The Desexualization of Asian Men in Hollywood | Video Essay + What Is The Asian Himbo And Why Is This Character So Popular? + Asian Bachelorette

#StarringJohnCho


Sessue Hayakawa (1918)
Who is Sessue Hayakawa?
CinemaTyler - 13.10.2016
Sessue Hayakawa is now best known for his role as Colonel Saito in Bridge on the River Kwai, but in the 1920s, Hayakawa was one of the “biggest stars” of the Hollywood silent era, receiving “2 million [dollars] per year” throughout the 20s. He even drove a gold-plated car and lived in a mansion designed to look like a castle. Here is a brief overview of his career...

This video essay was written, edited, and narrated by Tyler Knudsen.
Resources and further reading:
http://theredlist.com/wiki-2-24-525-5...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sessue_...
https://silentsplease.wordpress.com/2...


The Actor So Sexy Hollywood Didn’t Know How To Handle It (Villains Are Sexy)

Fact Fiend - 07.08.2020
One of the biggest stars in the early Hollywood silent films was super sexy, and if you happen to disagree with us...get out.

Original Article:
http://www.factfiend.com/actor-sexy-h...
Sources:
https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandc...
https://www.nytimes.com/1973/11/25/ar...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sessue_...
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.p...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_...
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/6....
• Man caught seeing 50 Shades Of Grey
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/...)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/s...

@gunnarerickson8708
There should be a movie about this guy's life. He may not have gotten to play a heroic role, so let's turn him into a heroic role.
@angelle5500
The racist were probably the spouses of these ladies raging for Hayawaka
@magichippieguy
This man's picture needs to be accompanied by Careless Whisper's sax solo at all times.
@dm7626
To all of the people commenting "I'm not gay", "he's not attractive" etc etc, you are making yourselves look really insecure shhhh
@Charolette21
His family wanted him to become a banker and he made bank by being the sexiest Japanese man in America.
@Tamaki742
Actually at first they wanted him to be a military officer. But the guy ruptured his eardrums when diving on a dare, and actually tried to commit suicide out of shame. Luckily his dog alerted his parents and they managed to save him.


