

[@RazorEdge2006]

I agree Psy definitely deserves credit for introducing Korean media to the West, as well as introducing East Asian pop music... but not East Asian media in general. Even before the anime boom (e.g. Pokemon, Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, etc.), Hong Kong action cinema had produced international stars like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, John Woo, Jet Li, Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh, Sammo Hung, and Chow Yun Fat. There were also Japanese video games (though most people didn't know they were Japanese until the anime boom). What Psy achieved was two-fold: 1. Bringing over K-pop to the West. By doing so, this opened the floodgates to Korean media in general. Westerners became interested in other K-pop acts as well as Korean movies and shows. 2. Bringing East Asian pop music to the West. Previously, Westerners were only familiar with Japanese soundtrack music, through anime and video games, while J-pop and K-pop were unknown in the West. But with Psy, he brought K-pop over to the West, exposing most Westerners to East Asian pop music for the first time.

[@aptdccvii]

king

[@Awtuch]

True that’s the first song I’ve heard

[@dewaeryadi7776]

I think every good and bad thing about this related to the internet growth, theres already proto weebs back in the 80s japanese idol golden era but mostly are in moderation

[@lovemeh7899]

@@dewaeryadi7776 Honestly so your right about this but it’s a little irrelevant to your topic- but anime popularity in the west definitely stems off when the pandemic and everybody was inside their homes. And honestly there’s nothing more binge able then anime. It’s what I believe really introduced it because before that I couldn’t find much people who knew what it was or knew what was before covid.

[@scv1]

you really pack a lot of info in your videos and your choice of topic itself is very concise. you cracked the code on how to keep people engaged for a full video, which is hard to do in this "entertain me in 5 seconds or i click off' world.

[@m_nico_]

i’m a hispanic guy who recently became interested in K-Pop (or mostly the rock and rap focused songs/groups) after always having said that it was my least favorite music for years. My Korean friend helped show me lots of it and honestly, the music has grown on me so much to the point where it’s one of my favorites. But the more I get into it, the more uncomfortable I get as I’m reminded of why I stayed away from it in the first place. Part of me hates enjoying the music out of fear of being associated with koreaboos and fetishizers, especially since it’s already taboo enough to be a guy who enjoys it, lmao My friend isn’t afraid to talk to me about the darker and less “nice” parts of Korean culture and I’m glad to know about the bits and pieces she’s told me about, because sometimes it feels like people see countries like Korea and Japan as a “fantasy”

[@johngulster7787]

Agreed man I like kpop these people make me feel second hand embrassement fandom ruins everything.

[@lebarondeminuit3580]

This makes me remember a story : When I was in high-school, the BTS train was full, everyone (especially girls) were full on hyped (I have asian features because my ancestors are from Vietnam) and I used to be called racial slurs when I was young but because of it, the trend, anything you want to call it, I was now found appealling, I hated it because people didn't liked me because of who I was but because of tokens like "I have an asian friend" like bruh can't you just have a friend ? Another story is that, there was that guy who's parents where filipino but he pretended to be korrean at school and once his girlfriend found out he wasn't korean she broke up with him like wtf

[@dani.7874]

I don't know who is more stupid, the guy pretending being Korean or the girl that broke up with him because he lied.

[@Kayrayellow22]

I just laughed so much after reading that second story lmao

[@lebarondeminuit3580]

@@Kayrayellow22 Same XD

[@lebarondeminuit3580]

@Nguyễn Khoa Nam True, Ho Chi Ming is the ultimate badass I hope he would've lived long enough to see his Country win the War

[@XiELEd4377]

@Nguyễn Khoa Nam they're just salty lmfao

[@chocolatbownie35]

self fetishization of east asian countries was something i was aware of but tbh i think every country/race/etc gets fetishized by at least one other culture/country/etc, and i dont think it will ever stop. From the elegant french girls and their accents with views to tower eiffel while eating baggettes in a caffe, to the cute and proper british boys who are always nice and have a funny accent (popular during the 1D era), the fetishization of black skin and aave by celebreties in america, the sexualization of brazilian women who have strong tan lines and no body hair at all while dancing samba on a beach. There are thousands of examples, it's everywhere really.

[@thekitkatlizard8661]

Oh god the 1D/superwholock era I'm pretty sure even young people in my country fell for that one for a bit, but being only a boat away from England the stereotypical Englander stopped being a proper gentleman very quickly again 💀

[@followengland_ballsonig2938]

yes but are whites benefit from said stereotypes unlike minorities. black people at least dont have white people be racist to tjeir face unlike east and southeast asians

[@xenotypos]

In Japan in particular, white girls were (and still are to some extent) fetishized, at least in the medias and in animes. I don't see the issue tbh, Americans like to invent problems with societal themes.

[@paris283]

very true.. I guess it just happens so much to east asian. But really every race can be fetishized, anything can

[@consueno753]

As a mexican, yes. Sadly I have witness how some americans see latin woman as sexually "exotic" with "tropical" waists. The worst of all is that they tend to target younger woman to the point of looking after teens. Having a darker skin doesn't make us "exotic', Kal.

[@vincentperiolat4610]

Thank you for the video! IMO, ballanced, informative, and the examples given were spot on! I see things a little differently having watched, so thank you again!!

[@saravananp3978]

I was writing and producing video essays for a news channel for a brief period of time. It was tough to balance being informative and interesting at the same time. You have struck the right balance. Moreover it takes hardwork and dedication to do that on indepenent plaforms like KZbin and Nebula. Well Done, Keep Doing !

[@ScipioChan]

I'm an east asian (Chinese-Malay) who lives in Germany and I think a lot about self-fetishization, but I haven't have a word for that. In the last year where korean media became more popular I realize I wanted to look like most of the men you see in korean media. I cut my hair like k-drama characters and I also dress like one as well. And honest it gives me confidence, because I get a lot of compliments for my looks but also I have the feeling kinda reinforce that I dress like a "media version" of a korean person (And it also doesn't help that I'm not korean). But on the otherside it kinda helped me to accept myself, because I used to hate myself being east-asian. But on the otherside I also always question myself if Korean Popculture isn't that popular here in the west, would I really dress myself like a K-Drama character? Anyway great video! It really helps me to sort my thought and feelings about this topic!

[@wiredvibe1678]

maybe k drama guys are just dressed well?

[@phoebesekine4783]

@@wiredvibe1678 that’s not his point. It’s that if Korean culture wasn’t popular, he might not feel the need to imitate it.

[@wiredvibe1678]

@@phoebesekine4783 the revelation here is popular things are popular? the answer to his question is "probably not."

[@ScipioChan]

@@wiredvibe1678 I mean yeah it can be because it looks good. But sometimes things in life aren‘t just simple and it is more complex. I like to be more critical of my actions and think about what consequences my actions will have on other people (like why I like to dress myself like that? Is there a deeper meaning just looking good) and that‘s why I ask myself these questions and I‘m sure a lot of people are like me and think more critical of our actions

[@tabakhamya503]

I guess this is an issue for the east Asian diaspora. A Japanese living in japan would obviously take inspirations from Japanese well-dressed celebs. Same for Koreans etc. There is no self fetishization going on there.

[@abjshawty]

As an african born and grown up in Africa, I can say to everyone: Africa is definitely not a country This video was awesome btw

[@o-...-.-...-..0473]

Indeed. Africa is a large continent with a potentially larger degree of regional variation than Eurasia.

[@user-cx2hx7qt8b]

Yes and Africa is full of gold, gems and riches from the start of time

[@antz8201]

Wait...people really...really think we're just a huge country

[@Yaro2]

@@antz8201 mostly americans and canadians

[@adnanyo5355]

@@Yaro2 you say africa first thing they think is a big tribe of people who cant find water

[@KLlave-vp2iu]

I LOVE YOUR CONTENT SO MUCH!!! The way you explain and include your research and eloquently describe your thoughts, the way you are self-aware in your arguments!! I especially loved the quote "What becomes a problem is when the depiction of physical features is treated as cultural representation itself without acknowledging that its power lies in the deeper culture it represents." I also really liked how afterwards, when you were discussing "aegyo" in Korea, you addressed how you yourself might be falling into this sort of logic, and you're open to gaining a better understanding rather than reducing the culture to this representation. I also appreciated your concluding thoughts at the end that tie this self-fetishization on the individual level to the national level. It all relates to the power dynamics in society and on a global scale, and how this attempt to gain appreciation is really just a long-awaited recognition that has been kept at bay due to colonialism and historical subjugation. Overall great video as always, and yes as you said I did feel compelled to leave a comment today :) Keep going, your thoughts and ideas are so needed today, and the level of nuance you provide in your arguments is top tier. I look forward to hearing more from you! 💖💖

[@Yukalitlee]

This video was very insightful, thank you for informing us all on this topic.

[@trashrat2998]

One time I was on Pinterest and someone was doing a "helping you find your aesthetic thing" and they said they would do "koreancore" and I was just like wtf like what does that mean LMFAOOO 🤢😭

[@warmwavess]

lmao, pinterest is really obsessed with that...tried to find some pictures of south east asian girls and it just shows douyin/ulzzang girls..

[@trashrat2998]

@@warmwavess yikers

[@syre.782]

i recently saw a picture on Pinterest of a Japanese girl wearing cosplay and it was captioned “Japancore” i almost threw up.

