So the folks down at 8Asians put up a YouTube clip of this insanely dumbass KFC commercial where the only Asian representation out there is the same LDD What's Up Hot Stuff perpetual dumbass character we continue to see when set against a backdrop of the "normal everyday average mostly white america".
See, I don't mind the dancing, or even yucking it up for the camera a little - be funny, that's fine - but singling out the Asian dudes as the ONLY ones to go completely ethnic - because I didn't see anyone wearing any classic Viking gear out there - that's the problem. When you show everyone else as "the same" and us as "different" it just perpetuates - and reinforces - the "forever foreigner image".
The same image that gets us killed, locked up, and makes people think it's o.k. to make dumbass short Asian jokes, or give us the WTF look when we say "Yeah - I don't know martial arts or the art of sucky sucky massage".
I'm just kind of surprised they didn't have a Latino couple in there wearing big ass sombreros too.
Guess I'm going to Popeyes from now on.
Kiss My Ass KFC
Tuesday, June 02, 2009Labels: Asian American, Race