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  • Essay / Stereotypical Asian Roles in Hollywood Sitcoms

    Diversity of any kind should be celebrated, whether it concerns race, gender, religion or sexual orientation. However, even in the 21st century, Asian men and women are still often overlooked and overly stereotyped in Hollywood and especially in American sitcoms. The roles Asians are cast in reflect old-fashioned characteristics. Stereotypical roles for Asians fall on opposite ends of the spectrum, from nerd to prostitute. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The idea that Asians do not speak English or understand the nuances of Western culture is commonly used in exaggerated comedic endings. Behind the laughter, we realize that Asians are still not taken seriously but rather for the entertainment of others, because being put on a pedestal as the center of the joke makes us uncertain about how we we are presented. Asians make up a large part of America's new diversity and culture, but it is not seen as clearly due to lack of representation. By breaking down how Asian characters are presented in the two popular early 2000s sitcoms, 2 Broke Girls and Gilmore Girls, the essay aims to analyze how Asians are, and always have been, represented visually and linguistically in Hollywood. Furthermore, this essay aims to see how far America has actually come in accepting and embracing Asian identity in this culturally diverse country. The television paradigm is a very influential tool in that it informs how we perceive the world and shapes our knowledge about the world. certain groups of people. When there are no or almost no representations of Asians on television and the only representations are stereotypes repeated over and over again, Asians are limited to a handful of expectations shown by the media that are not representative of their racial identity or culture. American sitcoms are examples of how Hollywood uses Asians as a springboard to compose punchlines for a series rather than giving them a platform to exhibit their culture and educate the oblivious Western mass. Considered a groundbreaking series for its predominantly female cast, Gilmore Girls was progressive when it came to female representation, but their view of Asians was met with mixed reactions. One of the main characters, Mrs. Kim, has adopted characteristics that cast a negative light on how Asian parents raise their children by showing a huge contrast to the mainstream Western family when it comes to parental control. She is also visually depicted to stand out and look intentionally different with her conservative wardrobe that differs from the main character's more laid back, casual style of the mother. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. More recently, in the early 2010s sitcom 2 Broke Girls, the character of Han Lee, a Korean-American restaurant owner, portrays the stereotypical characteristics that Western media likes to recycle; from an immigrant's broken English to the idea that Asian men have low sexual attractiveness. Hollywood has a long history of misrepresenting Asians on screen and stereotypes aren't the only way to do it..