Excited
Of all the new shows this fall season, one of my favorites is ABC’s Modern Family which tells the story of three inter-related families in a mockumentary style – sort of The Office meets a family sitcom. One of the families is represented by a same sex couple, Mitchell and Cameron, who have adopted a Vietnamese girl, Lily. In the most recent episode, Mitchell accidentally bumps Lily’s head against the ceiling – and being concerned, Mitchell and Cameron take their daughter to see a doctor, who happens to be an Asian American woman who grew up in Denver.
Cameron, being white and feeling he needs to justify the adoption of Lily, makes some inappropriate comments and hilarity ensues.
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One of the best TV shows ever!
ITA. What I hate most about it though is that it's usually accompanied by a leer...and so my race is being used as an excuse to generate an artificial bond with me. Sorry, but you saying 'hello' to me (in a language that I may or may not speak, btw) is not going to get me to drop my pants.
not funny
I love this clip - loved Eric Stonestreet's timing on the lines about pho. "Is that how you pronounce it ... phuh?" Loved the doctor character's echoed timing with the pause on her response too. And I think she totally and cleverly did retaliate a) by acting like she's never heard of pho and pronouncing it the same stupid way he does and b) by making the Mitchell character hit his head (twice!) against the wall. So funny and so satisfying.
How about when I show my passport to the guy at the airport who checks you in at security and he says Konnichewa or Arigato on the strength of my surname despite the fact the passport lists my place of birth as Toronto? Hate that.
I love this clip - loved Eric Stonestreet's timing on the lines about pho. "Is that how you pronounce it ... phuh?" Loved the doctor character's echoed timing with the pause on her response too. And I think she totally and cleverly did retaliate a) by acting like she's never heard of pho and pronouncing it the same stupid way he does and b) by making the Mitchell character hit his head (twice!) against the wall. So funny and so satisfying.
How about when I show my passport to the guy at the airport who checks you in at security and he says Konnichewa or Arigato on the strength of my surname despite the fact the passport lists my place of birth as Toronto? Hate that.
Welp. You've convinced me to add Modern Family to my Hulu queue.
while I don't look asian (half) I have been asked a few times where I come from originally and on one occasion (I mentioned this elsewhere on 8asians I think) I got asked if I had a British passport while applying for a summer job during university.
On the reverse I'm still not happy with comments from strangers (whilst visiting family in the Philippines) that my mum is "my maid".
I love how when I told my coworkers that it enrages me when people ask "Where are you from?" because I think it's racist, they were like "but people make assumptions about white people all the time?" This is of course ignoring the obviously racist assumption that you must not be American. Phaw. It's making me annoyed just typing this out.
while i definitely dig that asian americans are getting more representation on tv ('i'm from denver.'), there's still something that sits uncomfortably with me about this scene. beyond "look how ignorant white people are, winkwinknudgenudge", the white character suffers annoyed looks from his partner while the asian american doctor is still the only one left to deal with this ignorance. there needs to be more asian american characters that directly address this kind of ignorance, whether it be mercilessly clowning, tongue lashing, or going ape sh*t, to drive home the point.
Also, I hope she wasn't hating on pho!
I've never been bowed to for work (though I did bow a few times while I was in Japan for work). I have been asked if I have a Chinese name. And I've blogged before when I first started work right out of college, an older co-worker asked where I was from, and I said Massachusetts, he asked "Where are you *really* from?" I said my parents were originally from Taiwan.
Ha. I've definitely been bowed to at least once in the workplace.
That's pretty hilarious mocking how typical white Americans view Asian culture. This happens all the time to me. I was asked the other day what my Asian name is. My name is Eric, I'm from New York City haha.
hahaha that's a great clip
This is one of my favorite new fall shows too, and I remember this scene. :) Why do white people always bow to Asian Americans thinking that isn't weird/uncomfortable to us (well, me, anyway)?
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