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Do All Asians Think Jin Chao's Character is a Racist Portrayal?

#jinchao#wearsprada#character#chingchong#helenshen
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0:00 To put stripes with plaids is a freaking choice, actually. That's very fashion. >> And they're saying that other besides the blue sweater from the first one, that's essentially what she was wearing when she came in. >> Hey, you know what it really is? They had some Chinese investors on this movie and they're like, we need one character that's Chinese. >> All right, we're going to talk about something that is heavily viral right now in the Asian community and it is the um criticism of a certain character that is in Devil Wears Prada 2. And uh this character >> Oh, Ching Chong. >> is uh yeah, Ching Chong is what Anthony said cuz he's racist. Uh the character's name is Jin Chao, all right? Which already as a flag, some people have said that Jin Chao sounds too close to Ching Chong. So, they're seeing that as a racist choice. >> Like Ching Ching Chao or something like that.

0:50 >> Ching Chong. >> What was her name again? >> Jin Chao. >> Do you know my dad's middle name is? You know Chin Chao. >> It's actually Chin Chao? >> Yeah. >> So, the argument the counter argument like they keep saying that is that Jin Chao is a pretty common name or names that sound like it, that's a common choice. >> They wanted Arthur Wong. That's probably what they wanted. >> I guess. So, like this character came out Devil Wears Prada 2, right? >> like if we like do the Asian movie and then we had one white character in it and we called him John Smith? Is that Is that what we're saying? >> Maybe. >> We'd probably get sued, probably get sued for trademark. So, like here's the thing, I'll tell you the surface level, okay? Surface level, this character came out Asians everywhere, Asian Americans I should say, pissed off because the image of this character looks too dorky and and to be honest, I will agree that is sort of an outdated idea to put like the

1:41 dorky, socially awkward >> pull her up? >> Yeah, I will in a second. Don't the you know, dorky, socially awkward character as a trope because we've seen it in ████ God knows how many times in movies, but here's the next level down is that maybe that's not what it seems. So, here's the character. That's Jin Chao. Okay, so complaints are that her outfit working at a fashion uh editorial is like >> not fashion. >> Yeah, okay, yeah, that's one of the things. Well, her character's not like a Vera Wang, clearly. >> No, yeah, exactly. >> You don't think those clothes are pretty posh still? >> I personally think that's ████ tight, but >> I think it looks still posh. >> thought that's hella tight. Yeah, I don't think not everybody sees it and knows what they're looking at, either. >> Oh, so not everybody sees that as fashion. >> I'm no fashionista. >> No, yeah, for real. I think you if you lack fashion, you think a lot of good

2:31 stuff is bad stuff. You know what I mean? But I think if you're just open-minded, then you understand that like, oh, it's kind of cool. But um here's the thing. Um Lair- Laney from E! Talk had a lot of really good points, and she um was talking about how when you watch the movie and you find out more about who she is, she's kind of dressing and acting to her character in which the character written is a musical theater kid. And we all know like musical theater kids, you know, they are like sort of in their own realm socially a little bit. So, they are going to stand out kind of like in a in a dorkier way, obviously. And um and also her character itself is a nod to Anne Hathaway's character from the first one. So, you know, when Anne Hathaway gets there, >> She's all nerdy, too. She dressed like ████ in that one, too, dude. >> Well, yeah, I mean, but that's the

3:21 thing. You That's the same the same deal as that Anne Hathaway in the first one, you personally weren't even aware that she was dressing like ████ until, you know, the boss was telling her ████ Was telling her like, oh, you think you chose cerulean blue as a sweater? Like, that chose you because it's a it's a leftover from fashion deciding what you get. You know, it's like a whole deep thing. >> Yeah, yeah, because of this magazine >> it up and she thought she was the alternative like style person. So, I guess like, you know, Jin Chao has sort of the same thing in that way like uh her character does develop, I believe. No spoilers. >> gets a makeover? >> I don't know if she gets a makeover, but I still don't even think that's bad. >> I don't think so, either. >> So, another thing is that she's saying that um >> It's very formal. >> Lainey from It's Just Like That got a good point saying that like do you Have any of you guys seen what people look

