Pat Morita should be ashamed of himself for making this horrible sequel. Surely he must've known that this ruined the original trilogy, which is why he probably has no career now (or at least a good one).
Consider that he was one of the last in the long line of "Asian actors just trying to make a paycheck" that infected the '80s (Gedde Watanabe is another who comes to mind), so as far as he was concerned, he was just trying to earn an income. I never really watched "Happy Days" enough to be familiar with Arnold, but I see clips of them now and think "what the hell?!" No self-respecting Asian actor would take that kind of a role today.
(and now that I think about it, maybe that was the key phrase: "self-respect")
And now, some general commentary directed at no one in particular...
Being of Japanese descent, I never had a whole lot of role models on TV and movies apart from the caricatures played by Morita and other Asian actors taking whatever roles they were offered without question or complaint. So of course, as a kid, I thought it was part of my bloodline to learn martial arts from my father, and wondered why the hell my dad was a manager of a high-class restaurant instead of a ninja. I think I'd suspected that he actually was a ninja in secret because he always worked nights... :)
Now, at 31 and way more jaded about the '80s than I probably should be, I've lost all respect for most Asian actors who made their mark in the '80s because they had no shame. Sure, it may have been a choice of "play this simpering stereotype or starve," but not being neck-deep in the movie business at that time, I have the luxury of saying that.
Asian-Americans bristle at the word "Oriental" because to us, it's an antiquated term brimming with stereotype and prejudice. It's like calling an African-American person a "negro": Technically not a Bad Word like the n-word, but most people wouldn't feel comfortable using it in everyday conversation -- and it's probably only a matter of time before "negro" gets banished in similar fashion. "Oriental" is what describes the spineless "ah so solly" characters of the '80s movies and TV shows -- the kind perpetuated by actors like Morita, Watanabe, and that guy from "Police Academy 3" who were more concerned with the paycheck and the SAG credits.
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Miss Kitty
20 years ago
It is the people who will take whatever role they are offered that start to break down the bounderies of racism in Hollywood. In "Gone With the Wind" Hattie McDaniel played yet another "yess'a ma'am" black servent. Then she became the first black woman to win an Oscar. Without the Hattie McDaniels, the Butterfly McQueens, the Step-n-Fetchits, there would be no Denzel Washingtons, Sidney Poitiers, Oprah Winfreys.
Without Asian actors like Pat Morita or Gedde Wattanabe taking these 'quote' "Oh so solly" roles, actors like Jet Li or Chow Yun Fat wouldn't be finding RESPECT in mainstream Hollywood today...and they don't bow to anyone, serve rice, or sound like Charlie Chan. There's a long way to go for Asian actors in Hollywood, but little by little the walls are being chipped away. Don't be angry at them, be proud that they started blazing a trail...it makes it easier for others to follow.
Don't look at them as having no shame; it takes humility to play the fool so that others can someday play the king.
BAD KITTY...
>^..^< MEOW
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chouse1020
18 years ago
I know this is a really old post, but I have to comment on it.
Just FYI, I've lived around the USA and have had friends from literally almost every nation and/or culture possible... including a lot of friends from Japan, Korea, China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
So when I say what I'm about to say to your comment, please understand it is not being said out of prejudice at all...
"Asian-Americans bristle at the word "Oriental" because to us, it's an antiquated term brimming with stereotype and prejudice."
You couldn't be more incorrect if you were trying to be...
"Oriental" is simply a word of Latin origins that means "easterner"... and in that usage it does ideally describe those who Political Correctness now demands that we refer to as "Asians".
What I want to know is, what the hell are we supposed to call all of those other people from Asia who don't fit into the well understood usage of the older term "Oriental"???
Really... how do I refer to somebody who's not from Japan/China/Korea/Southeast Asia? In the past, the term Asian was a good catch-all and could fit the bill - now however we can't use that as it's been stolen by those who used to be referred to as "Oriental".
Clearly... being called "Easterner" is not a bad thing; after all, the word isn't "bad"... the racist *beep* who treated "Orientals" as lesser humans WERE... you may want to realize that, and not continue to bitch and moan about racist idiots who are LONG DEAD!
I really do think the terms "Orient/Oriental" should go back into common usage to describe collectively some friend(s) you know whose actual nation of origin you haven't bothered to ask yet... After all, the worst thing one can do is to accidentally refer to a Korean as Japanese or vice versa. You will piss them off TERRIBLY, even if completely on accident.
Asia's a hell of a lot more than just the "Oriental" nations you know... it's literally just as big of a boner as if somebody tried to use the term "American" to describe a white person, and to assume you should know they are referring to a white person and not any of the other many people who come from America.
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