Comments on: I Finally Got Around to Seeing Sixteen Candles – OMG!

By: Creator of Long Duk Dong Dies « Asian American Movement Blog

Creator of Long Duk Dong Dies « Asian American Movement Blog — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:18:11 +0000

[...] blogger on 8Asians puts it, “Without John Hughes, there is no Long Duk Dong. And without Long Duk Dong, there is no longer a free pass to laugh at racist jokes for 90 [...]

By: 8Asians.com » John Hughes, Creator of Long Duk Dong, Dead of Heart Attack

8Asians.com » John Hughes, Creator of Long Duk Dong, Dead of Heart Attack — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:52:13 +0000

[...] radars, consider this thought, paraphrased from twitter user @wafflesgirls: Without John Hughes, there is no Long Duk Dong. And without Long Duk Dong, there is no longer a free pass to laugh at racist jokes for 90 minutes. [...]

By: Facebook User

Facebook User — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:44:29 +0000

I don't think John Hughes was going for realism. It's been ages since I've seen the movie, but I always thought the Dong character was supposed to be comedic, not an accurate representation of what the life of a foreign exchange student would be like. So of course things about him were heightened with the gong effect and weird name (not to say that it's any less offensive).

And welcome to 2009. Now you have to catch up with Back to the Future, Goonies and Ghostbusters!

By: 8Asians.com » Model Minorities in Reality TV: The Amazing Race’s Tammy & Victor Jih

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:34:45 +0000

[...] Is this better than how typically Asian Americans are portrayed in television and film, like Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles? [...]

By: 8Asians.com » Saturday Night Live - Stereotyping Asian American Men: An Asian American/Asian Canadian Blog

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:34:36 +0000

[...] Asian American men a break. We *are not* all geeks and nerds who are pre-Med or engineering, etc. I had just previously written about Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles, and now I see this? Am I overreacting? As Angry Asian Man would say, [...]

By: DJKuulA

DJKuulA — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:08:56 +0000

Yeah, I would have to agree that “the Donger” is not nearly as offensive as Yunioshi. He may be a ball of stereotypes rolled together for comedic effect, but he’s also a likeable, heroic character who got the girl (with, as you mentioned, no racial horror involved, at least not on-screen).

Plus (more importantly), he wasn’t portrayed by a squinting white man. I still shudder every time I think of Breakfast At Tiffany’s. . .

By: aj

aj — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:21:47 +0000

I think Mr. Yunioshi is more offensive. But like The Dark Knight’s rating, that may be due to technicality. The Donger actually got to climb a twin pair of big white mountains. If you recall, he was pushed into exploring the valley.

By: amateur editrix

amateur editrix — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:53:57 +0000

You know what's awesome? I'm actually going to be doing a sociological study of the evolution of Asian and Asian American portrayals in American Film. It'll be finished by December. In the meantime, check out Media Action Network for Asian Americans' Stereotype Busting article.