[@awts..7954]

@@warmwavess yes holyshit It only shows jejemons smh

[@jeppyjep]

I only know about the "-core" aesthetic from Weirdcore, Dreamcore and Traumacore. I dont know that there's a "-core" that uses peoples' race. Im glad my Pinterest and Tumblr are safe from all of that.

[@Excsta]

I'm Vietnamese and Chinese and back then Asian guys were seen as undesirable towards girls even some Asian girls too. They made fun of my baby face features and how I look like a kid. Now today people would call me cute and tell me i look like Luhan. and it went from "you look good for an asian" to "I like you because you're asian". It's a shame but please like us for the culture as well. I hate that myself has experienced fetishzation even for a guy. But anyways please like us for the culture too. 🙏

[@hikikomori99]

not to mention there's still that old-asian slanted eyes derogatory depiction that was popular with the western old-heads.

[@lukeswa.n]

How the turntables

[@jcp5302]

The baby face comments never stop though tbh. The other day someone told me I have the body of a 25 year old(cuz I’m 6’4”) and the face of a 5 year old 🥲

[@serenityssolace]

My friend, even when people like you for your culture, there will always be toxic people that will claim liking your culture is fetishizing your culture. You can't escape people blaming others just because they are jealous/miserable. If a girl wants to get to know you better, treats you nice and with respect and is interested in your personally, then you wouldn't need anything else. Search for someone like that. Best of luck

[@serenityssolace]

@@jcp5302 I personally am a fan of the baby face. Haha

[@Starsongzz]

This fascinates me as a black woman. Because even though we’re also fetishized, it’s in a different way. Almost a dirty way. It’s like they fetishized our pain rather than our actual culture. Like the white lady who joined the NAACP in black face. People usually fetishize black women, or want to be one, when they’re going for a domineering, ultra sexual presentation. But they completely miss the slender body type a lot of black women have that was popular in ancient Egypt. It’s odd how some people associate all East Asian women with being cute and child-like, yet all black women (and maybe other dark skinned women) as a strong, maybe even hostile, ultra-adult sex symbol. Even young black kids, especially our girls, go through adultification from day one. It’s why people usually are prone to anger or abuse with dark skinned children…sometimes worse.

[@YOYO-xy3yg]

lol no cope, black people say either people hate and dont like them or they want to be just like blacks choose one both cant be true at the same time and ancient egypt was never a black country it was multicultural and had basically all of the old world living in it and its funny how you pick and choose what country you want to represent you like why didnt you say Liberian body types or south african

[@catisaorsilla]

It’s a different kind of fetishization but unfortunately this always leads to racism and violence. Asian women are seen as submissive, child-like and are murdered, Black women are seen as masculine, “tainted,” and are murdered.

[@elizam.8710]

@YOYO-xy3yg Two things can definitely be true at once, I don't know who told you otherwise. But black women are subject to adultification and hyper-sexualization, both historically and statistically so. I believe OP is referring to the dichotomous relationship between the masculinization of black women and simultaneous tendency to praise the traits that society deems "acceptable". Just like how black men are simultaneously lauded for their ability to be talented and strong (particularly with sports and music), yet demonized for their "aggressive and violent nature". Just like how Asian people are simultaneously "smart, independent , and well-mannered", yet also dehumanized and deemed "child-like" and "submissive" in nature. Also, P.S. it doesn't matter that Egypt is multicultural lmao. Africa is a big ass continent with many multicultural regions, so the point OP made remains unchanged.

[@bo3065]

​@@YOYO-xy3yg Exactly

[@bo3065]

​@@elizam.8710 It was never black though.

[@gina6413]

I enjoy your educated based presentation and discussion, as well as reference to articles and authors. Keep posting please.

[@uniquenewyork3325]

In a similar note, a good amount of black men in the US tend to fetishize themselves also because nonblack women see them as hypermasculine protectors who are 'gifted' in some areas. They feel rewarded by these stereotypes in their relationships until those same stereotypes lead to racial prejudice in their lives.

[@uniquenewyork3325]

Btw this is also in part why I think black men are less likely to defend black women as well, their internalized racism teaches them that, since being black is "inherently masculine", black women must be less feminine than other women or as they say too 'loud' and 'ghetto' and 'aggressive' (I also think this is why black women and asian men used to be found as least desirable by some dating studies, because internalized racist stereotypes thought asian men were too "soft" for women and black women were too "aggressive" for men)

[@lauren578]

Huh?

[@uniquenewyork3325]

@@lauren578 what's confusing?

[@semekiizuio]

I think I read some black dude claiming jesus was black and we originated from the south therefore we were black first lmao. I will not deny our origins was from the south perhaps and that people migrated and changed through the environment but to say jesus was black is another thing. If it's true we originated from the south then there was no skin color but one for everyone there was no other to label or differentiate. Anyways they got a little more crazy when they said thats why their dick was bigger. So nah what an incel. Black men and women come in all size thin or thick tall or short just like and other culture

[@AceofDlamonds]

You're spot on. I see people embracing the stereotypes that make them feel good in certain contexts. But this very reason is why people often behave defensively against African-descended people. White people who only know blacks from NBA and NFL and hiphop videos can't help but see them as hypermasculine "others" to hide his kids and wife from. Dangerous game.

[@hombreg1]

You know, that's exactly the issue with "latino" identity. I find it bewildering that people seem to think I, a Guatemalan, have anything in common with a Colombian, or a Puerto Rican, or an Argentine or even a Costa Rican. Like, sure, we speak Spanish, but it's not really a common identity, since our cultures and ethnicities are just so varied. I've found this specially bad in second or third generation "Latino in North America" families, which I find quite interesting.

[@deeksha611]

i have similar issues as a south asian with the “aapi” identity, while there is a time and place to address asian-americans, its important to understand that we are not the same race, our features are phenotypically different therefore we get treated differently. For example, as they were saying in the video of how eastern asian women and girls are fetishized for being “cute and innocent” it has been the exact opposite for me as a south asian girl, constantly have been seen as more masculine, hairy, over-sexualized, and if i step out of line, im “aggressive”. Yes we are from the same continent but we have separate experiences and separate cultures

[@DiegoUmejuarez]

We used to have words that more accurately represented the differences between people in Latin America, it was the caste system and it was the most racist institution ever created. I agree the word "latino" doesn't mean anything but we used to obsess so much about these differences and invoked so much tribalism in the name of them that I just think it's better to forget about it and accept a word that doesn't mean anything.

[@missstraw-hatawesome1898]

For real where I live (Canada) everyone thinks we all have the same culture (they even have the audacity to compare Spaniards with other latinos) not just Canadians do these but immigrants from other countries do it too. I’ve met people who were obsessed with Cuban culture and for some reason they expected me (Salvadoran) to act “Cuban”, we don’t even have the same culture at all. The language is the only similar thing (not even that because most of the times I don’t understand Cubans and viceversa, they use too many unique words). Tbh other countries in Latin America even have different words, whenever I speak Spanish with someone from another country we constantly have to ask what do the words mean. But ignorance is found everywhere in the globe I suppose. Latinos call everyone “chinito” so it goes both ways.

[@yuzan3607]

That's the same with the term "middle eastern". Iranians, Turks and Arabs speak very different languages, they don't even belong to the same language families. They come from completely different historical backgrounds and the cultures, the politics, the economy is completely different. Yet in the west they're like, yea you all look the same. Let's not even talk about how different Arab countries are!! They stretch from the Atlantic ocean to the Indian ocean with completely different cultures, politics and economies. It's ridiculous to assume that "Arab countries" are this one thing.

[@manicpepsicola3431]

@@Suyai- not how it works also the word Chicano exists for a reason

[@seabisqit]

My favourite thing about this channel is the fact you recognise things that you may not know and take issues further and allow for so much nuance. It's so refreshing!!! You view a topic from more than one side and just, ah✨!! I love these videos :]]]

[@nataliejanine4611]

oh god this video was so amazing !!!! I've got several tabs open to read more from everything you sourced!!!

[@cubz3031]

As a black guy I can fully sympathise with this sentiment. This is all too similar to how black culture was fetishised back in the 90s and 00s and whilst there’s nothing wrong with taking part in it and enjoying it there’s just a moral line that people shouldn’t cross. People like to glorify things like gang violence, drug dealing and drill but don’t realise that these things stem from things that are wrong within black culture. And it’s funny how we did it to ourselves and still do which ropes many other people into doing the same but only then do we as a community have a problem with it. Don’t get me started on things such as dreadlocs and cornrows. It seems it’s an issue that will always be around in society as long as there are lines to be crossed and East Asian culture is “having their turn” so to speak.

[@PhysicallyAwake]

I also find that features (especially on darker skinned people) like big lips, curvier bodies, and bigger eyebrows were considered ugly or manly until lighter skinned (or in this case simply white people) made it a fashion trend. It appears that it’s literally the exact same thing but happening to Asian people, I remember when people use to make fun of Asian eyes, thin eyebrows, or their skin tone, but now white people (and obviously I know any race can do this, I’m simply pointing it out in white people because it seems to apply to them more) are trying to copy it.