4:11 like who actually work in a fashion building? >> They look like that, I think. >> Well, they look They don't always look like >> a magazine, yeah. >> Yeah, they don't look like the editorial itself. >> Sometimes It's kind of like cooks when they cook for themselves, it's a bowl of rice. What I've noticed is like people at the highest level of art sometimes they're not a great representation of what they create. Like a Like it's a stereotype that a lot of costume designers and whatever, they dress like ████ but they make such beautiful pieces of art. >> just wear black. >> Yeah. >> Simple black because they're not trying to be in front of the camera. They're busy like working on their subjects. >> Or like hair stylists are bald. >> Yeah. >> Or just have a bob or like You know, it's like that's kind of the way that it sort of is most of the time. >> Fat fitness instructors. >> instructors, yeah.

5:01 >> Those are the best, though. >> Fat fitness Fat gym owners. >> They get a lot of heat. They get a lot of heat on them. >> But isn't this more like people just being sick of the tropes of like oh, a nerdy Asian again? >> Well, I think that if you And this is where I see the fairness where I think if you're just glancing at it and maybe even just like your first impression as a whole looks like they're doing that again. And even maybe you walk away from it and still thinking that they did it again. But then it's When you see stuff like this, a lot of the time the people who are angry are thinking how does a white person see that? And the white person might be think like seeing that as dorky again. And it's like okay, we're just going to keep selling white people the fact that the Asian character in a movie has to be the ████ fashion backward, dorky, socially awkward, never is the heartthrob or the lead. You know, like

5:51 perpetuating that kind of age-old thing. >> But, you know what my argument is to that? Is the Asians that live amongst them are that. That's what they observe. So, that's like the writers of these movies, right? Like let's say a lot of Jewish guys, a lot of New York guys, whatever. They're not hanging out with ABGs. They're not hanging out with all these people to to get inspired to write these like they're hanging out hanging ████ Asian Ivy League kids that are their peers. And then I'm like, yeah. Those guys exist in their world. So, I'm like they're not creating fictional characters. >> They exist in my world. >> All of our worlds. >> Yeah. >> But, I'm like what what is it about like >> I think it's it's the the size of the megaphone. That's all. You know, like Devil's Devil Wears Prada 2 is a really big kind of box office

6:43 mega moment actually as a type of movie like that. I think it's because the megaphone is so big that this is triggering in whatever way. Right? Because you've got uh that Netflix show Running Point, I think that just came out. Basketball one. It looks like I think Jeanie Buss from the Lakers kind of helped produce it. So, it's kind of like a satire on that. Um Kate Hudson might be the lead. She's like basically the new president of the Los Angeles Waves or whatever. Brenda Song is like her her assistant. But, she's just like stylish, badass, cusses like crazy, like just puts her in her place type character and it's like you know, and it's like that's a completely opposite probably representation as an Asian woman, but it's just the microphone's not as big. So, are we celebrating that the way that we might be getting mad at this or you know what I'm saying? >> Yeah. >> It's it's two different reflections.

7:33 >> The counterpoint I heard to this is that so, if this was the like Devil Wears Prada 1 they would still have this character, but it would just be a white person. So, like if are you able to look at the character written and then celebrate that it was given to an Asian actor or is that also pissing you off that it the Asian actor got that role? You know what I mean? >> That's how I kind of feel with it. It's like, okay, is she supposed to be an assistant? She's supposed to be kind of like timid. She's supposed to be the one that kind of gets dunked on a little bit. >> Yeah, so she's >> That's her role in the story, right? >> She's the new her. >> Yeah. >> In this movie, basically. >> And she's mean to her? Like or like how she was in the first one? >> I don't know if they're mean to her. >> Does that make her like the Emily Blunt from the previous? Kind of like the Yeah, the senior one that's already doing everything for Miranda or whatever? >> Maybe, I don't know the plot. I haven't watched it. >> Yeah, I don't I don't know. I'm excited

