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Fox revives "yellowface" for summer film marathon
Fox Movie Channel is reviving "yellowface" this summer with its Charlie Chan movie marathon every Monday night until Labor Day.
Fox Movie Channel is reviving "yellowface" this summer with its Charlie Chan movie marathon every Monday night until Labor Day.
The practice of "yellowface" is analogous to blackface. Charlie Chan is typically played by a white actor - Sidney Toler and Warner Oland -- who uses tape to create overly slanted eyes for an "Asian" appearance.
In the series Chan plays a crime-solving detective whose mysterious reasoning is slowly slurred out in an exaggerated accent.
Additionally, another recurring character of color that appears in the series is Birmingham Brown, Chan's black chauffer. Although a black actor, Mantan Moreland, plays the role, his protrayal of the wide-eyed, docile and subservient chauffer adds to the films' offensiveness.
The Fox Movie Channel calls Charlie Chan the "most beloved serial in history," having "delighted audiences for over 70 years." Richard Konda, director of the Asian Law Alliance in San Jose, disagrees.
"These films use every stereotype about Asians and other minorities that is out there, and then they use them for 'entertainment' value," Konda said. "The movies are offensive to say the least, and they serve to further harmful images of already marginalized populations."
Fox claims the summer-long broadcast is due to "popular demand." Konda, however, says that there is "no excuse" for Fox to be broadcasting these films in today's day and age. "The films were racist in the 1930s, and they are still racist in 2003. What makes Fox's decision particularly inexcusable is that with all the diversity awareness that exists today, the channel is still choosing to broadcast the films."
Fox can be reached online at: http://www.thefoxmoviechannel.com/contact.asp
The practice of "yellowface" is analogous to blackface. Charlie Chan is typically played by a white actor - Sidney Toler and Warner Oland -- who uses tape to create overly slanted eyes for an "Asian" appearance.
In the series Chan plays a crime-solving detective whose mysterious reasoning is slowly slurred out in an exaggerated accent.
Additionally, another recurring character of color that appears in the series is Birmingham Brown, Chan's black chauffer. Although a black actor, Mantan Moreland, plays the role, his protrayal of the wide-eyed, docile and subservient chauffer adds to the films' offensiveness.
The Fox Movie Channel calls Charlie Chan the "most beloved serial in history," having "delighted audiences for over 70 years." Richard Konda, director of the Asian Law Alliance in San Jose, disagrees.
"These films use every stereotype about Asians and other minorities that is out there, and then they use them for 'entertainment' value," Konda said. "The movies are offensive to say the least, and they serve to further harmful images of already marginalized populations."
Fox claims the summer-long broadcast is due to "popular demand." Konda, however, says that there is "no excuse" for Fox to be broadcasting these films in today's day and age. "The films were racist in the 1930s, and they are still racist in 2003. What makes Fox's decision particularly inexcusable is that with all the diversity awareness that exists today, the channel is still choosing to broadcast the films."
Fox can be reached online at: http://www.thefoxmoviechannel.com/contact.asp
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Boycott Fox. Hit them where it hurts. Write and encourage others to write to protest and boycott Fox. Form alliances. Make this one of the causes for justices.
This is no difference from murdering thousands of innocent Iraqis for oil. Remember Justice for ALL!
This is no difference from murdering thousands of innocent Iraqis for oil. Remember Justice for ALL!
Fox's comment box will only accommodate letters limited in size. If you'd like to send a longer letter via snail mail, you can send it to the head of the Fox Movie Channel at:
Peter Liguori,
The Fox Movie Channel, Inc.
10000 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Peter Liguori,
The Fox Movie Channel, Inc.
10000 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90067
This is ridiculous. I can't see Fox bringing back blackface and doing a summer long marathon of movies where white men cover their face in black grease to appear "African." They expect that the Asian community will not stand up and be heard on this - let's show them they're wrong, and blatant racism such as this will be called out!
Fox has announced the end of the Charlie Chan summer. They bowed to pressure from persons who found the Asian and African stereotypes offensive.
In a free society, I believe it is a great crime for one group to use their moral outrage as justification for restricting the free dissemination of information. It is outrageous that any group should pressure Fox to remove offensive programming.
Those of you who would gladly strike Charlie Chan movies from the history books should try to see through your personal disgust (which may be justified) and act as lovers of freedom should: educate and inform. Don't pressure people into self-censorship. Don't try to re-write the history books.
If you don't like it, don't watch it. Tell everyone what you hate and why. But don't interfere with my decision to decide for myself.
In a free society, I believe it is a great crime for one group to use their moral outrage as justification for restricting the free dissemination of information. It is outrageous that any group should pressure Fox to remove offensive programming.
Those of you who would gladly strike Charlie Chan movies from the history books should try to see through your personal disgust (which may be justified) and act as lovers of freedom should: educate and inform. Don't pressure people into self-censorship. Don't try to re-write the history books.
If you don't like it, don't watch it. Tell everyone what you hate and why. But don't interfere with my decision to decide for myself.
If your Asian friends don't say anything to you about their opinion about the old Charlie Chan movies, doesn't it show that they think you're not open-minded and they wouldn't wanna waste their time and energy on you.
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