[@ILoveLLawlietxD]

@@nial5420 because that shit happens in countries that are predominantly white. Are you being dense on purpose

[@DawnsHuntress]

@@nial5420 I think it’s viewed as a negative thing because it’s done as a trend. For example, in the early 90s and 2000s being seen as thick was criticized over and over in the media, especially in movies. Because white people or lighter skinned people are seen with thicker bodies, it feels weird because poc went through years of critique for naturally being born that way and now it feels like people are just doing it for a costume. Look at the many women getting BBL’s and all types of surgeries to look curvy or the wave of white people wanting ethnically ambiguous children. You could argue there’s a social acceptance for this change (which is definitely there, I’m glad all body types are being represented) but I also can’t deny how it harms the people who were born that way and were alive to see the shift. It’s like wearing braids or locs. So many black children are sent back home from school because the hairstyle is deemed “unprofessional” but a white woman does it and she’s praised for being different. For some people it might not be a conscious thing but the fact that it happens constantly and is always viewed in the media definitely is weird to me. There’s this thing of non-white people wanting to pick and choose parts of various cultures to look and feel different without actually bothering to understand what they go through because they know they’ll always be socially accepted. I’m not trying to argue with you btw it’s just a bunch of stuff I’ve observed with society and social media definitely does not help

[@PhysicallyAwake]

@@nial5420 TD;LR: I know a wrote a lot but I’m basically explaining the historical and modern aspects of why I specifically point out white people. And also might I just add, going through your comment again, I can’t tell you how much the “wider hips = fertility” line disgusts me, I have wider hips as a trans guy and it’s always been an insecurity of mine, I can assure you there’s rarely any biological advantage, and in modern times nobody looks at wide hips and thinks “Yeah They’re TotaLlY Hot Because They ProViDe MoRe RoOM” that’s just not a realistic statement. Maybe 500 years ago, but nowadays that’s not the defining factor for the beauty standards. Which is another topic I go over in my essay of a comment. If you feel offended by this as white person, then you must also engage in this, because if you’re a white person that doesn’t do that then the comment wasn’t directed towards you. I said time and time again that it wasn’t JUST white people, but from my experience, especially considering the history behind black features and the way they were perceived, white people are the general race of people that do this. We generalize them because ITS pretty much ALWAYS THEM. And I’m saying this as a mostly white person. Firstly, let’s talk about the history of the beauty standard, more specifically black features vs white features. During the time era where slavery had ended, and black people were finally migrating into the average white persons world (with the obvious fact that they faced oppression on several levels) there was still obviously a beauty standard. At the time, especially during the late 1800’s, early 1900’s being thinner, leaner, with smaller and more petite features, straight and brushed hair, little to no body hair, and light skin, we’re seen as beautiful, elegant, and feminine. These traits followed the white woman, and even man’s average genetic makeup. Whereas a black person, especially black women, who had nappy hair, (natural black hair) bigger or wider noses, big lips, curvier bodies, broader bones, tall builds, bushy eyebrows, more body hair, and obviously darker skin was perceived as ugly, unhygienic, and masculine. This difference in the beauty standard brainwashed or straight up coerced black women to look a certain way and mimic white womens looks. It was seen as desirable to be naturally light skinned, black women would constantly wear wigs, or straighten their hair, and constantly copy fashion trends or beauty hacks to appear more like a white woman. You may think that this was a long time ago and doesn’t affect modern society, but that’s not true at all. We see these beauty standards and obvious racism continue to spread even in modern America. Even AFTER black people started creating their own culture, people (especially white people) continued to find a way to infiltrate this and make it about them. From clothes, to features, music styles, and especially hair styles. My point is, is that the obvious contrast between a black person being perceived as ugly because of theyre features, and a white person or at the very least light skinned person being perceived as unique or beautiful because of having similar features is bizarre. And the fact that black women are constantly being judged for being heavier, fatter, and saggier, but when a white woman is curvy, it then becomes a trend. (It use to be a trend to get tanned, and have bronze skin, but that was only after white women were doing it) Just notice how bushy and big eyebrows, big lips, curvier bodies, and at one point darker skin was perceived as beautiful so long as it was on white woman or a lighter skinned woman is enough proof in itself. The fact of the matter is that white people were and still are the dominant race in America, and that influences a lot of things. Secondly, this can be tied to how Asian people are perceived, 9/10 times when I see a person fetishizing or trying to copy another races features, culture, and clothing/hair styles, it’s a white person. And this probably has something to do with every other race having some distinct feature, like wider button noses, larger lips, unique skin tones, or other distinct genetic racial differences, whereas white peoples features are now seen as basic or boring. I know several people, none of which are white, (usually black friends of mine) that want light and paler skin, like Asian or white people. I know several white people that want Asian eyes, curvier bodies, or big lips. I know several Hispanic people that want less body hair, smaller bodies, or lighter skin. The fact is, I KNOW this doesn’t just apply to white people, but what I’m trying to say is that time and time again, it seems to ONLY be white people that popularize these features. Once a white or light skinned celebrity or model makes that distinct racial feature a trend, IT becomes a trend. Even I, as a biracial person, am seen as lucky because I get to have black features without having black skin, or the black bone structure, or anything of that sort. My own (white) mom said she wanted to have me because she thinks mixed babies are cuter then white or black babies.

[@PhysicallyAwake]

@@nial5420 And also NIAL, this has nothing to do with politics, not only am I not a liberal, but brining politics in this, (while also being ABSOLUTELY wrong and incorrect) and then directing the statement onto me by assuming which political party I am on based off a completely unrelated topic is beyond idiotic. Like the left has nothing to do with the over-sexualization of body parts? In no way shape or form was there any relevancy.

[@rkivelover]

As an enjoyer of kpop, I totally agree with the dangers of learning about a country’s culture based purely on highly-controlled, perfected media. It’s important to take everything you see on the internet with a pinch of salt and remind yourself of the motive behind the content.

[@lostintechnology1851]

yes id recommend everybody really interested in a culture to study the language and live there for a while. then you take it in with all the negatives and realise what you had so far was just a superficial vision distilled through a pop cultural lens. i enjoy exports east asia just because some of them are a breath of fresh air in a pretty homogeneous western space (thanks to us imperialism lol). but it is really funny how east asia becomes a disneyland for millennials and zoomers. wonder how long it will take before globalism and the internet will turn all this into another homogeneous mass like we have in the western world and what role china will play in all that.

[@RaptorFromWeegee]

@@lostintechnology1851 Yes, if you enjoy anime, Kpop, general Tsos, whatever, don't worry about it. Consume it any way you like and don't let these overeducated ding-a-lings get to you with their Marxist yappings about "colonialism", and "fetishization". Its a lot of garbage not worth your time. You aren't the problem, your culture isn't the problem, the West isn't the problem, even Eastern cultures aren't the problem. Its the personalities of these malcontents that are the problem. They're not emotionally healthy. They're mostly Asians who're unhappy because they don't get to do what they want in life. They studied the social sciences, so now they're brainwashed by the far left. Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar' contains the line, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings" Wise words worth remembering.

[@JediOfTheRepublic]

The fucking irony in that comment is so fucking hilarious. Everyone literally gets the impression of American Culture from highly controlled, perfected media and shit youtube channels.

[@Artist_of_Imagination]

_"enjoyer"_ of K-pop lmao

[@NaviRyan]

I joked with a family friend from Zimbabwe that if someone only watched black panther they would think theirs an actual country of wakanda.

[@Mansana3000]

The type of video I like to have on the background. Quite informative 🤌

[@irusu.]

this video and the media video has some of the most interesting topics that honestly keep me alive and thinking we're going through such an interesting point in humanity

[@maevelovesjack]

Its funny how the east asians feel conected by their looks, and here in Brazil there is no one that "looks brazilian" but we are pretty good at knowing where people are from because of their accents

[@goahdejen6176]

fax lmao

[@suricats3203]

In Chile is the same hahaha, there isn't really a chilean look, but you can tell from which part they are from the way they speak and act.

[@gin5780]

i think this can apply to any country and their culture because, while i agree that brazillians look drastically different from each other, as an american-brazilian ive had a lot of native brazilians tell me that i don't "look" or "act" brazilian enough so i also have this self-identity crisis and feel better about myself when i talk and dress more like brazilians do :/

[@gin5780]

@@Sarah.lux. Im curious!! Did you feel the identity-crisis thing or the need to “prove” your “brazilianness” that op was talking about even though you were born there?

[@lita4807]

as a native, having to "prove your brazilianness" is such a foreign concept to me, i never even considered it before, and i don't personally think u should have to change yourself for anyone, but i'll stress it again: my opinion.

[@katiethewise]

its gonna go from "ew, you're disgusting and weird" to "i wanna be you/fetishize you" this happenes with brown people, black people, the LGBTQ+ community (particularly bisexuals or gay men),east asians, and many more.

[@theshiacrusader4621]

a fellow blink :3

[@Liz-abeth]

I agree and know what it feels like especially being apart of the lgbtq+ specifically bisexual. I constantly hear people calling me and my friends the f-slur but then they go on to saying things like "I want a gay best friend" or "I wear rainbow, so how am I not an ally" "I can say the f-slur, I don't hate gay people" it's so weird..