The Desexualization of Asian Men in Hollywood | Video Essay

Accented Cinema - 17.03.2023
@TIENxSHINHAN
As a black man who has no problem admitting that we benefited romantically from the popularity of hip hop and R&B, I'm glad the popularity of k pop has the Asian brothers getting some love these days yall deserve it
@LaVitaNouva
"None of my Asian friends think Simu Liu is hot" Well totally yes, we watched it for Tony Leung, our beloved star.
@joseph-fernando-piano
It may sound trivial or obvious, but thank you for including South Asian/brown men in this, I'm Sri Lankan-Canadian, and the amount of times I refer to myself as "Asian" and get weird looks from people is pretty ridiculous, as if they think Asia is just China, Japan and Korea...
@PeanutStrawberry
What Accented Cinema and al taught me over the years: desexualisation is bad, hypersexualisation is bad, sexualization is bad, but sexuality is natural; sexuality is bad when I shame people into extremes (desexualisation/hypersexualisation) or when I force them (sexualization). Sexuality is good when we choose how to feel safe in it, when we choose how we react to it. i.e. I shame is bad, we listen is good.
@ah90178
Jason Mendoza in The Good Place was a really cathartic character for me because it was the first time I got to see an Asian man get to be hot and dumb. Asian men are so often put in the scientist/nerd role that there's a lot of unconscious pressure to live up to the stereotypical intelligence. Watching a character completely defy the stereotype somehow felt like it took the pressure off.
@DaltonPowelled
Every Black girl that I knew growing up had a crush on Paolo Montalban from the 1997 Cinderella movie…even my asexual ass wanted to be Brandy.
@18becbec
I love that you included Waymond in this! While I love Josh in Crazy Ex Girlfriend, Jason in The Good Place etc, for a while it felt like we went from "Asian men aren't sexy" to "Asian men can be sexy... because some of them are jacked". And I mean... that's not wrong, it's just not the whole picture! As you pointed out, things get way more interesting when we complicate the idea of what's sexy/hot/attractive for any race. Waymond IS sexy, and not just the Wong Kar Wai version of him. Hypermasculinity isn't the only thing people find hot, you know?
@nathalykim1263
it's sad to say this, but, as a half asian woman, the first time i found asian men attractive was when i got into kpop, that was LITERALLY the first time i saw asian guys being presented as hot sadly because we grew up with the cute boy on movies, bands, magazines, music videos, advertising, always being blonde and having blue eyes, i honestly didn't even consider finding asian guys attractive also, it's interesting how people who aren't asians or are not into any type of asian media still can't find asian men attractive, most of my white friends still can't point out a hot asian guy even in 2023; interestingly, the one friend of mine i took with me to watch a kpop movie told me that after watching it she started to notice the cute asian guys around her, it's actually crazy how big of a difference the media representation makes on our perception
@jhen7056
An amusing irony is that Kintaro (Sessue) Hayakawa, was the first sex symbol of American media. Not the first Asian male, but the first one. Hayakawa even predates Rudolph Valentino after refusing an offer for The Shiek. I think it's terribly funny his name is seldom mentioned in discussions. Almost as if there's a collective embarrassment because an Asian (ESEA) was the first male symbol for women.
@jackvue722
I remember when "To All The Boys" came out, it was praised for its Asian representation. Was never to interested in it, but decided to finally give it a watch last week. One of the criticisms was the lack of an Asian male love interest, or even an Asian male character. The most infamous scene in the movie was the reference to Long Duk Dong, a racist caricature of Asian men. A White man recognizes the racisms, and a Half-Asian woman calls out the racism, but the racism is ignored because there's a cute White guy (Jake Ryan). For a movie that was "praised" for its Asian representation, Asian men were emasculated and desexualized.
@ak-ub1ym
Kamal Nanjiani(sorry if I mess up the Surname) from Eternals is the best example for this topic in a non-adult context. That guy was stereotyped as Bollywood actor/dancer but he wasn't given the chance to go shirtless despite all male actors getting that chance whether they wanted or not. The MCU directors despite knowing he worked his a** off for the role and got jacked didn't get the chance & that is a pretty great disservice if u ask me , let the guy have his time
@AccentedCinema
One of the lines from the video script is "I'm still pissed that they didn't let Nanjiani go topless". It doesn't even make sense! Bollywood stars spend like half the movie topless!
@Clash1138
to be fair Sessue Hayakawa was a leading man and not even the typecasting as a villain took away from that. The guy was a literal Hollywood hearthrob for american women in a time of insane racial discrimination. He was actually one of the first male sex symbols of Hollywood.
@waia
If I'm not mistaken, I actually believe it was Jet Li who requested no intimate scenes or kissing with any onscreen partners when he made "Romeo Must Die" and any subsequent US projects , he said due to his commitment to his wife Nina Li. And to be fair, you'd rarely find Jet Li involved in any intimate/kissing scenes throughout his filmography, save for maybe a brief peck on the lips or cheek at best. Great video as usual BTW
@TheCountOrlok
Takeshi Kaneshiro is offensively handsome. Nobody should be allowed to have a face that beautiful.
@GiantGeekGuy
As a kid, I grew up watching Power Rangers, an Americanization of a Japanese show. I was kind of bummed, but not too much, that most of the asian dudes in the team always get Blue, Black, Green, etc., but never Red and leading. Heck, the Samurai Rangers, who were Rangers of Oriental Japan, had a white dude as Red Ranger. They could have started it right there, it was the perfect setup! But I always tell myself that in a team, race doesn't matter, it's the teamwork and quality of leadership the Red Ranger has that's important. So I gotta admit, it would be cool if an asian guy takes the lead as red, it would be in line with this video's theme, but if they don't, then it's fine. Also, that question in the intro was sus.
@stuntmonkey00
If this was a TV essay channel, the title would have been "Why did Ensign Kim not get promoted in all 7 years of Star Trek Voyager?"
@jordanwhite352
It's always interesting as a minority myself to compare and contrast stereotypes of different minorities and how they are both similar and opposites to each other. I agree that's the presentation of Asian men as being awkward unattractive men that cannot talk to girls as a stereotype needs to end. What's really fascinating is that I myself am an African-American male who is very much a geek and loves computers and programming video games and comic books and my people have the reverse stereotype in which we are only played as unintelligent thugs with soles in yet no brains and the only intellectual black men are elderly black men that passed to do with some sort of either magical negroism or something to do about their race instead of some particular skill that they have.


What Is The Asian Himbo And Why Is This Character So Popular?

PBS Origins - 09.05.2022
There’s a new type of character in Hollywood: The Asian Himbo. These hunky male characters who are sweet but not the brightest bulbs have come a long way from stereotypes that date all the way back to the 1800s. Professors Adrian De Leon, Danielle Bainbridge, and special guest Phil Yu (Angry Asian Man), break down how Hollywood’s least sexy character went from completely undesirable to leading love interest.

