Anyone else think it's strange that the Karate Kid hasn't featured an Asian kid yet? Anyone think it would be weirder if there was one? Would it just be called "the Kid" since we all already know karate?
The original Karate Kid featured only Pat Molita as Asian, and maybe others during the tournament. I suppose Karate was the cool thing of the 80's so every boy dreamed of learning it? If so, Daniel Larusso wasn't different, except that he happened to fall into a neighborhood where a gang of evil karate fighters existed. Lucky him that Mr. Miyagi was there...
In that script, nowhere it is implied that all Asians know Karate or that Karate is Asian-exclusive. It seems to make sense that the best Karate master "available" would be Asian, since martial arts come from Asia.
In that context, I don't see why it would be an affront to Asians.
Now, the new version [Disclaimer: have seen only the teaser] seems to have 99% of the cast being Asians.
Good points and in fact the evil karate school (Cobra Kai) were mostly white so it isn't guilty of even stereotyping the evil Asian martial artists. My problem with the series isn't that it's an affront to Asians, but to Asian Americans. In each case the hero is your average American kid: an Italian boy from New Jersey, a white angst ridden girl from Boston, and a black boy from Detroit. I don't see the door opening to an Asian kid to represent the all-American kid.
And about movies with 99% Asian casts, I'll bet that 1% is reserved for the lead characters...a la The Last Airbender.
well the driving plots of the movies show an american kid who is wholly unexposed to a culture and history very distant from their own and once he or she has been immersed into it by the martial arts their maturity and confidence are brought out by this deep understanding of the culture. do you suggest that an asian american who is in denial or ignorance of his or her own identity be the driving plot of a future karate kid? i just don't find that too dynamic of a storyline - either way the kid should be "americanized" at first, no matter what ethnicity. showing someone of one culture the benefits of another is what makes Karate Kid pretty amazing.
Anyone else think it's strange that the Karate Kid hasn't featured an Asian kid yet? Anyone think it would be weirder if there was one? Would it just be called "the Kid" since we all already know karate?
haha. The Judo Kid. LOL!!
ReplyDeletegood one, mate
That was a good one. Of course, there was the supposedly hapa Karate Kid in the Legion of Super Heroes.
ReplyDeletehey, at least jackie chan is asian
ReplyDeletelol
sam rocks
The original Karate Kid featured only Pat Molita as Asian, and maybe others during the tournament. I suppose Karate was the cool thing of the 80's so every boy dreamed of learning it? If so, Daniel Larusso wasn't different, except that he happened to fall into a neighborhood where a gang of evil karate fighters existed. Lucky him that Mr. Miyagi was there...
ReplyDeleteIn that script, nowhere it is implied that all Asians know Karate or that Karate is Asian-exclusive. It seems to make sense that the best Karate master "available" would be Asian, since martial arts come from Asia.
In that context, I don't see why it would be an affront to Asians.
Now, the new version [Disclaimer: have seen only the teaser] seems to have 99% of the cast being Asians.
I'm not sure I understand your aggravation.
Good points and in fact the evil karate school (Cobra Kai) were mostly white so it isn't guilty of even stereotyping the evil Asian martial artists. My problem with the series isn't that it's an affront to Asians, but to Asian Americans. In each case the hero is your average American kid: an Italian boy from New Jersey, a white angst ridden girl from Boston, and a black boy from Detroit. I don't see the door opening to an Asian kid to represent the all-American kid.
ReplyDeleteAnd about movies with 99% Asian casts, I'll bet that 1% is reserved for the lead characters...a la The Last Airbender.
well the driving plots of the movies show an american kid who is wholly unexposed to a culture and history very distant from their own and once he or she has been immersed into it by the martial arts their maturity and confidence are brought out by this deep understanding of the culture. do you suggest that an asian american who is in denial or ignorance of his or her own identity be the driving plot of a future karate kid? i just don't find that too dynamic of a storyline - either way the kid should be "americanized" at first, no matter what ethnicity. showing someone of one culture the benefits of another is what makes Karate Kid pretty amazing.
ReplyDelete