[@kaikwon1604]

As much as i dont see myself as anything other than straight, your point does still stand. people are exposed to cultures a lot more these days and choose to pick ideally and builds their lives as such, surgeries to look korean, learning japanesd culture purely through anime.. what we (east asian born) export in terms of culture is often universal.. films, art, music is all so easily consumable that obviously this is something good. imagine a gorgeous cake sitting on display.. once you order it. its nowhere near that plastic display. we ship things to westerners because westerners invest a lot into multiculturalism and adopting and supporting other cultures, we surgically perfect, our kpop models, our animes and mangas are the work of half dead mangakas and animators

[@kaikwon1604]

add to that, we usually dont show anything to even fellow koreans or japanese of anything shameful or not perfect. Sneezing? outside class, shoes? in your lockers, abusive family? deal with it, you're THEIR child, harsh work? you're getting paid to work What do you think a nation which normalises that, would try and pitch to westerners? a perfect breed

[@justicethedoggo3648]

Lots of straight guys call those feminine guys and f@g$ and hate on them and in the same time time s3xu@lly harrassing or bullying em into s3x.

[@SonnyBear5]

I’m Thai but lived in the US most of my life. Being Thai comes with having an ungodly difficult to pronounce last names and more letters than needed. I used to hate my last name until I realized I’m one of the only people in the world with that last name. Be proud of your heritage because no matter how much you’re made fun of or bullied, they can’t take what makes you… you, away…

[@blue-uo6yl]

Being Thai must be hard. I mean its literally the Sex Capital of the world. Feels so cucked.

[@birdsephone]

Love this video, and think the concept you ended on of self-fetishization speaks to many identities. Thanks for your analysis and commentary!

[@RandomPerson-qd9gj]

I feel korean skincare and literally claiming to be korean are two different things. Kbeauty brands sell their skincare products to be used, it doesn't matter, in my opinion, which race you are, as long as you don't make fun of it.

[@raingoff5839]

(I think the whole asian fetishism argument is dumb except for small exceptions)

[@RandomPerson-qd9gj]

@@raingoff5839 No, I never said that. But kbeauty products should still be able to be used.. because the consumer's race doesn't matter as long as they don't make a joke of it. I'm only focusing on one small aspect anyways: Everyone can use kbeauty products if they really want to, it doesn't matter as long as they don't make fun of it. Because people can do whatever they want as long as it isn't harmful, wearing makeup is not harmful.

[@MiskeAli]

I think she added that in not as to further her fetishization argument but to further argument about how east Asia is trending, Korean skincare is like a top dog skincare market.

[@ducklingscap897]

@@MiskeAli But that's because east asian skin care products are great. I think it would have trended sooner or later anyway. Seeing Kpop stars etc. with good skin and learning about Korean beauty standards etc. trough that just made it easier for the skin care brands.

[@1Hawkears1]

I don't think she implied that about people using those products.

[@jacobjdong]

was talking to a friend about your channel and she said "i'm so jealous of how articulate she is!" and I totally agree

[@winllyhuang9537]

RIGHT

[@darienneff4540]

thats what happens when you do your own research lol there's no need to be jealous and plenty of information out there to explore (;

[@atticusmattionel]

She is a Philosophy major after all.

[@brunoverasferreira6263]

Be careful my man. Twitter has deemed praises like that as racism, now.

[@kamcat2901]

@@brunoverasferreira6263 depends

[@caitlunsford2440]

everything about this video is amazing!!!! thank you so much for your thoughtful academic research and commentary!!!!!!!!

[@jusustin2561]

I ended up confused at 16:04. I was In particular contemplating your depiction on the"fetishization" on East- asia, And while pausing the video to type this response I thought about how this can be applied to different groups of people, their ideas, and their cultures as well (With the nuances of each being assumed). Although I'm new to your content, I respect your cohesively-given examples and your apparent willingness to anwser questions I found myself glossing over. -Thank you for posting Improving content.

[@fromisfans]

as a korean, growing up, that baby talking or talking to sound cute or like in a childish matter (aegyo) is something i always did and never felt weird about it because it's just normal to act cute in korea but as soon as my family moved to america, i always try to avoid doing it whenever there's people in our house (who visits us on a daily basis) because; 1.) they'd find it really pathetic and weird and 2.) some of my american cousins are kpop stans and they once told me to act cute like how idols do it on videos 😭 it's just so weird and was honestly so hard in the first months there but i'm ok with it now. i still act like that sometimes with my family only when there's no one because it's such a hard thing to like explain and discuss to non-koreans 😭 just felt like sharing that because it seems relevant to the video so yeah 😭

[@cursed-cat9126]

Jeez that's so weird that it's so internalize so much😅 but non-asians wouldn't really get it

[@awawus]

I cringe every time someone tries to sound cute or whatever that is. Do they not have any self-pride or respect for themselves to act like such a baby when they are fully grown independent human beings? I expect grown-ups to act mature and speak with confidence in their voice. It's just so cringe I'm never gonna understand what's going on in their mind

[@ammarahmed4532]

@@camelliaj4972 dude it has nothing to with misogyny or any of the things you mentioned, it's just a part of culture that has no deeper meaning. You realize men do aegyo too right? It's not even a gendered thing. It's not even dehumanizing, what? You're just making it way more deep than it has to be.... If it were gendered and aegyo was used as a way to make girls seem innocent and pure and stuff then yeah you'd be right(and that does happen alot). But most of the time it's not that.

[@ammarahmed4532]

@@awawus you're turning this is into something way deeper or worse than it actually is. 1)aegyo is something both men and women do to an equal degree, it's not a gendered thing. 2)it's not a matter of self respect or anything, it's just supposed to be like a cute thing(though when overboard it can be cringy even for them). 3) you know how as a joke sometimes you'll look at your friends with an innocent face and puppy eyes to mess with them or get them to do something for them? This is literally that but more so. 4) there's literally studies that show that it is normal or even healthy for 2 people in a relationship to "act like children" in front of each other to lessen the stress of the real world by sharing it with each other..

[@hinamatsuro1908]

@@ammarahmed4532 Define acting like children. Do you mean playing games? Because if it's attitude that's kinda weird and would be weird to see two full grown adults acting like that

[@0aghost0]

knew a girl in high school who told everyone she was 100% korean when not only was her last name nguyen, but she had a twin brother in the grade who was like ...no we are viet

[@uselesswoodentoy3690]

As a viet guy I would never do some shit like that But also as an aside ever since June 13th 2013 (BTS formation day lmao) Asian men finally became more of a commodity in dating (as opposed to eunuchs) and I noticed. granted being fetishized is dehumanizing but as the video author mentioned there’s power in self fetishization and I rly can’t complain that I’m more of an option now thanks to kpop. I even grew out a middle part and got circle glasses (not that Koreans have a “monopoly” on those things but u get the point).

[@artsyneko8504]

That is so embarassing

[@nascentoxygenhere]

i feel bad for the twin brother, he must be so embarrassed 😭

[@Tiffany-ov2jf]

that's sad

[@NootNoooooot]

lmfao! yeah that really is sad. I grew up with 90% of my friends being viet and some of *their* viet friends would learn japanese and try to act all kawaii desu too thinking it made them legit japanese since they're already asian and therefore better than non-asians that also liked the language. The amount of cringe weeaboo behaviour associated (like them^) with the rise of anime popularity killed my interest in studying the language/anime soon after..

[@iamzypher3981]

I’m currently working on my senior project at a 4-year university, and I’ve opted to research western culture’s impact on eastern traditions. This video has been incredibly insightful and beneficial. Thank you very much!

[@lukeschwartz4396]

How did it turn out?

[@iamzypher3981]

@@lukeschwartz4396 I’m 97% done but man I’ve come to have such a huge appreciation for Asian (non-American) culture. I have a much higher level of respect knowing the hardships fought by the Asian community trying to carve out their own place in America and have a better understanding as to why the conduct themselves the way they do. I’m so gald I did this

[@sangbeom6245]

I agree 100%. Very accurate. Excellent video on the topic.

[@davidschwimmer7940]

I'd just like to say that assuming a "South Asian" identity is not uncommon within South Asia. There are many ethnolinguistic and especially religious divisions within and amongst most South Asian nations, and claiming a South Asian identity is a way of breaking down some of those boundaries, though the term 'South Asian' itself is not used.

[@karlarao8736]

Yeahh, we use the term 'desi' here for someone being part of either India, Pakistan or Bangladesh.

[@ishathakor]

@@karlarao8736 yeah, plus desis don't even want to associate with each other in the first place until we're in a foreign country at which point its like oh i have more in common with you than i do with this person whos lived in minnesota their whole life. and honestly even then i see everyone segregating themselves into more specific identities (at least at the nationality level) all of the time. i went to a garba/raas celebration and it was literally 98% gujrati people

[@AKMarch01]

@@karlarao8736 yup and there are lots of people from those countries who don't even fit into that 'desi' category either so these archetypes of what it is to be a South Asian in western media are such gross simplifications of people who belong to one of the most culturally, linguistically, ethnically and even phenotype wise, diverse regions on planet Earth

[@therealhamadasif]

@@karlarao8736 As a Sri Lankan, most if not all Sri Lankans don't use the desi label . I've noticed it more among my Indian/Pakistani friends

[@karlarao8736]

@@therealhamadasif ohh, okay. Sorry about that!