Resources:
Guardian. 'Forgotten by society' – how Chinese migrants built the transcontinental railroad.
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddes...
The International History Review. The Fear of ‘Yellow Peril’ and the Emergence of European Federalist Movement.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...
National Archives. Chinese Exclusion Act (1882).
https://www.archives.gov/milestone-do....
NPR. What's So 'Cringeworthy' About Long Duk Dong in 'Sixteen Candles'?
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswit...
Wall Street Journal. ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ Tackles a 1980s Asian Caricature: Long Duk Dong.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-SEB-9...

@ButterflySeraph612
As a Filipino American man, you have no idea how much I love the literal hot mess that is Jason Mendoza. The fact that he is a Filipino himbo aside, he's just a great character.
@ponyote
Rise of the Asian Himbo would be a great band name.
@DeepFriedSpaceChicken
I'm really surprised that Steven Yeun (Glenn from The Walking Dead) wasn't in the positive list He was portrayed as highly intelligent, with great leadership skills and very desirable/romantic. In the end he was one of the most beloved characters of the whole franchise. Great representation
Edit: No I'm not calling Glenn a Himbo. I mean that he is belongs in the smart and attractive quadrant
@TheJadedJames
I feel like what has really happened is that we’ve become so self-aware about specific stereotypes surrounding the depiction of Asian men, that it has probably forced some writers to basically swing in the opposite direction, which has created the recent Asian Himbo archetype. But meanwhile, John Cho is still out there … playing regular dudes
@matthewneubeck4421
Isn’t it just a backlash to the normal western stereotypes of Asians being intelligent, conniving and unattractive, by subverting that and making the character stupid, overall good natured, and unrealistically attractive?
@kandigirl10
I would definitely add Paolo Montalban to the very competent, very desirable quadrant. He was THE PRINCE in Rodgers & Hammerstein's version of Cinderella starring Brandy and Whitney Houston!
@jujugarcianyc
Sessue Hayakawa not being discussed here is a shame. He originated the heartthrob role in American cinema during the silent era, and was Japanese. Both desirable and competent but highly evil. I hope his legacy isn’t forgotten.
@tecpaocelotl
Mickey Rooney's character is probably the only negative thing in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Bruce Lee should have been discussed. A positive Asian male character. This is coming from a Mexican seeing Mexicans in media as being lazy, criminals or the hard working gardener/maid. I would have loved a Mexican who can kick ass growing up like Bruce. Lol.
@amandapearson8922
I really liked this video, however, I'm curious about why Bruce Lee was noticeably absent from this discussion. For me, he marks a major shift in Hollywood's portrayal of Asian men as he purposefully only pursued roles that empowered his ethnic community. I also noticed some mention Steven Yeun and how his portrayals in TV and film have done likewise. Just throwing that out there!
@stillhere1425
I think Josh in Crazy Ex-GF is THE turning point because Rebecca makes no mention of Josh being Asian in the narration. My favorite thing about the introduction to the story is White Josh, because we’re so used to the non-white member of a group being designated “Blacky” or whatever, this is a real twist. “We call him White Josh, because he’s white, and also his name is Josh.”
@maggpiprime954
I live in a very multicultural city, so I don't quite notice when when a cast has broad representation, as it feels natural and relatable to my own life. But I do notice when a cast is mostly white, in a very uncanny valley sort of way.


