Better Luck TomorrowBetter Luck Tomorrow

Nina Kobalia, Elaine Wong, Joseph NicolaiNina Kobalia, Elaine Wong, Joseph Nicolai

The Oppositional Gaze and The Oppositional Gaze and Counter StoriesCounter Stories

Top Critics…Top Critics…

“It makes you think about the

clichéd pictures of Asian kids in

the popular imagination and how

painful it must be for them to

carry the burden of perfection.”

- April 25,

2003

“It makes you think about the

clichéd pictures of Asian kids in

the popular imagination and how

painful it must be for them to

carry the burden of perfection.”

- April 25,

2003

Robert Denerstein Denver Rocky Mountain News

Asian StereotypesAsian Stereotypes

Achieving academic excellence, active Achieving academic excellence, active participants of extracurricular activities, participants of extracurricular activities, intelligent , ambitious, traditional mentalityintelligent , ambitious, traditional mentality

U.S. media’s Asian stereotypes:U.S. media’s Asian stereotypes:Male: Polite and undesiring, “desexualized” Male: Polite and undesiring, “desexualized”

or “feminized”or “feminized”Female: Exotic, aggressive/opportunistic Female: Exotic, aggressive/opportunistic

sexual beings, predatory gold diggers, sexual beings, predatory gold diggers, cunning Dragon Ladies, submissivecunning Dragon Ladies, submissive

Model Minority CharacterModel Minority Character

Ben:Ben:Jock on the basketball teamJock on the basketball teamAchieved excellent grades in schoolAchieved excellent grades in schoolVolunteered for the communityVolunteered for the communityPost-Secondary AspirationsPost-Secondary Aspirations

Film QuoteFilm Quote

"It's a never ending cycle. When you "It's a never ending cycle. When you got everything you want, what's left? got everything you want, what's left? You can't settle for being happy, You can't settle for being happy, that's a f*cking trap. You gotta take that's a f*cking trap. You gotta take life into your own hands, do life into your own hands, do whatever it takes to break the cycle. whatever it takes to break the cycle. That's what it is, breaking the cycle.“That's what it is, breaking the cycle.“

- - SteveSteve

Producing the Oppositional Producing the Oppositional Gaze…Gaze…

Ben and his “gang”:Ben and his “gang”: FraudFraud Create cheat sheetsCreate cheat sheets Study sessions with alcoholStudy sessions with alcohol Selling drugsSelling drugs Consuming drugsConsuming drugs Possessing gunsPossessing guns Causing /initiating violenceCausing /initiating violence Hiring prostitutesHiring prostitutes Commiting Murder Commiting Murder

Stephanie:Stephanie: Getting a tattooGetting a tattoo Adopted by a Caucasian familyAdopted by a Caucasian family In an alleged pornographic filmIn an alleged pornographic film

The Defense…..The Defense….. Roger Ebert yelling at Sundance Film FestivalRoger Ebert yelling at Sundance Film Festival http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSzP9YV3jbc

A person who stood up [after a screening] and said:A person who stood up [after a screening] and said: ‘ ‘You know how to make a movie. But why…with the talent You know how to make a movie. But why…with the talent

up there and yourself make a film as so empty and amoral up there and yourself make a film as so empty and amoral for Asian-Americans and for Americans?” for Asian-Americans and for Americans?”

According to MTV.com: “How could you make a movie that According to MTV.com: “How could you make a movie that was so denigrating to your race?'was so denigrating to your race?'

Ebert stood up and said:Ebert stood up and said: ‘ ‘What I find very offensive and condescending with your What I find very offensive and condescending with your

statement is, nobody would say to a bunch of white statement is, nobody would say to a bunch of white filmmakers ‘how could you do this to your own people?’ …… filmmakers ‘how could you do this to your own people?’ …… [Asian Americans] do not have to ‘represent their people’.”[Asian Americans] do not have to ‘represent their people’.”

Director’s QuoteDirector’s Quote

Lin said that the title "Better Luck Tomorrow" Lin said that the title "Better Luck Tomorrow" refers to how the film explores the whole youth refers to how the film explores the whole youth culture of today, specifically Asian American, culture of today, specifically Asian American, but also just the general mentality of but also just the general mentality of teenagers. teenagers.

“ “ You go to suburbia, you look at upper middle You go to suburbia, you look at upper middle class kids, and through the media they've class kids, and through the media they've literally adopted urban gangster mentality." literally adopted urban gangster mentality."

