An Exploration on How the Film Crazy Rich Asians Challenged Hollywood
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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE Racist Ideologies and Entertainment Media: An exploration on how the film Crazy Rich Asians challenged Hollywood A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Mass Communication By Lova Yazdani May 2020 Copyright by Lova Yazdani 2020 ii The thesis of Lova Yazdani is approved by: _____________________________________ __________________ Professor Gretchen Macchiarella Date ______________________________________ __________________ Professor Darleen Principe Date _______________________________________ __________________ Professor Melissa Wall, Ph.D., Chair Date California State University, Northridge iii Preface Growing up, I was never a fan of romantic comedies. I thought they were cheesy, predictable and a waste of my time and money. I could not understand why all my childhood girlfriends loved the genre. I was the only person of color within my friend group in this small, Wisconsin town. When we went to the movie theater, my white friends saw characters that reflected them on the big screen. Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson and Sandra Bullock were great actresses, but I simply could not identify with them. My specific heritage of Thai and Persian was rare, and I did not ever expect to see someone exactly like me on screens, big or small. But, I was hoping for a “close enough” representation. The first time I saw someone on a screen that had similar physical features as me was Mila Kunis in the television sitcom That ‘70s Show. She had dark hair, she was petite and the show was set in Wisconsin. Mila Kunis is of Ukrainian decent. It was not until the release of Crazy Rich Asians did I realize why I was never a fan of rom-coms. I never saw myself in any of those movies. For the first time in decades, ethnically Asian men and women were presented in a sexy spotlight. Lead actress Constance Wu played Rachel Chu, a young professional with a very American accent. She reminded me of myself. Her immigrant mom had an accent, but knows the English language well. Her mom reminded me of my own mom. The movie featured foods I would eat with my family: rice, noodles and dumplings. I bare a physical resemblance to not just one, but a handful of the actresses in the movie. For the first time, I loved a romantic comedy. iv The trailer for Crazy Rich Asians was released during my first semester of graduate school, and decided then I would write a thesis about this film. I knew this movie was not just another romantic comedy; it would be the start of a movement. Asian representation in Hollywood is an issue I am passionate about. As an entertainment media content producer, I want to help push diverse yet specific stories that accurately portray ethnically Asian people. Stereotypes need to be a thing of the past, but shifting paradigms cannot be done alone. We need allies in Hollywood and movies like Crazy Rich Asians prove they are out there. v Acknowledgments Going to graduate school and maintain a full-time career is intense, so I must first thank my friends who kept me sane. My local LA tribe gave me encouragement and loving support, which kept my head on straight and focused on the prize. I am forever grateful for Ben Soper. My dear friend provided me unconditional technical support with all my projects throughout my entire graduate school career. Without his expertise, I would not have made it. I did not expect to make life-long friends in graduate school, but Tara Atrian, Erick Montano and Celeste Farrar have become just that. They were live-savers. Our study sessions at Whole Foods gave me sustenance to keep pushing forward and survive. Our group chats supplied me with the much-needed laughter and camaraderie I will look back upon fondly. Once this Covid-19 quarantine is over, we will celebrate as graduates of 2020! At California State University, Northridge, I would like to thank all the professors I had during my graduate career. After my first night of class, I was uncertain I would make it to the finish line, but many of you offered the guidance I needed to succeed. I want to acknowledge Professor Richard Chambers and David Blumenkrantz for being accommodating and sympathetic when my father passed away. They offered me the space and flexibility I needed to continue my studies while being with my family in Wisconsin. I am indebted to Dr. Melissa Wall. Not only did you accept me into this program, your instruction as my advisor and chair was invaluable. I am forever grateful for your leadership. I must also express my vi gratitude for my committee members Professor Gretchen Macchiarella and Darleen Principe. Darleen, from the first day we met, you always offered me support. I truly appreciate you. I would like to thank my Momo. You came into my life unexpectedly and encouraged me to keep plugging away on my thesis. If it wasn’t for you cheering me on, this pandemic may have gotten the best of me. You got me over the finish line, and I will forever love you for that. And finally, thank you to the creators behind Crazy Rich Asians for inspiring my thesis topic. vii Table of Contents Preface .............................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... viii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. ix Abstract ............................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2 Literature Review .......................................................................................... 11 2.1 Representation Theory .......................................................................................... 11 2.2 Framing Analysis ................................................................................................... 13 2.3 Racist Ideologies: Historical Analysis .................................................................. 15 Chapter 3 Methodology .................................................................................................. 32 3.1 Data Collection ....................................................................................................... 32 3.2 Procedure ................................................................................................................ 33 3.3 Textual Analysis ..................................................................................................... 33 3.4 Encoding ................................................................................................................. 35 3.5 Ideological Analysis ............................................................................................... 36 3.6 Limitations .............................................................................................................. 38 Chapter 4 Findings and Interpretations ......................................................................... 40 4.1 Content .................................................................................................................... 40 4.1.1 Anti-Foreigner Narrative ................................................................................ 40 4.1.2 Defying Gender Roles .................................................................................... 55 4.1.3 Non-Model Minority ....................................................................................... 62 4.2 Style ......................................................................................................................... 64 4.2.1 Diverse Asians ................................................................................................ 64 4.2.2 Set Design ........................................................................................................ 67 4.2.3 Music ................................................................................................................ 69 4.3 Absence .................................................................................................................. 71 4.3.1 New Reality ..................................................................................................... 71 4.4 Intentional Messaging ............................................................................................ 73 4.5 Discussions ............................................................................................................. 75 Chapter 5 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 78 5.1 Framing the Future ................................................................................................ 81 References ........................................................................................................................ 85 Appendix A: Crazy Rich Asians interviews .................................................................. 94 Appendix B: Director Jon M. Chu and Novelist Kevin Kwan Select Audio Commentary from CRA DVD .......................................................................................