Blog Post 3 – “If We Are Asian, Then Are We Funny?”
- In Sarah Moon Cassinelli’s piece titled, “If we are Asian, then are we funny?”, the author identifies some of the problems involving race in the American sitcom, All-American Girl. Within the show, that starred Margaret Cho, there were multiple instances and examples of racism and stereotypes being perpetuated, along with the pressures that came with it. The author raises the question of what it means to be Asian-American. Additionally, they show the negative effects of stereotypes that are presented in American television, which causes confusion and frustration in society.
- Cassinelli utilizes quotes from Margaret Cho’s memoir, I’m the One that I Want, in order to exemplify some of the direct experiences and insight from what it was like to be on the show and reactions to it. For example, the author cites a moment from Cho’s memoir in which she states, “…the Kim family caused many to deem All-American Girl as racist because the familial portrayals ‘did not ring true as an ‘authentic’ Asian-American family’ (Cho 140)” (Cassinelli 132). In this quote, Cho provides her own personal take on what it was like to be on All-American Girl and some of the societal problems that stemmed from it. Because people had a clear expectation of what they wanted to see from Asians or Asian-Americans, the show would often receive backlash or negative comments if they did not meet these expectations. The pressures that Cho faced were also cited, such as when “others would ask Cho to try and alter her face” (Cassinelli 134). This illustrates the types of situations that Cho was forced to be in during these moments and show some of the racist and rude responses she would receive along the way. Comments such as that one emphasized some of the problems present in society as they are unaware and have unreasonable expectations.
- One of the key concepts the author introduces is the idea of “Yellowface” and the term “stereotype”. Yellowface is the “performance that ‘marks the Asian body as unmistakably Oriental…” (Cassinelli 136). This is related to what would appear in All-American Girl as they were often stereotyping, or oversimplifying of cultures.
- Similar to the body issues that Margaret Cho was facing in her time on All-American Girl, in Lisa Park’s piece, “A Letter to My Sister”, the author’s sister faces similar struggles. Cho had undergone “self-loathing and masochism…and extreme weight loss” (Cassinelli 134), in order to be accepted and to fit in. This mirrors some of the actions taken by Park’s sister, by undergoing surgery and facing mental illness.
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