[@Goyo_MGC]

I am a white french male and i experienced "fetishization" in Singapore and South Korea while working there. I would never say that it can compare to what east-asian can experience in Europe/America but i think i could understand more about what it could feel like to be fetishized. I completely relate to the fact that people were defining me only by physical features ( you can clearly see it when people are just asking for a picture and then leave without trying to talk or form a connection). I think this issue of fetishization is not limited to East asia but rather a "common" thing that represents exotism in a foreign country. Anyway great video, you put some word and on some underlying thought that i had about this whole issue.

[@user-dg3ug7ny5d]

Honestly, it's a worry of mine for when I do travel one day. Not only can I not already safely do so by myself as a woman, but I'm 6' and bound to draw attention because of it. I don't want that attention, but I would be like a strange commodity in any country that doesn't have 6' as a common enough height. Which means I'm bound for travelling to "white" countries, which sounds boring and exclusionist as hell. If you ever return, you need to wear a mask and sunglasses and look real recluse. The scent and energy you give off is also important, so that's something to consider. That should deter some people, but I'm sure you'd still get the odd phone in your face. Did it annoy you a lot, or just more of a weird experience sort of thing? I'd be interesting to see the difference in how a white male is received, compared to a white female. History can answer for that, but I wonder if anything has changed. Anyway, you made a great point that I've always considered myself too; the "outsiders" are something new and not well understood, and people want to understand, categorise, and know you and "your ways" are not a threat to their otherwise peaceful experience and life.

[@Goyo_MGC]

@@user-dg3ug7ny5d I would agree with you that it is indeed "bound to happen" to have people taking picture or giving you looks. The only times i felt truly uncomfortable were when "moms" ( female 35 to 50 age range) approached and flirted / were touching me (not in sexual way but there hands were feeling my arm for example) as if i was an escort or just an object (this happened in the streets not in a bar or flirty setting). I cant speak on how i would have been treated if i were to be a women there as i have the "advantage" of being rather intimidating physically and i could stop things easily if they were going to escalate to borderline sexual harassment. Also it putted me for the first time in the position of a "minority" and now even if i cant really understand what women or specific ethnicity might experience on a daily basis, i am now aware of the issue and can try to take parts in order to reduce the prejudices. But even though it was somewhat annoying i absolutely do not regret going there and i would encourage you do so as well, maybe trying to go with a friend? I noticed that encounters were less frequent when i was not alone. I hope your travels will go well and you will have beautiful memories that will surely on the long run erase the bad ones !

[@dutyfree5192]

Don't worry man, I understand. Countries like France, Italy and Spain suffer a lot of fetishization as well

[@devilvocano420]

@@Goyo_MGC Thats pretty weird I havent seen ppl do that outside of bars or flirty settings Thats quite unlucky of you to have met those aunties Sorry you had to go through that, I know the large majority of ppl here arent that bad tho

[@aSpectreAppears]

@@dutyfree5192 Especially German women in the dirndl. Classy and attractive. I see nothing wrong with it.

[@frankmarano1118]

First time to your channel. Very thoughtful analysis of a pretty complicated multifaceted subject, I'm impressed

[@TaylorSmith-wu9jn]

this video was very educational. opened my eyes to why old friends from school are the way they are. thank you for the content

[@user-te1fn8cj5r]

As an Afghan growing up in America, I can say that while the years after September 11 were not great for the community (bigotry and what not against brown people) I can at least find peace knowing that I'll never be called a "Spicy Latino" or "Sexy Asian".

[@jahajahai6204]

Yeah. We're called "uncivilized terrorists" regardless of how we ourselves are impacted by the situation. There is no winner in eurocentric racism.

[@karma5321]

Honestly the way America and Europe approaches the Arab community and Islam (especially Islam) needs a whole video to be talked about, both are worse than each other

[@user-te1fn8cj5r]

@@karma5321 I know you mean well but I just want to make sure. Afghans are not Arabs, their "Persians" (quotes because I know English is weird with definitions), if you ever mix those up in real life conversation it can be incredibly awkward, it's like calling a Brazilian person Spanish, or a Cuban person Mexican. Mostly people won't try to correct you because they don't want to come of as annoying but in their heads they have already made some unflattering assumptions about you. ;)

[@MomoMomo-nz2gm]

@@user-te1fn8cj5r and some people don’t even know that Afghanistan is in Asia 😭. When I tell people that I’m from Afghanistan and that I’m an Asian they’re like ‘no your not 😗, you don’t look Asian ’ . 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ I m fed up of people telling me my race and ethnicity

[@Mika88Kenichi]

@@MomoMomo-nz2gm so true. World's perception of Asia is East and Southeast Asian looking people...even people from the mentioned region do not know India, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries in Middle East are Asian. I am even confused, as an Asian, sometimes if the term Asian should refer to people living in the Asian continent or just those who look like the perceived Asian, I mean those races with almond shaped eyes with black hair.

[@Carlos-xh8jl]

“Rarely do we hear about fetishization of Loas, Vietnam, Philippines.” You mean the brown ones …that face discrimination even amongst other asain communities? Wonder why Westerners don’t fetishizes them… (to the same amount)

[@bunnywavyxx9524]

exactly, these types of videos ignore the fact that fetishization is selective for a reason, and that reason is discrimination. These Japanese, korean, etc. east Asians are pale and white skinned. That's a requirement to be considered desirable or "fetishizable" in the west. South asians are the least fetishized because they're darker

[@makizenin1840]

@@bunnywavyxx9524 I was about to say that + it's also about features. Even a light skinned south Asian or a southeast asian is still not respected or liked anywhere until and unless they have lot of money. Also a lot of white people and east Asian people have similar thoughts and needs when it comes to beauty so they all complement physically. And any person who don't fit in those white and east Asian beauty standards should never feel like as if they're less attractive or are not worthy of being a human. Remember that not all east Asians people fit the beauty standards of east Asia especially a lot of Chinese, Korean people working in tech industry like Google, Facebook don't even fit in east Asian beauty standards and that's fine. I mean there's so much to do in life other than wanting to fit in a beauty standards.

[@njvits2183]

The closest thing to fetishism is the stereotype of filipina women having a white husband as a money bag. Like, why can't we just marry someone from a different race just for love?

[@damigai931]

Idk, I feel like it is skin color but it’s more than that. It’s because Korean and Japanese culture/media and a little bit of China’s is very consumable to not only the west but everywhere. Until countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, Philippines, etc are able to have the economic power to produce media similar to anime, k/cdramas, kpop, etc, there won’t necessarily ever be as much fetishization of those cultures because they simply just don’t have a presence. Not that fetishization is a good thing but it’s also about what countries have to offer pop culture-wise.

[@-haclong2366]

Vietnamese and Pinoy actors and celebrities are all super pale, the idea that either of these people are "brown" only works if you've never seen one of them.

[@Blullaby]

Brilliant! Most comprehensive and objective analysis of the concept of fetishization I've ever had the pleasure to listen to (:

[@STTT_S4]

This channel is simply awesome. In every second i learn something new, a completely new perspective in simple words. Oli looks cool-nerd. 🎉

[@Daniel-rv2kd]

As a black person, 1 thing I have to say about how Lizzo, nas x, and Doja act online is that black people are marketed as wild and unburdened by convention. So even their "real" imagine online is a marketing strategy.

[@lilmayita9466]

Preach!

[@morganjohnson539]

You're so right bro. That marketed image of the foul-mouthed. ghetto rat precedes us everywhere we go. Imagine my "joy" at being greeted by random Asian youth with a hearty "What's up my Niggah?" I can't be angry with them because they don't know any better. It's all they see. From Samuel L. Jackson to 99.9% percent of rap musicians, it is the image our nation markets to the world.

[@Daniel-rv2kd]

@@morganjohnson539 Sad but true.

[@SmashBrosBrawl]

You've got that right, it's all the same. It's all the same shit, just different toilets. It's all a marketing ploy to get you to buy their product. For Kpop, the product is a innocent pretty boy that can sing. The market is simply giving customers what they want, if you want to be angry at someone, you should be angry at the customer for supporting the product.

[@Daniel-rv2kd]

@@SmashBrosBrawl Pretty much! To an extent if we stop supporting, they'll stop producing.

[@user-iy3nf7ss6i]

13:10 I am a hundred percent Korean female, lived my entire life in this country, so I must say that the definition of aegyo is different between western people and us Koreans. Aegyo is more like, something that a person with sweet, bright personality naturally has, not the weird 'acting-like-a-baby' sort of thing. Also, I'm not trying to be offensive, but in this video you make it seem like aegyo is vital for Korean woman. That is not true at all. If someone does an 'aegyo(what western people think)' in her workplace, people will see her as a weird, unprofessional person. I am a student and I go to a girls only school, but if my classmate does aegyo at school, kids will think she is crazy. Normal Korean woman does not do aegyo in everyday life. As for K-pop idols doing aegyo, it's supposed to be funny, not cute. (idk why western people think aegyo is cute.. aegyo is supposed to be part of a joke) The idol's awkward reaction is supposed to be funny (it's some kind of an inside joke) when the MC in the reality show makes them do aegyo. 13:12 and this just doesn't make sense. I've never seen anybody in Korea teach children to do aegyo from a very young age... 'Being cute' thing might be the kind of thing you are talking about in Japan, but in Korea, no. Koreans don't have that weird fetish. We love indenpendent woman and nowadays it is almost impossible for passive woman to get a job. But overall I agree about what you are talking about. I really appreciate your research. +sorry if my English is weird here. I'm not a native speaker...