8:24 to watch it. >> But then one thing they do say too is that like I guess this character is meant to be a positive gesture in that who we vision is working at like a fashion editorial. We would probably let's say you're going to cast an Asian. Oh, like get this tall, slender, gorgeous, like that's where your stupid mind would go. But the fact they gave it to this character was meant to be a positive stereotype. That's the explanation. Where they're like, "Oh, isn't that great? Like if you're going to make a movie about ████ fashionista people, they shouldn't all look like models, right?" They kind of shouldn't. That would be kind of a different stereotype. >> Let me just try and zoom out for a second and think different. Um assuming we took the the emotion, the feeling, whatever it is, the suppression or the whatever thing, just took it out, and it was just about playing the game. And it's like, "Hey man, if we complain

9:15 enough about this, the next role will be better for an Asian person." If that Do you think that that works? >> Or they go, "You know what? It's too much trouble. Let's give it to an Indian." >> Yeah, I don't know. I don't think it I personally don't think it works because I think >> Cuz isn't that the idealism regardless of like that outrage or that the idea that if enough voices, you know, talk about this type of thing, then progress should be made in that space. >> The reason I don't think it works is and I could be completely wrong is because I think where Hollywood is right now with making movies, I think they they do everything to minimize risk. >> Yeah. >> So like, oh, the story it's too confusing. Uh this is too creative. Uh we don't know this name. Like don't put them in. So whatever the risk is, if they're like running into another thing where like, oh, Star Wars can't make this Asian girl the character cuz everyone's going to hate it, then, you know, I think if

10:05 they're going to do something that everyone's going to hate, they're going to push towards putting trans people or a gay person versus just an Asian. If you're going to get hate, you might as well get it where you can monetize. >> Sure. >> I don't think they're going to be able to do that with this, so they keep trying to do it. >> So you think if that this character was just named like Shannon, we'd be fine. There would be no >> I don't know. It's hard to say because I feel like if there's there's just a How bad's her accent? Does it sound like Breakfast at Tiffany's? >> Like is it is it the fact that it's an Asian person being represented like that or is it the fact that that Asian's name is that? >> It's hard to say. It I don't know if it's like how much percentage of it is virtue signaling or how much they really do care because the thing is I wouldn't want to not put Asians that look like this and stuff because that's how a lot of ████ Asian people look. >> whole point. That's what that's how I feel. I feel like I'm going crazy listening to this, dude.

10:55 >> And I'm like if you're pissed about it and you're a woman, chances are you look closer to her than you do Anne Hathaway. >> Okay, that being said though, just just for fun conversation, choosing to name that character Jin Chao is kind of funny then. >> Well, it's they they thought it was like fine because that's one of the most common either like adjacent to >> That's like being angry that her name is like ████ Hana Yamamoto. >> Yeah. >> It's like oh God, I I I can't believe you ████ called her that. >> But you got a Hana in there. >> But that's a Japanese name, too. >> I just can't believe people are complaining about this. This is crazy to me. >> Like that to continually I don't know. I It's a weird It's a weird line for me because it's like when you see that and you accuse the movie of like, "Why'd you put Why'd you make Asians look so dorky?" How do you think that makes her feel? >> She looks fine. She doesn't look that If

11:45 she had like mustard all over her shirt or something. >> What if the intention wasn't No one saw her dorky, but all these Asians just go, "Oh, another nerd." And she GOES LIKE, "WAIT, WHAT? I look nerdy?" >> Well, she's definitely supposed to be a musical theater nerd, which exists. >> Yeah. So, do they want her to be a bombshell like sex pot? Like, what the ████ >> Yeah. Now you're sexualizing, you know what I mean? Like >> Yeah, like I just don't understand what the expectation is. This just This just proves too many people on social media, dog. >> But also, there's the There's the other part There's this other segment of Asians that want it to be so Americanized to the point where it scrubs all Asian culture. And the only thing Asian about them is their ethnicity. So, they're like Their name would be like Nick Dunn. No Asian connection ever. >> And then like Well, what the ████ Wait, what? >> The opposite of her name is Nick Dunn.

