Joz just discussed those who wish they weren’t Asian and now Boston Progress Radio (BPR) writes about those who perhaps wish they were. BPR is an online radio station dedicated to featuring Asian-American music, and they recently posted this humorous list of 7 Mainstream Artists You Thought Were Asian but Aren’t.
Some artists made the list thanks to rumors, others thanks to their um, paying homage to elements of Asian culture via wardrobe or the set of their music videos or concerts. I wonder, is this imitation the ultimate form of flattery or is it kind of insulting? I think it depends.
One example that comes to mind is Quentin Tarantino. Or should I say, that motherfucker Quentin Tarantino, if only to use his own played out vernacular. I am seriously annoyed with Tarantino lately, especially after this lame spread in GQ. Dude, QT, I get it. You dig a certain genre of Asian films. You’ve worked hard to rip them off pay tribute to them and have been mildly entertaining at times. But you have crossed the line, the line of respect and common sense, and it is not motherfucking cool. It’s like watching an adolescent boy who doesn’t know how to express his feelings for a girl beat her up.
So some unsolicited advice to those who would um, pay homage to other cultures or even represent*: be mindful. It’s a fine line between imitation and mockery, flattery and jackassery.
*see what I mean
thanks to AngryAsianMan for this entry, which led me to the scans of the GQ spread on ampha, which eviscerates QT far better than I ever could.
- Excited
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Disgusted
- Sad
- Angry