[@psysite]

i tell my mom about this the other day and she say the same thing because it is seen for laughing only

[@joshhart5259]

At school i see many girls doing aegyo...

[@00maniacmanny00]

@@joshhart5259 In Korea? You've got an American name.

[@RevStickleback]

This comment reminds me a bit of Irish Americans, who don't realise their idea of "Irish culture" is considered embarrassing by people from Ireland.

[@whatskpopping7093]

Exactly! I'm not a Korean but I have multiple Korean friends and what you said about aegyo is something they've told me before.

[@JWKONTRABASSO]

I appreciate your content and delivery.

[@sophmore90]

Amazing video. I learned something new about this topic and myself. Thank you for helping me remove my blinders

[@cabinfairy5377]

I think this is interesting because my bf is Korean, and he has expressed that he’s glad kpop has become so popular bc the fetishization of Asian men actually makes him feel more confident in his appearance and culture, whereas when he was a child, he was bullied for it.

[@bethanychatman9531]

Damn.

[@ComedyGlor]

yh that's the sad thing - fetishisation is often a welcome change to bullying. Wish minorities can just be seen as people

[@greyfox4838]

it's a double edged sword, on one hand Koreans finally have positive representation in the West, but on the other hand he's a walking fetish for some weird koreaboos that won't see him as a normal human.

[@julesoxana]

​@@ComedyGlor so true

[@spa33meister]

a POC seeking whyte validation is the saddest POS

[@morgue01]

As a half vietnamese american, I've felt that I've always had to prove my "asian-ness" to both my white and asian peers. Doing things like watching anime, listening to kpop, using korean skin care, and following eastern fasion trends has all been things to help me "feel more asian" growing up. When I got older, I felt as if my "asian-ness" was being sold back to me, as a watered down version of my heritage. The idea that I myself have origins in that mystical romanticized eastern world made me feel empowered. It wasn't until my mom and grandparents got me into buddhism that I actually felt connected with my family heritage in a way that didn't feel superficial.

[@makizenin1840]

Idk who you are but you don't have to prove anything to anyone. YOUR WORTH AS A HUMAN BEING IS ENOUGH AND YOU'RE SPECIAL. Start a KZbin channel where you can find your desired tribe and the people who have the same personality or thoughts as yours. Don't let yourself to be put in a box with these whole social problems in life. Life is so much more than just east asian or western countries.

[@izzyphernelia]

wow im half mexican and i feel the exact same way, i try to prove my "mexican-ness" to my hispanic and white aquaintances by using the slang, speaking more spanish and eating more cultural foods. i hate that i have to get validation from other people to prove to not just them, but myself that im truly mexican. even just someone recognizing the fact that im hispanic without me having to tell them or prove it to them makes me feel so happy. being mixed is a real struggle and i whole-heartedly agree with you.

[@em5522]

Same here! I grew up in a close-knit Vietnamese community, with virtually no contact with my white family, yet still felt the need to prove I was "Asian" enough bc of my looks. So, what helped me was diving deep into learning the intricacies of various cultures, histories, traditions, and (past and current) politics of multiple east Asian countries, esp and as well as my own family's background (who came here after the war). In doing so, it became easier to see divides via nationality over ethnicity and feel a connection through the shared/similar values that east Asian countries may have, in general, while understanding where differences could be and why they may exist. It definitely helped me get out of trying to stick to this purely collective east Asian identity and finally feel a genuine connection to my own heritage. Seeing how different and similar the views of Vietnamese ppl in Vietnam are compared to those here, depending on the topic and which generation you ask, it was easier to accept myself as being Vietnamese-American.

[@tonigrant6994]

I'm half Filipino and I'm 22 still figuring out my identity. I never felt like I belong with Asians or black (my other side is black). I'm usually too black to be asian or too Asian to be black. Being with my own family, some of them made me feel the same way. I ended up focusing on being with ppl who would accept me for me: diversity. Where everyone is from different cultures. That's my safety net

[@gilnahnu]

im burmese and still going through that, i tried to avoid myself following eastern trends but theres still a disconnect between me and my culture.

[@voyer8911]

feel like having read through good journals after watching video. you did point out something that any asian person should start thinking about from now on

[@intoxiouss]

As someone who's been learning Korean and trying to learn about their culture I've stumbled across many videos akin to these and I cant help but realize that this issue is very very nuanced and not just limited to East Asians, but every minority. Every minority gets their turn in the "spotlight" to appeal to the western superpowers and the self-fetishization of it often goes overlooked and the west is portrayed as "evil" for sexualizing and obsessing over foreign cultures (I'm not saying the west isn't contributing to this issue, it is but it's not the only piece to it) The reality of the issue is that many cultures want to appeal towards the bigger crowd, to make themselves known to the world, of which often leads to them over simplifying or "Yassifying" their own culture. And due to this America and other similar countries gobble it up and accept this one sided idea of a foreign place because it's all that's been shown to them, it's meant to be an introduction to the foreign culture that's easier to process. Of which often leads to American foreigners feeling disgusted by the "objectification" and they're valid in this, but many fail to realize that many of these stereotypes have been paraded around by their own culture and then sold to the West in a compact box for them to understand. But without this beginning process it would be very hard to ever reach a mutual understanding between foreign cultures, so while this isn't favorable at the given moment it could pay off in the long run to help us better understand one another. Overall the issue is not black and white and is instead varying shades of grey, and as brought up in the video it may not be as bad as many portray it and self-fetishization can actually boost ones self confidence and is a way in taking pride in who you are or appreciate another's culture. But it can also lead to feeling gross or upset with yourself over your own identity. Imo I feel as if this is more so the start of an emergence of "Cultural-Sharing/Exchange" rather than appropriation as what has occurred isn't mockery nor dishonoring East Asia(For the most part, their will always be people like Oli London) in fact many are just appreciating the aspects of the culture given to them and enjoying it, it's not coming from a malicious place but more so from a curious place and a want for more fluidity in culture. The further we separate and divide culture the more we tend to dehumanize or discriminate due to the unfamiliarity we have with it, we lack understanding or don't partake in it of which creates a gap between different races. But if we share and commune and enjoy one another's cultures it can create more peace and understanding, it isn't about washing away diversity or uniqueness but more so sharing our humanity and the human culture, showing that we all resonate from a same place in a sense, and making a higher culture we can all be apart of that shows the diversity of humanity.

[@jakubmorkowski8533]

As a person from central/east Europe (Poland to be exact), who had some contact with the fetishized asian culture in his life (kpop, anime etc), however not much contact with asian people or real (by real i mean direct and nonfetishized) I have to say that i never really thought of the asian media that I consumed as a real cultural product, but rather a crafted one. It really felt like i didn't enjoy a part of the culture but a carefully crafted product, a sort of advertisment. This video nicely reasurred my feeling. Thanks for the cultural context :)

[@mayarae6272]

very true. i'm from america, and i see it (kpop, anime, etc) as being a lot like american cultural exports: yes, it's american, but it isn't really a genuine cultural product. like hollywood movies, for example. it's a romanticized, curated version of american culture that's meant to be consumed by millions of people -- exactly as you said, like an "advertisement". i have met many visitors who say "america is nothing like it is in the movies", because they get a false idea of what life is like here. i'd think it's the same for someone in east asia, for example: a visitor who really likes anime might go to japan with a false idea about what life is like there from the anime they watch.

[@aesyamazeli8804]

No, they really are their cultural product because every other country cannot make the same thing. For example, no other country can make American movies and series because eventhough you as American thinks it's far removed from your reality, at the very least it's reflect your reality. Captain America cannot be made in any other country, nor is Iron Man. Because no other country is preoccupied with military might and power like America! You can argue China, Russia and France are also obsessed with the military, but the way their government work cannot make the individual freedom loving superhero story work. Also the moral questions in these movies reflect American's dilemma with their ongoing war in some sandy places that other countries just don't understand. So you telling me it's not 'real cultural product' is frankly bizarre because it actually reflect what the culture is preoccupied with.

[@abdiabdi3225]

@@aesyamazeli8804 they're kind of right because most series will not be so overt in how the society functions at least not a clueless foreigner. For example I am not well versed in south east asian history or culture so any film or series potraying societal issues viewpoint extra will just fly over my head because I just don't understand those smaller hints and 2 all media will always have a level of overdrama to make sure you're engaged with what is happening. For example the inbettweners and dr who both will give a more fantastical view of british culture than what you're likely to see.

[@chrisc1184]

As others have mentioned, it is no different with America (the biggest cultural exporter in the world). It's romanticized and idealized as well.

[@bobinin]

you worded this so well, coming from a korean person

[@heygirlieholdstill2589]

"Other countries in the east can be xenophobic, fetishizing and even racist to outside cultures as well" and "a lot of people in the US fetishize Korea and Japan in a way thats very appropriative and disrespectful to the actual cultures and this is bad" are two ideas that can coexist

[@P0pBitch]

Exactly, two things can be true at once. In fact they DO. I think it’s more people just not wanting to take accountability for the Fetishization that does exist.