12:36 >> No, but it'll it'll just be It'll I think they like that, too, cuz I remember um in the early 2000s, a lot of the talks in the Asian-American film festivals were they were like It was like Better Luck Tomorrow. Remember in Better Luck Tomorrow, they're like, "Finally, a movie out. And there's no chopsticks." And it's like they took pride in like how un-Asian it was. >> Which is fine for the time, I guess, right? Cuz it is dependent. But now, I do We see so many Asian people on TV and movies. I feel like this is great. This is like the golden age so far. >> I think we're overrepresented. We're under ████ 5% of the US and we're so much We have a presence on media now. >> Well, dude, whose side are you on, brother? >> I want more Asians and more roles, dude. >> doesn't look bad to me. >> All I'm saying is to put stripes to put to put stripes with plaids is a freaking choice, actually. So, like that's that's

13:27 very fashion. >> And they're saying that other besides the blue sweater from the first one, that's essentially what she was wearing when she came in on the first one. >> Hey, you know what it really is? They had some Chinese investors on this movie and they're like, we need one character that's Chinese. >> Okay, when they do that, that's kind of whack. >> Yeah, but to me, like, when you think about how movies are made, doesn't isn't that more plausible? >> That's absolutely plausible. Well, just like obviously like we've seen that when they screen the same movie in China, they have more screen time for the Asians. They've done that a ton. You going to act like that's not happening? That's completely happening. >> 100%. >> That's that's how you make money. >> They make movies to try to get into China. >> Yeah, the point of making movies for any of these studios >> They could sell they could sell this to China now because there's characters in it. >> They got to make money. That's their main thing. They have like a responsibility. >> I thought it was to make white people happy. What? >> I thought it was art.

14:17 >> But I just don't think I think we've had way like yeah, we got Long Duk Dong, but that's a far cry from this. >> That was so long ago. If she was if she was dressed like the landlord from Kung Fu Hustle, then I people could be mad. But she dressed great. >> She's at a fashion company. She's got the hair. >> She's got cigarette, hair rollers, then you can be mad cuz then that's stereotypical. Then that's being racist, you know? >> I think my biggest ████ is like it's nerds always complaining about being portrayed as a nerd. Like it's usually the ones complain it's like then don't ████ look like a Asian nerd if you don't want people to stare if >> What do you look like? Why don't you what? You don't want to post a profile photo cuz you embarrassed how you look? I don't think you should be talking about how they look that. They don't look like they don't look good. >> Pull up the valedictorians from earlier, dude. They're all they all look like that. They all look like that, man. >> Cuz I don't think that hurts anybody. I don't I really don't think so. I think

15:08 she looks ████ tight. >> She looks fly. >> And that's a ████ dope outfit to me. >> And she's just a Chinese girl in working on Wall Street. Lady Wall Street, dude. Is it Lady Wall Street? >> Yeah, and I don't I don't think they're ████ on her the whole movie. I don't think they're like >> What if they're just so racist to her the whole time? And we And we just missed the context completely. >> Or they did they actually call her ching chong? >> It's Jin Chao. They're like, "All right, shut up ching chong." >> I can't wait to do part two video where we apologize. >> We watched the movie. We were wrong. >> On the bottom of it, I'm just I'm just really I'm happy to see another Asian working. I don't think she's like, "I'll take any role." >> How about this? What's her What's her actual actor's name? Like her real name? >> Shin Jin. >> Stop. >> ████ Shin Jin. >> Genuine? >> Shin No, I didn't say that. >> ████ delay of game here. Hold on.

15:58 >> Oh, delay of game, bro. Well, we got to at least give her flowers. >> Yeah, you're right. You're right. >> You know what I mean? Ken's not going to you know up >> Ken's going to cut this out, I think. Ken, leave this part in, please. >> No, no, no, no, no, no. >> Uh Helen J. Shen. >> There it is. >> Helen J. Shen. >> Hey, shout out Helen. >> Shen. >> There it is. >> Yeah, not bad.

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