______________________
Caricature isn't always designed as a mockery. Sometimes it's simply shorthand for something that the target audience sees every day.
Classic Hollywood films, for example, are filled to the brim with Irish cops. That's because, after long decades in which Irish-Americans were deemed the dregs of criminality, some of them began getting into the low-paying but more respectable business of crime prevention. I'm sure a lot of Irish-Americans in the early 20th would have preferred to do jobs other than walk a beat. But life is not fair, and we can't change the past; only understand how the past impacts on the present.
I recall hearing one Indian-American, whose name I did not note, speak on a radio show, saying that, in effect, Apu mirrored his own experience. As I recall, he said that his father immigrated to America as a scientist, but couldn't find work in that department. So he got into motel management, and today, this is still a burgeoning source of employment for Indian-Americans. Again, maybe it wasn't fair that the scientist had to go into motel management. Maybe it was the result of white privilege, maybe it wasn't. But it remains a fact that a lot of Indian-Americans found employment in the management of motels and convenience stores.
I agree that it sucks when Indian-American kids get called "Apu" or have to listen to "Thank you come again." I'm sure it sucked when Chinese-American kids had to listen to "Chinamen" songs and get mocked for being the sons of laundrymen. Yet I think it's unfeasible to say, "We don't like the image of this caricature, no matter whether it represents any aspect of real life or not." I think Hari Kondabolu may be guilty, at the very least, of using too broad a brush to paint his picture of anti-Asian racism.
4 comments:
I found your article cogent and entertaining. It has been my experience that THE CLASSIC HORROR BOARD is mostly comprised by elderly men who have an unnatural obsession with FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN. Every so often, a societal issue will emerge pertaining to a new film or, in this case, a TV show that will afford them the chance to “sure-up” their progressive bona fides in a rapid succession of virtue signaling posts. If the topic dangerously morphs into the depiction of the African Americans servants in SON OF DRACULA, they flee faster than a vampire at the break of dawn. Unlike the wolfman, these guys only kill the things that they do not love.
Thanks for your comment, Pat. I thought of putting in an addendum about how the "Apu" discussion was deleted from CHFB. With forums that make a great show about giving posters freedom, I find that sort of thing objectionable. However, CHFB does make clear that it doesn't generally allow political exchange. I think that's a fair attitude as long as one makes it clear from the outset, so it didn't bother me this time-- probably because I did remember to excerpt my post.
Many times the flag of “NO POLITICS, PLEASE!” is waved by the administrator, David Colton who is Executive Editor, and has been with USA TODAY since almost the beginning, but only when the opinions on the thread does not supports or offends his tender sensibilities. Feel free to peruse Charlton Heston’s obituary in FINAL FAREWELLS to see how well this practice is enforced. You can find numerous threads where Mr. Colton, acting as a shaper of public opinion, will pop-in to remove various posts with the excuse that they had a nasty or humorous tone or because they, “added nothing to the discussion” (Forry’s #METOO moment is a good example of this). Although I have followed the CHFMB for many years, I have never posted anything. It has always seemed to me like an All Boys’ Club that bends and enforces their bylaws by whim and conjecture, and I, for one, never wanted to join THAT club. I will only contribute to a forum where ALL opinions are welcomed, dissected and debated.
After I got kicked off a couple of forums for being too contrarian by so-called liberals, I signed up with DEBATE POLITICS, and so far I haven't gotten upbraided by any of the moderators. It's too early to be sure, but they seem to have a mix of political opinions among the moderators-- which MAY make it possible to a freer exchange of opinions.
They aren't very good on discussions of pop culture, though.
Post a Comment