[@toasturhztoastbunz896]

Agree. I absolutely hate it when people use that first point to 'justify' racism towards Asians or silence them from speaking up about their experiences and act as if the latter point doesn't exist as a result of it. As an Asian myself, it frustrates me to no end. Don't get me wrong, racism is very prevalent in the asian community and should be called out more. But when it's done on the basis of disguising hate speech and sneakily spreading bigotry about Asians is when it starts to become problematic.

[@t.s.d.1376]

22:25 used it in a sentence, such intellect, what a scholar. You are SOO above the fray.

[@leleppy]

i can't stop watching your videos :) the topics you talk about are something i wanted to watch but didn't exactly find over here on yt. definitely keeping an eye on ur channel!

[@mhawang8204]

You only touched on it a little, but I want to emphasize that the strategized self-fetishization like Cool Japan or Korean Wave may help export of cultural products, but in no way it will truly let the fans learn the real culture. As if Rambo or Captain America are true representation of the U.S., same idea.

[@bedsheets1867]

i know like four people named alice wang what if i know u

[@hellojoechoe]

You are 100% right, and honestly this should honestly be the crux of the argument. These behaviors and whitewashing of history are not internalized because we vacuously decided that we like it. These behaviors are internalized because they were profitable as cultural exports. Here's a great example: the Bushido code. When Nitobe wrote "Bushido: The Soul of Japan" Japanese people considered it to be a gross misrepresentation of their culture, while the West were shocked and held this book as the truth on Japan for many decades, even still to this day. But through the cool Japan initiative, the government decided to whitewash samurai to their most extreme to rehabilitate Japan's imperial war crimes and promote their tourist industry. The reality is that Samurai were a brutal and oppressive class that terrorized peasants at every turn, but this history is erased when Japan set out to market their country as harmonious, apolitical, and without conflict for the Western Gaze. The point is that this does not happen by coincidence. People don't change their way of lives unless it is profitable. Look at every cultural export that east Asia has and behind it you will see big money at work.

[@flovonnejohnson707]

Yea, I'm not even Asian but I had to have a Convo with a girl that basically wanted to date Korean guys because she and I quote "wanted a good guys like the ones from kdramas"(she was young but still) ..........I had to pull her aside and break it to her. The short version of what I told her was that it doesn't matter where they're from or what race they are there are going to be good guys and terrible guys everywhere. Kdramas are made to romanticize and overdramatize situations and people just like any form of media 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@abimon76]

this!!!!

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

It's hard to learn real Korean musical culture when they steal so heavily from black culture.

[@user-wg1dq2pu6z]

"Weebs" and people like that bug me. As a white guy learning Japanese, (because I want to work in the Japanese business field someday) I have taken a strong interest in culture and tradition, music, food, etc. It always bothers me when people call me a "weeb" for learning about another culture that I want to work in someday. Wihtout a true understanding of all aspects of the culutre. I think all people who are infatuated with Asian culture that think of it as "perfect" and "kawaii" need a reality check and to educate themselves. Yes, Japan (in particular) has seen an increase in "cute" styles and marketing trends. Yes, it might be foreign that their country is clean, safe, and trains arrive on time. But as with anywhere, not everything is perfect. To gain a real understanding of these countries, it is also important to understand (again, speaking on Japan because I am most knowledgeable there) that there are difficult issues such as a flatlining economy, a severely declining population, a massive overwork and death from overwork problem, an inefficient labor force, etc. etc. etc. Just remember: When you think of the bright lights of Shinjuku and the "cuteness" of Tokyo, remember that there are countless salarymen in an office looking down on that while working their 62nd hour of overtime. The sushi restaurant that you think is so different has an employee who hasn't sat down for 13 hours. While the hustle and bustle of the city is going until 2am, remember that in Gunma or Gifu there is a dying village with only 50 people left. There are plenty of people who would love to be in your position. There is nothing wrong with being interested in other cultures, but please please please learn about them first. If you still find it fascinating and intriguing after learning about the cool elements of their culture AND their problems, you are a step closer to culutral appreciation instead of cultural fetishization.

[@MrAjking808]

Chill your a weeb dude ..

[@trigi3678]

you sir have hit the nail in the head at the end of day Japan is a country and many people forget about that. Im the same as you learning the language currently in school and trying to gain experience to get there. I watch anime and other media to help me with my immersion and its pretty obvious well to me that Japan ain't like this. Like its cartoon how can people believe this replicates everyday life. Also I have seen cases where people express their desire to like give japan a shot and they don't even sound weebish or obsessive and there always have to be people saying "oh Japan ain't all sunshine or rainbows , you are never going to be japanese". Like dude no shit why people think that everybody are weeaboos is annoying.

[@GameFuMaster]

I would say, Japan is a great country to live in, granted that you do not actually work for any companies there, i.e. you're retired or you're a streamer or something like that

[@animesenpai1163]

Based on my name some would call me a weeb... And I am... But I don't really think I'm fetishizing Japan, I just watch Anime, cook Tonkatsu or Omurice when I'm craving it(there's a japanese channel who liked my culture who started cooking my country's traditional food while also giving tutorials for Japanese food), I was learning Japanese but I didn't have time because I'm focusing on college. I'm also sidelearning Animation to maybe work in anime outsourcing studios in my country... I'm also Asian... I just don't have monolids. Btw I'd probably hate living in Japan, visiting I'd love it but working?? Based on all the Manga's I've read, fuck no... 90% Manga's that has some sort of work in it end up with the character either being depressed, overworked, dead.

[@animesenpai1163]

The last part of my comment is also goes with Korean stuff... I'd die before I go to school in Korea, bullying there based on Korean comics the can be horrible... And some apparently has truth to it.

[@annaandthensomethingelse9435]

Thank you so much for that definition of soft power in a way that makes sense 19:32. Everyone keeps explaining it to me using big scary english terms 😱😱😱😱😱😱 (don't quote me on this)

[@prestonnnadi5129]

I love your videos. Going on a binge-watch. Ha ha having fun!

[@mgj5508]

As European the section about aegyo was really interesting for me because I realized it's really similar to "dumb blond behaviour" (i didn't create the name that's how men call cute women). Even thought I'm an independent feminist woman in certain situations to get through them I have to act dumb and clueless. We dont exactly make ourselves look childlike, just more inexperienced or younger. I used to do it unconsciously while asking strangers for help.

[@justafish9618]

Yeah I already deflated aggressions and even violent attempts at me just by playing into this poor helpless innocent girl act... Like ...why is this a thing we need to survive...

[@abdiabdi3225]

funny or sadly enough the dumb blond is an archetype from holywood in which the blond girl was always dumb sexual and is some what promiscous and since that was getting churned out so hard especially in the 80s-00s just about everyone has some understanding of it.

[@revi__]

Omg I never thought of that connection ! That's actually so interesting

[@MTA808]

Maybe this has more to do with your bubble than anything else. I´m a European as well and the girls I interacted with in my life never play cutsey here. If you still accept help from people who make you change your whole attitude, maybe you all should overthink if it is truly worth it. Also, we "men" do not call cute women "dumb blondes", I have never heard this phrase...It does exist, but is not used generally for cute women

[@ahobimo732]

There is a KZbinr who was born female, transitioned to and lived as male, and then detransitioned, and now lives as female again. In one video, she talked about the difference between living as male vs.female, and which was "better". She said that as a female she experienced more compassion and understanding from other people, but as male she experienced more respect and deference. I honestly don't think this is just a culturally constructed difference. I think this is the ultimate foundation of gender difference. I'm not saying that it is "right" or "fair". But I think it's pretty universal. And one important point is that there are costs and benefits that come with each gender stereotype. While women have a harder time getting respect and autonomy from others, men are treated more harshly and given less help from others. Neither role is universally "better". It all depends on the context.

[@bl00dFairy]

I'm a 36 yr old Korean American, lived in Korea and the U.S, and I don't see any issues with Aegyo. It's so nuanced and yes you're right, those who live outside of the culture like you might struggle to understand it. It doesn't take away from a woman's independence, her empowerment or her maturity. I personally don't have as much aegyo as some of my friends, but I still aegyo to my husband (it comes out naturally I dont plan it), and also to my older cousins whom I'm very close with---and it's not in a way that demeans my "adulthood" at all. The clips you showed to represent aegyo are so far off on one end, where it CAN be very cringe, so I dont believe it's a very fair representation of how nuanced aegyo can be. Also, keep in mind that even MEN do it to their peers and lovers so it's not just subjected to women. For us east Asians who grew up in their cultures, it's an endearing act more than anything else, and done mostly to those they love or are close with.

[@bru1sed_v1oletSunny]

Would you say it’s similar to how American couples “baby talk” eachother and act cutely. Or even how highschool students here act cutely as a way of camaraderie through hand symbols, physical touch, facial expressions and in group slang/nicknames?

[@bl00dFairy]

@@bru1sed_v1oletSunny I would personally say yes, on both examples. It could look like either of those, and a whole lot more. I mean, even if we think of baby talk to a spouse, it can be subtle or excessive depending on the person and relationship. So for example, if my hubby ate the last piece of chocolate I wanted, I would say "Babe...I wanted that last piece of chocolate...." in a normal toned voice, however, I would also pout out my lower lip ever so slightly and glare cutely at him because it's not like I'd be super angry he ate it, but my face would show that I was definitely disappointed. He finds it endearing whilst knowing that he should never eat my last piece of chocolate ever again. Lol.