The “Asexual” Asian Man - End the Undesirable Stereotype

The Take - 12.08.2021
Asian male characters in film and TV have long been sidelined, emasculated, and denied the chance to have romantic or sexual relationships -- that’s when they’re not openly mocked. In an inverse of the trend of fetishizing Asian women through the “lotus blossom” trope, Asian men are consistently desexualized onscreen. This has directly led to the damaging, widespread perception in US society that Asian men are less masculine or sexually desirable, so it’s more important than ever to move past it.
@zhangao4530
The fact that the audience in the screen test reacted badly towards Jet Li kissing a female lead is so disturbing and disgusting.
@wandeesthoughts
I really hate when people say representation doesn't matter! Hollywood has created so many negative stereotypes of so many POC and we're being shamed for wanting better representation
@rogersnick17
As a black man in the US, I'm always happy to see our progress constantly being pushed forward. But I also want to see our Asian Brothers treated like men. I constantly see them being treated as if they're undesirable, whether it be jokes about their manhood or their masculinity, down to the point that some resort to self-deprecating comedy when I can tell they really don't want to deal with this. Just like media can be used to normalize different sexualities and different mentalities, we need to use media and entertainment to normalize the masculinity of so many of our Asian brothers. Speaking up, as "the nail that sticks out," is how change always occurs.
@sorenhodshire4945
I think it's important to know that the answer to de-sexualized Asian men and hypersexualized Asian women isn't to sexualize Asian men more - it's to see and represent all Asian people as multi-faceted and fully realized characters and people.
@Auron1Roxas2
Can’t believe they didn’t mention how groundbreaking it was that 1997’s Cinderella movie had a dark skinned black woman as the beautiful princess Cinderella and a filipino actor as the handsome prince. Like that is still a huge movie to many millennials who grew up watching it.
@em.415
This happens to black women as well just in the opposite way. We are masculinized and portrayed as less desirable.
@trinaq
Another Asian oriented stereotype I detest is the "Asian speaking in Broken English" trope. It seems to be used mostly for cheap laughs, and might not be as commonplace as the media would have you believe.
@Suebee29
Raj was easily the best looking guy on TBBT. They did him so dirty.
@giovannirafael5351
Loved the video but I wish it also talked about how when an Asian man is put as the "attractive guy" it's also a mixed Asian man, kinda like when black actresses get opportunities is usually the light skinned ones
@trinaq
Another Asian oriented stereotype I detest is the "Asian speaking in Broken English" trope. It seems to be used mostly for cheap laughs, and might not be as commonplace as the media would have you believe.
@jewelsdragonfly
The closest character that I think shatters this trope is Glenn from The Walking Dead. He has a genuine love life, no broken English, and very essential to the story. He was too good and a big favorite to the point where a lot of people stopped watching after his death.

The Weird History of Asian Sex Stereotypes | Decoded | MTV News

MTV Impact - 25.05.2016
If you take a look at popular culture there's a pretty strange divide between Asian women and Asian men. Asian women are adored and fetishized by men of many ethnicities, while Asian men are rarely seen as sex symbols of any kind. Why? Well these stereotypes don't come from nowhere, they actually evolved from a long and twisted history of war, trade, and persecution of American citizens. Watch the episode to learn more.

Special Guests:
Lily Du - / lilyd
Hstau Liao

Sources:
Asian Dating Data
http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitc...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09...

Asian Women
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...
https://bitchmedia.org/article/the-ma...
http://operabase.com/top.cgi?lang=en
http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/12/a...
http://www.politico.eu/article/my-bod...

Asian Men:
http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.ed...
http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/11/l...
https://mic.com/articles/116626/6-dat...

For more on racial stereotypes go to:
http://www.lookdifferent.org/topics/4...

@starcherry6814
Shang from Mulan was my first Disney "prince" crush!


Asian Bachelorette (Wong Fu Productions)

Asian Bachelorette

Wong Fu Productions - 02.08.2017
FEATURING:
Jamie LaBarber / jamielabarber
Brad Gage / beauradley / bradgagecomedy
Peter Sudarso / petersadrian / apartment210
Steve Terada / steveterada / steveterada
Ritesh Rajan / teshrajan
Jordan Farris / thejordanfarris / niceandfair
Mike Bow / mikebowshow / mikebowshow
Bart Kwan / bartkwan / geovannaantoinette
Ki Hong Lee / kihonglee / kihonglee
Mike Song / mikeosong / thekinjaz
Alex Burriss "Alex Wassabi" / alexwassabi / hoiitsroi
Aaron Burriss "LazyRon Studios" / lazyronstudios / lazyronstudios
Jason Rod / jasonrodiculous / jrodtwins
Justin Rod / justinrodjan / jrodtwins
Carlin James / carlinjames917
DANakaDAN / danakadan / danakadantv
Billy Fox / leagueboyy
Tim De La Ghetto / timothydelaghetto / timothydelaghetto2

Asian Bachelorette 2

20.09.2018
Featuring
Bethany Mota / bethanynoelm | / bethanymota
Brad Gage / beauradley | / bradgagecomedy
Simu Liu / simuliu
David So / davidsocomedy | / davidsocomedy
Dominic Sandoval / dtrix | / thedominicshow
Hau Ma / littleasianman Motoki Maxted / motokimaxted | / moretoki
Ki Hong Lee / kihonglee Desmond Chiam / deschiam
Joe Jitsukawa / joejitsukawa | / theuncochin
AJ Rafael / ajrafael
Taylor Chan / chanman325
Jun Sung Ahn / juncurryahn | / juncurryahn
David Choi / davidchoimusic | / davidchoimusic
Brandon Soo Hoo / brandonsoohoo
Bing Chen / bingchen
Freddie Wong / fwong | / rocketjump
Marlin Ramsey Chan / marlinramseychan | / marmarchanmar
Steven Lim / stevenkwlim | / stevenkwlim
Carol Loc Anthony Loc Kevin Wu / kevjumba | / kevjumba