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Movies as Platform to Shift Stereotypes of Asian Women

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Movies as Platform to Shift Stereotypes of Asian Women
Movies as Platform to Shift Stereotypes of Asian Women

Assignment 3

by

Angelina
G 0971330 T

G 17

Academic Writing

WRIT001/Term 1 – 2010/2011

I declare that this Assignment is my original work and all information obtained from other sources has been cited accordingly.

_______________________
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Course Instructor: Charlotte Arlene Bastion

Movies are still the most seductive and powerful of artistic mediums, manipulating us with ease by a powerful combination of sound and images (Hagedorn, 1994, p.79). This quote by Hagedorn summarizes the impact of movies in the current situation. Along with the effect of globalization taking place, the influence of movies had been brought to even a greater level. This so-called phenomenon of globalization has been utilized by Asian women to alter their previously negative, stereotypical potrayals in Western movies that shaped the image in their audiences’ eyes.
Women were often being portrayed in medias as submissive, eager for sex, obedient and passive with their body features being the focus of their existence (Hagedorn, 1994; Uchida, 1998; Klein, 1993). It’s apparent that that is how women were supposed to be recognized; by accentuating their sexualism (Lee, 2008). However, Hagedorn, Uchida and Lee showed that Asian women’s stereotypes didn’t end there. Other than being portrayed as the one who’s good at doing domestic things and are therefore, suitable for ‘family-centered comedies’ (Hagedorn, 1994; Tuchman, 1979), they’re also portrayed as the tragic victim types and this is what the Asian women actually believe and take pride of, their passion and sacrifices for their loved ones (Hagedorn, 1994; Lee, 2008). And apparently, if they are nor victim or submissive, then they are the demonized Dragon Ladies (Hagedorn, 1994, p.74;Uchida, 1998, p. 162).
How these stereotypes of the Asian women emerged is actually the result of the restricted access to the Eastern world in which


Bibliography: 4. Tuchman, G. (1979). Women’s Depiction by the Mass Media. Signs, 4 (3), 528-542 Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3173399 Accessed on 28 April 2010 5. Uchida, A. (1998). Women’s Studies International Forum: The Orientalization of Asian Women in America. Elsevier Science, 21(2), 161-174. 6. CBC News (2005). Tokyo premiere of ‘Memoirs of Geisha’ nets mixed reaction, criticism. CBC News. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2005/11/29/geisha-premiere-051129.html Accessed on 9th November 2010.
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