[@browning2471]

Coming from a complete newcomer to all of this, just learned what aegyo is like 5 seconds ago, it just seems creepy in the way of people on a large scale romanticizing the idea of children and acting like a child (your case is fine, to me it just seems off when someone tries to change their public image to that of some childish persona)

[@lordbalbero348]

You could also argue, that it is some kind of stress reliver. In Countrys, like Japan or Korea, most People have a high Pressure on them, to uphold themself to the high social Standards and constantly wear a "professional" Face or Mask outside. So to underline the Fact, they are now in an Environment, reserved for Frinds and Family, they act more freely and exaggerate it sometimes, with the more cute and soft behaviour.

[@SuvuIC]

Thank you for this comment! Didn’t know there was a word for it until now, but I definitely aegyo towards my boyfriend, and I’ve always felt bad for doing it, because it seems kind of wrong for a 20 year old to occasionally talk with a baby voice. But I only do it with him, and he also does it with me. So I wouldn’t even think of doing it in any sort of more formal situation or even in front of others. Relieving to know that I’m not the only one, and to know that there’s a large spectrum!

[@JiggyIggy]

I have had many thoughts on this a throughout the years and it was odd when I noticed I had two conflicting feelings on the fetishization of Asians. Growing up as half-Indonesian led me to experience some situations. When I was younger, I had an experience with someone who said they were "into Asians" and to put it quite frankly, it turned me off. I felt odd thinking that someone would like me based on my ethnicity. I went on with the belief that the fetishization of Asians was just weird and off-putting and I did not like it. Fast forward a couple of years into high school. When I went into high school, a lot changed. Now with a larger sum of people in one school I felt smaller and it had an effect on me. I pointed the fetishization of Asians was largely towards East Asians (Koreans, Japanese, and Chinese). I felt that the isolation I was feeling should be blamed on East Asians and I carried prejudice towards them as I felt like a "left-out Asian". I then later noticed my dissonance. I both believed that people that are into my race is weird, but I held some resentment to East Asians for people not looking at me for being Asian. I think it was silly that I knew EXACTLY how it felt for my race to be idolized and then feel left out for not being idolized but high school is a weird time and I've moved on from that lol

[@fm0363]

Need to praise your Dostoevsky PP

[@regretisathingofthepast]

Interesting take on things. As a music fan of all genres, I got hooked on K-Pop during the 2nd generation and watched 2NE1 go from debut to leading the charts. Through exposure to them, I started watching Korean media to catch interviews and special performances. I am amazed at what the industry has become. It has been a fascinating experience to see K-Pop go from 2nd generation to the 4th and debating the changes in the industry brought on by trying to crack the western markets. Just 2 years ago, BTS had 4 of the top 10 best selling songs for 2021, in the U.S. (G)I-DLE is wrapping up their second world tour which isn't bad for the "Monster Rookies" debuting a short 5 years ago. I-DLE is a great example of interaction between different Asian cultures within the bubble of Korean culture, in that 3 of their members are non-Korean. Simple interactions between someone from Taiwan and an elder from Korea result in entertainment news stories because K-netizens are insulted by the lack of respect for Korean traditions and customs. The world is getting smaller. Thanks for the vid and your views and don't sweat the blonde hair thing...brunettes rule!

[@dellabelle9956]

I can’t overstate how big ur brain is on this!!! Also the perfect timing coz im writing a paper on native vs diaspora cultural representation!!!! Self orientalism and fetishization is definitely something to consider!! Its interesting that china self fetishezes like you said in the tourism videos, but when the ethnic minorities are represented in media, chinese people reject them? Eg Dior photorapher Chen Man getting cancelled because she took portraits of ethnic minorities in her video shoot coz they “dont represent chinese beauty". What im noticing is that natives and westerners/diaspora fetishize "asianness" differently. Like how tiktok have viral fox eye trends, makeup styles thats accused for asian fishing, and ariana grande on her latest monolid look. Whereas, in Weibo, Chinese makeup and beauty standards are always about BIG eyes? Chinese people really hate being stereotyped with small eyes, but the biggest takeway by western internet in asian fishing is taping slanted eyes and monolids? Meanwhile, Chinese illustrators and artists who are (I assume) trying to embrace their natural looks by drawing characters with small/slant eyes are quickly getting called 辱华 (insulting the Chinese race) and pandering to Western stereotypes of East Asians. Is this about exoticization vs the cute culture too?? Anyway great thought provoking video!!!

[@oliSUNvia]

very interesting comment!

[@brianmureverwi8085]

Can you drop a link to your paper when it's done? Sounds like it's going to be good

[@Quantum722]

you have a point

[@urdadsonic1036]

I feel like it's just different beauty standards honestly which is why it's different...

[@miti342]

I’ve always been said to have “big eyes for an Asian person” and it pisses me off. What’s that supposed to mean? How do you expect me to take that backhanded shit as a compliment? Asian people aren’t a stereotype. We are real Humans too. We are only objects to this world. Yet we’re the staple of keeping this world standing.

[@melanieai3104]

Great video. However I strongly disagree that Vietnam, Philippines or Thailand etc. are rarely fetishized. While I don't know how it is in the US, living here in Europe especially the women of those countries are immensely objectified and seen as trophy women for "ugly" european men. Most of them are seen as poorly educated but easy targets for s*xual relationships. And ofc the stereotype is that they're exotic, submissive & obedient. Sometimes they have those traits simply bc they can't speak the european country's language fluently. I do think east asia is more "popular" in the mainstream, but the fetishization does include Asia (yes, South Asia included) in general. At least that's my experience in Europe. Edit: I also have to add that there's a stereotype here that asian women are pr*stitutes & cheap.

[@Bunnytheclownslayer]

that is such a good point!! there are many middle aged white men in america too that travel to Vietnam, Philippines and Thailand to take advantage of the women there and fetishize them

[@Jixsurez]

*cough* big ed *cough* *cough*90 day fiance *cough*

[@yourmajestythequeen8147]

@Jk Yess I agree with you completely and this stereotype of south east asian women. I do have to make a correction that that image is mostly perpetuated by Thailand and Philippines tho. They have do have more freedom in their sexual culture, plus poverty kind of encourage ppl to go for old white people for ✨dem USD ✨(really sad tbh) This is the extreme opposite in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. Mostly conservative people and having sex outside of marriage is still a huge taboo. Unless you're seeing actual prostitutes, good luck getting some action XDD I remember first time I found out that it is normal for kids in Germany to have sex at like 14 I was like, shooketh Here you can safely assume all your classmates in university are virgins, and we wear our virginlord badge with pride lmaoooo

[@jennamallow]

Yea that isn’t really a thing in the US, people only really focus on Japanese, Chinese, and Korean people.

[@yololoyo7379]

True. I blame the media and ads too

[@cristyminty4296]

is anyone going to talk about that bomb intro? LIke it as really nice track and editing ^w^

[@allieyeats758]

You mentioning picking time and place to use aegyo reminds me of a paper I read in University about negotiatong femininity and the appearance of intelligence in certain situations to gain a social capital. That was a pleasant throwback!

[@ZebrazRus]

My Chinese friend taught me “Aegyo” back in 2018 when we were taking selfies lol. It can be fun playing that way, but I feel bad for the women who have been exploited that way or doing it when they don’t want to..

[@USERZ123XD]

you don't really have to do it and it's not just women who do it, men do it too in Asia. tho it is more common for women, but yes even men do it quite common this is why the term like "小清新" in china which means "small and clear" men are very popular with Chinese women. they are not literally small mind you.

[@user-hs4ek6rj4t]

Bruh I think nobody is doin aegyo at work no more in Korea man. maybe to your romantic partner? doin it at work seems weird in 2022 tho

[@ZebrazRus]

@@USERZ123XD I have noticed men using that type of voice too! And on top of that- the phenomena not being exclusive to China, we see a version of it in America and all over the planet, really, where women’s femininity is fetishized. I guess there is a fine line between just being feminine (whatever that may mean for the respective female) and then Aegyo. In a way it’s like the female version of “toxic masculinity” ?We shouldn’t look down on “girly girls” or “tomboys” nor “feminine men” or whatever. we each express gender differently. It’s hard to tell how much culture has influenced that and how much is innate..

[@hepersopon4459]

@@ZebrazRus that would be toxic femininity

[@arturhashmi6281]

THE SELF-FETISHIZATION OF ITALY: PIZZA & SPAGHETTI AREN'T THE ONLY PROBLEM

[@no_not_that_one]

As an Italian American you do have a bit of a point

[@armentorosyan8268]

Mama mia Alberto

[@bulboli2bayagbag125]

I love Al Pacino

[@bagel1612]

​@@bulboli2bayagbag125me too

[@slishslash9202]

Pepperoni pizza has me acting up 😮‍💨

[@koalamud5087]

I love this video so much, it's so incredibly analytical and still isn't victim blamey which makes sense since hate crime against women is extremely prevalent anywhere in Asia...

[@rpepero4774]

I love this video, points out so many things and issues not only with americans and fetishization but also our own problematic histories with asian bigotry. Keep it up, I could watch videos like this forever