Critics Choice Awards Gags

Ken and Joel

So I happen to watch the first minutes of the Critics Choice Awards and regretted it instantly.

I have never watched an awards show in well over a decade and TV for years for that matter. But for some unfortunate reason I happen to catch the start of this one -- the opening spiel of the hosts and then the back and forth between the first presentors, comedians Ken Jeong and Joel McHale.

Those were hard to watch, as awkward, unamusing and unfunny as they come. I then got reminded why I quit watching television.

Why

So why would Ken who is a doctor and already a known comedian stoop that low or still doing be that sort of thing?

Making fun of someone's height and one's indirect reference to Ken's ethnicity as a short Asian man and coming back to it again and again, just in case the audience couldn't or wouldn't understand is just so bad form.

Stereotype

I am reminded at a time when a few decades ago, the only way Asian men can get roles in Hollywood is to act and look like Hollywood's stereotypical Asian -- a short and unattractive guy who speak English badly. Yes, like Pat Morita in the Karate Kid.

Mr. Morita spoke fluent English. He was born snd educated in California and was smart and well spoken. But he couldn't get into Hollywood being who he is.

Mr. Morita is a native English Speaker, born and raised in California

Okay he can, but only if he is short and can act like an immigrant and speaks like Yoda, or someone who just got off a boat.

Pat in Happy Days

Pat in the movies

Asians should have already broken free of this stereotype by now.

Watch at your own risk, I heard from somewhere that the gags were all bad and got even worse in a few more segments.

Typecasting Asians

McDonalds Ad

Do you have 30 seconds to spare to watch this short commercial?

Okay, let's go ahead and watch it then.

Office Full of Kleptos Meal

Harmless Fun?

What do you think? Funny? Cool? It's alright? Okay? <Shrug>

Now whatever it is, let's just be honest here, if Paul was not an Asian guy, would you still think this ad would be funny, cool, alright or okay? In fact, would it have been aired at all?

And seriousy, would you think, this would have even been conceived in the first place, if Paul would not have been an Asian guy?

Stereotyping?

And again there are over 2 billion Asian Guys in the world, why does it seem like this same (stereotypical) Mr. Yunioshi type Asian guy look is casted.

Why not any of the other Asian guy looks -- the Daniel Kims, the Hiroyuki Sanadas, the Donnie Yens, the Bolo Yeungs, the Sharukh Khans, the Tony Jaas, the Monsour Del Rosarios and the Ian Venaracions?

Yes, but it sure wouldn't have worked for the "concept" of the ad.

Typecasted

Ken Jeong as Ben Chang in Community

And that is where the main issue, lies.

Asians (whether East Asians, Far East, Southeast and West Asians) just seem to be the ideal race to work with, to fill the typecasted roles of a willing bullying victim, or people who wouldn't fight back, people who would stay quiet, take the abuse and move on, or in this case, be a "happy" victim of office kleptos. And this would really be putting a whole new meaning to the term "happy meal".

But why not, right? And for sure, because Asians have taken it and rolled over for generations. But guess what? This might be "fun" for some of you, for Mcdonalds and their ad agency, but this is not right and it shouldn't be the case, and it shouldn't be the case anymore. And because no one other race will fight for Asians anyway, than Asians themselves should.

ANTS Up, Asians!