Ex. When the foursome has driven off after Ex. When the foursome has driven off after getting in a fight and beating up the white guys getting in a fight and beating up the white guys at the party they see what looks like an actual at the party they see what looks like an actual gang of African American guys driving by them gang of African American guys driving by them

Character transitionCharacter transition

Characters are complex and change Characters are complex and change through the moviethrough the movie

Better Luck Tomorrow starts of Better Luck Tomorrow starts of displaying “model minority” displaying “model minority” stereotypes but then pass over into stereotypes but then pass over into “yellow peril” stereotypes“yellow peril” stereotypes

Model Minority – considered positive Model Minority – considered positive stereotype whereas Yellow Peril stereotype whereas Yellow Peril negativenegative

Model Minority vs. Yellow Model Minority vs. Yellow PerilPeril

Yellow Peril -Kawai’s article “in the world Yellow Peril -Kawai’s article “in the world of Hollywood films Asian stereotypes of Hollywood films Asian stereotypes possess superhuman intellect and possess superhuman intellect and ambition” as well as “subhuman ambition” as well as “subhuman immorality and ambition” (p.6).immorality and ambition” (p.6).

Between the four of them there is nothing Between the four of them there is nothing that they cannot dothat they cannot do

They possess the Yellow Peril qualities of They possess the Yellow Peril qualities of being: strategic, mature, cunning, “super being: strategic, mature, cunning, “super awesomeness” – they are fearedawesomeness” – they are feared

Characters as having “two Characters as having “two faces”faces”Kawai “the model minority has two Kawai “the model minority has two

faces. The myth presents Asian faces. The myth presents Asian American as silent and disciplined: this American as silent and disciplined: this is their secret to success” – new Yellow is their secret to success” – new Yellow Peril Peril

They oppose but at the same time they They oppose but at the same time they are connected (as displayed in the are connected (as displayed in the movie)movie)

““People of Asian descent become the People of Asian descent become the model minority when they are depictedmodel minority when they are depicted

to do better than other racial minority to do better than other racial minority groups, whereas they become thegroups, whereas they become the

yellow peril when they are described to yellow peril when they are described to outdo White Americans” (Kawai, pg.8).outdo White Americans” (Kawai, pg.8).

Chang, Chang, Hyphe-Nation; Or, Screening 'Asian Canada' – Ethnicity is presented as being insoluble: – Ethnicity is presented as being insoluble:

American, Chinese, American-ChineseAmerican, Chinese, American-Chinese

We often refer to percentages . But what would this look like? We often refer to percentages . But what would this look like? How do you represent this? More importantly, how much of How do you represent this? More importantly, how much of this representation reflects the person themselves or others this representation reflects the person themselves or others

looking at the person? The only mutable area is the hyphen. looking at the person? The only mutable area is the hyphen.

Because Because images images

represent represent and and

constitute constitute our cultural our cultural

realityreality, , representatiorepresentatio

n becomes n becomes pivotal. pivotal.

You have to You have to identify a identify a group in group in order to order to

promote it.promote it.

On the one hand, you can promote a group for On the one hand, you can promote a group for being faultless. But, as one Filmaker put it this being faultless. But, as one Filmaker put it this

makes for boring entertainment… And on the other makes for boring entertainment… And on the other hand….hand….

You can radically break down stereotypesYou can radically break down stereotypes, but this , but this representation may give the impression that this alternative representation may give the impression that this alternative

representation is the mainstream. representation is the mainstream. For example, a movie on For example, a movie on radical queer Asians in Vancouver could give the radical queer Asians in Vancouver could give the

impression that Vancouver is being overrun by radical impression that Vancouver is being overrun by radical queer Asian.queer Asian.

Is Better Luck Tomorrow an Asian, American, Is Better Luck Tomorrow an Asian, American, or Asian-American film? If so, how do we or Asian-American film? If so, how do we

know? know?

DiscussionDiscussion

How do you define Asian-American? Is it How do you define Asian-American? Is it defined by popular culture? Or society defined by popular culture? Or society around politicsaround politics

What would be the audiences’ reaction What would be the audiences’ reaction to the film if it was a white director?to the film if it was a white director?

Game - What Asian ethnicity do you Game - What Asian ethnicity do you think each character in Better Luck think each character in Better Luck Tomorrow is? Why do you say so?Tomorrow is? Why do you say so?